★★★☆☆
(Fantasy) After war destroys their homeland, the Butterfly People come to Ksmal as refugees. They’re welcome, but only if they assimilate, and not everyone is happy with that. (6,301 words; Time: 21m)
"Never a Butterfly, Nor a Moth With Moon-Painted Wings," by Aimee Ogden [bio] (edited by Scott H. Andrews), appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies issue 300, published on March 19, 2020.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.177 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: It’s a sad story of a fairly brutal assimilation. I was particularly saddened when the Ksmala took away everything written in the Butterfly language and burned it.
One honors Shemi for her resistance to it, but her effort is so hopeless, it’s desperately sad. As is her daughter’s own rebellion.
I almost want to call this “Mannerpunk,” since it’s a secondary-world fantasy with no magic, but that name is too closely tied to the European notion of a “Novel of Manners.”
Con: The biggest problem is that Shemi is more of a victim than a protagonist; she describes the things that happened to her, but other than very mild resistance, she’s been a passive participant in what happened.
One wonders why more of the refugees didn’t bypass Ksmala and head into the mountains, if that was always an option.
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Aimee Ogden Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: It’s a sad story of a fairly brutal assimilation. I was particularly saddened when the Ksmala took away everything written in the Butterfly language and burned it.
One honors Shemi for her resistance to it, but her effort is so hopeless, it’s desperately sad. As is her daughter’s own rebellion.
I almost want to call this “Mannerpunk,” since it’s a secondary-world fantasy with no magic, but that name is too closely tied to the European notion of a “Novel of Manners.”
Con: The biggest problem is that Shemi is more of a victim than a protagonist; she describes the things that happened to her, but other than very mild resistance, she’s been a passive participant in what happened.
One wonders why more of the refugees didn’t bypass Ksmala and head into the mountains, if that was always an option.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Aimee Ogden Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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