★★☆☆☆
(Allegory) In a world where people’s sexual discomfort expresses itself visibly but it’s a faux pas to let anyone see it, a girl who expresses centipedes struggles to get by. (5,615 words; Time: 18m)
"Anything Resembling Love," by S. Qiouyi Lu [bio] (edited by Jonathan Strahan), published on April 29, 2020 by Tor.com.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.264 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: The narration and dialogue are flawless.
It reminds me of a conversation when I was young with some other gay men about how sex with someone was a big mistake if you just want to leave when it’s over and you feel awful about it afterwards—feeling unclean, sometimes for days. But when you’re with the right person, it feels wonderful to be together even after the sex is over, and that it’s worth waiting for the right person. I think if actual centipedes, scorpions, and wasps were involved, more people would agree with that. :-)
Con: This is pure message fiction; there is nothing to it but the message, and it beats you over the head with that message over and over and over.
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S. Qiouyi Lu Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: The narration and dialogue are flawless.
It reminds me of a conversation when I was young with some other gay men about how sex with someone was a big mistake if you just want to leave when it’s over and you feel awful about it afterwards—feeling unclean, sometimes for days. But when you’re with the right person, it feels wonderful to be together even after the sex is over, and that it’s worth waiting for the right person. I think if actual centipedes, scorpions, and wasps were involved, more people would agree with that. :-)
Con: This is pure message fiction; there is nothing to it but the message, and it beats you over the head with that message over and over and over.
Other Reviews: Search Web
S. Qiouyi Lu Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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