★★★★☆ A steady build up to a shattering climax.
(Horror) In 19th-Century Texas, a German immigrant mother defends her farm and family (in the absence of her husband and eldest son) against a vicious wolf as well as some of the local townspeople. (5,037 words; Time: 16m)
"February Moon," by Josh Rountree [bio] (edited by Scott H. Andrews), appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies issue 303, published on April 30, 2020.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.265 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: I like the way all the little details work together to finally give us the complete, horrifying picture. The tension is palpable, fed by potential threats from the wolf, the townspeople, even the Comanche.
The story is a strong reminder of how much death was the constant companion of early settlers. I spent some time looking at my family tree (mostly country people in Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina going back over 200 years) and what struck me was how often people had to remarry after the loss of a spouse, and how many little children reported in one census weren’t there ten years later.
It’s probably bad that I found myself wondering what R₀ is for Lycanthropy.
Con: The narrator’s situation seems to be hopeless, and she seems to have no real plans for dealing with it.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Josh Rountree Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Pro: I like the way all the little details work together to finally give us the complete, horrifying picture. The tension is palpable, fed by potential threats from the wolf, the townspeople, even the Comanche.
The story is a strong reminder of how much death was the constant companion of early settlers. I spent some time looking at my family tree (mostly country people in Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina going back over 200 years) and what struck me was how often people had to remarry after the loss of a spouse, and how many little children reported in one census weren’t there ten years later.
It’s probably bad that I found myself wondering what R₀ is for Lycanthropy.
Con: The narrator’s situation seems to be hopeless, and she seems to have no real plans for dealing with it.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Josh Rountree Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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