★★★☆☆
(Space Opera; Great Ship) It’s not a big deal when Perry dies in the avalanche. It’s just a little death, but the person who digs him out and puts him back together has been missing for 12,000 years. (10,144 words; Time: 33m)
Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)
"Who Carries the World," by Robert Reed [bio] (edited by C.C. Finlay), appeared in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction issue 05-06|20, published on May 5, 2020 by Spilogale Inc.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.281 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: Like most Great Ship stories, the incredible setting contributes a lot to the tale. Here, an immortal human crosses path with a girl lost 12,000 years ago who’s been condemned to host what seems to be a simulation of a trillion individuals. Normally it gets passed from one host to another over the ages. Perri isn’t a suitable new host, but Aurum rescues him anyway, and that sets things in motion for the World to start seeking a new host—and gives Aurum an opportunity to destroy it.
Con: I felt like Perri didn’t contribute much to the story; he seemed to be there just as a witness. And Aurum’s actions were hard to follow until the explanation for everything at the end. Finally, when all the characters are immortal, it’s hard for stories to have any kind of tension.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Robert Reed Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: Like most Great Ship stories, the incredible setting contributes a lot to the tale. Here, an immortal human crosses path with a girl lost 12,000 years ago who’s been condemned to host what seems to be a simulation of a trillion individuals. Normally it gets passed from one host to another over the ages. Perri isn’t a suitable new host, but Aurum rescues him anyway, and that sets things in motion for the World to start seeking a new host—and gives Aurum an opportunity to destroy it.
Con: I felt like Perri didn’t contribute much to the story; he seemed to be there just as a witness. And Aurum’s actions were hard to follow until the explanation for everything at the end. Finally, when all the characters are immortal, it’s hard for stories to have any kind of tension.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Robert Reed Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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