★★★☆☆
(Horror) The annual family get together involves a dangerous hunt of a gigantic man-eating crawdad. (4,024 words; Time: 13m)
"Crawfather," by Mel Kassel [bio] (edited by C.C. Finlay), appeared in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction issue 07-08|20, published on July 7, 2020 by Spilogale Inc.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.381 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: There’s plenty of excitement as the hunt is set up, and the realization that the thing is real is a bit of a thrill. It’s a big shock that it can still kill people, but the biggest shock is the calm way the family reacts to Madeline’s death.
It’s possible there’s a symbolic meaning here that I’m totally missing, but I’m not coming up with anything.
Con: It makes total sense that Nancy and Archie respond to Madeline’s death by finding a way to kill the Crawfather. They’re the only ones in this story acting rationally, and we never get a satisfactory explanation for why the adults are irrational about it.
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Mel Kassel Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: There’s plenty of excitement as the hunt is set up, and the realization that the thing is real is a bit of a thrill. It’s a big shock that it can still kill people, but the biggest shock is the calm way the family reacts to Madeline’s death.
It’s possible there’s a symbolic meaning here that I’m totally missing, but I’m not coming up with anything.
Con: It makes total sense that Nancy and Archie respond to Madeline’s death by finding a way to kill the Crawfather. They’re the only ones in this story acting rationally, and we never get a satisfactory explanation for why the adults are irrational about it.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Mel Kassel Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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