★★★☆☆
(SF Drama) Tyler loves being in a boy band, but the label doesn’t want him showing affection for one of the other boys in the band. (7,437 words; Time: 24m)
"We're Here, We're Here," by K.M. Szpara [bio] (edited by Carl Engle-Laird), published on June 10, 2020 by Tor.com.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.321 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: The only speculative element here is that the studio can enforce its demands by turning off the voices of the singers, but that’s cool, as far as it goes; it’s certainly integral to the plot.
I also applaud the fact that Tyler lives in a future that’s fairly cool with both homosexuality and transsexuality. Tyler worries about being “queer” but only in a marketing sense; he’s openly trans, and he himself says no one cares about that.
Con: I had trouble sympathizing with Tyler, since, as part of a band, he’s responsible for putting on a show, and he knows very well what that involves. No one said he and Jasper couldn’t have a relationship; they just said that his public persona needs to be such that fans imagine he’s available to anyone. In exchange for that, he gets rich.
On a minor note, anyone who’s ever lost his/her voice from overuse is aware that when your vocal cords fail, you can still whisper. Without knowing the nature of this implant, I’m pretty sure Tyler should have still been able to whisper.
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K.M. Szpara Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: The only speculative element here is that the studio can enforce its demands by turning off the voices of the singers, but that’s cool, as far as it goes; it’s certainly integral to the plot.
I also applaud the fact that Tyler lives in a future that’s fairly cool with both homosexuality and transsexuality. Tyler worries about being “queer” but only in a marketing sense; he’s openly trans, and he himself says no one cares about that.
Con: I had trouble sympathizing with Tyler, since, as part of a band, he’s responsible for putting on a show, and he knows very well what that involves. No one said he and Jasper couldn’t have a relationship; they just said that his public persona needs to be such that fans imagine he’s available to anyone. In exchange for that, he gets rich.
On a minor note, anyone who’s ever lost his/her voice from overuse is aware that when your vocal cords fail, you can still whisper. Without knowing the nature of this implant, I’m pretty sure Tyler should have still been able to whisper.
Other Reviews: Search Web
K.M. Szpara Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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