2014 Story 121
From the May, 2014 issue of Lightspeed Magazine, edited by John Joseph Adams:
121. DEEP END by Nisi Shawl Former Earth convicts are sent to colonize a new planet by being placed in clones of their white, straight oppressors. Although they are no longer physically themselves when downloaded from the ship's computer storage space into the new bodies, their personalities and histories remain intact. I will admit that it took me a good way into the story to realize what was going on -- that these disembodied personalities being slowly acclimated back to physical space in new bodies were not being put back into clones of their own bodies but rather clones of the very people who had imprisoned them in the first place -- but once I did get it, the story resonated deeply with me. Shawl takes on cultural stratification, class warfare, non-violent protest and questions of self-identity in such a short space, and she does it masterfully. Each conflicting point of view (on what to do when the ship makes it to the new planet, etc) is presented with equal weight and respect. There is no single correct decision, but rather the story explores finding what is right for the individual trapped in moments of great historical import. An intense story providing a lot to think on.
121. DEEP END by Nisi Shawl Former Earth convicts are sent to colonize a new planet by being placed in clones of their white, straight oppressors. Although they are no longer physically themselves when downloaded from the ship's computer storage space into the new bodies, their personalities and histories remain intact. I will admit that it took me a good way into the story to realize what was going on -- that these disembodied personalities being slowly acclimated back to physical space in new bodies were not being put back into clones of their own bodies but rather clones of the very people who had imprisoned them in the first place -- but once I did get it, the story resonated deeply with me. Shawl takes on cultural stratification, class warfare, non-violent protest and questions of self-identity in such a short space, and she does it masterfully. Each conflicting point of view (on what to do when the ship makes it to the new planet, etc) is presented with equal weight and respect. There is no single correct decision, but rather the story explores finding what is right for the individual trapped in moments of great historical import. An intense story providing a lot to think on.