Sometimes a story just delights you
Once in a while, I encounter a spec-fic story I absolutely love. This evening, browsing through my downloaded issue of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #34, I found one such. It's called the Flying Woman, by RJ Astruc: A rather ordinary title for a cool story.
The protag is a djinn called Zeem, who lives in a London tenement. and works as a clerk at a grocery chain store. In this story, Zeem is haunted by a terrible, intolerable screaming that just goes on and on, and only Zeem and his friend Johnny want to do anything about it.
It's the second I've read set in that world: Strange Horizons had one last year, called the Perfume Eater.
What's wonderful about these stories is that they're funny, clever, and humane. Johnny Flannery, a petty criminal (who "considers himself more of a freelance locksmith") is Zeem's only real friend, "If being a real friend means that you're obligated to cough up bail money every other month and lie to their parole officer." So Zeem says, but it's not true; his affection for the entire differently-functional crowd is palpable, as is theirs for him. It reminded me of Steinbeck's Monterey books.
As a character older than the entire human race, probably, Zeem has an interesting perspective on humanity, science, and religion. He's detached intellectually and involved emotionally, a combination with lots of potential. I hope there are going to be more Zeem stories, and eventually a Zeem anthology.
I wish I could link to this story, but ASIM is a paid magazine. I'm paying for those downloads (and they're worth it!)
The protag is a djinn called Zeem, who lives in a London tenement. and works as a clerk at a grocery chain store. In this story, Zeem is haunted by a terrible, intolerable screaming that just goes on and on, and only Zeem and his friend Johnny want to do anything about it.
It's the second I've read set in that world: Strange Horizons had one last year, called the Perfume Eater.
What's wonderful about these stories is that they're funny, clever, and humane. Johnny Flannery, a petty criminal (who "considers himself more of a freelance locksmith") is Zeem's only real friend, "If being a real friend means that you're obligated to cough up bail money every other month and lie to their parole officer." So Zeem says, but it's not true; his affection for the entire differently-functional crowd is palpable, as is theirs for him. It reminded me of Steinbeck's Monterey books.
As a character older than the entire human race, probably, Zeem has an interesting perspective on humanity, science, and religion. He's detached intellectually and involved emotionally, a combination with lots of potential. I hope there are going to be more Zeem stories, and eventually a Zeem anthology.
I wish I could link to this story, but ASIM is a paid magazine. I'm paying for those downloads (and they're worth it!)