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Eliot Wrote As Below, So Above
Two podcasts this time. As Below, So Above"(podcast) by Ferrett Steinmetz and Eliot Wrote by Nancy Kress. The former was originally published by Beneath Ceaseless Skies and podcast by PodCastle. The latter is published by Lightspeed.
"As Below, So Above" does something that annoys the hell out of me when done poorly but done beautifully here: the portrayal of humans and human actions from a non-human point of view. It's so easy to leave a residue of "Get it? Get it? Understand what's really happening? Isn't this all exceptionally clever?" in the writing. i.e., even it's not about the humans, it's still all about the humans. That doesn't happen here because Ferrett inhabits the point of view of the giant squids so naturally that I'm caught in their wants and desires. The central story of the squids' contest with faith is actually the central story. It's not some pile of text to be decode to find the "real" story involving the humans. The byplay with the humans is simply backdrop. Well worth listening to on so many levels. (Also, great reading by Norm Sherman.)
"Eliot Wrote" is likewise impressive (and coincidentally, it also deals with faith). She's nailed Eliot as the too smart for his age kid who is utterly convinced he knows the answers but no one will listen too. (And even though we are within his point of view, we see that he doesn't really know the answers.) The story points out his frustration in ways that are all to true to life. If the "strict rationalist who finally breaks down and yearns for faith" story is tired, it's at least exceptionally well told.
What I enjoyed the most about this story is its careful construction. Everything fits together precisely, but never in ways that make me feel like the author's hand is shoving things along. In very little space, the story develops detailed characters that make lasting impressions. I especially love the running use of the idea of metaphor that unifies the story. (In a sense, the story makes extended use of metaphor as an extended metaphor.) Given the arc of the story, the ending is inevitable, but it's mollified by the youth of the protagonist and that the story does not come to a neat ending.
So, yay, two stories that I mostly love.
"As Below, So Above" does something that annoys the hell out of me when done poorly but done beautifully here: the portrayal of humans and human actions from a non-human point of view. It's so easy to leave a residue of "Get it? Get it? Understand what's really happening? Isn't this all exceptionally clever?" in the writing. i.e., even it's not about the humans, it's still all about the humans. That doesn't happen here because Ferrett inhabits the point of view of the giant squids so naturally that I'm caught in their wants and desires. The central story of the squids' contest with faith is actually the central story. It's not some pile of text to be decode to find the "real" story involving the humans. The byplay with the humans is simply backdrop. Well worth listening to on so many levels. (Also, great reading by Norm Sherman.)
"Eliot Wrote" is likewise impressive (and coincidentally, it also deals with faith). She's nailed Eliot as the too smart for his age kid who is utterly convinced he knows the answers but no one will listen too. (And even though we are within his point of view, we see that he doesn't really know the answers.) The story points out his frustration in ways that are all to true to life. If the "strict rationalist who finally breaks down and yearns for faith" story is tired, it's at least exceptionally well told.
What I enjoyed the most about this story is its careful construction. Everything fits together precisely, but never in ways that make me feel like the author's hand is shoving things along. In very little space, the story develops detailed characters that make lasting impressions. I especially love the running use of the idea of metaphor that unifies the story. (In a sense, the story makes extended use of metaphor as an extended metaphor.) Given the arc of the story, the ending is inevitable, but it's mollified by the youth of the protagonist and that the story does not come to a neat ending.
So, yay, two stories that I mostly love.