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Great Ship
Good Mountain
In the far future, on a world made of water and little else, one desperate man rides inside a giant worm. Jopale is trying to make an appointment that will save his life. Perhaps. But this wet world is dying around him. Every other passenger is trying his or her best to survive. And out in the wastelands waits a long stretch of flat ground named Good Mountain, which might or might not bring salvation.
"Jopale stood up. When their worm was young and quite small, holes had been cut through its fleshy sides, avoiding the major muscle groups. Each hole was fitted with progressively larger rubber plugs, and finally a small plastic window that looked as if it was carved from a cold fog. Through one of those windows, Jopale could see the tall buildings of the city and their long shadows, plus the high clear sky that was as close to night as anything he had ever known. What a journey this had been, and it wasn’t even finished yet. Not for the first time, Jopale wished he had kept a journal. Then when there was time -- once he was living on the New Isles, perhaps -- he would write a thorough account of every awful thing that had happened, as well as his final triumphs."
Robert Reed has published stories and novels about the Great Ship. Or as he prefers it now, the Greatship. THE MEMORY OF SKY is a Greatship trilogy available in one volume. THE DRAGONS OF MARROW should be released on Kindle in the summer of 2018.
"Jopale stood up. When their worm was young and quite small, holes had been cut through its fleshy sides, avoiding the major muscle groups. Each hole was fitted with progressively larger rubber plugs, and finally a small plastic window that looked as if it was carved from a cold fog. Through one of those windows, Jopale could see the tall buildings of the city and their long shadows, plus the high clear sky that was as close to night as anything he had ever known. What a journey this had been, and it wasn’t even finished yet. Not for the first time, Jopale wished he had kept a journal. Then when there was time -- once he was living on the New Isles, perhaps -- he would write a thorough account of every awful thing that had happened, as well as his final triumphs."
Robert Reed has published stories and novels about the Great Ship. Or as he prefers it now, the Greatship. THE MEMORY OF SKY is a Greatship trilogy available in one volume. THE DRAGONS OF MARROW should be released on Kindle in the summer of 2018.
69 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2018
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23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 20, 2024
I haven’t read any of the Greatship books. I suspect that this story and how it ends might have made more sense if I had. As it is, this story is decidedly weird. It took me a long time to settle in and I am not an inexperienced SF reader. After a while I started to enjoy it, but the ending was sad and strange.
May 25, 2020
This story is part of the "The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction" collection, and so far, it's the best story from there.
The whole story is about Jopale traveling, in a very unfamiliar vehicle, to what he expects to be his new home. While reading about this trip, a very strange and particular world is unraveled in few pages.
The more I read, the more questions I had and I am still thinking about several things said and described here. This, I think, is one of the best compliment I can give to a modern sci-fi work.
If you like to read things which make you think, you will certainly love this story. If not, at least you will enjoy a very well written story.
The whole story is about Jopale traveling, in a very unfamiliar vehicle, to what he expects to be his new home. While reading about this trip, a very strange and particular world is unraveled in few pages.
The more I read, the more questions I had and I am still thinking about several things said and described here. This, I think, is one of the best compliment I can give to a modern sci-fi work.
If you like to read things which make you think, you will certainly love this story. If not, at least you will enjoy a very well written story.
July 26, 2019
I read this as part of a larger science fiction anthology, and after reading, I couldn’t believe its lack of an online presence. I felt like I should contribute, because honestly this story blew me away. I can’t put my finger on what specifically drew me in. It was so creative and evocative, and something about the writing style completely absorbed me. It’s surreal; that might be the best way to explain it. Maybe it’s a me thing, but I highly recommend spending the three dollars to download the Kindle edition and see for yourself.
April 9, 2020
Read as part of The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction and is one of my favorite in a very good collection.
May 24, 2019
“It’s just one old word,” Brace was saying. With his face lit up by the endless fire, he said, “And I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, sir. But words … what they are … they’re just sounds and scribbles. It’s people who give them meaning. Without us, the poor things wouldn’t have any life at all.”
October 13, 2024
A rare novelty of traversal using a biological(?) organism, and one of the more abstract environmental backgrounds.
One of the more looser Greatship titles; that is, this could easily be a standalone ala Eater-of-Bone.
One of the more looser Greatship titles; that is, this could easily be a standalone ala Eater-of-Bone.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews