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This is a nifty little piece, albeit nothing new to those familiar
with Starfish. It started life as a coda to that book, ultimately
discarded except for a paragraph or two that ended up elsewhere
in the plot. But it's a creepy enough tale in its own right, and
stands on its own, and it might even make the point better than the
original "A Niche" did. (It certainly does so more efficiently;
smaller cast, fewer words, less plot.) Ultimately it came out in On
Spec1
in the summer of 1999, coinciding with Starfish's initial
release
with Starfish. It started life as a coda to that book, ultimately
discarded except for a paragraph or two that ended up elsewhere
in the plot. But it's a creepy enough tale in its own right, and
stands on its own, and it might even make the point better than the
original "A Niche" did. (It certainly does so more efficiently;
smaller cast, fewer words, less plot.) Ultimately it came out in On
Spec1
in the summer of 1999, coinciding with Starfish's initial
release
9 pages, ebook
First published March 1, 1999
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 26, 2024
I am slowly working my way through Peter Watts's work, and unfortunately this early short story of his didn't quite land for me.
While the tone, the science and the horror elements that Watts is well known for were all still here, I felt the story didn't paint quite a clear enough picture for me to fully understand and appreciate all that was happening, at least early on. I am aware it was intentionally obscure, but the degree to which it held back revealing the central premise felt a little drawn out for such a brief telling.
Still, the concept is fun and creepy and unsettling, and it is available to read for free on Watts' website.
3 stars
While the tone, the science and the horror elements that Watts is well known for were all still here, I felt the story didn't paint quite a clear enough picture for me to fully understand and appreciate all that was happening, at least early on. I am aware it was intentionally obscure, but the degree to which it held back revealing the central premise felt a little drawn out for such a brief telling.
Still, the concept is fun and creepy and unsettling, and it is available to read for free on Watts' website.
3 stars
September 17, 2020
Because I haven't read Starfish yet, I am not 100% sure what was going on here, but it's weird as heck and now I want to read more.
April 1, 2024
Great atmosphere, but confusing enough to leave me unsatisfied. I did complain about the author's note on A Word For Heathens not giving the reader enough credit... but here we are.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews