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Tedeskimma
Eleven lives, connected by a single SKIMMA, at the mercy of a dark and unforgiving alien planet.
What is a SKIMMA? An animal? A toy? A lucky charm? A shoulder to cry on? Yes, and also no.
The three-mooned planet UWA is very much like our own and the OSZA who live there are very much like us. As the SKIMMA passes from one OSZA to the next, it witnesses drug addiction and child abuse, religion and superstition, oppression and poverty. It also sees love, family, and hope. Each OSZA leaves their mark on the little SKIMMA... but it leaves its mark on them, too.
What is a SKIMMA? An animal? A toy? A lucky charm? A shoulder to cry on? Yes, and also no.
The three-mooned planet UWA is very much like our own and the OSZA who live there are very much like us. As the SKIMMA passes from one OSZA to the next, it witnesses drug addiction and child abuse, religion and superstition, oppression and poverty. It also sees love, family, and hope. Each OSZA leaves their mark on the little SKIMMA... but it leaves its mark on them, too.
Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2018
3 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
100 LICK
6 books25 followers100LICK is a unique brand, unlike any other. It is also the pseudonym I choose to write under.
100LICK is also a puzzle, one that you must solve. Within its logo lie the clues that will lead you to the answer.
As for who I am... Well, that shall remain a mystery for now.
Why? You ask.
Why not? I answer.
100LICK is also a puzzle, one that you must solve. Within its logo lie the clues that will lead you to the answer.
As for who I am... Well, that shall remain a mystery for now.
Why? You ask.
Why not? I answer.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 1, 2020
Imagine that Winnie the Pooh’s mutant sibling joined the sisterhood of travelling pants and embarked upon a journey through a dystopian Orwellian world. That’s not far from the premise of 100Lick’s story collection, “Tedeskimma.” The doughty protagonist is a stuffed Tedeskimma — SKIMMA, for short— a beast which inhabits remote corners of the planet UWA and looks like a cross between an albino squirrel and a bighorn sheep:
“It was an animal of some kind. Bright white all over, just like her hair, with blue eyes that were lighter than hers. Its head had huge, ever expanding horns, and a long bushy tail was attached to its behind. The creature’s hands were similar to hers, but its legs were exactly like its hands…”
SKIMMA is given to a girl named UMA on her birthday, although it changes hands eleven times in the course of this book. Each of the creature’s new owners’ stories are told in separate chapters. Among them are OMLI, a boy who lives in a slum and works in the mines; BUNS a bitter lesbian mercenary who considers SKIMMA a lucky charm; DIIN, a girl whose impoverished family undertakes the perilous journey to a new country; VONDUR, a fulminating bigot who works at an immigrant detention facility; and CHOTY, a precocious lad growing up amid gang violence and drug dealing.
Because SKIMMA is a silent, non-judgmental listener, people feel compelled to tell it their innermost thoughts and feelings. It also bears witness to their plights, suffering, and occasional triumphs.
These variously troubled folk dwell on UWA, which apart from having three suns and three moons, is much like Earth. Indeed, its citizens suffer from the same social and environmental malaises that afflict our own blue planet. Each chapter illustrates some form of bias or injustice. The characters are icons representing different populations affected by these conditions—refugees, sexual minorities, victims of abuse, etc. As such, they evoke principles over personalities; some of them are little more than caricatures of a belief system or social group.
“Tedeskimma” is an audacious undertaking with bold scope and an urgent morality. Still, the stories feel more expository than narrative. The dialog often lapses into lecture mode. While individually engaging, the chapters are unconnected, apart from the transfer of SKIMMA from one to the next and a contrived ending. Overall, the story cycle is compelling, but its lessons are somewhat belabored.
“It was an animal of some kind. Bright white all over, just like her hair, with blue eyes that were lighter than hers. Its head had huge, ever expanding horns, and a long bushy tail was attached to its behind. The creature’s hands were similar to hers, but its legs were exactly like its hands…”
SKIMMA is given to a girl named UMA on her birthday, although it changes hands eleven times in the course of this book. Each of the creature’s new owners’ stories are told in separate chapters. Among them are OMLI, a boy who lives in a slum and works in the mines; BUNS a bitter lesbian mercenary who considers SKIMMA a lucky charm; DIIN, a girl whose impoverished family undertakes the perilous journey to a new country; VONDUR, a fulminating bigot who works at an immigrant detention facility; and CHOTY, a precocious lad growing up amid gang violence and drug dealing.
Because SKIMMA is a silent, non-judgmental listener, people feel compelled to tell it their innermost thoughts and feelings. It also bears witness to their plights, suffering, and occasional triumphs.
These variously troubled folk dwell on UWA, which apart from having three suns and three moons, is much like Earth. Indeed, its citizens suffer from the same social and environmental malaises that afflict our own blue planet. Each chapter illustrates some form of bias or injustice. The characters are icons representing different populations affected by these conditions—refugees, sexual minorities, victims of abuse, etc. As such, they evoke principles over personalities; some of them are little more than caricatures of a belief system or social group.
“Tedeskimma” is an audacious undertaking with bold scope and an urgent morality. Still, the stories feel more expository than narrative. The dialog often lapses into lecture mode. While individually engaging, the chapters are unconnected, apart from the transfer of SKIMMA from one to the next and a contrived ending. Overall, the story cycle is compelling, but its lessons are somewhat belabored.
November 12, 2021
Could not finish this. I got to page 240, ~45%, before I called it quits and I was skimming trying to get through the never-ending monologue lecture but I could not go on. This book is a lengthy political essay that covers all the major current Earth world issues under the thin veil of being set on a “different” planet… it’s just Earth. I thought this was some sort of sci-fi or fantasy that mirrored social problems but no this has literally zero world building. I think the target audience is 16 - 20 year-olds and bigots who are ready to hear different viewpoints in a lecturing manner. There is no real ~story~. It is monologue after monologue about different world issues, from pollution and religion to immigration and LGBT+ rights, and beyond (which, yes, it is great that these issues are being discussed). If you are just starting your journey of questioning your beliefs or exploring social justice or social problems for the first time, ~maybe~ this could be useful for you. If you know anything about equality, equity, and care about humanity and humility then you will probably find this as difficult to get through as I did. It could have been done so much better. This is all telling with no showing. You can care about the characters and you want to keep reading to follow them but the lecture dumps… just couldn’t.
July 28, 2020
Tedeskimma is a dystopian fiction novel written about eleven characters that are all connected for a single purpose. A Skimma passes on from one character to another, and as they receive it, the story of that particular character is revealed.
I particularly enjoyed the girl who got the Skimma for her birthday and grew up with it. The characters each to their own possessed fortunate of unfortunate fates, and I believe that’s what made the stories intriguing to read.
The literature was easy to read and to follow, and the pace was steady. The book was divided into 11 sections and ended with a parting note. I enjoyed that little addition and found it novel. It was evident that the author cared about relating the stories together, and although it appeared to be like a gathering of stories, he still managed to bond them.
Fictions are supposed to take you on an adventure, make you forget about your current situation, dwell you into its drams, and I believe this book did just that. I looked forward to reading more from this author and appreciated its unique approach.
I particularly enjoyed the girl who got the Skimma for her birthday and grew up with it. The characters each to their own possessed fortunate of unfortunate fates, and I believe that’s what made the stories intriguing to read.
The literature was easy to read and to follow, and the pace was steady. The book was divided into 11 sections and ended with a parting note. I enjoyed that little addition and found it novel. It was evident that the author cared about relating the stories together, and although it appeared to be like a gathering of stories, he still managed to bond them.
Fictions are supposed to take you on an adventure, make you forget about your current situation, dwell you into its drams, and I believe this book did just that. I looked forward to reading more from this author and appreciated its unique approach.
July 11, 2025
In order to write a plot line similar to Tedeskimma, here’s what you do. Write a list of everything wrong with society – things like racism, poverty, the cruelty of mankind, and intolerance. Then, create short stories with each social ill at its center. And finally, create something that ties all these stories together. In the case of Tedeskimma, the thing that ties all the stories together is a cute little stuffed animal that passes from hand to hand to observe the racism, poverty, cruelty of mankind and intolerance.
It is a great concept with interesting stories. But here’s the problem. The author preaches. He repeats his points ad nauseum. His paragraphs are sometime endlessly long. I read books to be educated and (yes, I admit..) entertained. This book did neither.
It is a great concept with interesting stories. But here’s the problem. The author preaches. He repeats his points ad nauseum. His paragraphs are sometime endlessly long. I read books to be educated and (yes, I admit..) entertained. This book did neither.
July 12, 2020
A bizarre distopian tale of children coping the best they can
This was a strange read. It takes a while to grasp the story line. The SKIMMA is a stuffed animal that passes through many children's hands. The various children love it and confide their hopes and dreams to it. They have trials and adventures in the process of growing up and becoming adults in a harsh and often horrible world.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a strange read. It takes a while to grasp the story line. The SKIMMA is a stuffed animal that passes through many children's hands. The various children love it and confide their hopes and dreams to it. They have trials and adventures in the process of growing up and becoming adults in a harsh and often horrible world.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 15, 2020
A very unique story. It was an interesting book!
May 20, 2020
Unique read
June 1, 2020
Excellent book!!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews