When I read science fiction I usually am drawn in most by tiny aspects of daily life. Important changes impact the minutia of our lives just as much as they reshape our societies in shocking ways.
In October, Escape Pod published and ‘cast Marissa K. Lingen‘s “Some of Them Closer“, a beautiful short story that captures the best elements of small scale science fiction. It’s a simple story of isolation and culture shock in which a woman returns to Montreal after years away in space.
“I can deal with them putting pears in everything now,” I said, “but I can’t get my head around the squashy floors in the Metro.”
He peered at me, and then a smile broke over his face. “All right, Mireille, come in.” As he made us tea and set out some grapes, he said, “You should feel grateful you’ve come home to a place where there’s snow. In all the cities where they don’t have to clear snow, the squashy floors are everywhere. They’ve decided they’re more natural.”
I tried to smile. “Natural. Everyone wants to call their pet theories natural but us, Stephane.”