Science Fiction Short Story Review: "The Game of Smash and Recovery" by Kelly Link

Tweet

In this odd, fairy tale-like story, Anat is cared for by her older brother Oscar while they await the return of their parents. The warehouses on the world of Home supply all they need. The robot Handmaids protect them. Once an alien vampire got too close to her and Anat cried. The Handmaids tore to it to pieces. Now, the vampires sing songs to the Handmaids. They’ve reached an understanding, and the Handmaids do not tear them to pieces. It’s not clear who built the vast complexes of warehouses, or whether the warehouses builders will come back. Anat is remarkable and will, she’s told, be capable of doing remarkable things. Once their parents learned how remarkable she was, they left to consult authorities on how best to raise her. They’ve been delayed on the way back. In the meantime, Oscar teaches Anat a game he calls Smash and Recovery. They hide markers designated “smash” and “recovery,” one false and one true each. The opponent has to correctly find and destroy the true “smash” and recover the true “recover” markers. Anat feels that when she wins this game her parents will return. Today is Anat’s birthday. Not all little girls grow up to be princesses, even if they were raised as the center of someone’s world. The point of view is narrow, like that of a small child discovering its world. She loves Oscar and Oscar loves her. But there’s a lot of information she doesn’t have. There’s a lot of information Oscar is withholding. Nevertheless, this is an intelligent, if sad, take on an old theme. The story is available here: _____ Title: “The Game of Smash and Recovery” Author: Kelly Link Published in: The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016 First Published: Strange Horizons October 17, 2015