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Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
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On the Last Afternoon
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First, I'd like to make it perfectly clear that the irregular greenish material in the back of the refrigerator is indeed a sentient alien life form, and not as some have suggested simply the remnants of an errant head of lettuce that somehow slipped behind the crisper in 2007. (I think the small pool of brown liquid in which it lives acts as its nourishment pond.) It really does communicate with me, though at a non-verbal level. And it has saved my life twice: in 2010 it warned me the mayonnaise was off; and in 2013 it reminded me to throw out the month-old container of Kung Pow Chicken.
On some distant planet, a small human colony is about to find out that the conveniently cleared area of the seashore on which they made their settlement a couple of decades ago is actually the spawning ground of some alien leviathan who are about to return to spawn. Grandpa, who is dying of cancer, has seen the behemoths spawning at other coastal points, but like Cassondra, his warnings have gone unheeded. Grandpa also has a hanging plant he claims is a sentient alien, the noion, descended from a spore that blew in from a distant galaxy. The noion talks to him, and only him, and sometimes answers his prayer. The kids realize he's only delusional, but grandpa thinks the noion will be able to save them psychically from the Sea monsters.
The outside story, of which grandpa, our narrator, is only a distant observer, has the colony trying to defend itself from the huge native sea creatures. (No one ever says, they're the natives, maybe we ought to just move.) It's the modestly interesting story. (view spoiler) But I have no idea what to make of grandpa's relationship with the alien hanging plant that seems to be the focus of the story. Real or imagined? Beats me.
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On some distant planet, a small human colony is about to find out that the conveniently cleared area of the seashore on which they made their settlement a couple of decades ago is actually the spawning ground of some alien leviathan who are about to return to spawn. Grandpa, who is dying of cancer, has seen the behemoths spawning at other coastal points, but like Cassondra, his warnings have gone unheeded. Grandpa also has a hanging plant he claims is a sentient alien, the noion, descended from a spore that blew in from a distant galaxy. The noion talks to him, and only him, and sometimes answers his prayer. The kids realize he's only delusional, but grandpa thinks the noion will be able to save them psychically from the Sea monsters.
The outside story, of which grandpa, our narrator, is only a distant observer, has the colony trying to defend itself from the huge native sea creatures. (No one ever says, they're the natives, maybe we ought to just move.) It's the modestly interesting story. (view spoiler) But I have no idea what to make of grandpa's relationship with the alien hanging plant that seems to be the focus of the story. Real or imagined? Beats me.
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★★★A human colony crashed years ago on a planet. They are lucky enough to find the only arable piece of land, not wondering why it is missing the omnipresent mangroves. On the last afternoon, their reproductive cycle leads huge seamonsters back to their mating grounds like a force of nature. Grandpa Mysha has come to an alien artifact called the noion to ask for one last wish. It takes great psychological efforts to access the telepathic alien and bring it to the desired effect. Mysha is presented a choice: Eternal life in the stars or saving his own children.
Review
Similar to "A Momentary Taste of Being," the human colony is eradicated by reproductive efforts. Sexuality is always a source of horror and amazement in her work. The colony's epic fight against the seamonsters resembles Mysha's agonizing internal monologue. Both fail in a calamitous way due to communication flaws: they do the wrong thing or nothing at all although they heared wise choices.
Reading his novelette was exhausting.
So, you think grandpa's hanging plant is actually a telepathic alien, and not the Imaginary friend of an old man?
G33z3r wrote: "So, you think grandpa's hanging plant is actually a telepathic alien, and not the Imaginary friend of an old man?"His wife thinks it is the latter one. Me thinks, it is an alien device or an alien being. It doesn't matter much, the essence is the failure of Mysha which would have occured in any case.
G33z3r wrote: "So, you think grandpa's hanging plant is actually a telepathic alien, and not the Imaginary friend of an old man?"Having read many, many Tiptree stories, I have to say "Absolutely!"
The alien in this story reminds me of the Tiptree alien presence in Slow Music.
On the Last Afternoon by James Tiptree Jr.
This story is part of the group discussion of James Tiptree Jr.'s short story collection Her Smoke Rose Up Forever. (See the discussion hub topic for more info.)