Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

This is our discussion of the short story....

"Dispatches From The Cradle: The Hermit – Forty-Eight Hours In The Sea Of Massachusetts" by Ken Liu

From the anthology Drowned Worlds edited by Jonathan Strahan. See the Drowned Worlds anthology discussion hub for more info on the anthology and pointers to discussion of its other stories.

I enjoyed this one - but I started out knowing I like his short stories so I may have been biased. I liked the dual mode of storytelling , the world building good for s short story, and it critiqued itself a bit too.
I thought the bubble habitats were a neat idea - I can empathize with the hermit desire to just float away.
Then he throws the changing faces/identity ideas into the mix - plenty of ideas in this one

I was disappointed in this story, especially given its from Ken Liu, who is usually as entertaining as he is prolific.

Like you, I did like the idea the floating bubble house, coupled with the notion that it could submerge if a storm came by. An interesting way to live, if you want to be a hermit or peripatetic loner, though it doesn't lend itself much to building community.

I didn't understand the protagonist's name being given as "Asa <whale>-<tongue>-π". I kept expecting we were going to discover she'd been genetically modified into an aquatic version of human, but other than being a hermit she seemed quite normal. I felt there was some a lot of back story on her missing.

The basic "story" (I use the term loosely) seems to be a tour of underwater Boston/Cambridge, especially Haavard Yaad. Not exactly spine tingling excitement.

Unfathomable. ★1/2★

This story disappointed too, since I had heard of Ken Liu and expected something good. But it was a pale imitation of a Kim Robinson plot (people from the future explore a modern day city, now-flooded. We all know the drill), and stands out in a negative way for being placed right beside a story by the man himself.

I did like the cute Martian reference to "Watney City on Acidalia Planetia."

Yes the names - when I re-read it yesterday I thought - did we find out about that or did I just forget? Nope - not clear though I guess we assume it has to do with the constantly changing faces mentioned at the end?

I am a Walden fan so I liked that aspect but I can understand the feeling that nothing really happens.

I also wonder about the order of the stories- or seems like the KSR should maybe have been first since it is the only re-print and also a theme-setter if that makes sense?

(Yes I got a Christmas colt out of Watney city)

I liked the point made where the narrator is told by someone living on one of the raft habitats that he doesn't feel like a "refugee", he doesn't need "rescuing", that this is his life and there's nothing wrong with it. Kind of how Americans look down on Africans saying, "oh look at them, living in a hut and growing their own food, how horrible" but I'm sure some look at Americans and are very happy not to have to worry about mortgages and spending their whole day on their cellphones, and eating modified foods and whatnot.

Agreed with the others above that too much went unexplained though, can't throw in a weird naming convention without somehow dropping in how it came to be or what it means. The face changing seemed like a useless thing that took up space unnecessarily in a short story.

Overall ok, but didn't love it.