The voice is strong and believable. Readers feel drawn into this piece and are deeply shocked and disturbed by the surprise ending that is played out masterfully, without being too showy or obvious. Balancing action with character development, the plot makes a full circle and plops the reader right where they never imagined they'd be. The only complaint I have of this story is that I would rather read it as a novel - which, I suppose, is actually just another compliment.
The introductory paragraph of this piece sets the reader up for a story ingrained in reality. Benstead seamlessly digresses into a post-apocalyptic world where even the protagonist does not really know what's going on. Humankind fears the unknown, and the vagueness of this piece is one of its strongest points. Benstead allows his reader's imagination to run wild, while still offering a buffet of the interior of post-apostolic family life.
The voice is strong and believable. Readers feel drawn into this piece and are deeply shocked and disturbed by the surprise ending that is played out masterfully, without being too showy or obvious. Balancing action with character development, the plot makes a full circle and plops the reader right where they never imagined they'd be. The only complaint I have of this story is that I would rather read it as a novel - which, I suppose, is actually just another compliment.
2 Comments
Peter Olinger
11/23/2014 05:14:10 am
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you've said about this story. To me, the author blends mystery, bleakness, and the day-to-day life in this world perfectly. It takes a lot to make a post-apocalyptic story original at a time when the genre is hugely over-saturated. The author succeeds seemingly effortlessly in this and is able to tell a unique story without having to rely on gimmicks. I, too, am disappointed that this is only a short story and not a piece from a novel, though I like the way the story works as a snapshot and in a longer piece it might run the risk of running into tropes of the genre or divulging to much about the world the story exists within. Perhaps I will just have to get in contact with the author and nag them into writing a collection of short stories all set in this world because I do feel like I was shortchanged by getting such a short piece of such a genius narrative.
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I agree that this story is one of the standouts of the collection. I think, however, one of the reasons it succeeds is BECAUSE it is a short story. I admire Benstead's economy perhaps most of all, in that he is able (as Peter mentioned in our class discussion) to create a entire post-apocalyptic world in the space of only 30-odd pages. The story's opening is also one of its most admirable characteristics; Benstead begins 'in media res', and expertly fools us into thinking this story will be one about an extramarital affair, only to slowly reveal as the story progresses that this bleak world has no time for such trivial things as affairs. That the whole story is ultimately anchored by Megan's monotonous 'bus driver' game also makes for a brilliant metaphor that might be stretched too thin if this were a novel.
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