here's yet another good review for Ellen Datlow's anthology Inferno . . .

[realthog]

. . . and this time by Elizabeth A. Allen in the webzine The Fix (the short-fiction-review sibling of Interzone, Black Static, etc.): http://thefix-online.com/reviews/inferno/.

Allen quibbles about a few of the stories but overall seems mightily impressed by the level of the contributions. Natch, the first thing I did, rather than read the review from start to finish, was scrabble down through Allen's story-by-story coverage seeking mention of mine own item. Here are her comments:

Death happens whenever Christopher is near. Or, more specifically, Christopher brings death and disaster, but he himself always escapes it. Accidents, disasters, and tragedies consume his family members, but he remains unscathed. His father, the one telling this story in “Lives” by John Grant, becomes increasingly disturbed by Christopher’s continuing unbreakability. Perhaps the two are more similar than the father cares to admit? Grant weaves a suspenseful story about the double-edged sword of superpowers, which bring great good fortune and great loneliness simultaneously, and he successfully balances the portrayal of Christopher so you’re not quite sure if this kid is intentionally destructive. At the same time, the melancholy undercurrent of the father seeing himself in his son’s character gives “Lives” a philosophical and poignant ring.

I'm not 100% sure I thought I was writing about "the double-edged sword of superpowers", but I'm happy to live with Allen's analysis. It's interesting that the several reviewers so far of the anthology have produced the same number of different interpretations of "Lives". I think this is a good thing!