Divergences

Trolling the internet for mentions of oneself, as one inevitably does, can be both rewarding and disheartening....

Here's ONE review of my new story, written after I hadn't done a new short story in seven years:

In “An Alien Heresy” by S. P. Somtow, Inquisitor Jean Lenclud is called to the French village of Tiffauges where he meets two unexpected things: the first is his illegitimate son, Guillaume, and the second, an odd, green humanoid in the cellar who claims to be from the stars and seeking his way home.

Somtow’s depiction of the mindset of the Inquisition is brilliant, never descending into facile clichés of torture-obsessed fanatics. His portrayal of Jean as a man struggling against his faith is made all the more poignant by the presence of his former sin, in the person of Guillaume, and the decisions Jean has to make concerning both his son and the alien. The depiction of such an alien mindset makes for quite an uncomfortable story, but ultimately a rewarding one. Recommended.

And here's ANOTHER: An Alien Heresy -- Somtow (Sucharatkul) -- beautifully written cliche, absolutely nothing new and with an ending that was both a complete downer and, being totally predictable and without the least surprise to it, a pain in the ass. Why did I bother? I gave up on Sucharatkul long ago. His stuff is beautifully written and a total waste of time.

It's good to know that people still disagree about me....