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Lightspeed Magazine, November 2010
The November 2010 issue of Lightspeed Magazine features all types of sf, from near-future, sociological soft sf, to far-future, star-spanning hard sf, and anything and everything in between: In our lead story this month, "Standard Loneliness Package," Charles Yu--author of the debut novel How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe--takes us to a strange future in which those who don't want to feel pain, don't have to: You can hire someone else to do it...whether it's suffering through a root canal, a migraine, or the loss of a loved one. "Faces in Revolving Souls" by Caitl
105 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2010
1 person is currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
John Joseph Adams
370 books980 followersJohn Joseph Adams is the series editor of BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY. He is also the bestselling editor of many other anthologies, such as ROBOT UPRISINGS, DEAD MAN'S HAND, BRAVE NEW WORLDS,WASTELANDS, and THE LIVING DEAD. Recent and forthcoming books include WHAT THE #@&% IS THAT?, OPERATION ARCANA, PRESS START TO PLAY, LOOSED UPON THE WORLD, and THE APOCALYPSE TRIPTYCH (consisting of THE END IS NIGH, THE END IS NOW, and THE END HAS COME). Called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble, John is a two-time winner of the Hugo Award (for which he has been nominated nine times), is a seven-time World Fantasy Award finalist, and served as a judge for the 2015 National Book Award. John is also the editor and publisher of the digital magazines LIGHTSPEED and NIGHTMARE, and is a producer for Wired's THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY podcast. You can find him online at www.johnjosephadams.com and on Twitter @JohnJosephAdams.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 15, 2017
You can read the story here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
Looks like I was right, Charles Yu’s writing suits the format of a short story so much better. This short story explores the concept of rich people using poorer people as vessels for emotions they don’t want to feel (anger, sadness, shame etc.). So for example, during a funeral of a loved one, you can have your sadness transmitted away from your body and have other people feel it for you. A thoughtful and emotionally charged story.
Looks like I was right, Charles Yu’s writing suits the format of a short story so much better. This short story explores the concept of rich people using poorer people as vessels for emotions they don’t want to feel (anger, sadness, shame etc.). So for example, during a funeral of a loved one, you can have your sadness transmitted away from your body and have other people feel it for you. A thoughtful and emotionally charged story.
November 1, 2017
This short story covers the idea of what if someone could feel the feelings you don't want? It centers around a protagonist working in the feeling-equivalent of a call center. Centered, of course, in India. He goes to funerals, feels grief, gets yelled at by bosses that have just been quit on, feels guilt by cheaters. Then he goes home at the end of the night, all while saving for a happier life.
The story does well concentrating the emotions that the character experiences 1 hour at a time. The fact that he tried desperatley to form a connection with someone in the real world to help anchor himself. The fact that all this misery lands on him and his co-workers as just another function of capitalism.
The end of the story is neither happy nor sad, but something approaching cathartic. Maybe the story needed more length and depth to fully resonate with me. The fact that each character is a thin 2 dimensional stereotype did not help. Finally, the protagonists' pursuit of relationship with a coworker while good on the surface, is described in a sexually harassing way that is just accepted by the other character. These points drew back from the main thrust of the story.
A reasonable story, but too many holes.
The story does well concentrating the emotions that the character experiences 1 hour at a time. The fact that he tried desperatley to form a connection with someone in the real world to help anchor himself. The fact that all this misery lands on him and his co-workers as just another function of capitalism.
The end of the story is neither happy nor sad, but something approaching cathartic. Maybe the story needed more length and depth to fully resonate with me. The fact that each character is a thin 2 dimensional stereotype did not help. Finally, the protagonists' pursuit of relationship with a coworker while good on the surface, is described in a sexually harassing way that is just accepted by the other character. These points drew back from the main thrust of the story.
A reasonable story, but too many holes.
March 10, 2017
No tiene 5 porque no me gustó el final, siento que la relación romántica era innecesaria.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2023
This was mostly boring to me, but the first story was outstanding. "Standard Loneliness Package” by Charles Yu.
November 15, 2015
Read Hwang's Billion Brilliant Daughters as part of The Time Traveller's Almanac.
This was an odd story, and not one I connected with in the slightest. The narrative is disjointed, and somewhat difficult to follow. This may be deliberate, I'll grant, to give the reader a sense of the disorientation Hwang experiences as he constantly leaps forward in time whenever he sleeps - he never knows when or where he will wake up... well, the where is given, but in terms of how the culture outside his time-travelling room will be, he never knows. He can also sleep for as short as hours/minutes, I suppose, or as long as many years.
I did like the way in which Hwang time travelled, and the glimpses of the futures he experienced were intriguing, but there was barely any information, and I didn't get the whole thing with daughters. What's that all about then?
This was an odd story, and not one I connected with in the slightest. The narrative is disjointed, and somewhat difficult to follow. This may be deliberate, I'll grant, to give the reader a sense of the disorientation Hwang experiences as he constantly leaps forward in time whenever he sleeps - he never knows when or where he will wake up... well, the where is given, but in terms of how the culture outside his time-travelling room will be, he never knows. He can also sleep for as short as hours/minutes, I suppose, or as long as many years.
I did like the way in which Hwang time travelled, and the glimpses of the futures he experienced were intriguing, but there was barely any information, and I didn't get the whole thing with daughters. What's that all about then?
November 15, 2017
Excellent SF short story, doing what such a writing should: making one thing about what ifs... unveiling aspects about humanity that we tend to overlook... and scaring us a little bit...
November 29, 2010
The first short story in this sci-fi collection is the excellent "Standard Loneliness Package" by Charles Yu. Having previously read both his collection of short stories "Third Class Superhero" and his debut novel "How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe", I am very impressed, and will be eagerly looking forward to Yu's future writings!
February 27, 2014
When less is more... this story is a good example of this assertion.
Great story, neat style and very good idea.
I want more
Great story, neat style and very good idea.
I want more
May 24, 2014
Standard Loneliness Package 4/5
Faces in Revolving Souls 4/5
Hwang's Billion Brilliant Daughters 2/5
Ej-Es 3/5
Faces in Revolving Souls 4/5
Hwang's Billion Brilliant Daughters 2/5
Ej-Es 3/5
August 24, 2016
You can listen to my review on the Short Science Fiction Review podcast.
November 12, 2013
Charles Yu and Nancy Kress make this a decent issue. The other two just didn't resonate with me.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews