The Pill Bugs of Time

The Pill Bugs of Time (2016) Angel Martinez

What do I love about this story?

“Should get an Odo bucket,” Vikash murmured.

“A what?” Kyle chuckled into his coffee.

“Seriously, Carr? You never watched Deep Space Nine?

My problem with this story is that I really hate time-travel stories. Time travel, dystopia, hard SF. REALLY not my thing.

So the fact that this story had time-travel elements and I still re-read it, tells you something about the rest of the story.

When Amanda attached the hose, Vikash finally recognized it— a Shop-Vac, of the sort people had in their garages or by their workbenches. He shook his head as he hurried over to get the vac plugged in for Amanda. While the male squad members had been standing around watching the struggle, some of them taking bets, their two female members had been deriving a solution.

I love the characters. I love the (non-time-travel) world building.

(T)he bizarre apparition that had caused a stampede appeared to be a giant ball of horticultural debris.

Larry the ghost whistled softly as he made coffee, carafe and filter floating through the air seemingly unsupported. No one ever drank the terrible coffee Larry made, but the act of making it prevented him from going poltergeist, so the coffee and filters went on the squad’s expenses.

This story completes Kash and Kyle’s story arc and is from Kash’s POV. There’s still more in-store for them in the future, and there’s still the story of the 77th to be finished, but the rest of the arcs focus on other characters. And I’m reading through Carr just so I can get to Wolf.

Publisher: Pride Publishing
Rating: 7/10

• Browse the archives:
  
• Skim Blood and Savage Verse » »
• « « Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters