Medusa's children

3.5 stars - Metaphorosis Reviews

Humans inhabit a mysterious, low gravity marine environment at whose core is the enigmatic Ka. When the currents suddenly shift, the inhabitants find out there is much more to their precarious world than they knew.

Like Orbitsville, Medusa's Children centers around an intriguing technical premise, but focuses its attention more on the people it affects than on shiny gimmicks. There's not a great deal of depth to most characters, but the two central figures are interesting and realistic. While they're interesting to follow, the emotional arc of the story is relatively flat, and the ending lacks impact. I wish, in this case, that Shaw had done more with the technology and the worldbuilding than just sketch it in. It's a concept that deserved more attention, along with the functioning human side of the story. Shaw's throwaways ideas here include climate change, drones, and a number of other enticing mentions. Overall, interesting, but not transforming.