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Bewildering Stories

Challenges 166 and 167

Reporting for Double Duty

In issue 166:

  1. Mary King’s haiku, taken together and in order, suggest a story. What do you think the story might be?

  2. Norman A. Rubin’s “In the Name of...” and Prakash Kona’s “Tragedy and Farce” look at current events from perspectives that are a world apart. But are they necessarily in conflict? What points of agreement might they have in common?

  3. The flash fiction in issue 166 features two “God” stories: Mary King’s “Interview with God” and Jim Schicatano’s “The Science Project.” Both are satirical and sardonic. What might the two stories be saying about the philosophical Argument from Design?

  4. Audie Murphy’s “The Grand Pineda” portrays at least three sets of husband-wife relationships. How are the three interrelated?

  5. Please excuse the loaded question, but in what way is Jörn Grote’s view of artificial intelligence in “Open Minds” superior to Isaac Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics?

In issue 167:

  1. Stories may begin at the beginning, in the middle, or even at the end. Does Robert Blevin’s “The Earth and the Lion” begin after the end? How does it resemble Mary King’s “Interview with God” and Jim Schicatano’s “The Science Project”? Are Norman A. Rubin’s “In the Name of...” and Prakash Kona’s “Tragedy and Farce” more hopeful in outlook or about as bleak? (The latter are all in issue 166.)

  2. What important feature do Slawomir Rapala’s “Dreamtime” and John Faucett’s “Racing with the Moon” have in common?


Responses welcome!

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