Challenge 911

Behind the Signs

In Rebecca Johnson’s
1. The Shaman, the shaman’s leather jacket is inked with symbols that are “clearly Sanskrit.” Which character makes that observation? Is the character — if there is one — qualified to do so? What makes Sanskrit symbols clearly distinct from those of any other indigenous language of India?
2. In The Arrangement: Is Jim the only one at fault in making an ethically problematic bargain with the local people?
In Amita Basu’s Zeus and His Things:
1. Is it really necessary to be familiar with Greek mythology in order to understand the story? Could the story be written with a different set of characters with the same functions?
2. How do various characters illustrate impediments to understanding the scientific method and the dicovery of causes and effects?
In Millicent Eidson’s Not a Normal Holiday:
1. At what point in the story should the reader realize that it is an alternate history?
2. What are the ultimate causes of Javier’s and Ronny’s deaths?
3. Even if the causes of the tragedies in the narrator’s life are not all historical, are they improbable?
In Gary Inbinder’s A Friendly Game: How would you characterize Nemo’s personality? Does he have opinions or habits you particularly agree or disagree with?
In David Barber’s Housman on Mars:
1. What poem of A. E. Housman does this poem refer to?
2. What do these lines mean: “But there the future found a home / That we could ill afford”?