Review: Zeitgeber by Greg Egan
Review of Zeitgeber by Greg Egan (10399 words)
Tor.com, Sept 2019, Read Online
A beautifully written short that seems disturbing and unnatural on the surface of it, but you slowly start to realize that it isn't entirely unlikely for something like circadian rhythm changes to affect the structure of society as a whole.
Focusing on the microcosm of Sam's family with the backdrop of society as whole, we get a glimpse into how it changes the life of each person. This story touches on the effect on a human level, and not just on a widespread global level.
Indeed, the interspersed narrative of Sam with his family, and the larger society and the school he teaches at, shows how individuals are dealing with it. Individuals like his daughter, Emma, who is now functioning on a different internal clock. As these things go, she is eventually forced to have medication, which keeps her up at "normal" times, but she's dull, feel heavy, and doesn't really feel like herself.
That part of the story was utterly heartbreaking, and brought to mind families of those who suffer from debilitating illnesses. The medications often affect their loved ones in such a way that they suffer from that as well, often as much as the illness makes them suffer.
The ending was very poignant, and Emma, the protagonist's daughter, was a character you would either sympathize, empathize, or identify with, based on your own life experiences. Either way, you will surely come away from this story with a lot of thoughts and a roller-coaster of emotions.
Tor.com, Sept 2019, Read Online
A beautifully written short that seems disturbing and unnatural on the surface of it, but you slowly start to realize that it isn't entirely unlikely for something like circadian rhythm changes to affect the structure of society as a whole.
Focusing on the microcosm of Sam's family with the backdrop of society as whole, we get a glimpse into how it changes the life of each person. This story touches on the effect on a human level, and not just on a widespread global level.
Indeed, the interspersed narrative of Sam with his family, and the larger society and the school he teaches at, shows how individuals are dealing with it. Individuals like his daughter, Emma, who is now functioning on a different internal clock. As these things go, she is eventually forced to have medication, which keeps her up at "normal" times, but she's dull, feel heavy, and doesn't really feel like herself.
That part of the story was utterly heartbreaking, and brought to mind families of those who suffer from debilitating illnesses. The medications often affect their loved ones in such a way that they suffer from that as well, often as much as the illness makes them suffer.
The ending was very poignant, and Emma, the protagonist's daughter, was a character you would either sympathize, empathize, or identify with, based on your own life experiences. Either way, you will surely come away from this story with a lot of thoughts and a roller-coaster of emotions.
Support us on Ko-fi - https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks
Comments
Post a Comment