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Juan Carlos Somoza �� Zig Zag
Another brilliant idea not so brilliantly executed. It’s rare to come across such original ideas nowadays, especially in the genre of science fiction, which makes the disappointment twice as big to see it wasted in clichés and cheap tricks. I guess what bothered me most was the fact that Somoza objectified his own heroin. And although the objectification makes sense -quite cleverly, one might say- in the end, the uneasiness remains, highlighted by the lack of a redemptive character development. Another thing that spoiled the fun for me was the way the author served his characters on a plate. Starting with the heroin, he spends four pages describing every bit of detail, from how she looks and what she wears to how she interacts with other people and how they interact with her, forcing us to wave the joy of gradual discovery goodbye. A method he uses with all his characters from start to finish.
As for the plot, I’ve grown sick of the trick of interrupting the story at crucial moments just to prolong the suspense. “Look close as I am gonna make a big revelation now�� right after a 20-page chapter dedicated to the bad guy and how he takes his tea.�� I find this method manipulative of the reader’s emotions and downright irritating.
It’s a shame because, like I said, the idea is brilliant as is the way Somoza handles it. Even the way it ends, although a bit on the easy side, didn’t disappoint me in the least. I might be wrong, but I feel that if it was written some decades back, its literary value would be as big as its originality.