Springy story review: "Marcel Proust, Incorporated"

I've been bingeing on some short stories so I'm posting a few of my Springy Short Story reviews (stories that keep springing to mind) to remember the details of the ones I know will pleasantly haunt me. I'll also post a review of a few great collections I've read recently (in the running for my personal Book of the Year).

"Marcel Proust, Incorporated" by Scott Dalrymple

Why it springs to mind: A unique dystopian idea which makes use of one of life's most terrifying realities — student loans!
Where read: Lightspeed Magazine, June 2017
Summary: A tale of corporate intrigue in which people are losing parts of their memories. Memorable: Great neuroscience sci-fi with a literary reference: Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time.
Quote:

"Few people paid attention because it was laughably absurd to think such a clause would ever be enforceable."

Personal connection: As someone who has had student loans, worked in higher education and regularly read The Chronicle of Higher Education, I found this story terrifying. As much as I love dystopian fiction (as cautionary tales), it definitely feels like there's a super villain out there putting these ideas into their playbook. We need to get more optimistic sf into the hands of our leaders.
About the author: It's worth noting that he's President of Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri. As usual, Lightspeed does a nice author spotlight.
Pairs well with: Other scary dystopias: The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, Parable of the Sower, Snow Crash, The Man in the High Castle

Comments

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Springy story review: "State Change" by Ken Liu

Why it springs to mind: You'll never look at an ice cube the same way again. Where read: In the 2014 Hugo award-winning Lightspeed Magazine , August. Length: 5,194 words Summary: A woman has an ice cube for a soul. Memorable: How the story invites us to think about the shape of our soul, how it (or our perception of it) influences us and how it changes. What ordinary every day object would your soul be? A silver spoon, a beech stick? A great party conversation starter, this. Quote: “All life is an experiment." Notable: The protagonist Rina is an avid reader (always a good choice). Pairs well with: T.S. Elliot, Edna St. Vincent Millay Origin: The story was written in 24 hours based on a writing prompt. (See Author Spotlight: Ken Liu ) About the author: Ken Liu’s debut novel, The Grace of Kings , the first in a fantasy series The Dandelion Dynasty, is due out from Saga Press ( a new Simon & Schuster imprint ) in 2015.

Shel Graves' Sensorium

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