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badseedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Welcome to Day 8 of my 2021 25 Days of Short Stories Christmas Advent Calendar. Each day I will be reading a short story from the collection of over 600 short stories and novellas available for free on Tor.com. This is a collection of horror, sci-fi and fantasy. I will be letting fate (and the random number generator) decide what I read each day.
Day 1: [b:The Art of Space Travel|30532462|The Art of Space Travel|Nina Allan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558040356l/30532462._SY75_.jpg|50826910] by Nina Allan
Day 2: [b:These Deathless Bones|35506557|These Deathless Bones|Cassandra Khaw|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498282454l/35506557._SY75_.jpg|56914935] by Cassandra Khaw
Day 3: [b:Swift, Brutal Retaliation|13169837|Swift, Brutal Retaliation|Meghan McCarron|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541922428l/13169837._SY75_.jpg|18349137] by Meghan McCarron> (Trigger warning: Emotional abuse of children and women)
Day 4: [b:Freeze Warning|18489609|Freeze Warning|Susan Krinard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1379900239l/18489609._SX50_.jpg|26172761] by Susan Krinard
Day 5: [b:Daughter of Necessity|23301706|Daughter of Necessity|Marie Brennan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1412347876l/23301706._SX50_.jpg|42376194] by Marie Brennan
Day 6: [b:The Girl in the High Tower|23257790|The Girl in the High Tower|Gennifer Albin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411351413l/23257790._SX50_.jpg|42798995] by Genniger Albin
Day 7: [b:Come See the Living Dryad|37856081|Come See the Living Dryad|Theodora Goss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558645604l/37856081._SY75_.jpg|55361917] by Theadora Goss
Day 8: Black Friday by Alex Irvine
In the spirit of complete honesty, my original Random Number pulled “Everything Belongs to the Future” by Laurie Penny, but this turned out to be just an excerpt, and not a complete story, so I took the opportunity to use “dealer’s choice.” I chose Black Friday by Alex Irvine because I wanted to sprinkle some holiday reads into this list. I plan on doing this throughout the challenge. If the story is one I have read or turns out to be a excerpt/poetry, or not in Goodreads for some other reason. I will be using Dealers Choice.
I AM one of those Americans. I admit it. I Black Friday Christmas shop every year. I used to do it because when money was tight, I had to if I wanted to provide the Christmas my family deserved. Now I do it because I have a wonderful time doing it. I have always compared my black Friday shopping trips to big game hunting. I experience the same pleasure when I see those one thousand thread count sheets for $15.00 in my cart, as big game hunters feel when they just shot that 12 point buck. Mr. Irvine took that feeling of mine and ramped up to an extreme conclusion.
For the record, I have been black Friday shopping for over 20 years, and in that time I have only seen one fight break out, and that was over the cheapest towels I have ever seen. Compare that to the literally hundreds of little acts of kindness I have seen during my Black Friday events and I believe Mr. Irvine just might have the wrong idea on this.
This story is of course a satire and needs to be read as such.
You can read Black Friday here.
Day 1: [b:The Art of Space Travel|30532462|The Art of Space Travel|Nina Allan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558040356l/30532462._SY75_.jpg|50826910] by Nina Allan
Day 2: [b:These Deathless Bones|35506557|These Deathless Bones|Cassandra Khaw|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498282454l/35506557._SY75_.jpg|56914935] by Cassandra Khaw
Day 3: [b:Swift, Brutal Retaliation|13169837|Swift, Brutal Retaliation|Meghan McCarron|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541922428l/13169837._SY75_.jpg|18349137] by Meghan McCarron> (Trigger warning: Emotional abuse of children and women)
Day 4: [b:Freeze Warning|18489609|Freeze Warning|Susan Krinard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1379900239l/18489609._SX50_.jpg|26172761] by Susan Krinard
Day 5: [b:Daughter of Necessity|23301706|Daughter of Necessity|Marie Brennan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1412347876l/23301706._SX50_.jpg|42376194] by Marie Brennan
Day 6: [b:The Girl in the High Tower|23257790|The Girl in the High Tower|Gennifer Albin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411351413l/23257790._SX50_.jpg|42798995] by Genniger Albin
Day 7: [b:Come See the Living Dryad|37856081|Come See the Living Dryad|Theodora Goss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558645604l/37856081._SY75_.jpg|55361917] by Theadora Goss
Day 8: Black Friday by Alex Irvine
In the spirit of complete honesty, my original Random Number pulled “Everything Belongs to the Future” by Laurie Penny, but this turned out to be just an excerpt, and not a complete story, so I took the opportunity to use “dealer’s choice.” I chose Black Friday by Alex Irvine because I wanted to sprinkle some holiday reads into this list. I plan on doing this throughout the challenge. If the story is one I have read or turns out to be a excerpt/poetry, or not in Goodreads for some other reason. I will be using Dealers Choice.
I AM one of those Americans. I admit it. I Black Friday Christmas shop every year. I used to do it because when money was tight, I had to if I wanted to provide the Christmas my family deserved. Now I do it because I have a wonderful time doing it. I have always compared my black Friday shopping trips to big game hunting. I experience the same pleasure when I see those one thousand thread count sheets for $15.00 in my cart, as big game hunters feel when they just shot that 12 point buck. Mr. Irvine took that feeling of mine and ramped up to an extreme conclusion.
For the record, I have been black Friday shopping for over 20 years, and in that time I have only seen one fight break out, and that was over the cheapest towels I have ever seen. Compare that to the literally hundreds of little acts of kindness I have seen during my Black Friday events and I believe Mr. Irvine just might have the wrong idea on this.
This story is of course a satire and needs to be read as such.
You can read Black Friday here.
bookishbabe93's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
nathanaeljs's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent satire, but I'm almost half-convinced it could happen.
villyidol's review
4.0
I got a little fed up with all the Black Friday craze. All week long I was getting e-mails with “Black Week” offerings and Black Friday countdowns. Then today it got completely out of hand. My phone just wouldn’t stand still. Mail after mail with hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands of offerings. Suddenly I had to think of this free Tor short story.
Families are teaming up and go to the mall, where they become part of a reality tv show as the teams are hunting for loot caches, and their Christmas presents. Someone else gets between us and the newest video game console? Let’s shoot them. After all the viewers want to be entertained.
This is satire. It is dark, and occasionally very funny.
I loved the dark humor in the beginning. But there’s also this spoilery thing that has been the catalyst for The Celebration, as they call the yearly televised event. And then you think about all the shit that’s happening in real-life. And this story becomes something more. For better or worse.
3.5 stars
You can read it here: https://www.tor.com/2018/05/30/black-friday-alex-irvine/
And now please excuse me. I’ve seen this wonderful piece of carnival glass that will never be as cheap again as it is today. And I have never been so sure that I need it.
In a dark future America where consumerism and gun culture are unchecked, a young family teams up to celebrate the first shopping day of the Christmas season in the most patriotic way possible.
Families are teaming up and go to the mall, where they become part of a reality tv show as the teams are hunting for loot caches, and their Christmas presents. Someone else gets between us and the newest video game console? Let’s shoot them. After all the viewers want to be entertained.
This is satire. It is dark, and occasionally very funny.
The Mugs were out only for themselves. They wanted to celebrate the holiday the way it was supposed to be celebrated, without the compromises sponsorship would bring. So that meant they paid for all their own weapons and training, but Caleb liked it that way. It brought the family together.
I loved the dark humor in the beginning. But there’s also this spoilery thing that has been the catalyst for The Celebration, as they call the yearly televised event. And then you think about all the shit that’s happening in real-life. And this story becomes something more. For better or worse.
3.5 stars
You can read it here: https://www.tor.com/2018/05/30/black-friday-alex-irvine/
And now please excuse me. I’ve seen this wonderful piece of carnival glass that will never be as cheap again as it is today. And I have never been so sure that I need it.
dustin_frueh7921's review
5.0
The premise alone intrigued me. The fact that a good friend recommended it, and that it's a Tor.com original and therefore FREE, made this story all the more appealing. However, I never could have imagined just what [a:Alex Irvine|3399330|Alex Irvine|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1285410376p2/3399330.jpg] had in store for his readers. Wow, man.
The prose is well-written, not at all choppy, with clear characterization of the Mugs (the family that I got to know fairly quickly, given its short duration.) Moreover, I grew to love and grieve with them. The pathos on display impressed and surprised me. Irving didn't limit his character development to the protagonists, either. There was a sense of most-if not all-- of the supporting cast. In short, the action is top-notch, reminiscent of a classic Jack Reacher novel. Cerebral. Disturbing not merely on a horror level (this wasn't horror, by the way,) but especially in relation to the world around us. It's the human condition at its worst. Incredibly profound and thought-provoking. Highly recommended!!
[b:The Running Man|11607|The Running Man|Richard Bachman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1333160557s/11607.jpg|3652165] meets [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775] while expertly exploring the complications of the Bill of Rights and gun violence.
I cannot praise this enough, nor can I thank Tor.com and TL enough for making this possible.
Here's the link:
https://www.tor.com/2018/05/30/black-friday-alex-irvine/
The prose is well-written, not at all choppy, with clear characterization of the Mugs (the family that I got to know fairly quickly, given its short duration.) Moreover, I grew to love and grieve with them. The pathos on display impressed and surprised me. Irving didn't limit his character development to the protagonists, either. There was a sense of most-if not all-- of the supporting cast. In short, the action is top-notch, reminiscent of a classic Jack Reacher novel. Cerebral. Disturbing not merely on a horror level (this wasn't horror, by the way,) but especially in relation to the world around us. It's the human condition at its worst. Incredibly profound and thought-provoking. Highly recommended!!
[b:The Running Man|11607|The Running Man|Richard Bachman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1333160557s/11607.jpg|3652165] meets [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775] while expertly exploring the complications of the Bill of Rights and gun violence.
I cannot praise this enough, nor can I thank Tor.com and TL enough for making this possible.
Here's the link:
https://www.tor.com/2018/05/30/black-friday-alex-irvine/
uncommonloon's review
4.0
It's hard to make the modern American political landscape, especially surrounding guns, any more absurd than it already is, but Alexander C. Irvine managed it. Black Friday as a patriotic event where armed families kill each other at the mall -- why not?
The main character as a self-identified liberal was a particularly great sardonic touch. This is also the perfect length; short, punchy, gets the satirical point across, and doesn't wallow in its depressing content for too long.
Read here: https://www.tor.com/2019/11/29/black-friday-alex-irvine-reprint/
The main character as a self-identified liberal was a particularly great sardonic touch. This is also the perfect length; short, punchy, gets the satirical point across, and doesn't wallow in its depressing content for too long.
Read here: https://www.tor.com/2019/11/29/black-friday-alex-irvine-reprint/
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