teresatronic 's review for:

These Alien Skies by C.T. Rwizi

5.0

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“These Alien Skies” was my favorite story from this round. Two human space explorers are sent through a wormhole on a mission to find habitable worlds. Before we can really get to know Msizi and Tariro, an accidental explosion (or was it) sends their ship crash landing on a planet designated Malcolm X-b. They think they’ll die but discover it’s flourishing with a Black human-like population. And they aren’t too happy about space colonizers. They are rescued but the government doesn’t want them to stick around. I don’t want to spoil the twist, but Tariro goes through an emotional journey of letting go that leads to a wonderful discovery.

It gave me vibes for some reason of Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival. It’s something about spaceships being a part story, but really it’s a story about grief. It was quite brief, but I did enjoy the exploration of colonization and immigration. The plot hints at the present day. It mirrors how there are factions of those who want to welcome immigrants and others who want them to leave. Humans want to see the stars, but what if there was someone already there when you “discover” a new land? It also delves into the power of memory and prophecy. I would have loved a sequel to this story. I definitely plan to read more by C.T. Rwizi.

Read my other reviews from this anthology on my blog - teresaelectro.wordpress.com.