Challenge 258

Over the Hills and Far Away

Arash Farzaneh’s “The Heavenly Twins” seems to echo the story of the Corsican Brothers, who shared a telepathic link that is broken only by the death of one of them. However, in this story, John asks Eric to “pull the plug” and release him from a vegetative state, whereupon the two brothers are united in death. What does the story seem to say about assisted suicide? Is the mystical ending a kind of reward or fulfillment? Does it come as a surprise?
How does Mary B. McArdle’s “Afterlife” differ from “The Heavenly Twins” in its view of death?
Angie Smibert’s “Fresh Shoots” seems to assert women’s rights in response to stories of immortals such as the television series Highlander. And extreme longevity has always been a staple of science fiction. To what real-life problems does the story allude that would affect “immortals”? Would Margaret Atwood approve of this story? How did Isaac Asimov deal with the question of longevity?
What disappointments has Henry been encountering in Mark Spencer’s “Henry”?