Challenge 784

Invented Idioms

1. In Alison McBain’s Finale Fortissimo:

   1. What seems to be the psychological nature of Paul’s auditory hallucinations? What concern preoccupies him most?
   2. What is Judy’s function in the story? What seems to be her relationship with Paul? Is her reaction at the end expectable or does it come as a surprise?

2. In Heather J. Frederick’s Where Paws Can’t Touch the Ground:

   1. Who or what are the Queen and Sierra?
   2. How does Jared know he is supposed to undertake a secret rescue mission? Why can’t a proper police agency do it?
   3. To what extent are the cats anthropomorphized? To what extent do they seem to think like cats?
   4. Where does most of the action take place? Why might zero gravity be a wise choice for a character like Tom?

3. In Ljubo Popovich’s Absinthe:

   1. What is absinthe? Why was it prohibited? Was it ever a narcotic or was it only an exceptionally strong alcoholic beverage?
   2. In the last two stanzas of the poem, the narrative shifts from the past to the present tense. Is there an obvious reason for it?

4. In Mickey Kulp’s Cultural Translation, the scenario is a kind of joke. What lesson does it provide for second-language learners?

5. In John Heavern, Conjurings:

   1. What is magic, and what does it do?
   2. What is the rhetorical form of the poem?

Responses welcome!

Copyright © November 5, 2018 by Bewildering Stories
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