Challenge 857

Cornerstoned

1. In Ed Kratz’s Edna Goes to the Frogs, what kind of “magic” does Edna want, and what would she do with it? Does she live in a society where she has only a choice of arranged marriages?

2. In Andrew L. Hodges’ Bitter Mercies:

   1. What might Professor Calgrue be planning to say or do when Frobisher comes to his office for a conference?
   2. In what way is Calgrue himself a “Frobisher”?

3. In Edward Ahern’s The Limits of Writing, might the author enjoy some success in writing for Hallmark Cards’ “Rejects”?

4. In Sterling Warner’s PC Dilemma:

   1. How old is Susan? In what manner does she speak to Professor Reese? What is her attitude toward Mr. Chambers?
   2. What could Professor Reese do other than what he does? What would you do in the same situation?
   3. The conversaton between Professor Reese and Mr. Chambers names a number of real people. Are the stories about them all factual?

5. In Natan Dubovitsky’s Near Zero, do the secret police shoot Zalekha? Why not interrogate her about the source of her explosives?

6. In Bill Kowaleski’s Confrontation:

   1. What country is currently foremost in the world in the development of solar power?
   2. Why is Mr. Wu’s real name important while Mr. Shih’s is not?
   3. Where do the other three Chinese gentlemen go?
   4. Which character is thin and which is fat? Does body shape have a function in this episode?

Responses welcome!

Copyright © May 25, 2020 by Bewildering Stories
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