Lost in the labyrinth? "The Maze of Many Faces" by M.S. Dean
BogiReads brings you the daily speculative reading recommendation of editor Bogi Takács.
Today's recommendation -
Author: M.S. Dean
Title: “The Maze of Many Faces”
Venue: Hexagon, Winter 2023 (Edited by JW Stebner)
Type: Short story – 3320 words
Themes: Fantasy, labyrinth, exploration
Where to read: Free epub and pdf of the issue online
Maze with a capital M is a sentient maze, and Hal is an explorer who seems to be different from the usual visitors. This is a quiet, understated fantasy story that at the same time reflects on topics such as whether mapping something can confer ownership of it – or have even more drastic consequences. I especially liked that it was written from the point of view of Maze, where it’s the human who is the outsider and whose thoughts we as readers are not privy to.
I felt that it was postcolonial without making that connection really explicit; if that makes any sense? Also, there is sea life.
Take care,
Bogi.