Challenge 671

Take the Money and Run

1. In Cheyenne Brown’s “Inverness Dogs,” in what ways might the story resemble a memoir?

2. In Stephen Ellams’ “Referendum”:

   1. What referendum does the poem appear to be talking about?
   2. Does the poem appear to take one side or the other in the referendum? If so, how?

3. In Christina Marie’s “Snow Witch”:

   1. To what extent does the story follow closely the traditional plot of “Snow White”? In what ways does it diverge?
   2. In what way might the story end as more than a personal revenge fantasy?

4. In Gary Clifton’s “Blind Corners”:

   1. How much money is Kozar paid up front to kill Besima? Why might he be tempted to take the money and run rather than fulfill the contract?
   2. Bonus question: In what ways is the author’s “Savage Sands” a similar story?

5. In Mike Acker’s “Recycled Thoughts”:

   1. What kind of dreams does the character in the poem have? What other dreams might he have?
   2. Does the poem end on a note of defeat or realism?

6. In Philip Ivory’s “The Yellow Man”:

   1. What colors are most frequently mentioned in the story? What seems to be their function?

   2. Why might the foosball table be wet rather than dusty? What is the function of games in the story?

   3. Why does Allan have a fainting spell at Aunt Grace’s funeral? What kind of “doctor” treats him for it, and how? What are the consequences of the treatment?

   4. What is the significance of Constantine’s being cremated in light of Sherri’s and Allan’s concepts of communicating with the dead?

   5. Does Allan skip fourth grade, like Sherri? What is the progression of rejection and violence in Allan’s life?

   6. Does Allan reject Melanie in the same way as Sherri rejected him? How does Sherri’s death resemble that of the woman in Allan’s hospital room?

   7. Does Allan ever tell Melanie that he murdered Sherri? What does it mean that Allan steps out “into the warm, embracing sunlight?” How old is he? Is he dead or alive?

7. In Robert W. Shmigelsky’s “Feeding Frenzy,” are the “titans” human or merely a force of nature? Are they capable of sins such as gluttony?

8. In Andrea Laws’ Interview, the author says “the website could be revamped visually” but makes no suggestions. What would you suggest? Please keep standard Internet practice in mind for the home page: information ordered top to bottom; no more than four colors, not counting the background. In what ways does BwS not resemble typical websites?

Responses welcome!

Copyright © June 13, 2016 by Bewildering Stories
What is a Bewildering Stories Challenge?