Challenge 890

The Depths of Plumbing

In C. M. Barnes’ Shadow Hour: Does Alec’s father try to kill Alec but miss? Or is the shot merely due to carelessness? How does Alec seem to feel about it?
In John W. Steele’s The Force Within: What is the moral of the story? What has Reggie Suggins done, and at what price? Does the conclusion overstep BwS’ “Dream Stories” guideline, or does it make a point?
In David Barber’s Island of the Fortunate: In what way does the story illustrate what is popularly called today a “conspiracy theory”? Who propagates it, and by what means?
In Channie Greenberg’s Owmapow’s Sister: What point does the story seem to make about autoanalysis? What forms may it take?
In Mitchell Waldman’s Auschwitz Dreams: Do Marty’s dreams make him only “Jewish” or do they make him human?
In Harrison Kim’s A Tour in My Wilderness: Does the narrator expect his passengers to be eaten or transformed? What has he become?
In Ed Blundell’s Over and Over: Does history repeat itself or does it, as Mark Twain said, often rhyme?
In Meg Smith’s The Element of Gold: What “world” is dying?