xterminal's review
4.0
Natalie J.E. Potts, Welcome to Midnight (Natalie J.E. Potts, 2011)
Interesting little sci-fi/horror tale that may well put you in mind of a freeze-frame version of Stephen King's “The Langoliers”. In Welcome to Midnight, the thesis is the same: every once in a while, people slip through the cracks and get caught in the very-recent-past—but in Potts' tale, instead of sentient beach balls out of a Dan O'Bannon movie eating that lost time, it just sits there like a constantly-updating alternate universe. As you may expect after a moment of reflection, that makes this story a great deal bleaker than King's actioner, and one with far less of a sense of hope about it. (There's a scene about two-thirds of the way through that really drives this home, though I can't tell you what it is without spoilers, unfortunately.) Be warned that this is depressing material indeed, but if you don't mind that sort of thing, this one is good reading. *** ½
Interesting little sci-fi/horror tale that may well put you in mind of a freeze-frame version of Stephen King's “The Langoliers”. In Welcome to Midnight, the thesis is the same: every once in a while, people slip through the cracks and get caught in the very-recent-past—but in Potts' tale, instead of sentient beach balls out of a Dan O'Bannon movie eating that lost time, it just sits there like a constantly-updating alternate universe. As you may expect after a moment of reflection, that makes this story a great deal bleaker than King's actioner, and one with far less of a sense of hope about it. (There's a scene about two-thirds of the way through that really drives this home, though I can't tell you what it is without spoilers, unfortunately.) Be warned that this is depressing material indeed, but if you don't mind that sort of thing, this one is good reading. *** ½
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