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Spar (short story)

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"Spar" is a science fiction short story by Kij Johnson first published in Clarkesworld Magazine, winning the 2009 Nebula Award for short story,[1] and short-listed for the 2010 Hugo Awards.[2]

Synopsis

A survivor of a space shipwreck is trapped in a raft with an alien, and is pitted against it in a sexual competition for survival and dominance.

The story is written in a third-person perspective with a nameless, female survivor of a spaceship wreck. A tentacled alien has made it into the escape pod with her and tries to assert its dominance. The female spacer tries to make sense of what the alien is using her for, and what she is to it. She also tries to make a connection to the alien by teaching it about her body parts and how to pleasure her, rather than to assault her. All the while, the spacer has flashbacks to a man, Gary, lost in the accident, who tried to make an emotional connection to her when all she wanted was a physical connection. In the end, the female spacer is rescued and now has to face being around human beings again.

The Bacon Remix

Johnson contributed an alternate version to BACONTHOLOGY: The Sweet and Savory Science Fiction Anthology edited by John J. Ordover featuring "baconized" stories by bestselling award-winning authors donating work to Bacon-Palooza II,[3] a charity event benefiting autistic children[4] held March 1–3, 2013 at Ordover's New York gallery.[5]

Clarkesworld Magazine published "Spar (The Bacon Remix)" as text and audio in Issue 79, April 2013.

References

  1. ^ Nebula Awards
  2. ^ Hugo ballot from Aussiecon Four
  3. ^ "Baconthology: Our Official Program Book". baconpza.com. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  4. ^ "About our Charity". baconpza.com. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  5. ^ "Bacon-Palooza: The Schedule!". baconpza.com. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
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