Science Fiction
The lottery in Rissa And Tregare doesn’t feel like a win so much as a trapdoor.
That’s what stayed with me. Not the idea of sudden luck, but how fast “chance” turns into a question of what freedom actually costs, and who gets to call it freedom in the first place. Busby is sharper on that than the premise initially suggests.
I went in expecting a straightforward escape story. It isn’t. Which is better, really.
That’s what stayed with me. Not the idea of sudden luck, but how fast “chance” turns into a question of what freedom actually costs, and who gets to call it freedom in the first place. Busby is sharper on that than the premise initially suggests.
I went in expecting a straightforward escape story. It isn’t. Which is better, really.
That kind of setup usually tells you more about the society than the protagonist, which is the interesting part here. A lottery in a welfare system sounds less like luck and more like paperwork with a grin on its face.
I’m more drawn to that tension than to “escape” as a plot engine anyway. If the book is really asking what options exist when every option is compromised, that’s doing the better job.
I’m more drawn to that tension than to “escape” as a plot engine anyway. If the book is really asking what options exist when every option is compromised, that’s doing the better job.