If this were a Hindi movie rather than a written story, it would likely have got the label "masala": it has something for all tastes & will likely not completely disappoint anyone, though there is nothing particularly worth remembering. It even has romance, & a bit of erotic flirtation!
And it's not one story, but many - strung together in the big main story that also serves as frame. Stories are primarily about human graves in space. Some of those who dug them into asteroids did not want any grave diggers - so they built elaborate traps. Thesis of the story is that these traps are evil; nosy grave diggers have a right to safely get into the graves!
Title is a name for these graves - probably from the perspective of those dear to the departed.
There are occasional astronomical references, but they sounded more fluffy than factual.
Full text of the story is available for download.
Story summary.
March Wildspring is a journalist shooting a documentary on human graves in space that are death traps for invaders. He is doing it with his own private money, & is operating alone in his "hopper". Hoppers are small private space ships about as common in this future world as cars are today. They can transport you from earth to Jupiter in a couple of days.
We see him raiding, I think, 5 different graves - 3 dangerous, one of them evil too. Over the story, he will by joined by his girlfriend Kit Carleson, his ex-wife & Kit's friend Robin Redd aka Sue, & Sue's current husband James Frankie Redd aka Jim. By the end of the story, Jim & Kit will be dead, & March will be very successful & rich.
All the graves are either in asteroid belt, or in orbit around Jupiter.
In the two benign graves, they will encounter holographic simulations of the dead entombed there, powered by AI - so you can converse with the dead normally. At least in one of these cases, the simulation could physically open the grave door - I don't recall if author explained how.
One of traps will simply attempt to kill the invader with some kind of knife; March's expert raid will end up mutilate one of the buried bodies.
Second trap has evil androids as lure & killers, & pressurized interior containing poisonous gas.
Last of the traps - the really evil one - is the most elaborate. It operates in a manner similar to Comarre in Arthur Clarke's "
Lion of Comarre": you are in permanent hallucinations once you enter it. These hallucinations are so enticing - those who enter never want to leave. Our brave hero retains his sanity, & tries leaving with his 3 comrades. Two die, one is left behind, & only March is successful in leaving. He will come back again to rescue Sue.
A note for Indian readers.
Story makes two very brief references to India: possible Sanskrit inscriptions on one of the graves, & a short introduction to the tribes of Thugs that operated along highways in parts of Rajasthan some centuries ago. In one case, the author is completely off the mark; in other, partly.
These references made me skeptical about some of the other seemingly factual statements, & somewhat reduced the credibility of the author.
Incidentally, there was a very well made Hindi movie about these Thug tribes may be a decade ago. I cannot recollect the name though, & IMDB throws up too many matches to be of much use. Ending had Thug parents killing their own child - returning unannounced from boarding school to surprise them; anyone recollect the name of movie?
Collected in.
- David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer (Ed)'s "Year's Best SF 13" (2008).
Fact sheet.
"Memorare", short story, review
First published: F&SF, April 2007.
Rating: B
Passed first round of nominations for
Nebula Awards 2007 in novella category.
Nominated for
Hugo Awards 2008 in novella category.
All
stories of Gene Wolfe.
