Paolo Bacigalupi's "The Gambler" (novelette, free): Life in a near-future commercial internet newsroom

There is an emotion I cannot quite place about this story. It was a good read while I was actually reading it, but it took me a fortnight to finish it in 4 or 5 separate sittings. Mostly because I sort of resisted picking it up where I'd left! Certainly not a compelling read.

Story summary.

Ong is a Vietnamese immigrant working in the newsroom of "Milestone Media" in the US, & it's not quite working out at the job. He's after socially relevant stories, & clicks & money come through sensationalism & gossip.

In the background, we are given a dossier on something called "March Purge", apparently some kind of political purge in Vietnam - obviously seen through Western eyes.

Collected in.

1. Jonathan Strahan (Ed)'s "Best SF & Fantasy of the Year, Vol 3".
   
2. Gardner Dozois (Ed)'s "The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Sixth Annual Collection".
   

Fact sheet.

First published: Lou Anders (Ed)'s "Fast Forward 2", Pyr, 2008.
Rating: B.
Download full text from publisher's site.
Nominated for Hugo Award 2009 in novelette category.
Nominated for Nebula Award 2009 in novelette category.
Related: Stories of Paolo Bacigalupi.