Monday, October 21, 2024

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Mefisto in Onyx [Novella Review]

"Mefisto in Onyx" is a science fiction novella written by Harlan Ellison. It was published in 1993. It is a good story but has some problems that I will try and cover in this review.

The story is about a black man who had the ability to jump into people's minds. He could instantly walk around in there and learn everything about them. He is asked by a friend to jump into the mind of a serial killer on death row to see if he is innocent or not. The reason he does this at all is because the girl he is doing it for is in love with the killer and thinks he may be falsely accused.

I don't want to spoil this one. If I go any further then the whole twist of it is revealed and that really ruins the story and makes it not worth the read. I do want to say that the narrative, which is in the first person, is very hard-edged and impactful. You really get to know this physic man for who he is, and the ultimate conclusion of this story is actually fairly fun and brilliant.

The problem with this story is a small one but it was enough to annoy me. There is one part where the main character dumps really hard on Christians. There was no real need for it. It did not help the story in any way. It was in very bad taste, and I really wish the author had not done it. This was neither a Christian or atheist story. It was a fantasy tale about ESP.

This sort of thing can make people dislike what would otherwise be a wonderful science fiction tale. And it is good. Genuinely good. Riveting even.

If you are capable of getting past the garbage attack on Christianity that happens in one paragraph then you'll enjoy yourself just fine. Otherwise, I should recommend some other story.

This blog was written on August 3, 2024.

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4 comments:

  1. Shawn O'Toole's deleted comment: The screenwriter Roger Avary has a nasty habit of whining about Christianity in his scripts. It ruined movies not only because it was annoying, but it broke immersion. I was constantly reminded that the story was fiction. Mr. Avary alienated me against his argument rather than win me to it.

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  2. When the writer's personal beliefs intrude, it can ruin the whole story. It is best to avoid such things if you wish for the work to be read and enjoyed. Otherwise, you could alienate a significant portion of the audience.

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