This story takes place in the desert where a modern day wagon train has come to a halt because one of the children, Thayet, has been cut off from the group by a river of bugs. A wagon wheel ran over a buried bug, causing a swarm, and trapped a feeding horse on the other side of the arroyo.
Thayet couldn’t abandon the horse and attempted a rescue. She succeeded, but found herself trapped on a rock surrounded by the bugs who were now inert, but could swarm again if threatened. When the main character, Kimball, came on the scene, Thayet—daughter of a Buddhist monk—was meditating in the lotus position, conserving energy in the hot, desert sun.
The story is a short slice-of-life moment of a group of humans escaping the ravaged area of the Southwest. Kimball arrives, rescues Thayet, and their lives move on, a teaser of sorts for 7th Sigma. I haven’t read that book yet, but I felt this short story stood on its own, largely due to the grounded, realistic characters and convincing sense of peril that Gould imbued into the tale. Gould is a New Mexico resident, so the description of the arid land had a strong sense of presence and solidity from somebody who had walked through it.
There was also enjoyable banter between Kimball and Thayet, showing a relationship that existed beyond the boundaries of the story. They may or may not be characters in 7th Sigma, but I felt their unspoken history added weight to their realism.
If you are looking for a light read and want a taste of an author you may not have read before, Bugs in the Arroyo is well worth the 99¢ you’ll pay for it.
Release Date: April 17, 2009 (USA)
ISBNs: none
Publisher: Tor Books
MySF Rating: Four point zero stars
Family Friendliness: 70%
Alcohol/Drugs: 0
Language: 2 (some mild language)
Sexuality: 0
Violence: 1 (implied, a girl’s leg gets eaten by bugs)
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