First published in Asimov's Science Fiction, April/May 2006
Podcast on Escape Pod, 8/10/06.
(Listen to this story)
Constance Cooper tells "The King's Tail" from a reptilian point of view. From the opening sentence, "The king's tail had nearly grown back" to the twist ending, Cooper's monarch maintains a dignity beyond that of his captors—referred to as the Hunters. With a Gandhi-meets-alien-lizards sensibility, the king endures the hardship of imprisonment so that he may be an example of piety and discipline. Though short, this tale is graceful and memorable. --Suzanne Church, Tangent
(Listen to this story)
Reviews:
Constance Cooper tells "The King's Tail" from a reptilian point of view. From the opening sentence, "The king's tail had nearly grown back" to the twist ending, Cooper's monarch maintains a dignity beyond that of his captors—referred to as the Hunters. With a Gandhi-meets-alien-lizards sensibility, the king endures the hardship of imprisonment so that he may be an example of piety and discipline. Though short, this tale is graceful and memorable. --Suzanne Church, Tangent
