Opening: Twenty-three years of silence and all it takes is one call. Not even a conversation, just a thirty-second message on her voicemail.
Capsule: Daryl Gregory's sharp technique and human insight enable him to construct a moving story that surprises and stays with the reader, but is fashioned out of mostly unsurprising elements. When the premise was established I became wary of Awakenings-redundant explorations of pathos, and I was thankful Daryl steered clear of them. The flavoring of physics (the physics, while not cutting edge, is thematically apposite and well-considered, since this story after all relates to a deeper search for meaning) combines and complements the psychological drama nicely.
The pacing is gentle, perhaps a little too gentle for some reader's tastes, but the accumulation of detail and building sense of end to the status quo serve only to heighten the story's elegant and accomplished finale. Excellent story, another top-notch choice within 2007 year's best picks.
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