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Feature: Francisca Montoya’s Almanac of Things That Can Kill You by Shaenon Garrity
Genres: Fantasy



Wednesday, August 27th, 2014
If you get ill after eating or touching something that didn't make anyone else sick, you may be allergic to it. Especially if there’s a rash. Allergies are caused by your body rejecting substances it doesn't like. There is no treatment but to avoid those substances. Fortunately, only a few types of allergies can kill you. Nut allergies, for instance. Bee stings. But I imagine most people with fatal allergies to common things have died by now.

I am allergic to wool, soy, peanuts, and pollen. Only my peanut allergy can kill me.

Episode Art: Forrest Warner
First published in Lightspeed magazine, April 2014.

I read and enjoyed this when it was first published. Norm's reading was great as usual.

Agree. Although his attitude about pregnancy being stupid is pretty caustic, I suppose under the survivalist circumstances it makes more sense, which is the point. Also I missed that the narrator was a woman until I thought about the vowel ending. I was thinking "You killed my father. Prepare to die." I missed any hint of relationship characterization between the two characters, so viewed it merely as a humanitarian collaboration.

It's a pretty compelling mission, braving death on the calculation that there may be a cure and a place to get the research to. Pretty high-minded and altruistic. I'm a bit skeptical that such a mission would be undertaken by a character who is a "natural pessimist" (at times Francesca reminds me of an insurance actuary). Makes a bit more sense that Garrity works primarily on comics, where such conflicting traits seem to be the commonest method of character development.

Pretty good! I liked it.

strawman wrote:... Also I missed that the narrator was a woman until I thought about the vowel ending. I was thinking "You killed my father. Prepare to die." I missed any hint of relationship characterization between the two characters, so viewed it merely as a humanitarian collaboration.

For about the first half of the story I was convinced the narrator was female. After that I had switched her/him to male. Did I miss something?

I loved the story and the details about different ways a person can die, so matter-of-fact.

I listened to this again. Excellent use of the list format. I traditionally don't like the list format, but the author was so subtle in working in the tangents. Just like a conversation, where conversation branches are inevitable.

Also, the narrator said "Growing up in Mexico, as a boy I learned..."
Otherwise I thought the narrator was female.