thegooddoctor
2/21/2021
SPOILER ALERT
A very memorable story about a "cyborg" (to the extent that he has a number of artificial parts - but not a "Deathlok" type hero. Just a man, down on his luck, trying to make his way through a rural area under difficult circumstances. He encounters some helpful locals, who are portrayed very realistically.
Things go downhill for him when a crooked cop shows up on the scene.
I'm not sure if I have read anything else by Matthew Claxton - but I will definitely be one the lookout (especially with a resource like this website!) As usual, Gardner Dozois has guided us towards some very interesting SF. There aren't many people in this world who are truly indispensable, but I really think that Gardner was irreplacable.
My rating system starts with a rating of one star for a story/novel that I ranked "C -". Ratings move up 1/2 star with each step, up to 5 stars (equivalent to a ranking of A+).