"Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station │ Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0" is a science fiction short story by Caroline M. Yoachim. It was first published in Lightspeed, in March 2016.
Synopsis
edit"Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station" is a second-person narrative in the style of a gamebook, depicting a scenario in which an employee of a space station seeks medical care for an injury. At various points throughout the story, the reader is offered a choice as to what the employee should do; however, all choices lead to the employee's "horrible, painful death".
Reception
edit"Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station" was a finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 2016.[1] Kirkus Reviews felt that the story led to "hilarity",[2] while Tangent Online called it "terrifically funny".[3] Rocket Stack Rank found it to be "very silly", but considered this to be a negative.[4]
References
edit- ^ “Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station│Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0” at Science Fiction Writers of America; retrieved August 13, 2022
- ^ Adventures in Short Science Fiction, reviewed by John DeNardo, at Kirkus Reviews; published September 19, 2018; retrieved August 13, 2022
- ^ Lightspeed #70, March 2016, reviewed by Bob Blough, at Tangent Online; published March 30, 2016; retrieved August 13, 2022
- ^ Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station | Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0, by Caroline M. Yoachim, reviewed by Greg Hullender, at Rocket Stack Rank; published March 8, 2016; retrieved August 13, 2022