Quick Short Story Review: The Homecoming by Mike Resnick

This story is a nominee for the 2012 Hugo awards, and as such I expected it to be a good read. And Mike Resnick doesn’t disappoint.

The Homecoming was a well crafted story about a prodigal son who returns home. This is a twist on the everyday story of kids falling out with their parents. In this case the son hasn’t returned because his parents (well his Dad really) can’t handle the fact that his love of science has lead him to turning himself into an alien in order to study them better.

He’s returned to the family home, where Dad is looking after his mother who is suffering from Dementia. The story is told from the first person point of view of the Dad, and shows how he comes to terms with what his son has become.

A well-told tale. Nothing earth-shattering, but you can see why it’s been nominated.

There’s a free PDF available of The Homecoming – I would recommend reading it if you like a good punchy Science Fiction story with an emotional pulse.