Review of Of Zots and Xoodles

[Mohlaba Y]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Of Zots and Xoodles" by Zarqnon the Embarrassed.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Of Zots and Xoodles is a short story by Zarqnon the Embarrassed that chronicles the beginning of the universe as we know it. A being named Theodil was at the helm of creation. He began his quest to create the universe by throwing dice. That random act gave rise to dot-like things that were called Zots. The Zots were beautiful. They were like nothing the other beings had ever seen. They danced around and collided to form other types of different dot-like things. Then, noodle-like things formed from those Zots. These were called Xoodles. They were different from Zots and they were a little more complex.

When I think of creation, I think of the Christian Bible. "Let there be light" is one of the first things that come to mind. This version of creation seems more intentional and intelligent. My first impression of Theodil was that he didn't really have a clear idea of what he was doing. I'm not mad at that because it's a very interesting take on the idea of creation. I enjoy reading things that stretch my mind and force me to consider other ideas. This short story succeeded at doing that.

The story, however, felt a little heavy. I thought that the language used was challenging. It's difficult for me to enjoy something that I don't easily understand. I had to consult the dictionary on many occasions because I didn't understand some of the terms, which were scientific and technical. I wish that the author would have made the story simpler to understand. That would have made it a better reading experience.

I rate the book 3 out of 5 stars for two simple reasons. The first reason is mentioned above. I am not a fan of the language and how complicated it is. I know that there was a simpler way to narrate the story. The second reason is that the book wasn't edited well at all. I noticed several editing and grammatical flaws.

I think that a person who enjoys complicated stories that are technical and scientific might enjoy this story. The storyline is simple enough, but the language makes it such a difficult read.

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Of Zots and Xoodles
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