Talk:Most Sinister Weapon/@comment-28266772-20160822151858

I really liked this story. Unfortunately I was already familiar with the victimization of rape victims by numerous cultures throughout history so I felt as though the impact was lessened somewhat. Similarly the protagonist's shock wasn't something I shared - like I said this sort of thing is disturbingly common throughout history and I was familiar with a couple of examples. Perhaps most depressingly, some of them are from contemporary warfare. Not just ancient.

Nonetheless I really enjoyed your execution. It had a sad and sombre tone to it that was appropriate and unsettling. I preferred the original ending where the muted exchange served to highlight the violence of the object's origin and purpose, but I was still intrigued by the alternate ending's reveal as well. The style was simple and elegant, like the woman's demeanour. Overall it felt reverent, and respectful. And given the subject matter it's an approach I appreciate, and commend. It's a different tactic to trying to shock and scare, and instead relies on the silence in between words to convey the full horror of what once happened. Furthermore I feel as though by being disconnected the story lets us dwell on the historical trend as a whole, as opposed to just one incident within.

Also the atmosphere is palpable. There's a lot to like in this story.