This is an interesting, hugo-nominated short story. I found it all a little on-the-nose, and it took reading reviews to get insight into the cultural appropriation association. ( )

Fair warning, I'm writing this review without having read any other reviews. I reading all the Hugo nominees. I'm also not a person big on metaphors/allegories, they get by me. It took me three days to "get" this story and it finally hit me about three o'clock this morning. Day-um.

What damage does appropriation do to identity? What is culture? How do we create identity? Is it a performance art for outside viewers? When is it shaped by the viewer? At what point do the "actors" forget that it's a play?

So this whole story just made me feel very angry and very Indian. And I'm going to say Indian, and you're lucky I even felt like capitalizing it.

https://www.apex-magazine.com/welcome-to-your-authentic-indian-experience/ ( )

A little predictable, but the satire was fan-freaking-tastic. ( )

http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2018/07/welcome-to-your-authentic-indian-exp... ( )

Listened to on Levar Burton reads. (Hello, childhood me, aren't you pleased that everything isn't a trash fire?) An enjoyable story, although by the end it leaves a feeling of dread and loss deep in your gut. ( )