I didn't really get "Machanu Visits the Underworld." Perhaps it's just because I was unfamiliar with this part of the story, about Hanuman's son Machanu, but I just wasn't entirely sure what was going on. It did continue to play around with the overarching themes for this collection, though, things like multiple versions of the story and trying to rewrite it, but ultimately ending up in the same place again.
"Oblivion: A Journey," however, is another one of my favorites. I think the futuristic sci-fi setting is a key part of that; I came to this anthology expecting a lot of sci-fi, and I find that this genre seems to garner an amazing amount of creativity from authors looking at social issues and new versions of old stories. I always love a well-told, well-built sci-fi story!
Which Singh provides here. The protagonist is from a consciously Ramayana-inspired planet and sees themself as like a modern Ram chasing a Ravan -- but are their stories actually the same? The tale was a perfect blend of new material mixed with references to the old epic, with some moral questioning thrown in. All in all, it was excellently told.
still of Ravana from Sita Sings the Blues (Nina Paley)
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