dark and twisted. i love it.

A rather fascinating look at the fear of technology and how it intertwines with society. As one of the earliest works of science fiction it is truly a fascinating look at the primal fear of the unknown.

Nathaniel, an unreliable narrator in all ways is confronted by his own worship of his automaton wife by his friend but also through the reveal of the sandman. Nathaniel sees the sandman and how he makes the eyes for his wife before she is whisked away. This never gets resolved.
We know his bride to be's father has left town so we never get his words other than the blame for the sandman. So we, the society, never quite resolve the underbelly of the sandman. Instead, we get the lingering taste of fear. We know that the sandman is as old as time, he controls, he manipulates, he creates. This study of the automaton is a creature that does the same - she is everything Nathaniel desires but he is blind to who or what she is. In the end, these two elements come together to take apart Nathaniel. The great climax of his breaking is never resolved as fiction or fact. We know Clara has children but we never know if she truly was an automaton or if Nathaniel was wronged all along.

It's a fascinating story that stumbles through how quick it tells itself but I think it lends itself to more than a quick read. The themes of reality, of technology, of misoginy, and how they shape our understanding of the world deserve more than a story about a misguided boy who grows up to a dumb man. I think the writer instills a sense of fear of the unknown that links fantasy and science fiction in a wonderful manner. If you're looking for a quick read that shows a society's fear of what can and is already occuring around them I would def recommend.