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pmime.hex
Post-Spring-Thing release
Requires a Hugo interpreter. Visit IFWiki for download links.
pmime.hex
version entered in 2006 Spring Thing
Requires a Hugo interpreter. Visit IFWiki for download links.

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Pantomime

by Robb Sherwin profile

Science Fiction
2006

Web Site

About the Story

Pantomime takes place on the Martian moon of Phobos, in the year 2044. Mankind has developed colonies on Mars, Titan, Ganymede and installed a life bubble on the closer, larger Martian satellite. Mankind has also figured out a way to do cloning from bits of DNA (it's been busy, mankind). One such clone, colloquially called a pantomime, is preparing to tell all the denizens on Phobos that it will crash into Mars much sooner than expected, by several thousand years.


Game Details

Off-Site Reviews

Just Adventure

In summary, Pantomime has some drawbacks –obscure puzzles, a sudden change in the pace of the story -- and is clearly inferior to its author’s previous creations. But even when considering these cons the game stands in good shape, mainly by the richness of its prose and the originality of the story and characters depicted throughout it. I can easily recommend it, not only to cyberpunk fans but to anyone interested in trying a modern and very well written interactive fiction game. Pantomime is graded B by this reviewer.

-- Ricardo Pautassi
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IF-Review
Fear and Cloning... In Space
I did find Pantomime enjoyable, if less focused than some of Sherwin's other works; his dialogue and narrative style are unique in IF. What's more, despite the linearity of the plot, I did feel as though there was a value to presenting this as IF rather than as a piece of static fiction. At several points in the dialogue, the player character gets to make a choice of tone and attitude, especially one that reflects his opinion on pantomimes. I chose to characterize him as friendly and unbigoted, since this seemed to fit the PC and my own preferences best. The presence of the alternate options on the dialogue menu reminded me that this was an active choice on the PC's part, though, and that he could have acted much differently.

In sum, this is a game that Sherwin fans will enjoy. It's not his best work, but it has some fine moments.

-- Emily Short
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SPAG

I've only played the beginning of one or two Robb Sherwin games prior to this. That's probably why my reactions bounced between "whoa. did he really say that?" and "wow. what's it going to be *next*?" Somehow, even if he's holding back, it doesn't *feel* that way. Aside from a few typos - probably the result of the hurried effort to meet the deadline - the writing is great. It flows better because it's more casual. It's not just *how* Sherwin writes - it's also *what* he writes: the insults between characters, the one-off jokes, the clever descriptions and bits of back-story. I usually cringe at coarse passages and lowbrow humor in a game, but that's part of what makes Pantomime so interesting. Sherwin seems to write it in a convincing, honest way.

-- Mike Snyder
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Page Update History

  v.9: 24-Feb-2024 19:26 - JTN (Current Version) - Edit Page - Normal View
Changed description, Web site URL, download links
v.8: 30-Jun-2020 08:34 - Zape
Changed external review links
v.7: 17-Aug-2013 08:39 - Edward Lacey
Changed external review links
v.6: 05-Apr-2008 13:21 - Emily Short
Changed external review links
v.5: 05-Apr-2008 13:21 - Emily Short
Changed external review links
v.4: 05-Apr-2008 12:12 - Emily Short
Changed external review links
v.3: 25-Oct-2007 20:32 - Eriorg
Changed author
v.2: 23-Oct-2007 16:44 - Robb Sherwin
Changed cover art, publication date, Web site URL, download links
v.1: 16-Oct-2007 01:50 - IFDB
Created page