this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2026
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Science Fiction

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[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

IMO the Shrike is kind of unimportant to most of the storytelling. You could almost just narrate it and show shadows of a distant figure. It's the stalking threat that gives mystery and weight to the decisions of the characters to make the pilgrimage.

I always found the physical description of the Shrike to be one of the silliest aspects of the story.

[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago

Without the Shrike, the story would not hold as much weight, even though he is not the essence of the problem, only a reflection or manifestation of it.

The Shrike, to me, was a feedback loop.