Robert Zimmermann

I found this story interesting for a variety of reasons.

On the surface, this was a fun story with great characters. I really liked Mr. Towry, a chimpanzee that can talk thanks to technological and biological advancements of the future setting of the story. As the blurb hints at, Towry does have an attitude. At the same time, I didn’t feel that he was totally out of line with how he felt about certain things. The other main character, Ms. Liu, also added to this story. I wasn’t expecting there to be as much depth to her at first glance, but the author developed her, and Towry, well for this being a short story.

This story wasn’t just about talking apes, though that in itself could be worth reading about. As the author mentions in the description, this story has a basis on a Chinese myth. I’m not familiar with it, but the theme of “who belongs, and who doesn’t” is very clear throughout this story. I won’t get into much detail with it, but the way it’s worked into the story might get some readers thinking long and hard about how we view others, as well as other animals.

Monkey Talk is a great story bringing you into the mind of a Chimp who can freely communicate with the world. This helps to see things from a very different perspective and is thought-provoking to say the least.