Blurb:

Freior and her companion, Dwiss, breathe life into barren planets once more through an immensely intensive task known as Worldsculpting. Weary from a waning sense of purpose in life, Freior must endure the sculpting of one final world. 

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Review:

Calum Lott is working on his magnum opus, Valsollas. While the first entry of that world is awaiting release, he’s publishing his short stories for free to his newsletter subscribers. Worldsculptors is the second of these stories, which serves the purpose of world-building and character development. 

Worldsculptors takes us to an unnamed barren planet, which needs to be prepped for colonisation. We follow Freior and her coavlen Dwiss as they spend days spearheading the worldsculpting process. The story itself is split into days, with extensive details on the actual process. Described in meditative, reflective prose, the worldsculpting feels more like a job, one that Freior herself is at the end of. This is her last project, and we see her actions play out unhurriedly, each step, each detail described like a slow-playing documentary montage. 

When we’re not worldsculpting, we get scant glimpses into Freior’s mindset, and what she’s thinking. Her existential thoughts are mirrored in the worldsculpting. The end of her time as a worldsculptor is not even a prelude for the society that will inhabit this planet. As a writer and an artist, I could relate to Freior’s character, who engages in her duty—or art, if you would—focusing on the moment instead of what’s next. As a world-building companion piece, Worldsculptors does what it is supposed to—give you microscopic a glimpse into the world of Valsollas. 

Don’t expect a story. Don’t expect character-building. This is a purely world-building experience and a meditative one at that. If you’re like me and enjoy that kind of thing, I’d recommend reading this short. 

TL;DR:

WHAT I LIKED: The meditative descriptions of worldsculpting, and the ending

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: The hard science portions can be a little dull at times