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ladybusinessFour stories a week seems to be about my level at the moment, so no Friday story yet again. It's possible four stories will be the norm now? We'll see.
Monday
"Enchanted Objects: Buy-Sell-Trade Group, YOU MUST BE APPROVED TO JOIN" by Tina Connolly is a fun, feminist fairy tale critique written as online discussions between sellers on a very specialist group forum. I thought Connolly caught the tone of general online conversations just right, although there were little bits I didn't totally understand because I don't use buyer forums. I enjoyed the fact that the buy-sell-trade group turns into a support group for all these women whose fairy take situations are objectively terrible (althoughI thought the evil queen could have used a sterner moderator's hand at times ;P). And the solution they come up with for disposing of their magical items introduces notes of collective learning, and transformation, to the story which gives the ending an extra depth even while Connolly keeps it light with tons of internet style dialogue.
Tuesday
"Volumes" by Laura Duerr is one of the stories recommended in Maria Haskins' recent Short Fiction Treasures column; the one with the 'companion animals' theme I mentioned last week. "Volumes" is a dystopian story, set in a world suffering under several different kinds of apocalyptic conditions (plague, weather events, extraordinary animal predation). And, if that wasn't enough the US is suffering under its own set of dystopian oppressive circumstances where 'As a former academic and a woman of color, [the protagonist's] every move was viewed with suspicion'.
As a consequence, this story should feel incredibly bleak. And, I've been steering away from these kinds of fictional worlds generally. However, I actually didn't find this story was too hard to handle even given our current circumstances. In fact, as Haskins said in her column it is 'almost cozy'. I think that's because we enter the story when the main character, Priya, is well-established in her secure stronghold with her collection of banned books, and cats, and tea. And, the potential danger that enters her house when a guest comes calling is, if not low-stakes, on a very close, controllable scale. Her problems stem from arguments not a militia ripping her from her hiding place. And while those arguments feel, for a brief period, very threatening it's also clear that Priya will be able to control what happens in this situation, and keep herself safe, if things go south. Not sure what it says about me that I was relieved Priya could just murder a dude to keep herself safe if he wouldn't listen to her… I guess the trauma of mansplaining goes deep?
Thankfully, she doesn't have to use more extreme methods because an outside attack bonds her even further with her guest, and he comes around to her way of thinking. He even apologies for not listening, and, phew, that was extremely cathartic for me.
Anyway, moving on from my issues, "Volumes" is one of those stories avid readers, and cat fans, will eat up because of the story's landscape, and Priya's commitment to creating a space safe for books and animals alike. Her bunker is just the kind of oasis I think we all hope to have in difficult situations. The finale of the story, where a clever, coded song is written about her Priya's collection of books, ties "Volumes" in nicely with a lot of classic fantasy literature even though this is a sci-fi story. Fantasy does love a ballad and a bard. And the ending where a gift, which vastly and practically improves Priya's life in her hideyhole, is offered in return for her hospitality is incredibly satisfying. Actually, perhaps a lot of the appeal of this story comes down to the fact that it's about people helping people, welcoming people, and thanking people.
Wednesday
I've just finished Misteltoe and Murder, one of Robin Stevens' Murder Most Unladylike mysteries, and it has "The Case of the Missing Bunbreak" as a little extra Christmas mystery story at the end. This story follows two of the other members of Daisy and Hazel's dorm, Kitty and Beanie, home for the holidays. Beanie's mother isn't well, and her parents have gone on holiday to Spain to try to restore her, so Beanie is staying with Kitty for the Christmas break. Shortly after they arrive bits of food start going missing, and Beanie worries that the escaped convict they heard about on the news has broken into the house.
I liked that the story develops Kitty and Beanie a little bit more as they're released from the orbit of Daisy and Hazel's adventures. Kitty's family sounds very jolly, and tear-away, while Beanie's sounds troubled, and loving, but complicated. Even Lavinia gets a little bit of her background built into this story. But mostly I'm including this in my post as a sly petition for you to read the Murder Most Unladylike mysteries if you haven't already. They're my current favourite mystery series.
Thursday
At one point, I thought "What the Sea Reaps, We Must Provide" by Eleanor R. Wood might turn out to be a dog in peril story, but not so! It's actually a piece of flash fiction about how sacrifice can come in all shapes and sizes. This piece has quite a formal tone to it; probably because it's trying to conjure an epic feel appropriate to the history of stories about winter/summer sacrifice cultures, and maybe because it's trying to convey a strong sense of atmosphere and threatening weather. I found the writing style a little bit stiff at first as a consequence.
However, I really liked the subversive element of this story which states that sacrifice isn't necessarily always about death. The heart of sacrifice is about rendering up something of importance, something that is hard to give up, to save something you care about even more, and that doesn't always have to be a life. And, by the end of the story I'd kind of settled into the writing style too. I think it just took a little bit of getting used to, possibly because I've read so many stories recently with a lighter, more modern tone.
Look, if the story about the dog waiting outside of the hospital in Turkey got you in the throat "What the Sea Reaps, We Must Provide" will probably get you too. Who doesn't enjoy a good story about the deep love of a dog?
Monday
"Enchanted Objects: Buy-Sell-Trade Group, YOU MUST BE APPROVED TO JOIN" by Tina Connolly is a fun, feminist fairy tale critique written as online discussions between sellers on a very specialist group forum. I thought Connolly caught the tone of general online conversations just right, although there were little bits I didn't totally understand because I don't use buyer forums. I enjoyed the fact that the buy-sell-trade group turns into a support group for all these women whose fairy take situations are objectively terrible (althoughI thought the evil queen could have used a sterner moderator's hand at times ;P). And the solution they come up with for disposing of their magical items introduces notes of collective learning, and transformation, to the story which gives the ending an extra depth even while Connolly keeps it light with tons of internet style dialogue.
Tuesday
"Volumes" by Laura Duerr is one of the stories recommended in Maria Haskins' recent Short Fiction Treasures column; the one with the 'companion animals' theme I mentioned last week. "Volumes" is a dystopian story, set in a world suffering under several different kinds of apocalyptic conditions (plague, weather events, extraordinary animal predation). And, if that wasn't enough the US is suffering under its own set of dystopian oppressive circumstances where 'As a former academic and a woman of color, [the protagonist's] every move was viewed with suspicion'.
As a consequence, this story should feel incredibly bleak. And, I've been steering away from these kinds of fictional worlds generally. However, I actually didn't find this story was too hard to handle even given our current circumstances. In fact, as Haskins said in her column it is 'almost cozy'. I think that's because we enter the story when the main character, Priya, is well-established in her secure stronghold with her collection of banned books, and cats, and tea. And, the potential danger that enters her house when a guest comes calling is, if not low-stakes, on a very close, controllable scale. Her problems stem from arguments not a militia ripping her from her hiding place. And while those arguments feel, for a brief period, very threatening it's also clear that Priya will be able to control what happens in this situation, and keep herself safe, if things go south. Not sure what it says about me that I was relieved Priya could just murder a dude to keep herself safe if he wouldn't listen to her… I guess the trauma of mansplaining goes deep?
Thankfully, she doesn't have to use more extreme methods because an outside attack bonds her even further with her guest, and he comes around to her way of thinking. He even apologies for not listening, and, phew, that was extremely cathartic for me.
Anyway, moving on from my issues, "Volumes" is one of those stories avid readers, and cat fans, will eat up because of the story's landscape, and Priya's commitment to creating a space safe for books and animals alike. Her bunker is just the kind of oasis I think we all hope to have in difficult situations. The finale of the story, where a clever, coded song is written about her Priya's collection of books, ties "Volumes" in nicely with a lot of classic fantasy literature even though this is a sci-fi story. Fantasy does love a ballad and a bard. And the ending where a gift, which vastly and practically improves Priya's life in her hideyhole, is offered in return for her hospitality is incredibly satisfying. Actually, perhaps a lot of the appeal of this story comes down to the fact that it's about people helping people, welcoming people, and thanking people.
Wednesday
I've just finished Misteltoe and Murder, one of Robin Stevens' Murder Most Unladylike mysteries, and it has "The Case of the Missing Bunbreak" as a little extra Christmas mystery story at the end. This story follows two of the other members of Daisy and Hazel's dorm, Kitty and Beanie, home for the holidays. Beanie's mother isn't well, and her parents have gone on holiday to Spain to try to restore her, so Beanie is staying with Kitty for the Christmas break. Shortly after they arrive bits of food start going missing, and Beanie worries that the escaped convict they heard about on the news has broken into the house.
I liked that the story develops Kitty and Beanie a little bit more as they're released from the orbit of Daisy and Hazel's adventures. Kitty's family sounds very jolly, and tear-away, while Beanie's sounds troubled, and loving, but complicated. Even Lavinia gets a little bit of her background built into this story. But mostly I'm including this in my post as a sly petition for you to read the Murder Most Unladylike mysteries if you haven't already. They're my current favourite mystery series.
Thursday
At one point, I thought "What the Sea Reaps, We Must Provide" by Eleanor R. Wood might turn out to be a dog in peril story, but not so! It's actually a piece of flash fiction about how sacrifice can come in all shapes and sizes. This piece has quite a formal tone to it; probably because it's trying to conjure an epic feel appropriate to the history of stories about winter/summer sacrifice cultures, and maybe because it's trying to convey a strong sense of atmosphere and threatening weather. I found the writing style a little bit stiff at first as a consequence.
However, I really liked the subversive element of this story which states that sacrifice isn't necessarily always about death. The heart of sacrifice is about rendering up something of importance, something that is hard to give up, to save something you care about even more, and that doesn't always have to be a life. And, by the end of the story I'd kind of settled into the writing style too. I think it just took a little bit of getting used to, possibly because I've read so many stories recently with a lighter, more modern tone.
Look, if the story about the dog waiting outside of the hospital in Turkey got you in the throat "What the Sea Reaps, We Must Provide" will probably get you too. Who doesn't enjoy a good story about the deep love of a dog?
