Short Business: Return Visits
Feb. 22nd, 2021 11:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ladybusinessOk, maybe I need a plan to help me read new to me short fiction authors because this post is yet another foray into new work by authors I've read before. Turned out pretty great though so...
Monday
Do you want to read a story about a reconnaissance robot disguised as a roomba, and his bond with a cat? Yes, of course you do - there is a worldwide pandemic.
After reading a lot of stories recommended by Maria Haskins, over the last few weeks, I decided to kick off this week's short fiction reading with her story "Tony Roombas Last Day on Earth":
This story is exactly as fun, and deliberately silly, as the premise sounds. When Tony's colleague arrives to help him get home, and Hortense the cat refuses to get off his back, Tony becomes engaged in a farcical, not so stealthy, escape back to the extraction point.. The chase, which involves encounters with toddlers, dogs, and the law is over the top, full of bombastic action, and I would love to see it filmed as a Pixar short. The conversation between Tony and his colleague Genevive, about the unfortunate misunderstandings which have led to an armed invasion being readied, are funny and light. If you are feeling down this is the perfect SFF pick me up.
I also liked the relationship between Tony and Hortense. Hortense isn't a talking, or magical, cat, but Tony treats her as if she is actively participating in every interaction they have. Hortense and Tony understand each other, and their relationship is very level. The way he talks to her is reminiscent of the way cat owners talk to their cats as if they're people rather than pets.
This story provided a really uplifting tonic while I was whooshing around on the emotional corona-coaster last week. Solidly recommend it if you want to be entertained.
Tuesday
Hey, did you know that Elisabeth R. Moore has a new monthly short fiction column at Nerds of a Feather? Yes, another great place to pick up short fiction recs!!
Among other stories this month, Elisabeth is reccing "In the Garden of My Ancestors Statues" by Marissa Lingen. As you know, I don't need telling twice to read a story by one of my favourite writers. "In The Garden of My Ancestor's Statues" is a much darker tale than the ones I've been posting about recently, and this tone is indicated right from the first line, 'The corpses of my ancestors make beautiful art, a sculpture garden around me.' The narrator has already seen significant tragedy as a troll whose family has been tricked into turning to stone just so their human employers can avoid paying them the food they're owed. The narrative voice has a slightly antiquated sound to it; a slightly ponderous note even which enhances the tone of bone deep sadness that floods through this story. The ending, which makes a beauty out of horror, is a fitting finale for a story about a narrator making their way in a hard world which wants to use them, and has already taken so much from them.
Wednesday
If you have a lot of feelings about fanfiction, Vanessa Fogg's "Fanfiction For a Grimdark Universe" is the new release for you! I love Vanessa Fogg's stories, but this one showed me a different side to her writing. I'd almost call it a playful story even though it takes place in the middle of such a grim situation. It just feels like a story that would have been really fun to write because of all the ways Fogg has related different types of fanfiction to her character's situations.
In "Fanfiction For a Grimdark Universe" the Dark Lord has raised an army of the dead, the young prince has turned traitor, and the narrator's companion Jenna has just found some very strange documents in the narrator's pack. Turns out the narrator has been collecting fanfiction from another world called Earth that is all about their real life team. On Earth, a comic book series called The Secret Guardians of the Ten Thousand Shining Worlds mirrors the experience of the narrator's world, and specifically their team, but is also currently many years behind events in their world (and so is useless for planning future strategies to fight the Darkness. And people write fanfic about this series.
While they lie recovering from an attack, the narrator walks Jenna through the many different types of fanfic that have been created. It was fascinating to see the narrator examine fanfic about them and their friends through such a personal lens; to see them examine what the different types of fanfiction reflected back to them, and which types they prefer because, of course, being in the middle of a terrible situation where you're friends have died gives you a lot of feelings about certain kinds of stories written about those events.
"Fanfiction For a Grimdark Universe" is just this wonderful, fictional meta bundle of joy. It's also a love letter to stories, and their importance: how they inspire; the mirrors they can hold up; the comfort they can give. I do urge you to remember the second part of the title of this story when deciding whether to read it. It's important; there has been a lot of heartache and pain in this world. However, the ending - oh you're going to love it. If you want hope in your grimdark universe or, perhaps even more important than hope, closure you're going to love it.
Also, can I just say that Translunar Travelers Lounge is quickly becoming one of my favourite short fiction venues. Like, hello, yes, I do like stories that take me to tough places but don't think it's fun to actively trample everything into dust.
Thursday
"The Salt Witch" by Martha Wells just won the Uncanny Magazine 2020 Favourite Fiction Reader Poll. It's not perhaps my usual kind of story, but I read the excerpt that was doing the rounds on Twitter and saw that Wells was using modern phrasing to bring some humour into what sounded like a pretty intense, serious horror situation. And, like, I know that is such a silly, small thing to be a weird fan of as a reader, but stories that have their protagonists all exasperated, and modern, in the middle of some weird eldritch stuff gets me every time.
So, I read this story about a Demon King, a Ghost Bride, an island layered in ghost worlds, and a witch called Juana with close ties to this strange barrier island, and it was my favourite kind of ghost story. The ghosts are real people who can make decisions and take power if they're given the opportunity. No one is fated, or trapped irrevocably just because they're a ghost. The story deals with the idea of being anchored to a place by memories, and allows the main character to break free from that trope. And there is a kick-ass ghost battle to oust the Demon King. I won't tell you much more about Juana because there's a twist to her story which readers will want to discover on their own, and that twist is part of what allows Wells to develop her character. I will just say though that Juana is so much fun: brash, confident, sarcastic, and incredibly strong when the time comes. I would definitely read her further adventures if there were any.
I've also bookmarked all the fiction that placed in the Readers Poll so expect to see some of those turn up in future posts.
Friday
I finished the week with a return to Translunar Travelers Lounge where I read "Tweeting" by Mari Ness. This story is written as the Twitter stream of a woman who has taken a pill which will turn her into a bird. Heads up, because I got this wrong when I started reading the story, you want to read this as you'd read someone's profile if you wanted to read their Tweets in order. So head straight to the bottom of the story and read upwards.
I think this story is a little bit of style over substance. It's a fun, clever idea to write a story about a woman turning into a bird using tweets. However, the content of the tweets didn't really live up to what I was expecting from such an initial concept. The story is very focused on the practical aspects of living, and tweeting, while slowly becoming a small bird. But I didn't feel like there was much here for the reader to connect with. Even the descriptions of flying, which seemed to be the main driver behind the protagonist becoming a bird, were really prosaic, and simple. Perhaps that was the idea behind this story - not to get too swept away in the majesty of being a bird, but to keep the whole thing grounded (which would tie in nicely with the fact that the story is told in tweets). Normally I love fantasy that grounds itself in the everyday, but this one just didn't work for me. The narrator was almost too blase and normal about the whole experience.
Quick bit of short fiction news before I go - I just wanted to add a little note linking to Charles Payseur's new rating system, The Scales of Relative Grimness which is just so relevant to my own interests when it comes to short fiction. I think Charles has some further thoughts on the scale coming out soon, so I'll be interested to see those too.
Monday
Do you want to read a story about a reconnaissance robot disguised as a roomba, and his bond with a cat? Yes, of course you do - there is a worldwide pandemic.
After reading a lot of stories recommended by Maria Haskins, over the last few weeks, I decided to kick off this week's short fiction reading with her story "Tony Roombas Last Day on Earth":
It’s Tony Roomba’s last day on Earth. After two years of working undercover as a vacuum cleaner bot on this boondock planet, he is finally heading home to the Gamma Sector, but his final day is full of challenges. He has to get out of the apartment undetected; has to reach the extraction point in time for teleportation; and he has to submit his intel-report to the Galactic Robotic Alliance (not that they’ll like it much). However, his most immediate and hairiest problem, is that he can’t get Hortense off his back.
This story is exactly as fun, and deliberately silly, as the premise sounds. When Tony's colleague arrives to help him get home, and Hortense the cat refuses to get off his back, Tony becomes engaged in a farcical, not so stealthy, escape back to the extraction point.. The chase, which involves encounters with toddlers, dogs, and the law is over the top, full of bombastic action, and I would love to see it filmed as a Pixar short. The conversation between Tony and his colleague Genevive, about the unfortunate misunderstandings which have led to an armed invasion being readied, are funny and light. If you are feeling down this is the perfect SFF pick me up.
I also liked the relationship between Tony and Hortense. Hortense isn't a talking, or magical, cat, but Tony treats her as if she is actively participating in every interaction they have. Hortense and Tony understand each other, and their relationship is very level. The way he talks to her is reminiscent of the way cat owners talk to their cats as if they're people rather than pets.
This story provided a really uplifting tonic while I was whooshing around on the emotional corona-coaster last week. Solidly recommend it if you want to be entertained.
Tuesday
Hey, did you know that Elisabeth R. Moore has a new monthly short fiction column at Nerds of a Feather? Yes, another great place to pick up short fiction recs!!
Among other stories this month, Elisabeth is reccing "In the Garden of My Ancestors Statues" by Marissa Lingen. As you know, I don't need telling twice to read a story by one of my favourite writers. "In The Garden of My Ancestor's Statues" is a much darker tale than the ones I've been posting about recently, and this tone is indicated right from the first line, 'The corpses of my ancestors make beautiful art, a sculpture garden around me.' The narrator has already seen significant tragedy as a troll whose family has been tricked into turning to stone just so their human employers can avoid paying them the food they're owed. The narrative voice has a slightly antiquated sound to it; a slightly ponderous note even which enhances the tone of bone deep sadness that floods through this story. The ending, which makes a beauty out of horror, is a fitting finale for a story about a narrator making their way in a hard world which wants to use them, and has already taken so much from them.
Wednesday
If you have a lot of feelings about fanfiction, Vanessa Fogg's "Fanfiction For a Grimdark Universe" is the new release for you! I love Vanessa Fogg's stories, but this one showed me a different side to her writing. I'd almost call it a playful story even though it takes place in the middle of such a grim situation. It just feels like a story that would have been really fun to write because of all the ways Fogg has related different types of fanfiction to her character's situations.
In "Fanfiction For a Grimdark Universe" the Dark Lord has raised an army of the dead, the young prince has turned traitor, and the narrator's companion Jenna has just found some very strange documents in the narrator's pack. Turns out the narrator has been collecting fanfiction from another world called Earth that is all about their real life team. On Earth, a comic book series called The Secret Guardians of the Ten Thousand Shining Worlds mirrors the experience of the narrator's world, and specifically their team, but is also currently many years behind events in their world (and so is useless for planning future strategies to fight the Darkness. And people write fanfic about this series.
While they lie recovering from an attack, the narrator walks Jenna through the many different types of fanfic that have been created. It was fascinating to see the narrator examine fanfic about them and their friends through such a personal lens; to see them examine what the different types of fanfiction reflected back to them, and which types they prefer because, of course, being in the middle of a terrible situation where you're friends have died gives you a lot of feelings about certain kinds of stories written about those events.
"Fanfiction For a Grimdark Universe" is just this wonderful, fictional meta bundle of joy. It's also a love letter to stories, and their importance: how they inspire; the mirrors they can hold up; the comfort they can give. I do urge you to remember the second part of the title of this story when deciding whether to read it. It's important; there has been a lot of heartache and pain in this world. However, the ending - oh you're going to love it. If you want hope in your grimdark universe or, perhaps even more important than hope, closure you're going to love it.
Also, can I just say that Translunar Travelers Lounge is quickly becoming one of my favourite short fiction venues. Like, hello, yes, I do like stories that take me to tough places but don't think it's fun to actively trample everything into dust.
Thursday
"The Salt Witch" by Martha Wells just won the Uncanny Magazine 2020 Favourite Fiction Reader Poll. It's not perhaps my usual kind of story, but I read the excerpt that was doing the rounds on Twitter and saw that Wells was using modern phrasing to bring some humour into what sounded like a pretty intense, serious horror situation. And, like, I know that is such a silly, small thing to be a weird fan of as a reader, but stories that have their protagonists all exasperated, and modern, in the middle of some weird eldritch stuff gets me every time.
So, I read this story about a Demon King, a Ghost Bride, an island layered in ghost worlds, and a witch called Juana with close ties to this strange barrier island, and it was my favourite kind of ghost story. The ghosts are real people who can make decisions and take power if they're given the opportunity. No one is fated, or trapped irrevocably just because they're a ghost. The story deals with the idea of being anchored to a place by memories, and allows the main character to break free from that trope. And there is a kick-ass ghost battle to oust the Demon King. I won't tell you much more about Juana because there's a twist to her story which readers will want to discover on their own, and that twist is part of what allows Wells to develop her character. I will just say though that Juana is so much fun: brash, confident, sarcastic, and incredibly strong when the time comes. I would definitely read her further adventures if there were any.
I've also bookmarked all the fiction that placed in the Readers Poll so expect to see some of those turn up in future posts.
Friday
I finished the week with a return to Translunar Travelers Lounge where I read "Tweeting" by Mari Ness. This story is written as the Twitter stream of a woman who has taken a pill which will turn her into a bird. Heads up, because I got this wrong when I started reading the story, you want to read this as you'd read someone's profile if you wanted to read their Tweets in order. So head straight to the bottom of the story and read upwards.
I think this story is a little bit of style over substance. It's a fun, clever idea to write a story about a woman turning into a bird using tweets. However, the content of the tweets didn't really live up to what I was expecting from such an initial concept. The story is very focused on the practical aspects of living, and tweeting, while slowly becoming a small bird. But I didn't feel like there was much here for the reader to connect with. Even the descriptions of flying, which seemed to be the main driver behind the protagonist becoming a bird, were really prosaic, and simple. Perhaps that was the idea behind this story - not to get too swept away in the majesty of being a bird, but to keep the whole thing grounded (which would tie in nicely with the fact that the story is told in tweets). Normally I love fantasy that grounds itself in the everyday, but this one just didn't work for me. The narrator was almost too blase and normal about the whole experience.
Quick bit of short fiction news before I go - I just wanted to add a little note linking to Charles Payseur's new rating system, The Scales of Relative Grimness which is just so relevant to my own interests when it comes to short fiction. I think Charles has some further thoughts on the scale coming out soon, so I'll be interested to see those too.
