11 May, 2016
7 years ago
1
“The Bones of the Matter” by Cassandra Khaw (See the Elephant)
Unsure of her lover’s fidelity, Mei Fong
asks her mother for a little magical insurance in this tale about the intrigues
of love, cooking, and maternal wisdom. The premise of this tale is a familiar one:
Mei’s girlfriend has been spending a lot of time with a guy, and the thought of
being cheated on is killing Mei. Khaw’s protagonist is a perfect mess:
insecure, fatalistic, and desperate to be wrong. Mei’s mother is precisely none
of those things.
I should warn you: this isn’t a story to
read on an empty stomach.
I should also warn you that Khaw is a siren. The music of her writing will lure you in. It will lure you in, and you will drown, blissfully sinking into the depths of its textures, scents, and flavors. Truly, the poetry of this story’s prose is an embarrassment of riches.
6 April, 2016
7 years ago
0
Liam Meilleur is the editor-in-chief of the Harpur Palate literary journal, a submissions editor for Uncanny Magazine, and a PhD student at Binghamton University, where he teaches for the English department. In 2013, he graduated from Clarion West program, and he has an MFA from the University of New Orleans. This Tumblr is part of his blog about the adventures of a genre writer in the literary world of academia: a Rainy Day in Eden.
You can also follow the blog on Twitter at @RDE_Blog
6 April, 2016
7 years ago
1
“The Wolf and the Tower Unwoven” by Kelly Sandoval (Uncanny).
When a feral wolf in human form turns up outside Cresa’s house, the humanity that she once sought threatens to become the chain that binds her, and she is forced the weigh the balance between her heart and her freedom. Sandoval’s command of voice and empathy are on full display as she weaves this tale of intrigue, divinity, and destiny into a vivid tapestry of captured affections and bittersweet resignation. While Sandoval’s evocative style has always drawn me to her work, this one made me fall in love with her storytelling, too. The plot is clockwork smart, and her reimagining of classic mythological characters feels both faithful to their antiquity and freshly imaginative. “The Wolf and the Tower Unwoven” easily became a favorite among favorites.
PS: Dear Universe,
The world needs an audio version of this story. Pretty please?
6 April, 2016
7 years ago
0
“The Great Leap of Shin” by Henry Lien (Analog).
When the plan to thwart a cycle of devastating earthquakes threatens to lay waste to the island of Pearl, a young lord and a eunuch meet at the intersection of honor, sacrifice, and necessary evils. As the pendulum oscillates between stalemate and checkmate, Lien’s novelette plays out against a fascinating backdrop of truly epic proportions.
6 April, 2016
7 years ago
0
“Today I Am Paul” by Martin L. Shoemaker (Clarkesworld).
An android caregiver emulates loved ones (living and dead) for a woman whose health and memory are failing her. Shoemaker deftly tap-dances around the maudlin landmines associated with Alzheimer’s stories, delivering a story that impressed me with both its narrative economy and palpable humanity.
- 2015 NEBULA AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST SHORT STORY
- AUDIO & TEXT VERSIONS AVAILABLE AT LINK
6 April, 2016
7 years ago
0
“A Sister’s Weight in Stone” by JY Yang (Apex Magazine).
Yang paints a beautifully vivid world in this heart-wrenching tale of airships and dragon silk, losing and finding, and the terrible determination of sorrow–but be warned, she means to punch you in the heart.
- AUDIO VERSION AVAILABLE HERE
6 April, 2016
7 years ago
0
“The Vaporization Enthalpy of a Peculiar Pakistani Family” by Usman Malik (Qualia Nous).
A tale of faith, war, fire, and family. To date, this is my favorite of Usman’s stories.
- WINNER: 2014 BRAM STOKER AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION
- 2015 NEBULA AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST SHORT STORY
6 April, 2016
7 years ago
0
“Mirror Skinned” by Kelly Sandoval (Flash Fiction Online).
A most unusual tale of appropriation, metamorphosis, and promiscuity.
6 April, 2016
7 years ago
3
“Patterns of a Murmuration, in Billions of Data Points” by JY Yang (Clarkesworld).
When the war between polarized political factions claims the life of one of its creators, an AI decides to become an independent. This story is an all-time cyberpunk favorite of mine.
- AUDIO & TEXT VERSIONS AVAILABLE AT LINK
6 April, 2016
7 years ago
0
“Animal Magnetism” by Shannon Peavey (Urban Fantasy Magazine).
Ever wish you could read your lover’s mind? When a ghost prevents her husband from speaking, Della turns to psychic snails. Peavey is a master of sardonic wit, and the long-suffering snails steal the show in this wickedly misanthropic tale about communication and honesty.
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