Short Stories I Read in June

It’s the twenty-ninth of July. So it’s time to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in June.

Mycelysis by G.G. Diniz; Art by C.A.P. Ward (Strange Horizons; Issue: 30, May 2022)

Mushrooms/fungus and speculative fiction/SFF seems to go hand in hand. The first of the two short stories I read this month was Mycelysis by G.G. Diniz. It was a fantastic work of flash fiction. The story can be a little haunting, as it talks of gods coming and going, and a nameless narrator who goes to a temple and joins a group of disciples. It was short but exceptionally interesting, especially with the imagery painted by the writing and the overall point of the story. (The little note at the beginning was an interesting look at how the illustration correlated with the story, and I recommend reading that as well.)

The Fruit of the Princess Tree by Sage Tyrtle (Apex Magazine; May 17, 2022)

The second and last story I read in June was Sage Tyrtle’s The Fruit of the Princess Tree. There’s no shortage of fiction that challenges that princess and prince charming narrative, and this story falls into that category. What makes it unique is its approach to it, by adding a fantasy aspect into the fray with princesses that grow on the titular tree. There was an undeniably somber tone to the story, but it was fitting. I also enjoyed the ending. This was a good one.

From around the web…

• Print Run Podcast Episode 151: The Pettisode
• Maps, Worldbuilding, And The Journey In Fantasy (Noemi Arellano-Summer; Strange Horizons, Issue: Fund Drive 2022)
• The End Of Winter (Daniela Viçoso; Strange Horizons, Issue: 30, May 2022)
• Our Opinions Are Correct Episode #108: How Science Fiction Sold Us The Automobile