Short Stories I Read In October

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

The Locked Coffin: A Judge Dee Mystery by Lavie Tidhar (Tor.com; October 25, 2023)

Admittedly, I haven’t kept up with the Judge Dee stories lately. But in October I was in the mood for something with vampires and, as it happens, a new Judge Dee story was released. I enjoyed this latest installment! The dynamic between the judge and Jonathan remains an endless source of entertainment. As for the case, this one had another castle but also a locked-room aspect to the mystery. Or should I say, as the title says, a “locked coffin mystery?” The world of Tidhar’s vampires remains fascinating and totally vicious in a myriad of ways, and there is never a shortage of suspects. That remains true here. And the twists—including the one that ultimately resolved the mystery of The Locked Coffin—usually play into the complicated nature and the interpersonal relationships of the vampires Judge Dee and Jonathan encounter. Overall, if you’ve enjoyed Judge Dee stories in the past, then I recommend this one as well.

What You Are and the Wolf by Jae Steinbacher (Lightspeed Magazine; October 2023; Issue 161)

The second story I checked out in October was Jae Steinbacher’s What You Are and the Wolf, and I liked it. This one is essentially a loose retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with the wolf, the red cloak, and visits to the grandmother’s house. That was combined with some social commentary and what was effectively a coming-of-age narrative set within a dark fairy tale.

From around the web…

• How Do You Manage Reading Expectations? [Molly Templeton; Tor.com; October 26, 2023]
• How Becoming the Doctor Made My Heart Bigger on the Inside [Riley Silverman; Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Four]
• New Story Out: Six Version Of My Brother Found Under The Bridge [Eugenia Triantafylloy; October 6, 2023]
• Failing the Marshmallow Test: On Not Saving Books for Later [Marissa Lingen; Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Four]
• Hitmen and Monster: The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey [Charles Bonkowsky; Tor.com; October 25, 2023]
• The Haunted Hallways of Midnight at the Houdini by Delilah S. Dawson [Vanessa Armstrong; Tor.com; October 26, 2023]