The Karyōbinga Sings To Jiro by Riyu Ando (Strange Horizons; Issue: 11 January 2021) Note: there is a podcast version of the story available from Strange Horizons
The first short story I read In January was The Karyōbinga Sings To Jiro by Riyu Ando. This was such a simple and lovely story. The writing flowed. The story was good. It seemed to deal with loss, remembrance, and staying in familiar and comfortable places and spaces. It was done so well and overall it was an excellent read.
#Selfcare by Annalee Newitz (Tor.com, January 19, 2021)
#Selfcare is the second short story I tackled in January. It was a lot, and I also loved it. #Selfcare was an easy read with a great message. It’s the kind of story that heavily focuses on social commentary—think gig economy and other topics relevant to today—except there was a slightly paranormal twist and a few hints of horror. This story had a great cast. I really liked Edwina, her friend, and the supporting characters. I also liked the direction Newitz took the plot. Overall, #Selfcare was pretty great.
Your Own Undoing by P H Lee (Apex Magazine, January 19, 2021)
Your Own Undoing was fantastic. It was an engrossing read, and I found it way too easy to really get into this story. For starters, it was written in first and second person, with a narrator telling the events of the story to another character. It was great. Your Own Undoing essentially tells how a scholar and sorcerer takes in a new pupil, whose penchant for darker magic and thirst for knowledge negatively effects everyone around them—specifically the character the story is being told to.
From around the web…
- Truth as Fiction: When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo (Alex Brown; Tor.com, January 6, 2020)
- Understanding Horses: Calculated (and Uncalculated) Risk (Judith Tarr; Tor.com, January 11, 2020)
- Sheree Renée Thomas: A Kind of Wonder (Locus Magazine, December 21, 2020)
- Andrea Hairston: Conjure the World (Locus Magazine, January 11, 2021)
- Milk Teeth (Octavia Cade; Uncanny Magazine, Issue Thirty-Eight, January & February)
