Short Stories I Read in February

 

It’s the twenty-ninth of March. So it’s time to mention the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in February. 

Do Houses Dream of Scraping the Sky? By Jana Bianchi (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Six)

I have said, on multiple occasions on Our Thoughts Precisely, how I like a good house story. It doesn’t matter if it’s a novel, novella, novelette, or short story, tales about houses are, in most cases, an instant must read. Hence the first short story I read in February is Jana Bianchi’s Do Houses Dream of Scraping the Sky? This is a nested narrative, where it’s clear a story is being told to another character by the narrator. And, well, it’s time to break out the tissue box, because you’re going to need it for this one. Specifically, this story is one that explores grief, and it does it through two characters. One is the narrator, who is dealing with the complicated emotions—of guilt, regret, and longing, among others—after the passing of their grandmother. The second is the house where the woman lived. Both are great characters in their own respect, and I like how Bianchi gave them enough space to fully express their sorrow. It was messy and things got broken in the process, but this was a story about goodbyes and new beginnings.

Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga by Mari Ness (Lightspeed Magazine; February 2024; Issue 165)

The second story I read in February was Mari Ness’s piece for Lightspeed Magazine: Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga. I am a sucker for folklore and myths, and this story, while short, checked a lot of boxes for me. What I like most about this one was for how much it reminded me of the narrative style of the Emily Wilde books by Heather Fawcett. Rather than a journal entry, Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga is essentially a letter. It was framed as a record of a study being conducted on the skulls associated with Baba Yaga, but with an interest in their potential application for practical, modern, and commercial uses and benefits. This was interesting and worth the read.

Rembrandt, Graffiti, and the Strange Disappearance of Ducks by C.H. Irons (Strange Horizons; Issue: 12 February 2024)

The next (and last) story I checked out in February was from Strange Horizons, called Rembrandt, Graffiti, and the Strange Disappearance of Ducks by C.H. Irons. Graffiti and augmented reality meet in a story about the varied meanings and interpretation of art. In this one, it was something similar to reading and how different readers come away with different opinions about the same story. To Jana, the glyphs appearing around the city are a mystery she’s desperate to solve, and her involvement in forums include her theories. It included how they’re commentary about societal issues relevant to the story—invasive technology, capitalism, a means of resistance (or a statement decrying) against the two. But the answer to their meaning is interesting, unexpected, and far more complicated. It presented another quandary that changed the way she viewed the glyphs. It was a definite turning point and, ultimately, I loved what C.H. Irons did with the story.

From around the web…

• Read an Excerpt From GennaRose Nethercott’s Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart [Reactor Magazine; February 5, 2024]
• Dance Dance Matrix Revolutions [Amanda Wakaruk and Olav Rokne; Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Six]
• Portals, Secrets, and Curses: Georgia Summers’ The City of Stardust [Tobias Carroll; Reactor Magazine; February 1, 2024]
• Read An Excerpt of The Warm Hands Of Ghosts [React Magazine; February 6, 2024]

Short Stories I Read in August...

Today is the 29th of September, so it’s time to talk about the short stories, podcast episodes, and other miscellaneous posts I read or listened to in August.

Last Orders In The Green Lane by Stephen O’Donnell (Strange Horizons; Issue: 6, July 2020)

The first short story I tackled in August was Last Orders In The Green Lane. From the first line to the last, I was drawn into the story. It was short and straight to the point. I would say that it was a little melancholic, with a note of reminiscing and hopeful determination at some points. It was a little like starting a story in the middle of the climatic point of the plot. It was the calm before the storm, the preparation before the battle, and that’s where it ended. Still, I liked this one.

The Ruby Of The Summer King by Mari Ness (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Thirty-Five, July/August 2020)

The second short story I read was The Ruby of the Summer King. I loved this story. It reminded me of a lot of the fairy/fey lore heavy books I’ve read in the past, particularly Holly Black’s work. Though it was never explicitly stated that the characters were any kind of fey, the tone and elements in the story had a strong resemblance to it. Mari Ness’s writing was absolutely lovely, and I enjoyed how the story used the seasons and months as characters in their own right. I also enjoyed how the themes as well as a love story—that was unfortunately doomed—was explored.

The Inaccessibility of Heaven by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Thirty-Five, July/August)

You can’t go wrong with an Aliette de Bodard story, and The Inaccessibility of Heaven was fantastic. It was a hardboiled detective noir story, set in a world with witches and fallen angels. It reminded me of The House of Shattered Wings, which is still one of my favorite stories by this author. Bodard’s take on fallen angels has always been one of my favorites, so I enjoyed finding many similarities to that series in this story. The Inaccessibility of Heaven was full of surprising twists, and it was made even better by the complicated relationships and history between the characters. The “Fallen” were quite complex as characters, and there was a question of holding one’s self accountable for past actions (it was a theme that came up throughout in much of the story). It was, however, kind of dark, but with the type of story it was—murder mystery—that’s to be expected. So if you’ve enjoyed any of Aliette de Bodard’s work in the past, then this is a story that should be on your radar.

From Around The Web…

• Read an Excerpt From Wayward Witch, Conclusion to the Brooklyn Brujas Trilogy (Zorida Cordova; Tor.com, August 10, 2020)
• Shinning Bright: Cosmology and History in Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar (Gabriella Tutino; Tor.com, August 17, 2020)
• The Wild Magic of Emily Tesh’s Drowned Country (Alex Brown; Tor.com, August 18, 2020)
• Sleeps With Monsters: Into the Woods With Emily Tesh and Carrie Vaughn (Liz Bourke; Tor.com, August 25, 2020)