The Husker by Jessica P. Wick (Strange Horizons; Issue: 1 June 2020)
The first short story I read in July was The Husker by Jessica P. Wick. It was very short, but it was still a great read. And I enjoyed it. The writing was straight to the point, and it was the kind of haunting story that read like it belonged as a story told over a campfire or as some local legend.
Once More Unto the Breach (But Don’t Worry, the Inflatable Swords are Latex-Free) by Tina Connolly (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Thirty Five, July 7, 2020)
By the title, I didn’t know what to expect from Once More Unto the Breach (But Don’t Worry, the Inflatable Swords are Latex-Free). I had some idea, but it wasn’t what I got. I’m happy about that too, because this was a fun read. The story was kind of dramatic and unpredictable—I mean it was set at a birthday party. There also happened to be monsters, inflatable swords, axes, and hammers. Overall, Connolly did an excellent job, and I’m looking forward to reading more work by this author.
The Parts That Make Us Monsters by Sheree Renee Thomas (Strange Horizons, Issue: Fund Drive 2020)
The Parts That Make Us Monsters was another story I read in July that was more on the short side. I had to think about what I read, and I also had to let the story digest before I could think of what I wanted to say about it. Some stories are just like that, and this was one of them. I enjoyed The Parts That Make us Monsters. It was written well, and it was a very immersive story. Parts of it could be vague, but the overall intent of the story was clear. I honestly enjoyed Thomas’s approach to the themes and characters.
From Around the Web…
- Print Run Podcast episode #133
- “We Are Each Other’s Harvest”: Akwaeke Emezi’s Pet (Alex Brown; Tor.com, July 7, 2020)
- Hands On (Caitlin Starling; Uncanny Magazine, Issue Thirty-Five, July 7, 2020)
- Francesca Momplaisir’s My Mother’s House Confronts Generation Trauma Head-On (Mary Retta; Tor.com, July 7, 2020)
- The Soul of a City: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (Tochi Onyebuchi; Tor.com, July, 7, 2020)
- Print Run Podcast Episode #134
- “Evil Earth”: Linguistic Worldbuilding in N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy (CD Covington; Tor.com, July 27, 2020)
