Short Stories I Read In January

It’s the twenty-eighth of February, so welcome back to Short Stories! Today I’m going to go over the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in January.

The Angel’s Share by Martin Cahill (Reactor Magazine; July 24, 2024)

When I think of guardian angels in fiction, they typically end up as benevolent guides who are only doing what’s best to help their charges (or at least attempt to). But, Cahill’s The Angel’s Share, turns that concept on its head with the situation the character, Mrs. Mead, is embroiled with .It was rather peculiar: an “infestation of 32 angels.” And the irony is: they do seem to help by catering to Mrs. Mead. However, the story drives home the point how much Mrs. Mead’s past has become a trap and a spiral; loss of control under the guise of comfort. How this kind of help was ultimately detrimental, revealing the cloying but entirely conditional nature, which was menacing rather than benevolent. And the angels, I found them an eerie, spectral presence throughout the story. They weren’t ghosts, but there was something vampire-esque about the way they engaged with Mrs. Mead. That being said, The Angel’s Share was, despite the intrinsic horror of what was becoming of the main character’s life, a story which ended on a hopeful note.

I’m Not Disappointed Just Mad AKA The Heaviest Couch in the Known Universe by Daryl Gregory (Reactor Magazine; November 20, 2024)

I haven’t read anything by Daryl Gregory since his novella, The Album of Dr. Moreau. So I was excited to finally mark this one off my list. I’m Not Disappointed Just Mad AKA The Heaviest Couch in the Known Universe was absurd. I mean, they were moving a couch at the same time as an apparent alien invasion! It was lot of fun to read and surprisingly complicated with its character depth as well as the scope of the story. The sci-fi, first contact, space faring adventure aspect of it was done quite well with sufficient stakes to make what happened personal for Tindal. And, honestly, I just found this story—its unusual structure and fourth wall breaks—incredibly readable.

Parthenogenesis by Stephen Graham Jones (Reactor Magazine; October 2, 2024)

Two friends are moving across the country. So, a road trip right? Well, Stephen Graham Jone’s Parthenogenesis takes on an eerie twist. The horror of this story is how effectively it builds up the characters of Matty and Jac. It shows how their friendship works as they take turns inventing a strange story to pass the time, while the narrative also makes you feel for their situation—the interruption of their move, the faultiness of the truck. And, because the story made me want to be attached to the characters, it was why their fate is all that more horrifying to think about.

From around the web…

• A Specter Is Haunting Catesby Wran: “Smoke Ghost” by Fritz Leiber [Sam Reader; Reactor Magazine; January 14, 2025]: For the past year or so, I’ve enjoyed Sam Reader’s column, Dissecting The Dark Descent. One of the latest entries takes a look at Fritz Leiber’s story, Smoke Ghost.

• Trying and Failing to Figure Out “Escapism” in Books [Molly Templeton’ Reactor Magazine; January 9, 2025]: the title is pretty accurate when it comes to describing what this particular column is about.

• Psychopomp Is Relaunching Fantasy Magazine [Vanessa Armstrong; Reactor Magazine; January 16, 2025]: I saw this announcement and thought it should mention it here too. Fantasy Magazine is being relaunched, which speaks for itself.

Short Stories I Read In January

It’s February 28th. So it’s time for the first Short Stories post of 2023. Today, I’m going to talk about the short stories, poetry, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episode I read or listened to in January.

Between the Stones and the Stars by A.L. Goldfuss (Lightspeed Magazine; Jan 2023 Issue 152)

The first story I read in January was Between the Stones and the Stars by A.L. Goldfuss. It’s basically about two lonely travelers (adventurers), a warrior and another with humble beginnings, who arrive at a summit that holds the chalice they both seek. When they meet, it provides something of a crossroad, for both of them. To be honest, it was an interesting concept to open with and one that proved to be an immediate hook. In a way the story turned into something of a character study, particularly in the narrator’s monologue. It was a quick read, but it was one I enjoyed.

Flower, Daughter, Soil, Seed by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty)

The next (and last) short story I read in January was Flower, Daughter, Soil, Seed. I was really excited to see this one come up, because some of my favorite stories from last year were written by Eugenia Triantafyllou. This story was just as good as the others. It had a real fairy tale-esque feel to it, since the narration starts by recounting the story of a yellow daffodil, and how it eventually spanned into years of a cycle of growing, living, moving or fleeing, death, and then rinse and repeat. The fantastical aspects were tied up in that cycle. And, while only a short time was spent with each generation, the story excelled at making me care about them anyway. All-in-all, this was another great story from Triantafyllou!

From around the web…

• In Search of New Reading Rituals [Molly Templeton; Tor.com; January 12, 2023]
• A (Brief) Love Letter To The Chemistry Of Molecules [Ashley Deng; Clarkesworld; January 2023]
• Print Run Podcast Episode 138: The Books That Made Us
• Our Opinions Are Correct Episode 124: How to build a planet

 

Short Stories I Read in January

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

The Tinder Box by Kate Elliott (Tor.com, December 1, 2021)

One of my all-time favorite fantasy novels is Cold Magic. I read it some years ago, and it might be time for a reread. So, of course, I had to read The Tinder Box. Kate Elliott has a way with words, and that was abundantly clear with this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. It adequately captured the substance of the story while also turning it on its head by reframing the narrative from the perspective of the witch instead of the soldier. What a way to start the year!

An Address to the Newest Disciples of the Lost Words by Vanessa Fogg (Lightspeed Magazine; Jan. 2022, Issue 140)

From Kate Elliott’s Tender Box, my next short fiction read was An Address to the Newest Disciples of the Lost Words by Vanessa Fogg. I adored this story. I appreciated the way Fogg put the titular “Lost Words” (and a play on language) to use in a story that was essentially a graduation speech. The narrator details the way the words shaped his course in life to others. Fogg’s lyrical prose detailed the wonder, ambition, joy, disappointment, and everything else in between. It was fantastic.

From around the web…

• Finding Comfort in the (Fictional) Apocalypse (Rachel Ayers; Tor.com, January 4, 2022)
• The Nature of Imagination in Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story (Margaret Fortune; Tor.com, January 6, 2022)
• Author Spotlight: Vanessa Fogg (Laurel Amberdine, Jan. 2022 (Issue 140); Lightspeed Magazine)
• Solving the Mystery of Turkish Delight (and Other Fantasy Anomalies) (James Davis Nicoll; Tor.com, January 6, 2022)
• Reading Is Time Travel (Molly Templeton; Tor.com, January 6, 2022)
• Writing Horses: Sketching “The Mind Horse” (Judith Tarr; Tor.com, January 10, 2022)

Short Stories I Read In January

It’s the 26th of February. So it’s time to talk about all of the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in January.

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)