2010 Stories 171 - 175
Catching up, after a bit of a posting break. This is the start of the contents of the anthology Paper Cities: an anthology of urban fantasy, edited by Ekaterina Sedia. Stories by Jay Lake, Steve Berman and Catherynne M. Valente were reviewed a few weeks back.
171. Andretto Walks the King's Way by Forrest Aguirre I had a little bit of a hard time getting into this due to the ensemble structure of the story, but once I passed the first page I found the structure really working for me. I don't really think there was any other way for Aguirre to tell this story of the Plague coming to a small country in an unspecified time and world. Concentrating on just one character would have lessened the impact on how the plague spreads and who it ultimately effects. Aguirre also does a great job contrasting the quiet control of the castle with the loud fun of the carnival people outside. It's a great look at how disparate events can converge to create the very situation people were trying to avoid in the first place.
172. The Tower of Morning's Bones by Hal Duncan I am forced to admit: even with two readings, I don't understand the purpose of this story. I can't even summarize the plot. I'd like to be able to. I can't even tell you what it was that I didn't like about the story. My eyes seem to just slide across the page every time I try to read this. It is almost too poetic, in prose form, for me to be able to follow. I have said many times before that I am not really a poetry fan. This is not a poem, of course, but I encountered the same problem I encounter when reading longer poetry: I just couldn't follow what the author was saying.
173. Courting the Lady Scythe by Richard Parks The story starts with an interesting set-up that might be part of a larger world of the author's creation (I'm not sure). This particular society has a hereditary (or so it seems) Executioner. Lady Scythe has inherited the position from her father. The position was one of great pomp and circumstance; the Lady has downplayed that but has created a mystery around herself: what does she whisper to the Executed right before they die? The main character is in love with Lady Scythe and will do just about anything to win her love. The author makes excellent use of the "story within a story" concept in order to set up the ending. I am intrigued by the world the author describes in the story and would seek out other stories set in the same realm to see if they intrigue as much.
174. The Bumblety's Marble by Cat Rambo Another story that heavily implies, in the way that it's written, that the author has written other stories in this realm. It has a nice "young adult" fiction feel to it. The main character is a girl who loves books (and it is heavily implied that this is an odd thing in her world). Being thrown out of a bookshop is only the beginning of her problem / adventure in this story. The other main child character carries much different emotional baggage. I'd love to see both of these characters, and their worlds I(which are slightly at odds with each other, it seems) explored further.
175. Ghost Market by Greg van Eekhout This is one of the most concise, tightly-written pieces in the collection. It is also one of the few that takes place in a modern, non-fantasy setting. The first-person narrative of most of the story keeps the tension up high -- what exactly is it that this person is looking to purchase, and how does it relate to the non-first-person paragraphs about the short life of the victim of a crime? This is a finely-crafted short story that fits into what I think of as "urban fantasy:" modern in setting, with the supernatural dancing around the edges and impacting the natural world. I also didn't feel like I needed to know anything about the larger world of the author's creation in order to enjoy and get the most out of this story.
Further story commentary from this anthology over the next few nights. I have finished the book, but have not had the time to post the comments.
171. Andretto Walks the King's Way by Forrest Aguirre I had a little bit of a hard time getting into this due to the ensemble structure of the story, but once I passed the first page I found the structure really working for me. I don't really think there was any other way for Aguirre to tell this story of the Plague coming to a small country in an unspecified time and world. Concentrating on just one character would have lessened the impact on how the plague spreads and who it ultimately effects. Aguirre also does a great job contrasting the quiet control of the castle with the loud fun of the carnival people outside. It's a great look at how disparate events can converge to create the very situation people were trying to avoid in the first place.
172. The Tower of Morning's Bones by Hal Duncan I am forced to admit: even with two readings, I don't understand the purpose of this story. I can't even summarize the plot. I'd like to be able to. I can't even tell you what it was that I didn't like about the story. My eyes seem to just slide across the page every time I try to read this. It is almost too poetic, in prose form, for me to be able to follow. I have said many times before that I am not really a poetry fan. This is not a poem, of course, but I encountered the same problem I encounter when reading longer poetry: I just couldn't follow what the author was saying.
173. Courting the Lady Scythe by Richard Parks The story starts with an interesting set-up that might be part of a larger world of the author's creation (I'm not sure). This particular society has a hereditary (or so it seems) Executioner. Lady Scythe has inherited the position from her father. The position was one of great pomp and circumstance; the Lady has downplayed that but has created a mystery around herself: what does she whisper to the Executed right before they die? The main character is in love with Lady Scythe and will do just about anything to win her love. The author makes excellent use of the "story within a story" concept in order to set up the ending. I am intrigued by the world the author describes in the story and would seek out other stories set in the same realm to see if they intrigue as much.
174. The Bumblety's Marble by Cat Rambo Another story that heavily implies, in the way that it's written, that the author has written other stories in this realm. It has a nice "young adult" fiction feel to it. The main character is a girl who loves books (and it is heavily implied that this is an odd thing in her world). Being thrown out of a bookshop is only the beginning of her problem / adventure in this story. The other main child character carries much different emotional baggage. I'd love to see both of these characters, and their worlds I(which are slightly at odds with each other, it seems) explored further.
175. Ghost Market by Greg van Eekhout This is one of the most concise, tightly-written pieces in the collection. It is also one of the few that takes place in a modern, non-fantasy setting. The first-person narrative of most of the story keeps the tension up high -- what exactly is it that this person is looking to purchase, and how does it relate to the non-first-person paragraphs about the short life of the victim of a crime? This is a finely-crafted short story that fits into what I think of as "urban fantasy:" modern in setting, with the supernatural dancing around the edges and impacting the natural world. I also didn't feel like I needed to know anything about the larger world of the author's creation in order to enjoy and get the most out of this story.
Further story commentary from this anthology over the next few nights. I have finished the book, but have not had the time to post the comments.