2013 stories 204 - 260
Okay, this is a long-overdue catch-up post that will list stories, authors and sources and not much else because if I try to write more than a thought for each story (some of which I read months ago), I'm never going to catch up to current.
September 12th, when this is posting (at least, in east coast time; I'm in Scottsdale AZ for work), is the 255th day of the year. This list brings me up to story 260. So I'm on track, even if I have not managed to post a review a day as I always intend to do.
LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE, JULY 2013:
204. THE WIDE CARNIVOROUS SKY by John Langan
205. GOLDEN APPLE by Sophia McDougall
206. THE BOY AND THE BOX by Adam-Troy Castro
207. USHAKIRAN by Laura Friis -- really moving fantasy story about a girl raised on a boat by pirates.
208. THE STARS BELOW by Ursula K. LeGuin - particularly apt to what's going on politically/religiously in the US right now.
209. DIVISION OF LABOR by Benjamin Roy Lambert
210. MULBERRY BOYS by Margo Lanagan -- really disturbing fantasy piece about a town that provides for itself by castrating kids of both genders.
211. CANCER by Ryan North
212. THIS VILLAIN YOU CREATE by Carlie St. George. -- what happens when a hero accidentally kills his arch-nemesis?
LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE, AUGUST 2013:
213. THE GORGON IN THE CUPBOARD by Patricia A. McKillip. -- I'm a sucker for a good Medusa story, and this is an amazing one.
214. THE KNIGHT OF CHAINS, THE DEUCE OF STARS by Yoon Ha Lee
215. AT BUDOKAN by Alastair Reynolds
216. END GAME by Nancy Kress
217. FACE VALUE by Sean Williams
218. CATAMOUNTS by Marc Laidlaw -- the first Goren Vizenfirthe short I've read, and I enjoyed it. Especially the punny title.
219. THE LITIGATION MASTER AND THE MONKEY KING by Ken Liu -- a new favorite. Beautiful story set in ancient China and surrounding a local lawyer's imaginary relationship with a mythical figure, and how that inspires the lawyer to help his neighbors.
220. BREATHLESS IN THE DEEP by Cory Skerry
221. BRISNEYLAND AT NIGHT by Angela Slatter -- an Aussie urban fantasy heroine I'd like to see more of.
BEFORE AND AFTERLIVES BY CHRISTOPHER BARZAK
Chris Barzak has become a favorite writer of mine in the short time I've been reading his stuff. This collection has so many great stories it's hard to single out one or two. I'd only read one of them before. The collection came out earlier this year from Lethe Press.
222. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE LOST FAMILIES OF ---- HOUSE -- a great twist on the small town haunted house tale.
223. THE DROWNED MERMAID -- an unsettling rumination on loss and mourning and acceptance of those who are different.
224. DEAD BOY FOUND
225. A MAD TEA PARTY
226. BORN ON THE EDGE OF AN ADJECTIVE
227. THE OTHER ANGELAS -- what if alternate versions of ourselves popped up here & now instead of some other Earth?
228. A RESURRECTION ARTIST -- sometimes the worst use of our unique abilities is to help family.
229. THE BOY WHO WAS BORN WRAPPED IN BARBED WIRE -- this one disturbed me greatly.
230. MAP OF SEVENTEEN -- this was a reread for me, from the Datlow-Windling BEASTLY BRIDE antho. Still moving look at family life and how we map our present and our future.
231. DEAD LETTERS -- I can't give away the twist on this one, but I loved it.
232. PLENTY
233. THE GHOST HUNTER'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER -- another story of family taking advantage, also moving and lovely.
234. CARYATIDS
235. A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SURVIVAL BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE APOCALYPSE -- reminded me of Gaiman's INSTRUCTIONS.
236. VANISHING POINT
237. THE LANGUAGE OF MOTHS -- the collection ends on an incredibly strong note with this story, from multiple POVs, about first love and autism and the quest to "be someone." Incredibly moving.
IF ANGELS FIGHT by RICHARD BOWES
Another author I've fallen in love with over the past year or two. I've read, and gushed about, his novel DUST DEVILS ON A QUIET STREET. This collection of stories from across his career will be out in October from Fairwood Press. I got an ARC.
238. ON DEATH AND THE DEUCE -- one of the stories that became Rick's novel MINIONS OF THE MOON, which I have not yet read. How do we deal with the dopplegangers we leave behind when we fight our addictions?
239. HIS ONLY NOSE
240. WHIPS AND WANDS
241. TEARS OF LAUGHTER, TEARS OF GRIEF
242. THERE'S A HOLE IN THE CITY. This story brings me to tears every time I read it or hear it. EVERY. TIME. It's about ghosts (real and imagined) in NYC in the days immediately after the Towers fell. Jim Fruend plays Rick's recording of it on his radio show on WBAI every year on the anniversary of 9/11. So moving, so personal, so universal.
243. ON THE SLIDE Another re-read, this one is about an actor trying to determine if the rumors of people being able to "slide" in time are true. Fun read.
244. THE FERRYMAN'S WIFE -- my first exposure to Rick's "Time Rangers and the Gods" concept. It intrigued me but I also felt a little bit lost.
245. JACKET JACKSON -- really surreal story, reminded me of Cat Valente's PALIMPSET.
246. THE MASK OF THE REX -- another Time Rangers story, about a family and an island and a universal passing of the torch -- I really enjoyed this one.
247. A MEMBER OF THE WEDDING OF HEAVEN AND HELL -- another Time Rangers-related story.
248. BLOOD YESTERDAY, BLOOD TOMORROW -- another intriguing mini-world, this one about a cultural, cyclical fad for bloodsucking.
249. A SONG TO THE MOON -- from vampires to a pack of werewolves who are also actors. Really great piece.
250. SAVAGE DESIGN
251. IF ANGELS FIGHT
LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 2013
252. THE SECRET SHARER by Robert Silverberg Great novella about a starship's captain sharing consciousness with an escaped disembodied colonist.
253. THE SCHRODINGER WAR by D. Thomas Minton -- this actually reminded me of Bowes' Time Rangers stuff, above. Time-slipping humans fight aliens in Earth's distant past, but with a twist.
254. RAGGED CLAWS by Lisa Tuttle
255. DRY BITE by Will McIntosh -- alien invasion by viral infestation. Nicely played out, and doesn't go where expected.
256. ANGELUS by Nina Allen
257. AND THEN SOME (A Kaslo Chronicles Story) by Matthew Hughes. My first exposure to Kaslo, and this is apparently the start of the sequence, so at least I can in on the ground floor.
258. HOMECOMING by Seanan McGuire --- terrific story of an annual October event in every small town, but with a twist and a wonderful tribute to fallen heroes of all stripes.
259. SUZANNE DELAGE by Gene Wolfe
260. BELLWEATHER (A Gorlan Nizenfirthe Tale) by Marc Laidlaw -- a story from later in the bard Gorlan's life, accompanied by a gargoyle, and another tituar pun that I absolutely adored.
That about catches me up to where I'm at. I've been reading more novels than short story collections since mid-August. But I'm partway through BEYOND THE SUN, there's a new LIGHTSPEED coming up for proofreading, and I've got plenty of other anthos and magazines to catch up on as well.
September 12th, when this is posting (at least, in east coast time; I'm in Scottsdale AZ for work), is the 255th day of the year. This list brings me up to story 260. So I'm on track, even if I have not managed to post a review a day as I always intend to do.
LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE, JULY 2013:
204. THE WIDE CARNIVOROUS SKY by John Langan
205. GOLDEN APPLE by Sophia McDougall
206. THE BOY AND THE BOX by Adam-Troy Castro
207. USHAKIRAN by Laura Friis -- really moving fantasy story about a girl raised on a boat by pirates.
208. THE STARS BELOW by Ursula K. LeGuin - particularly apt to what's going on politically/religiously in the US right now.
209. DIVISION OF LABOR by Benjamin Roy Lambert
210. MULBERRY BOYS by Margo Lanagan -- really disturbing fantasy piece about a town that provides for itself by castrating kids of both genders.
211. CANCER by Ryan North
212. THIS VILLAIN YOU CREATE by Carlie St. George. -- what happens when a hero accidentally kills his arch-nemesis?
LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE, AUGUST 2013:
213. THE GORGON IN THE CUPBOARD by Patricia A. McKillip. -- I'm a sucker for a good Medusa story, and this is an amazing one.
214. THE KNIGHT OF CHAINS, THE DEUCE OF STARS by Yoon Ha Lee
215. AT BUDOKAN by Alastair Reynolds
216. END GAME by Nancy Kress
217. FACE VALUE by Sean Williams
218. CATAMOUNTS by Marc Laidlaw -- the first Goren Vizenfirthe short I've read, and I enjoyed it. Especially the punny title.
219. THE LITIGATION MASTER AND THE MONKEY KING by Ken Liu -- a new favorite. Beautiful story set in ancient China and surrounding a local lawyer's imaginary relationship with a mythical figure, and how that inspires the lawyer to help his neighbors.
220. BREATHLESS IN THE DEEP by Cory Skerry
221. BRISNEYLAND AT NIGHT by Angela Slatter -- an Aussie urban fantasy heroine I'd like to see more of.
BEFORE AND AFTERLIVES BY CHRISTOPHER BARZAK
Chris Barzak has become a favorite writer of mine in the short time I've been reading his stuff. This collection has so many great stories it's hard to single out one or two. I'd only read one of them before. The collection came out earlier this year from Lethe Press.
222. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE LOST FAMILIES OF ---- HOUSE -- a great twist on the small town haunted house tale.
223. THE DROWNED MERMAID -- an unsettling rumination on loss and mourning and acceptance of those who are different.
224. DEAD BOY FOUND
225. A MAD TEA PARTY
226. BORN ON THE EDGE OF AN ADJECTIVE
227. THE OTHER ANGELAS -- what if alternate versions of ourselves popped up here & now instead of some other Earth?
228. A RESURRECTION ARTIST -- sometimes the worst use of our unique abilities is to help family.
229. THE BOY WHO WAS BORN WRAPPED IN BARBED WIRE -- this one disturbed me greatly.
230. MAP OF SEVENTEEN -- this was a reread for me, from the Datlow-Windling BEASTLY BRIDE antho. Still moving look at family life and how we map our present and our future.
231. DEAD LETTERS -- I can't give away the twist on this one, but I loved it.
232. PLENTY
233. THE GHOST HUNTER'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER -- another story of family taking advantage, also moving and lovely.
234. CARYATIDS
235. A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SURVIVAL BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE APOCALYPSE -- reminded me of Gaiman's INSTRUCTIONS.
236. VANISHING POINT
237. THE LANGUAGE OF MOTHS -- the collection ends on an incredibly strong note with this story, from multiple POVs, about first love and autism and the quest to "be someone." Incredibly moving.
IF ANGELS FIGHT by RICHARD BOWES
Another author I've fallen in love with over the past year or two. I've read, and gushed about, his novel DUST DEVILS ON A QUIET STREET. This collection of stories from across his career will be out in October from Fairwood Press. I got an ARC.
238. ON DEATH AND THE DEUCE -- one of the stories that became Rick's novel MINIONS OF THE MOON, which I have not yet read. How do we deal with the dopplegangers we leave behind when we fight our addictions?
239. HIS ONLY NOSE
240. WHIPS AND WANDS
241. TEARS OF LAUGHTER, TEARS OF GRIEF
242. THERE'S A HOLE IN THE CITY. This story brings me to tears every time I read it or hear it. EVERY. TIME. It's about ghosts (real and imagined) in NYC in the days immediately after the Towers fell. Jim Fruend plays Rick's recording of it on his radio show on WBAI every year on the anniversary of 9/11. So moving, so personal, so universal.
243. ON THE SLIDE Another re-read, this one is about an actor trying to determine if the rumors of people being able to "slide" in time are true. Fun read.
244. THE FERRYMAN'S WIFE -- my first exposure to Rick's "Time Rangers and the Gods" concept. It intrigued me but I also felt a little bit lost.
245. JACKET JACKSON -- really surreal story, reminded me of Cat Valente's PALIMPSET.
246. THE MASK OF THE REX -- another Time Rangers story, about a family and an island and a universal passing of the torch -- I really enjoyed this one.
247. A MEMBER OF THE WEDDING OF HEAVEN AND HELL -- another Time Rangers-related story.
248. BLOOD YESTERDAY, BLOOD TOMORROW -- another intriguing mini-world, this one about a cultural, cyclical fad for bloodsucking.
249. A SONG TO THE MOON -- from vampires to a pack of werewolves who are also actors. Really great piece.
250. SAVAGE DESIGN
251. IF ANGELS FIGHT
LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 2013
252. THE SECRET SHARER by Robert Silverberg Great novella about a starship's captain sharing consciousness with an escaped disembodied colonist.
253. THE SCHRODINGER WAR by D. Thomas Minton -- this actually reminded me of Bowes' Time Rangers stuff, above. Time-slipping humans fight aliens in Earth's distant past, but with a twist.
254. RAGGED CLAWS by Lisa Tuttle
255. DRY BITE by Will McIntosh -- alien invasion by viral infestation. Nicely played out, and doesn't go where expected.
256. ANGELUS by Nina Allen
257. AND THEN SOME (A Kaslo Chronicles Story) by Matthew Hughes. My first exposure to Kaslo, and this is apparently the start of the sequence, so at least I can in on the ground floor.
258. HOMECOMING by Seanan McGuire --- terrific story of an annual October event in every small town, but with a twist and a wonderful tribute to fallen heroes of all stripes.
259. SUZANNE DELAGE by Gene Wolfe
260. BELLWEATHER (A Gorlan Nizenfirthe Tale) by Marc Laidlaw -- a story from later in the bard Gorlan's life, accompanied by a gargoyle, and another tituar pun that I absolutely adored.
That about catches me up to where I'm at. I've been reading more novels than short story collections since mid-August. But I'm partway through BEYOND THE SUN, there's a new LIGHTSPEED coming up for proofreading, and I've got plenty of other anthos and magazines to catch up on as well.