From a Satire About Publishing to a Takeoff of LitRPGs
Short Story Roundup
I read a lot when traveling, even to places like this!
Extended short fiction roundup for this week.
“An Open Letter to All Survivors” by Mat Johnson (The Commuter). An alien invasion of bugs. It’s not this guy’s fault. Honest. It’s a satire of pandemic response, of course, and might be “too soon” for some people, but an interesting little story nonetheless.
“Philocteles in Kabul” by Deborah L. Davitt (Lightspeed Magazine). It’s a mess of complicated stories about invisible disabilities and veterans. With a classical twist. Recommended to anyone who’s concerned about our veterans. Link: https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/philoctetes-in-kabul/
“Seven Shots at the Ultimate High” by Marisca Pichette (Interzone). Cyberpunk queer club. A bit light on plot but long on creating an interesting world. Recommended for cyberpunks.
“Thread & Needle” by Marisca Pichette (Winter Enchantment). A fairy story about girls who might also be spiders. Also about art. A pretty little story.
“Spines” by Marisca Pichette (The Old Ways, Vol. 2). A fantasy world where children are made, not born…and the midwife is rather important. But also the ultimate victim. It’s about setting aside the past, perhaps, and moving forward. A little gory in places, so recommended mostly to horror fans.
“Family, Like Branches” by Marisca Pichette (Necessary Fiction). Does Pichette have a thing for trees this year. Evil trees, to be precise. The hungry tree is really creepy. Recommended if you want to be creeped out.
“The Last Flame” by Marisca Pichette (We Deserve To Exist). It’s an extended metaphor for queerness, I think. Not really a story, but if you like pretty prose that makes you think, then it’s worth checking out.
“These Eternal Works so Wondrous” by Simon Christiansen (Synchronized Chaos). So…uh…this is a historical fiction novelette about the Golden Horns of Gallehus. It’s interesting, but while I can forgive him the Jewish stereotype given when it’s set, I won’t forgive him for the completely gratuitous and unnecessary death of the horse. Sorry, Christiansen. If you liked Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle, though, check this one out…it’s not as good but also not as long! Link: https://synchchaos.com/story-from-simon-christiansen/
“The Magazine of Horror” by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Apex Magazine). An epistolary story told in interactions between Ekpeki and an editor. It’s a satire about, well… Let’s just say I recommend this one to all writers. But perhaps not late at night in the dark. Link: https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/the-magazine-of-horror/
“Approved Methods of Love Divination in the First-Rate City of Dushgorod” by Kristina Ten (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction). Oh, where do I even start with this story. It’s about expectations. It’s about arranged marriage…and doesn’t put it in a favorable light. It’s post-apocalyptic. It’s fantastic, but definitely dark.
“Vanishing Point” by RJ Taylor (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction). Kind of first contact, a touch of cosmic horror, and a story about perspective and mirages and illusion. Beautiful.
“The Pet of Olodumare” by Joshua Uchenna Omenga and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction). A retelling of an African creation myth with some interesting twists. An enjoyable read whether or not you know the original story.
“Serenity Prayer” by Faith Merino (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction). Oh, this is extremely dark. CW for violence against women. It’s about inescapable situations and who is the real victim? All of them. But I found it a bit much.
“We Go On Faith Alone” by K.S. Walker (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction). I found this one a bit confusing…lovely prose, but it left me unsure as to exactly what happened here.
“Little Bird” by Jill McMillan (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction). CW: Implied sexual assault. Weird fiction about pain and agency and empowerment and who has those things. Another one that’s slightly confusing, but it reminds me of Maleficent losing her wings.
“Gather Me A Treasure” by Jordan Chase-Young (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction). He’s gone a long way to resurrect his love. But he has to make a sacrifice in order to do so. A circular story that shows us that obsessive love is not good.
“NPC (or Eight Haxploits to Maximize Your Endgame Farming: A Player’s Guide)” by DaVaun Sanders (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction). This one made me laugh whether it was meant to or not. What would it be like to be one of those NPCs in a video game that keeps doing meaningless actions. And how many of us are doing meaningless actions to benefit others?
Unless there is a link, all of these stories were received free for review and award consideration purposes.
My favorite of this batch is probably “The Magazine of Horror” but I am a writer, so…biased at all?