Feral drones! “The Little Free Guide To Dronewatching...” by Ann LeBlanc
BogiReads brings you the daily speculative reading recommendation of editor Bogi Takács.
Today's recommendation -
Author: Ann LeBlanc
Title: “The Little Free Guide To Dronewatching, Abridged & Annotated”
Venue: Baffling Magazine, March 2023 (eds. Craig Laurance Gidney, dave ring, Gabriella Etoniru)
Type: Short story – 1239 words
Themes: Science fiction, drones, love, incarceration, autonomy
Where to read: Text free online
I was about to introduce this story as one of my favorite flash pieces from last year, but it’s actually a bit over that word count now that I'm checking it. So technically you don’t get a flash story this week, but there were two short stories on the shorter end of the scale.
Anyway! This is one of my favorites. A fun science fictional concept of autonomous (exactly how autonomous?) drones, but also a story of a loving, caring queer & trans relationship – and of the dangers of secluding ourselves from the world. All that, beautifully intertwined; featuring both first-person narration and fictional dronewatching handbook excerpts. Many authors would have been satisfied with either half of this story, but Ann LeBlanc makes both halves work and fit splendidly together. Don’t miss it!
Until next time,
Bogi.