Love and maggots - "Interstate Mohinis" by M.L. Krishnan
BogiReads brings you the daily speculative reading recommendation of editor Bogi Takács.
Today's recommendation -
Author: M.L. Krishnan
Title: “Interstate Mohinis”
Venue: Diabolical Plots, June 2023 (ed. Kel Coleman)
Type: Short story – 3030 words
Themes: Contemporary fantasy, dark fantasy / horror, haunting, crime, queer love
Where to read: Text free online
First, a content notice: this story is beautifully written and it contains graphic descriptions of death, dying and murder (and also shorter mentions of sexual assault).
This story was another of my 2023 favorites. A woman dies in a traffic accident in South India, and turns into a haunting, man-eating being, forgetting her name. Then she meets the lover of a local crime boss, un-named in a different way, who can see her – and wants to talk to her even though she’s aware of her demonic status, and the windshield wiper sticking out of her neck.
Here, death is only the beginning, not the end of queer love; and the piece is also rich in detail, presenting its environment with an understanding that rings true.
Take care,
Bogi.