Archive (Page 2) • #BogiReads - The daily speculative reading recommendation from Bogi Takács • Buttondown

Plums in a loop! "Plums in Chocolate" by Ernestas Parulskis

February 21, 2024

Author: Ernestas Parulskis – translated by Kotryna Garanasvili Title: “Plums in Chocolate” Venue: Samovar, June 2023 (ed. Laura Friis, Greg West, Sarah Dodd)...

The time comes "To Eat Your Own Head" by Nkone Chaka

February 20, 2024

(Sorry today's email is a bit late! I mixed up the scheduling and didn't have a chance to manually poke at it because we are having enormous holes dug in our...

A rot in the ribs - "Untitled" by Abhinav

February 19, 2024

Author: Abhinav Title: “Untitled” Venue: The Deadlands, December 2023 (ed. Nicasio Andres Reed) Type: Poem – Under 50 lines Themes: Death, rebirth, family...

Today's paid recommendation is unusual and awesome!

February 16, 2024

This is a book in translation that I'm not seeing discussed much! Author: Sarah Coolidge (ed.) Title: No Edges – Swahili Stories Venue: Two Lines Press,...

More monsters, more love - "The Fall of Esther Park" by Lynn D. Jung

February 15, 2024

Author: Lynn D. Jung Title: “The Fall of Esther Park” Venue: Apparition Lit, July 2023 (eds. Rebecca Bennett, Tacoma Tomilson, Clarke Doty, Amy Henry...

Happy Valentine's Day! "The Monster Fucker Club" by A.V. Greene

February 14, 2024

Before today's recommendation, let me briefly note that my new collection Power to Yield and Other Stories is out today from Broken Eye Books, with beautiful...

Deniable mecha - "Rafi" by Amal Singh

February 13, 2024

Author: Amal Singh Title: “Rafi” Venue: Clarkesworld, October 2023 (ed. Neil Clarke) Type: Short story – 6110 words Themes: Science fiction, mecha, simulated...

Judgment from the heavens - "Tisha b'Av" by Esther Alter

February 12, 2024

Author: Esther Alter Title: “Tisha b’Av” Venue: Reckoning, January 2024 Type: Poem – Under 50 words Themes: History, religion, politics, Israel Where to...

Today's paid update features an intrepid bookkeeper...

February 9, 2024

This week's paid story recommendation includes a bookkeeper on a slightly terrifying magical adventure... Author: Uchechukwu Nwaka Title: “The Rainbow Bank”...

Strictly temporary arrangements - "The Pigeon Wife" by Samantha H. Chung

February 8, 2024

Author: Samantha E. Chung Title: “The Pigeon Wife” Venue: F&SF, Nov/Dec 2023 (Edited by Sheree Renée Thomas) Type: Short story – not sure of the word count,...

Intrigue! "The Royal Wizard’s Apprentice Explains the Prophecy..." by Aidan Doyle

February 7, 2024

Author: Aidan Doyle Title: “The Royal Wizard’s Apprentice Explains the Prophecy of the Return of the Sorcerer King in Varying Levels of Complexity” Venue:...

Lost in the labyrinth? "The Maze of Many Faces" by M.S. Dean

February 6, 2024

Author: M.S. Dean Title: “The Maze of Many Faces” Venue: Hexagon, Winter 2023 (Edited by JW Stebner) Type: Short story – 3320 words Themes: Fantasy,...

But wait - “My First and Last Proclamation as the Child Freed and Crowned Queen of Omelas” by Palimrya

February 5, 2024

Author: Palimrya Title: “My First and Last Proclamation as the Child Freed and Crowned Queen of Omelas” Venue: Prismatica, February 2021 Type: Poem – Under...

AI tomorrow, or today? This week's paid recommendation

February 2, 2024

A very recent, near-future novella that takes aim at the use of AI in policing, strange yet eerily familiar tech cults, and more! Author: Greg Egan Title:...

Talk to the mountain - "Negotiations with a Volcano" by Naomi Shihab Nye

February 1, 2024

Author: Naomi Shihab Nye Title: “Negotiations with a Volcano” Venue: Words Under the Words – Selected Poems (Far Corner, 1995) (Amazon US / Bookshop.org...

Hero family? "Galaxy Girl and the November Monstrosity" by Aleksandra Hill

January 31, 2024

Author: Aleksandra Hill Title: “Galaxy Girl and the November Monstrosity” Venue: Uncharted, 2023 (it doesn’t list a publication month) – eds. Elizabeth...

The New Father steps up - "Your Good Neighbor" by Taylor Currey

January 30, 2024

Author: Taylor Currey Title: “Your Good Neighbor” Venue: Small Wonders, Dec 2023 (eds. Cislyn Smith, Stephen Granade) Type: Flash story Themes: Folklore,...

The infinite steppe! This week's paid recommendation...

January 26, 2024

This novelette translated from Japanese is this week's paid recommendation! Sign up to get a longer rec every Friday. :) Pay what you want - $3 recommended....

whoops!

January 25, 2024

Hi everyone, Sorry for accidentally scheduling two emails on the same day! The poem was supposed to be for Monday, we'll skip Monday and you can save it...

Fantasy body horror - "The Blade and the Bloodwright" by Sloane Leong

January 25, 2024

Author: Sloane Leong Title: “The Blade and the Bloodwright” Venue: Lightspeed, Aug 2023 (ed. John Joseph Adams, Wendy N. Wagner) Type: Short story – 6213...