Re: Kaleidoscope

In “Kaleidoscope,” by K.D. Wentworth, Ally finds herself caught in a kaleidoscope of possible worlds. In some she returns a stray dog to its home. In others, it gets run over. In some her friends are married and thriving. In others they’re in various stages of breakup. And in some, she just might find her […]

Re: Private Detective Molly

On the surface, “Private Detective Molly,” by A.B. Goelman seems to your basic SF detective story, with a contrived bad guy who wants to cheat sweet little Dorothy. And the only wise-cracking detective standing in the way is a six-inch doll, who says: I’m a sucker for a crying girl. You can call it programming […]

Re: Immortal Snake

I’m a sucker for stories based on myths and folktales, and even if I don’t know the original, I love that sense of ancient days, with kings and gods and priests, and impossible situations evaded with cunning. “Immortal Snake,” by Rachel Pollack, is mythic from beginning to end. Long ago, in a time beyond memory, […]

Re: The Pyramid of Amirah

I seem to be on a James Patrick Kelly streak; it turns out that recently Beam Me Up played the reading from Free Reads of “The Pyramid of Amirah.” It’s quite short, which makes it hard for to say more than “it’s a moody, unsettling little story.” Well, October is the right time of year […]

Re: The Young Woman In A House of Old

If you’re in the mood for ornate prose and intense emotion, Vera Nazarian is just what you need. I liked her Nebula nominated “The Story Of Love” just enough to want to read more. So now I am reading more (in her collection Salt of the Air), and while some stories I didn’t finish and […]

Re: I, Row-Boat

In “I, Row-Boat,” by Cory Doctorow, Robbie is a sentient rowboat who ferries human-shells out to the reefs to go diving. One day, that day gets ruined when someone out in the noösphere decides to give the reef sentience. The reef hates it so much, it wants to Kill All Humans. Robbie, however, is an […]

Re: A Siege of Cranes

“A Siege of Cranes,” by Benjamin Rosenbaum opens with Marish of Ilmak Dale trailing after the horrendous evil that destroyed his village and killed his wife Temur and his daughter Asza. He meets a jackal-headed warrior. “May you die with great suffering,” the creature said in what seemed to be a calm, friendly tone.

Re: Edward Bear and The Very Long Walk

I seem to be encountering a lot of bears lately. A couple friends of mine are working on stories about bears. I am discovering that I like stories by Elizabeth Bear. And recently I heard a delightful reading on Escape Pod of “Edward Bear and The Very Long Walk,” by Ken Scholes. It begins when […]

Re: I Bought A Little City

Another delightful story from the New Yorker Fiction podcast is “I Bought A Little City,” by Donald Barthelme. Donald Antrim has just the right accent for a story about a man who buys Galveston, Texas. As the narrator strolls about, enjoying his new purchase, he thinks, What a nice little city! It suits me fine. […]

Re: Unique Visitors

I’ve encountered “Unique Visitors,” by James Patrick Kelly four times now, and each time I’ve had a different reaction.