More Stories...

Another week of a Story A Day, I've had some ups and downs. So, here's my week in review. I could have sworn there was another story this week, but there wasn't. I did read a 20,000 word story for my workshop, which may be why my count is off.

Bobet, Leah, The Girl With the Heart of Stone (Strange Horizons, Jan 9, 2006)

Odd fantasy story about a girl who grows up heartless, wins her heart, and doesn't adjust well. At least, that what she claims. I'm not sure she didn't adjust well to having a heart.

Carstairs, Neil, The Road Ahead (Byzarium, Dec 2005)

Humans are being transformed into creatures that fly and attack their own family members. This story did a good job of referring to a backstory in a way that made me question what was going on to find more information, not out of frustration.

McNew, Pam, Maggie's Christmas List (Lone Star Stories, December 2005)

This touching story-and I use the term loosely--is wonderful. It doesn't set out a narrative to follow, but examinez one event several ways. When it comes to evoking emotions, this is the gem of the week.

Niven, Larry, Playhouse (Analog, March 2006)

I think I've read other stories set in the Draco Tavern. (In fact, the Dec 2005 Analog has another Draco Tavern story in it.) Niven writes good aliens. He goes beyond humans-with-funny-foreheads. Unfortunately I didn't feel much tension reading the story.

Nordeen, Julie, Stone Pizza (Byzarium, October 2005)

Julie is a friend of mine, but I hadn't gotten around to reading her first published story yet, so I backtracked. As I read this I thought to myself, "I've read this before," and the first part reminded me of David Brin's The Postman, which isn't a bad thing. I love the book (and I'm one of the few who liked the movie) but the resemblance was so strong I read cautiously. Telling a story that I recognize is dangerously close to plagarism in my reading, so Julie switched to a different story, one that I recognized and enjoyed. This is a successful retelling of the tale, even though I didn't feel like there was a chance for things to go wrong.

Seate, Troy, Dancing With A Blind Girl (Another Realm, Jan 2006)

A boy finds happiness in global blindness. There are a lot of "as if" phrases throughout that get in the way every once in a while, and I'd like to see a little more detail of life after disaster.