I think I’m going to turn these short story roundup posts into a monthly thing, rather than a weekly thing. I’m subscribed to just about every science fiction and fantasy podcast, and a bunch of ezines as well, but if the story doesn’t grab me (or the totally unnecessary political commentary from the editor/host puts me off—looking squarely at you, Uncanny Magazine), I skip the story in a heartbeat. I’ll only mention a story in these roundup posts if I genuinely enjoyed them, since life is short and there are too many stories out there to highlight any but the best ones.
Hell to Pay by Mark Johnson
I enjoyed this story about identity theft and a deal with the devil. If it was any longer, I probably would have found it tedious, but as a flash fiction piece it worked well, and definitely made me smile.
Schrödinger’s Catastrophe by Gene Doucette
Lightspeed published this novelette in two parts. I thought it was clever and quite a bit of fun, especially with the way it started and ended. A research ship gets stranded in a sector of space where what we perceive as the basic rules of the universe turn out to be variable, and a rescue attempt goes hilariously awry. Unlike many of the stories that Lightspeed has published in the past, this one has absolutely no intersectional identity politics (or really, any politics in general), which was gratifying.
You can find part one here and part two here.
The Preserved City by Charles Schoenfeld
This is probably my favorite story from this last month. A struggling young Italian composer seeks supernatural help from the spirit of one of the greats, only to receive it—and it doesn’t turn out as she expects. Really made me think about the tension between the things that drive us to create and the struggle and pain of the creative life, which sometimes threatens to destroy the thing that drove us to create in the first place. The ending was perfect.
I’ve been really impressed with the stories coming out lately from Metaphorosis Magazine. They consistently manage to put out stories that I not only enjoy, but that stay with me long after I’ve finished them. In fact, it seems that all the semi-prozines tend to be more consistent about producing stories that I actually enjoy, as opposed to the professional magazines which seem to be more interested in chasing awards that have become far too politicized in recent years.
You can read or listen to this story here.
Last Ship Home by Erica Rue
I really enjoyed this short story. The conflict really grabbed me right from the start, and kept me reading long after the baby had fallen asleep (I like to read ebooks while putting my daughter to bed, the backlit screen means I can read even if the lights in the room are off). The ending was not at all what I expected, but it brought everything around full circle in a pleasantly surprising way. Erica Rue can definitely write, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else she’s put out there.
Deepster Punks by Maria Haskins
I enjoyed this story mostly for the rough edges of the characters and the strong voice that came out in the telling of it. It doesn’t surprise me at all that it originally appeared in an anthology with the title A Punk Rock Future. There was also a strong sense of mystery and danger that kept me engaged right up to the satisfying end.
You can listen to this story here.
Eyespots by Shannon Fay
There were a lot of stories from Daily Science Fiction in November that I just didn’t get to, it being a busy month and all. However, of the ones I did get to, I think I enjoyed this one the most. The last line of this flash fiction piece is what really makes it.