It's a Jumble

  It’s the last day of September, and this round-up is way overdue. Some things I read and loved in July and August.   Strange Tales of Horror, Darkness, and Beauty   “And the Planet Loved Him” by L. Chan in Clarkesworld I’ve been here a few weeks, and the sunsets never get old. The blue sun scintillates off the spore miasma, glittering into fractal rainbows. The worst part is the waiting. We’re so far off the grid that by the time the distress signal relays back to someone that could authorize the funds requisition for a rescue, there’s a good chance that I’d already run out of air or food or both. We still see the light of stars long gone supernova in the sky. I’m dead already; I just haven’t gotten the memo.   And this is all before my deceased husband’s voice crackles on the radio from outside the habitat.   L. Chan excels at strange, beautiful hard science-fiction stories with striking ideas and imagery. He gives another one here, in th...

  I am far, far overdue for a personal writing/publication update, I realize. 1. Short Story Publication in Lightspeed Magazine In June, my latest fantasy story was published in Lightspeed Magazine . “When the Faerie King Toured the Human Realm” is about exactly what the title says. It’s also about social media fame, parasocial relationships, street food, and the very human need to feel that we belong to a story larger than ourselves. It is one of my favorite things that I have written, ever, and there’s a wonderful podcast version, narrated by Susan Hanfield, if you would rather listen than read.   It was inspired, as you can read in the  accompanying  author interview , by watching   waaaay too many xianxia c-dramas, a genre of  Chinese television drama that is centered  on "xian,” immortal beings from Chinese folklore/tradition. If you, too, are a fan of this   genre, just know that the Faerie King looks exactly like your favorite male xia...

  A few years ago, I came across a stunning story, “Sweetbaby, ” in Clarkesworld.  It opens with a scene of shocking violence. And yet despite the violence and weirdness in this tale, there’s also a tone of quiet introspection. It’s a story about a girl struggling to unravel the truth of her circumstances, the truth about her world. And it’s about others who are doing everything they can to deny reality. It’s about parents and children; it’s a wild mashup of genres; it extends compassion even toward what seems unforgivable, and it left me with a quiet ache in my heart. I knew then that Thomas Ha was a writer to watch.   And how. In the last few years, Ha has released one brilliant tale after another--weird, unsettling tales that mix horror, science fiction, and fantasy. His work has garnered major award nominations, and placed as a finalist for the Nebula, Hugo, and Shirley Jackson awards. It all culminates (for now) in this first collection of his work, Uncertain Son...

  I have been drawn to horror literature of late, not despite but because of some dark experiences. I am reminded of how horror in fiction can offer catharsis, a way of processing real-life pain and fear. Of how darkness in art can be a comfort—a friendly tap on the shoulder, a shared moment, a missive that arrives to say, You’re not alone.   Here are a few horror books I’ve read this summer, filled with strange tales to both unsettle and comfort, reminders that none of us are alone—not truly alone—in the dark.   Silk & Sinew: A Collection of Folk Horror from the Asian Diaspora In Silk and Sinew, editor Kristy Park Kulski has gathered together 20 beautiful stories of darkness. The authors and poets (yes, there’s some poetry here as well) represent voices from a range of backgrounds and cultures, including China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Armenia, and Lao. Ghosts, shamans, fox spirits, sleep paralysis...

  Due to personal matters, I was not able to get as much short fiction read as usual these past few months.   But here are some short stories I did read and love.   “Haunting Beauty” by T.K. Rex in Uncharted Magazine The American Hotel looks and feels like it was built right after the 1906 earthquake, San Francisco’s worst day ever. The ceiling has one long, thin crack that makes me nervous, and white latex paint over decades of lead smoothing the edges of the carved molding all around the ceiling and the floor. A brass chandelier holds candle-flame-shaped incandescent bulbs, about a third burned out, and the carpets are…carpets.   The American Hotel is in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, and has seen much better days. But a hungry model needs to eat, and so agrees to meet a photographer there for a photoshoot. There, the model (and reader) learn that not all hauntings are terrifying or unwelcome. The American Hotel has secrets to share, but sec...

  I have a new story out today! “Support Forum for the Care and Feeding of Your Personal Spirit-angel ” is a dark little piece about Internet forums, cult dynamics, and angels who promise to heal every wound in your soul. It’s my second publication in Uncharted Magazine, a wonderful venue for literary speculative and genre fiction. 

  Some stories I've read and loved.   Stories from Flash Fiction Online’s  Winter Folklore Issue   “The Ice Cutter’s Daughter and Her Looking Glass” by Nadia Born in Flash Fiction Online The ice cutter’s daughter dreams that her world is melting. She knows the theory of thawing from common things: how candle wax weeps or sugar hisses in a skillet. But she’s not prepared for the severity of the sun.   She can’t hide her glee. After all, what young woman doesn’t secretly delight in the destruction of everything she knows?   The ice cutter’s daughter dreams of a summer land where “all things are melted and wild.” She leaves everything behind to find this distant country, to follow her dream. But what is the price she’ll play? A gorgeous, aching tale of both loss and gain, of dreams fulfilled—of a new home found—but also of what’s irretrievably lost.   “The Heartbreaker’s Apprentice " by Catherine George A job ad, posted online. The on...

  This cold February I offer you a mix of stories from the old year and the new. Some are dark; some speak of loss and disaster and warn of terrible futures. But there are also stories that speak of warmth and comfort, coziness and love. And there are stories that mix dark and light in various ways, finding hope and beauty among loss.     Published in 2024 “Stranger Seas Than These” by L. Chan in Clarkesworld It is two days since our original projected mission end date. We are running out of oxygen and we are trapped in the throat of a god. Technology and a prudent safety review panel have kept casualties on deep dives low, but abyssal layer dives have always been risky. Still, there hasn’t been a fatality in years and none, to the best of my knowledge, within the trachea of one of Pelagia’s Godwhales. Perhaps they will name a safety rule after us.   A submersible crew trapped in the body of a giant, dying tentacled “Godwhale.” A scientist who seeks to...