some short fiction recommendations
Feb. 16th, 2021 09:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asakiyumeI've read some really great short-form (or medium-form) fiction recently.
In Vanessa Fogg's "Fanfiction for a Grimdark Universe," at Translunar Travelers Lounge, a character in desperate straits in a grimdark world reveals to his friend the fact that in adjacent realities, their story exists as fiction for which there's also fanfic, with alternative, better scenarios, including "bakery shop AU":
The character describes other kinds of fanfic as well, decrying the angst type, and then gets to the fix-it type:
It's a wonderful story if you love fanfic and/or if you've ever watched an angsty drama and wanted to fix things for the poor characters.
Then there's Miyuki Jane Pinckard's "How to Defeat Gravity and Achieve Escape Velocity," a very fun space adventure with evil corpos, pirates, rescues, and a queer romance:
I really loved this line about the corporate agents:
It's very impressive to me that Julia Rios is using funds she receives via Patreon to publish new literature like this--what a great thing to do.
In the first issue of the newly launched Constelación magazine, I read one story in English and one in Spanish (all stories are available in both languages). The one I read in English was "The Badger’s Digestion; or The First First-Hand Description of Deneskan Beastcraft by An Aouwan Researcher," by Malka Older. In it, a researcher goes to a society in which people can come together and become giant beasts--kind of the way all the Transformers can come together to form one big mecha, only they're making a living being--which then perform necessary tasks. It's *so* imaginative, and the protagonist is just so believable as a researcher who wants to both study and participate in the culture she's visiting. *I* wanted to visit--I loved this cultural thing of shared public hearths:
The one I read in Spanish was "Imila," by Vania Curidor, in which a young Aymara woman, grieving the death of her mother, takes up a correspondence with a spirit of the mountains, who comforts her. Even though all the stories come with translations, I was really glad to read this in the original. It's probably an illusion caused by the (still) alienness of the language to me, but I felt like it was more moving/poetic in Spanish:
To read those, you have to purchase the issue or subscribe, but based on those two stories alone, I'd say it's worth it.
Next, a novella, "The Epic of Sakina," by Shari Paul, from FIYAH magazine. The story takes place in the Caribbean, in an alternate past in which the Malian Niani Empire established colonies in the New World. Sakina is a wise and talented djeli (storyteller) and adviser to her husband's uncle. The story features Norsemen and shapeshifters and clever ploys--it's a delight to see this capable woman do her thing (and she does it without a whole lot of capable-woman speeches... it's great), advised by ancestors who whisper in her ear:
To enjoy this story, you can buy the issue of FIYAH magazine that it's in, here, or you can listen to it/read it for free in two installments at Podcastle, here (part one) and here (part two).
If it sways you to buying the issue of FIYAH, that issue has another novella-length story, "Survival Lies," by Irette Patterson, about a woman's genealogical investigations and the lies families tell to cover up an ugly past. I loved the vivid descriptions and narrative voice:
And
Enjoy!
- "Fanfiction for a Grimdark Universe" (Vanessa Fogg, in Translunar Travelers Lounge [free])
- "How to Defeat Gravity and Achieve Escape Velocity' (Miyuki Jane Pinckard, on Julia Rios's Patreon [free; accessible to all])
- The Badger’s Digestion; or The First First-Hand Description of Deneskan Beastcraft by An Aouwan Researcher" (Malka Older, in Constelación [requires a purchase])
- "Imila" (Vania Curidor, in Constelación [requires a purchase])
- "The Epic of Sakina" (Shari Paul, in FIYAH [requires a purchase, or can be read/heard in two parts from Podcastle for free])
- "Survival Lies" (Irette Patterson, in FIYAH [requires a purchase])
In Vanessa Fogg's "Fanfiction for a Grimdark Universe," at Translunar Travelers Lounge, a character in desperate straits in a grimdark world reveals to his friend the fact that in adjacent realities, their story exists as fiction for which there's also fanfic, with alternative, better scenarios, including "bakery shop AU":
"Prince Ko appears, too, but he’s not a traitor, just an earnest young man who loves sweets. No one betrays anyone; no one stabs or kills or imprisons anyone; no one even loses their job."
The character describes other kinds of fanfic as well, decrying the angst type, and then gets to the fix-it type:
There are fics where none of us have been hurt ... Millions never die in the attack, and millions more aren’t lost during the frantic evacuation. All our teachers are alive, and all the students who came behind us.
It's a wonderful story if you love fanfic and/or if you've ever watched an angsty drama and wanted to fix things for the poor characters.
Then there's Miyuki Jane Pinckard's "How to Defeat Gravity and Achieve Escape Velocity," a very fun space adventure with evil corpos, pirates, rescues, and a queer romance:
At 13:48 I’m outside her door and I lean against the wall to wait because I don’t want to disturb her before she’s ready. I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with her alone before, at least not outside of our spacesuits.
The door slides open at 13:52. “Oh, you’re here. Come in.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Her quarters are tiny but neat, everything put away in its place, and I imagine that’s partly how she was trained and also her nature. I appreciate it because I’m like that too. I don’t like extra stuff cluttering around.
I really loved this line about the corporate agents:
The same smile is shared between the five of them and they speak with the same words, saying very little.
It's very impressive to me that Julia Rios is using funds she receives via Patreon to publish new literature like this--what a great thing to do.
In the first issue of the newly launched Constelación magazine, I read one story in English and one in Spanish (all stories are available in both languages). The one I read in English was "The Badger’s Digestion; or The First First-Hand Description of Deneskan Beastcraft by An Aouwan Researcher," by Malka Older. In it, a researcher goes to a society in which people can come together and become giant beasts--kind of the way all the Transformers can come together to form one big mecha, only they're making a living being--which then perform necessary tasks. It's *so* imaginative, and the protagonist is just so believable as a researcher who wants to both study and participate in the culture she's visiting. *I* wanted to visit--I loved this cultural thing of shared public hearths:
I had been peripherally aware that there was nocturnal society centered around the public hearths, but I had never pushed myself to experience it. After my long journey I was weary and aching, but the crowds around each fire fascinated me, and I could not resist slowing to watch the clusters of women, men, and even children, who talked, drank, and ate in the halo of heat. At the second bonfire two women and a man pounded different types of drums while a man bellowed out a song, and
I hung transfixed for several verses before I remembered to ask someone on the outskirts of the audience about a guesthouse where I might spend the night.
The one I read in Spanish was "Imila," by Vania Curidor, in which a young Aymara woman, grieving the death of her mother, takes up a correspondence with a spirit of the mountains, who comforts her. Even though all the stories come with translations, I was really glad to read this in the original. It's probably an illusion caused by the (still) alienness of the language to me, but I felt like it was more moving/poetic in Spanish:
"Comparto tu sufrimiento y tu pena ... No estás sola, a través de la tierra siempre estoy contigo."
To read those, you have to purchase the issue or subscribe, but based on those two stories alone, I'd say it's worth it.
Next, a novella, "The Epic of Sakina," by Shari Paul, from FIYAH magazine. The story takes place in the Caribbean, in an alternate past in which the Malian Niani Empire established colonies in the New World. Sakina is a wise and talented djeli (storyteller) and adviser to her husband's uncle. The story features Norsemen and shapeshifters and clever ploys--it's a delight to see this capable woman do her thing (and she does it without a whole lot of capable-woman speeches... it's great), advised by ancestors who whisper in her ear:
Another ancestor whispered at Sakina’s other ear, “Those who induce the wolf are considered especially dangerous. They claim that the wolf is noble, like lions are noble, but ignore its other nature. No one chooses to become a monster unless it is the truest expression of themselves.”
To enjoy this story, you can buy the issue of FIYAH magazine that it's in, here, or you can listen to it/read it for free in two installments at Podcastle, here (part one) and here (part two).
If it sways you to buying the issue of FIYAH, that issue has another novella-length story, "Survival Lies," by Irette Patterson, about a woman's genealogical investigations and the lies families tell to cover up an ugly past. I loved the vivid descriptions and narrative voice:
As I strolled into the kitchen, Auntie Lynn was there frying the salmon patties in a cast iron skillet. Her face was as round as the skillet before her and just as dark. She was in the house dress with the powder blue cornflowers and the pink Chenille slippers that left tufts of themselves around the house, her feet in socks.
He shrugged and picked up his spoon again, but my eyes drifted to my aunt. Her oldest grandson and this is what he came to be? But he had potential. Most Black men did. Heck, I’d married one with potential, and he’d made good on his. I’d already graduated from the How To Support A Brother Institute, though, and had no interest in taking another course.
Enjoy!
