1- The Third Resignation: is he dead? is he alive? who knows? marquez really knows how to play the reader
2- The Other Sidemini reviews of the stories:
1- The Third Resignation: is he dead? is he alive? who knows? marquez really knows how to play the reader
2- The Other Side of Death: the lyrical writing with the gothic setting really works for me.
3- Eva is inside her Cat: the story is really meandering, reminds me of one hundred years of solitude, and then that final line is like a gut punch
4- Bitterness for Three Sleepwalkers: marquez's stories are too short and sometimes they need some fleshing out, but that doesn't mean that they aren't beautiful!
5- Dialogue with the Mirror: poetic and gorgeous
6- Eyes of a Blue Dog: they meet in a dream it's one of the saddest stories i've read
7- The Woman who Came at Six O'clock: the dialogues just keep you on the edge of your seat
8- Nabo: he really likes makes us think whether these people are dead or alive. are they hallucinating or are these ghost ruminations?
9- Someone has been disarranging these Roses: sad and melancholic
10- The Night of the Curlews: fascinating. it seems like a story about three ghosts wondering what has happened to them, but you never know with marquez
11- Monologue of Isabel watching it rain in Macondo: continous rain which starts messing the perception and reality of the characters -------- 12- Tuesday Siesta: i love the dignity of the mother as she sets an example of her daughter
13- One of These Days: a political stance between a dentist and the mayor
14- There are no Thieves in this Town: the torment a thief goes through when he steals something. what i liked most in thiss one is the wife's "ana" character, she's resilient.
15- Balthazar's Marvelous Afternoon: a cagemaker fascinates the town with a brilliant cage he made
16- Montiel's Widow: i loved how it seems at first that the woman doesn't understand why no one attends her husband's funeral and then we start seeing how hated he was in the town and how that causes her to close up on herself
17- One Day after Saturday: 18- Artifical Roses: 19- Big Mama's Funeral: ------- 20- A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: 21- The Sea of Lost Time: 22- The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World: 23- Death Constant Beyond Love: 24- The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship: 25- Blacaman the Good, Vendor of Miracles: 26- The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Erendira and her heartless Grandmother:...more
كتاب معمول بهدف واحد: يحليك تعيش نوستالجيا المصيف سواء كانت سعيدة أو حزينة وتفتكر رحلات العائلة اللي غالبا انقضت دلوقتي ومعادتش بتحصل.
الكتابات المقاليكتاب معمول بهدف واحد: يحليك تعيش نوستالجيا المصيف سواء كانت سعيدة أو حزينة وتفتكر رحلات العائلة اللي غالبا انقضت دلوقتي ومعادتش بتحصل.
الكتابات المقالية عن تجارب الكتاب المختلفين متشابهة جدا وفي بعض الأحيان كان بيصعب أفرق بينها، بس استمتعت بيها كلها. بعض القصص القصيرة اللي ضمتها المجموعة عجبتني جدا كمان وقدرت تاخد روح المصيف وتجمع بين جوانبه الحزينة والسعيدة. أظن أن أقل الأجزاء تفضيلا لي كان القصائد بحكم أني مش قارئة شعر. بس الكتاب ده مناسب جدا عشان يكون كتاب تاخده معاك وتقراه على البحر وتعيش في أجوائه وأتمنى أنه يتكرر ويعمل أجزاء تانية.
مش كل المؤلفين اللي عجبوني لقيت أنهم كتبوا أعمال تانية تشدني، بس استمتعت بكتابات أغلبهم كجزء من المجموعة....more
loved catherynne valente's introduction. i just love her writing.
* short stories and articles: *+#1- The Best ot Twines, the Worst of Rhymes: A tale ofloved catherynne valente's introduction. i just love her writing.
* short stories and articles: *+#1- The Best ot Twines, the Worst of Rhymes: A tale of Two C++ies (or why Game Writing is Bad and Great) by Seth Dickinson: a very meta story with humor i like. the passion of a game writing and working woth video games and the warnings felt all real like i was reading an essay not a short story, but i felt him when he said that game writers will make you feel, because it resonated with a video game i'm playing currently called "lost in random", and it really made me apperciate game writing more.
*2- Queering Chaos by Foz Meadows: an article (?) about Good Omens show, especially the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale.
3- Lois McMaster Bujold and Being a Grand Master by Lashawn Wanak: a love letter lo Bujold, and it has me intrigues to read her.
4- Give the Family my Love by A. T. Greenblatt: an astronaut travelling to a library on a distant planet in hopes of finding something to save the earth, told through voice notes to a loved one. reminded me a lot of "to be taught, if fortunate".
*5- The Dead in their uncontrollable power by Karen Osborne: I liked this twist on the sin eaters, and the maddness of not eating the sins in a symbloic way, the mc literally eats those sins as they eat at her.
*+#6- And Now His Lordship is Laughing by Shiv Ramdas: this was horrifying and captivating. about colonialism in india. I haven't read a fantasy story set in india in some time, and this one was amazing.
*7- Ten Excerpts from an Annotated Bibliography on the Cannibal Women of Ratnabar Island by Nibedita Sen: I'm always intrigued by stories that play with their form, and this story takes the form of exceprts from different books about cannibal women. it paints an amazing and horrifying portrait that makes me wish for an actual full-length novel about them
*+#8- A Catalog of Storms by Fran Wilde: a heartbreaking story about loss. in a world where weather is having a war with humans, some humans turn into the elemnts of weather to stand up to the storms and winds that threaten their loved ones. a very interesting world-building
*+#9- How the Trick is Done by A. C. Wise: a magician's trick goes wrong, and we see all the people entangled in his life. i loved all the drama.
*10- A Strange Uncertain Light by G. V. Anderson: loved loved it. alternate timelines, both set in the same place and a lot of ghosts. alternating between two women trying to find their courage
*11- For He Can Creep by Siobhan Carroll: what's not to love in this story? we have cats fighting the devil and saving the world from demons. loved it!
*12- His Footsteps through Darkness and Light by Mimi Mondal: an indian retelling of Alladin and his genie. loved the writings and the vibes
*+#13- The Blur in the Corner of your Eye by Sarah Pinsker: I loved the twists and turns. I'm a sucker for a story about a writer isolating themselves in someplace remote to write a novel. it never ends well, but this had a twist i did NOT see coming!
*+#15- The Archonology of Love by Caroline M. Yoachim: a love story, an alien plague story, a sci-fi mystery story. the writing is gorgeous and i felt the heartbreak and grief and the setting was very interesting to travel in time
* excerpts from novellas and novels 14- Carpe Glitter by Cat Rambo: I'm always fascinaed by stories about hoarders and this excerpt was very promising.
16- A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker: i love the nostalgic sad writing but it didn't grip me enough to be invested in the story
*+#17- Riverland by Fran Wilde: I was son invested in this tale, as it's told by a younger protagonist, so I don't know if this "house magic" just a code word from her mom or if there's real magic involved and it got me so tense. I loved it!
*+#18- Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom by Ted Chiang: alternate timelines and parallel lives mixed in with some Matrix. very interesting and I'm intrigued to read the rest of it.
19- The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clarke: won't be reveiwing this one since i already have it in my physical tbr and intend to read it anyway
I decided not to continue reading the novels and novellas excerpts because they felt incomplete 20- This is How you Lose the Time War by Amal Elmohtar and Max Gladstone: 21- Her Silhouette, drawn in Water by Vylar Kaftan: 22- The Deep by Rivers Solomon: 23- Catfish Lullaby by A. C. Wise:...more
قرأت المجموعة دي في جلسة واحدة وحاسة أنها محتاجة إعادة قراءة، لأن كل القصص بكل شخصياتها وقراراتها الخاطئة تداخلت وبقت كأنها مجموعة من الشخصيات عايشة فقرأت المجموعة دي في جلسة واحدة وحاسة أنها محتاجة إعادة قراءة، لأن كل القصص بكل شخصياتها وقراراتها الخاطئة تداخلت وبقت كأنها مجموعة من الشخصيات عايشة في بيت واحد بيتخذوا كل أنواع القرارات الغلط اللي الواحد بيبص عليهم وهم بيعملوها وبيهني نفسه على أنه أذكى منهم كلهم وهو مش أذكى منهم ولا حاجة. القصص كلها نهاياتها مفتوحة وبدايتها بتحطك فجأة في الحدث، الشخصيات كلها بتعاني من موقف ما أو لترددهم في اتخاذ قرار ما، ومع أن الأفكار والأحداث قد تبدو غير واقعية. إلا أني حسيت الكاتب بيتكلم بصدق شديد كأنه شهد أو سمع كل القصص دي. عيبها الوحيد هو أني قرأتها بسرعة ونسيت أغلب الأحداث، بس أظن لو عدت قراءة مدخل كل قصة هتذكر الأحداث الجنونية اللي فيها....more
#1- Office Hours by Ling Ma: I'm not sure what this story is supposed to mean. It started as a normal contemporary swasn't really the best collection.
#1- Office Hours by Ling Ma: I'm not sure what this story is supposed to mean. It started as a normal contemporary story about film student and her professor and their tight relationship, but then it takes a magical realism/dark twist and I feel like I didn't truly understand the point of that end. like it was a nod to the films she discussed in the story maybe?
#2- Man Mountain by Catherine Lacey: uhh, what? man mountain is an actual mountain of adult men and we follow a woman who is trying to climb it? I know there has to be seome deeper meaningful message, but I didn't get.
3- Me, Rory and Aurora by Jonas Eika: uhhh, weird/kinky family/lovers dynamic isn't my thing. but that wasn't even the weirdest thing about this story, which felt like a dream caused by drugs, a bad dream.
#4- The Complete by Gabriel Smith: expermental snippets of someone's life or maybe the novel he's writing? Im not sure. but it wasn't funny or deep as it hoped to be
*+#5- The Haunting of Hajji Hotak by Jamil Jan Kochai: Finally, a story I like. We're witnessing the lives of an afghan family in the US through the eyes of the spy spying on them and witnessing their lives like he's watching a tv show. very interesting
#6- Wisconsin by Lisa Taddeo: messed up and realistic characters.
7- Ira & the Whale by Rachel B Glaser: felt so surrealist. a bunch of men stuck inside a whale and what they actually think about when they're facing death
8- The Commander's Teeth by Naomi Shuyama Gomez: The writing style wasn't to my taste. about dentists working in rural areas and they encounter a military commander who comes for a checkup
9- The Mad People of Paris by Rodrigo Blanco Calderon: about mad people in paris at the metro and all of their conspiracy theories. is the protagonist just an observer or one of those mad people? the line is blurred. it was interesting, but all the political talk lost me a bit
*10- Snake & Submarine by Shelby Kinney Lang: a devastating story about a man going through the suffering of women from cancer, some he knows and another he's writing about.
11- The Mother by Jacob M'hango: felt like a folktale, but it was as if it was missing something
*+#12- The Hollow by 'Pemi Aguda: a masterpiece. about the meaning of a house and a home. about the struggle of women to find a safe place for them to be.
*+#13- Dream Man by Cristina Rivera Garza: I liked how I was puzzled by this story. is it all a man's or a woman's dream? did a man meet a siren that caused his insanity? are these just hallucinations? you don't know, you just enjoy the ride
*+#14- The Locksmith by Grey Wolfe Lajoie: I liked the eerines imposed by other on the locksmith, while he's just a human being trying to navigate life despite his difficulties. i would've loved it if the story was a bit longer
15- After Hours at the Acacia Park Pool by Kristin Valdez Quade: a story about kids and teenagers and navigating life and having different feelings for the first time and all the wrong choices and decisions teenagers make.
16- Happy is a Doing Word by Arinze Ifeakandu: a sad story set in nigeria, wehre we follow a boy growing into a young man and the struggles he goes through
17- Elision by David Ryan: interesting concept of a woman going through an event in her life that changes the way she views her choice and her husband and deciding how to move forward
*+#18- Xifu by K-Ming Chang: I was both horrified and mesmerized by this story's mc while she talked about the relationship between mothers and daughters, folk myths, and mothers in law who are annoying. I defintely want to read more from her!
19- Temporary Housing by Kathleen Alcott: interesting look at an individual, looking back at her life and how it affected her present. just nothing new to me
20- The Blackhills by Eamon McGuinness: the writing style really wasn't to my taste...more
في أوقات كثيرة، الكتابة الجميلة مش بتكون كافية للإعجاب بالكتاب. دي متتالية قصصية عن فؤاد الأمير، وحاسة بعد ما خلصتها أني برضة مفهمتش هو مين، شفت لمحات في أوقات كثيرة، الكتابة الجميلة مش بتكون كافية للإعجاب بالكتاب. دي متتالية قصصية عن فؤاد الأمير، وحاسة بعد ما خلصتها أني برضة مفهمتش هو مين، شفت لمحات من حياته، وبعدها كان مكتوب بلغة شاعرية حزينة وجميلة، لكن في النهاية، حاسة أن الشخصية فضلت غامضة عليّ ومقاطع كتيرة من الكتابة كانت بأسلوب سرد مخليني مش عارفة أربط القصة ببعضها.
عايزة أقرأ أكتر للكاتب، بس دي للأسف مكانتش على ذوقي....more
mini review for the stories: 1- The Last Boat-Builder in Ballyvoloon by Finbarr O'Reilly: A post-apocalyptic story of one of humanity's inventions turnmini review for the stories: 1- The Last Boat-Builder in Ballyvoloon by Finbarr O'Reilly: A post-apocalyptic story of one of humanity's inventions turned on them. I felt a bit weirded out when they talked about squids like they were something man-made, but as the story progressed, it started making sense.
2- Obliteration by Robert Reed: would you rather leave your memories under the mercy of AI and machines or disregard them and live life and remember what you can and forget the rest? Interesting concept, but the execution wasn't to my liking all the time
*3- Sour Milk Girls by Erin Roberts:: another story dealing with memory, but this one is different. In an agency for orphan girls. It takes a look at how a child would grow up without any memories of their childhood, good or bad. And that was really heart-wrenching to read.
*4- Farewell, Adam by Xiu Xinyu: An interesting look at the making of an idol. It's truly terrifying this look at an idol and his team and the managment of his life.
*5- Say it Low, then Loud by Osahon Ize-Iyamu: A brilliant story about war, colonialism, betaying your origins and roots, and the conflice of participating in a war.
6- The Rains on Mars by Natalia Theodoridou: depressive story about loss and earth and mars and running from one's past. also are they tears or rain? the nuance is melancholic.
*7- Tool-Using Mimics by Kij Johnson: This was impressive. I mean, take a picture and make an entire life, or maybe lives, based on that.
*8- Landmark by Cassandra Khaw: I won't pretend like I understood everything I've read of this story. I mean, what's happening? but I know one thing for sure, I loved the writing!
*9- The Psychology Game by Xia Jia: Brilliant. About the use of AI in different aspects of life, but focuses on using AI as therapists in the context of a new game show.
*10- Dead Heroes by Mike Buckley: soldiers trying to reclaim earth, a forest that causes people to lose their memories, changed heroes who were worshipped, and a ravaged Earth. A brilliant story.
*11- Darkness, Our Mother by Eleanna Castroianni: reminds me of "Vita Nostra" mixed with a retelling of Ariadne's story from the greek myths.
12- Who Won the Battle of Arsia Mons? by Sue Burke:: Take Robot fights and NASA on Mars and mash them together, and you get this story. I enjoyed how it seemed to focus on the politics of sending robots to space. If you're a fana of Gundam, you'll like this
13- Falling in Love with Martians and Machines by Josh Pearce: What if car racers were part of their cars? what if you can't distinguish between the machine and the human riding it? Very interesting
*14- The Power is Out by A Que: This was brilliant, I could've read an entire novel set in that world. We follow a group of people post-apocalypse: after the power (electricity) went out, and how they survived thus far. I liked how they reverted back in names to descriptions, and it's an excellent commentary on our society and how it's actually regressing not progressing. It felt so real and not far-fetched at all.
*15- The Persistence of Blood by Juliette Wade: very interesting world-building. based mainly on caste system and the role of highborn women as the way to ensure the "race is kept alive" by giving birth to a baby after another with no regard to what they want. the main character was a character you could root for, and I felt like this would be just a part of a bigger novel
*16- Intro to Prom by Genevieve Valentine: This was haunting, and when I started realizing what was happening and the type of setting these 4 teens were trapped in, it added a lot of sadness to the story. It's one of those stories that needs to be discovered bit by bit, but we follow 4 individuals remaining in a ghost town bidding their time till it's all over.
*17- A Cigarette Burn in your Memory by Bo Balder: I don't understand it but I loved it. It was so eerie. set in the future, in a world where internet and airplanes and satellites stopped working and people seem to live with constant amnesia. very creepy and frightening in its quietness.
*18- Retrieval by Suzanna Walker: Ghostbusters in Space, but without the light-heartedness of it. It's dark and discusses faith and death and ghosts.
*19- The No-one Girl and the Flower of the Farther Shore by E. Lily Yu: felt like a afairy tale, with a tragic ending. loved the setting and wished something better to happen for the girl
20- The Catalog of Virgins by Nicoletta Vallorani: I feel it had potential too be something I like, but the writing was too scattered for my taste.
*21- Unplaces: An Atlas of Non-existence by Izzy Wasserstein: This was extremely sad and I liked the style it was written in, as footnotes or just notes between passages of a book about non-existant places.
*22- The Nightingales in Platres by Natalia Theodoridou: Gut-wrenching story of faith and greek mythos and traditions in space. from the point of view of a father and a leader, who has a tough choice to make, and all the traditions end beliefs they hold close
23- Prasetyo Plastics by D.A.Xiaolin Spires: eco-sci-fi about the horror of plastic from the point of view of a man who loves the possibility of plastic and how it takes form. felt a bit biographical and not like a sci-fi story
24- Crossing Lasalle by Lettie Prell: I was intrigued by the setting, but the story itself didn't work for me
25- The Sum of Her Expectations by Jack Skillingstead: I liked the way that I was never sure if our main characters was seeing an actual being or was it all just in her head.
26- Deep Down in the Cloud by Julie Novakova: The setting and the world and the motivation were never clear enough, but it sounded bleak enough
27- The Lighthouse Girl by Baoshu: An interesting concept but was ruined by that letter at the end. I felt that it would've been beteer with a shorter ambigious letter....more
It's been a while since I've read horror. A collection of five horror interconnected novellas about a fishing town where people are used to weird thinIt's been a while since I've read horror. A collection of five horror interconnected novellas about a fishing town where people are used to weird things happening. The synopsis reminds me of "The Night Vale", but while that was just weird, this seems more horrifying.
1. Out on a Rim: a city that swallows people. it started as a story with some weird people and some violence, but nothing supernatural. but then the second part took a frightening turn, and I'm assuming we'll be meeting some of these chatacters again.
2. Mother in Bloom: mushroom horror. I envy the two kids in this story their nerves of steel. they thought they were free of their mother by her death, but she wasn't done with them. also seeing some snippets from the previous story. this one is from the pov of a resident of the gulp while the first story from the pov of an outsider, and it shows a bit.
3. The Band Plays On: this time, the story is from the point of view of backpacking outsiders, and it was terrifying to see the nods to the first 2 stories (the "daniel" poster, and the four pale people sitting together). we have vampires, hellish nightmares, cursed manor, and just overall weird horror. (also this is the third story where we see the town's museum is closed, does it ever open?)
4. 48 to go: there's no real consequences in the Gulp for evildoing, you're probably going to get away with it. the weird happenings in the twon are coming together, and this story brings back some elements from the first story.
5. Rock Fisher: The first thing that came to my mind when reading this is Dustin from Stranger Things finding a baby demogorgen and deciding to keep it in his fish tank and raising it. also the recurring creepy dream through all of the stories, which also gives me Stranger Things/vecna vibes.
I think I'm intrigued to read more about the weird town of the Gulp and read the next book in this series, as I'm hoping it would answer some questions, because it defintely ends on a cliffhanger...more
1- “Screen Time,” by Alejandro Zambra: Interesting look at parenting amid covid, and how a child copes when he's not exposed to TV at all, which I thi1- “Screen Time,” by Alejandro Zambra: Interesting look at parenting amid covid, and how a child copes when he's not exposed to TV at all, which I think is a hard decision to implement, but I still applaud.
2- “The Wolves of Circassia,” by Daniel Mason: I'm not sure I totally got the symbolism of that ending, but it's another pandemic story, this time through a caretaker taking care of an old man with dementia and his family.
3- “Mercedes’s Special Talent,” by Tere Dávila: well, that was depressing. a woman suffering from hypochondria and the suffering of her family as well.
4- “Rainbows,” by Joseph O’Neill: I see where the author was going with this story of immigrants in the US and assimilation and idolizing people, but it felt fragmented, and the ending didn't feel like an end at all
5- “A Way with Bea,” by Shanteka Sigers: weird and unnerving and yet wholesome in a way? An unnamed teacher and her inner thoughts about her life and a certain student of hers called Bea, and her occasional concern for her and her wanting not to get involvd.
6- “Seams,” by Olga Tokarczuk: A heartbreaking story of an old man dealing with life after his wife's death and he seems to notice weird things, like the seams on his socks or the color of ink in his pens, and these thoughts overwhlem him completely. It's very sad.
7- “The Little Widow from the Capital,” by Yohanca Delgado: read earlier this year in "The Best American Short Stories 2022". my review: What a melancholic story. A widow moves into an apartment building in New York coming from the Dominican Republic and her story turns into a folk tale by her neighbours. loved ths sadness in every word. 5 stars (I discoevered that the story is inspired by a latin american nursery rhyme, and I liked that idea)
8- “Lemonade,” by Eshkol Nevo: not going to read this story.
9- “Breastmilk,” by ‘Pemi Aguda: I don't do well with stories about giving birth. also affairs that go unpunished? and the noosiness of family members after the event of birth, like a woman can't have one minute to herself? but still Liked the story and loved the writing style, it feels sharp and intense. I would love to read more from her.
10- “The Old Man of Kusumpur,” by Amar Mitra: felt like a folktale from Bengal, about an old man embarking on a journey to meet the Big Man he heard about who would solve all of his problems. felt a bit out of place amid these stories.
11- “Where They Always Meet,” by Christos Ikonomou: interresting concept, a journalist encounters a woman, who might be telling the truth or she might be lying, and tells her the story of her life hoping she's publish it: that she's stalin's daughter and that she's followed.
12- “Fish Stories,” by Janika Oza: very short yet packs a punch. a family lost a son and a brother, and how the mother and sister deal with this grief.
13- “Horse Soup,” by Vladimir Sorokin: each collection must have an absurd weird "what the fuck did I just read" story, and this is that one. first of all, it's very long and it's immersive, it had a promising beginning: a men bumps into three youth on the train and becomes obsessed with watching one of them eat, but that relationship becomes more deformed as time goes by, and I think it must have some underlying message about Russia and politics and food and consumerism, but it got too wacky in the end.
14- “Clean Teen,” by Francisco González: Reading this made me sick. trigger warning for a teacher sexually abusing a teenager. it's heartbreaking seeing the progress of the events and what it does to the mind of the teenage boy
15- “Dengue Boy,” by Michel Nieva: a bit of a dystopian story, about a boy who's half bug and he's tormented by everyone around him. had a very gory ending, but also posed a lot of discussions about humanity, pollution and transformation
16- “Zikora,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: This story felt really ffleshed out, I felt like I really know these characters by the end of it. It revolves around motherhood, family, relationships, a daughter that doesn't understand her mother until she's a mother herself, the decision to have a baby, the experience of Ghanian people in the US. I really need to read a full length novel from this author because it feels really overdue.
17- “Apples,” by Gunnhild Øyehaug: huh. a very meta story, I don't think I've read story more meta than this one. I liked the part aboyt Signe and Sonja the best. but it took some interesting turns for such a short story.
18- “Warp and Weft,” by David Ryan: This was immensely tragic and it made me think of the deaths of all my loved ones. I need to forget this because it really tugged all of my heart strings
19- “Face Time,” by Lorrie Moore: a covid story. brings back all the vivid memories of that horrible times of our life. well written.
20- “An Unlucky Man,” by Samanta Schweblin: read it in the author's collection "Seven Empty Houses". my review: this was really uncomfortable. a pedophile-lolita-type story....more
I'm never disappointed in such collections, because they're always great ways to discover new favorite authors!
*1- 10 Steps to a Whole New You by TonyI'm never disappointed in such collections, because they're always great ways to discover new favorite authors!
*1- 10 Steps to a Whole New You by Tonya Liburd: derived from carribean folklore, about a vampire-like creature. liked it, and it was the perfect length as well
*2- The Pizza Boy by Meg Elison: pizza delivery boy in space, and the way his pizzas have a secret message of their own. I liked the universe it was set in
*3- If the Martians have Magic by P. Djeli Clark: I knew I would like this author's style and writing, and though this story just plunges you into this new world withtout much introduction, there's a lot of familiarity. it mixes sci-fi & fantasy, martian invasion and magic, gods and demigods and aliens, taking place in Marrakesh, and a lot of interesting things to say about immigrants, individuality, citizenship, slavery and a lot of other heavy topics
* 4- Delete your First Memory for Free by Kel Coleman: I mean, do they actually remove memories or is it just placebo effect? convincing you and giving you comfort that certain awkward memories are removed from your memory (I think in our minds, it's worse if we remember all our awkward exchanges, more than other people remembering them, because we really tend to grill ourselves over every little tiny thing). I really like anything about memories and selective memories and such.
5- The Red Mother by Elizabeth Bear: a typical tale of dragons and puzzles and wagers set in a viking setting. I liked the dragon encounter the most
6- The Cold Calculations by Aimee Ogden: I enjoyed it even though I don't think I really understood it completely. It was a mix of interweived flashes of different people's lives and the unfairness of life, I just don't see how they're all connected. unless they're not meant to be connected? not sure, but I liked it.
* 7- The Captain and the Quartermaster by C. L. Clark: a love story amidst the war. sweet and sad and heartbreaking, withe delicate details of love against the backdrop of war greatly illustrated.
* 8- Broad Dutty Water: A Sunken Story by Nalo Hopkinson: an interesting climate change crisis post-apocalypse world, where most of the world is flooded. a bit of an open ending that promises hope but also has an eerie undertone. I'm a sucker for an animal companion. I liked the character the usage of dialects adds to the story.
9- I was a Teenage Space Jockey by Stephen Graham Jones: gives off the feeling of stranger things gang in the arcade, or ready player one (the book). I was thrown off, because I knew this was a horror author, but the story was just about two twelve year old native american boys being bullied and finding solace in arcade games. even the sci-fi/fantastical element was very brief. wasn't my favorite.
* 10- Let all the Children Boogie by Sam K. Miller: give me any story with a hint of time travel and I'm in. two damaged kids connecting over their favorite radio station and the weird voice they hear cutting through their favorite songs. it felt sad, melancholic, and hopeful
* 11- Skinder's Veil by Kelly Link: I think this is the only story in the anthology that I've read before, and I just read it last month in Kelly Link's collection, and it was my favorite story in the collection and I think the longest too. it deals with th personification of death and hallucinations and not really knowing what's real and what's not.
* 12- The Algorithm will See you Now by Justin C. Key: This isn't the first story I've read by this author, and the first story merges race and social issue with black mirror-dystopia-ish science fiction. this takes on psychiatry and adds sci-fi algorithm-related elemnts to it, focusing again on young black women. it's an interesting look at how some patients can trigger their doctors and make them confront/remember what they don't want to face anymore.
* 13- The Cloud Lake Unicorn by Karen Russell: I read a short story collection from this author previously, and while I didn't fall in love completely with each story, the concept for each one was intriguing enough and felt unique to me. and this story between a pregnant mom and a unicorn seemed so otherwordly and yet realistic somehow? It's filled with metaphors about motherhood, life, hope, grief and having a support system.
14- Proof by Induction by Jose Pable Iriarte: a man gets to spend some time with his fathers ghost? soul? echo? after his death, and all they do is work on math equations trying to prove something. the concept is great, but math is my nemsis, so I was mostly bored through this story. nut it says something about grief and the ability to move on after losing someone.
* 15- Colors of them Immortal Palette by Caroline M. Yoachim: felt like a novella, with each chapter titled by a certain color, and that color paints (no pin intended) the story. i fell in love from the first chapter. we follow an immortal artist and his model, or at least that's how it starts. The model, Mariko, has grander plans for herself than to just model for hours for other artists than will discard her when they're done with her. It's about women's agency, beauty standards, the differences between male and female artists, the recodgnition of art, and of course, immortality. It dabbles in the art world, so there's a lot of famous classical names here and discussions about the artistic process. gives off the vibe of "The Invisible Life of Addie Larue".
* 16- The Future Library by Peng Shephard: Humans suck but few of them prove to be the best, but are they enough? It's an ecological dystopia, and the last forest standing is facing extinction. We have trees telling their tale, a love story, and the overwhelming love for nature and trees thta might salvage it. I liked the style (written like a letter for the reader)
* 17- L'Esprit de L'Escalier by Catherynne M. Valente: a modern greek myth retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, in the typical lush writing from Valente. It's dark and sad and lonely. This is closer to "comfort me with apples" than to "space opera", which are the only two things I've read by her.
* 18- Tripping Through Time by Rich Larson: trigger warning for death of a family member. discusses classes and how the rich and the poor deal with new technologies differently. felt very realistic even if it dealt with time travel.
* 19- The Frankly Impossible Weight of Han by Maria Dong: this was bizarre and melancholic and I just loved it. a scientist makes a machine that copies anything and the butterfly effects that follow his actions. one of the best short stories I've read.
20- Root Rot by Fargo Tbakhi: I feel for this story and its author, as I always feel for Palestine, but the writing style wasn't to my taste....more
It's interesting that all the stories that intrigued me are actually towards the ends of the collection. Each story is a retelling of a different fairIt's interesting that all the stories that intrigued me are actually towards the ends of the collection. Each story is a retelling of a different fairytale. without reading the original fairytale, they seem really bizarre and outlandish at times. I think reading the original tales will bring more nuance and understanding of each story.
mini reviews
1- The White Cat's Divorce: Each story highlights the myth or original story it retells and that's very useful. I don't know the original story for this one, but it was very bizarre. It follows a rich man afraid of growing old, and he starts sending his three sons on quests to get them out of his sight because every time he sees them he remembers his impending death. there's lot of cute dogs and talking cats. so that's a bonus. I kept waiting for the grim ending, and it didn't disappoint
2- Prince Hat Underground: I'm liking how there are older protagonists in these stories. A man goes on an odyessey-like journey searching for his love. I liked the dark ending.
3- The White Road: I like the travelling actors vibes.
4- The Girl who did not know Fear: I think this is my favorite story in the collection so far, though I'm not sure I fully understood it without really knowing the original fairytale. I guess this is my issue with this collection. without knowing the fairytales, the stories just seems weird and incomplete.
5- The Game of Smash and Recovery: eerie and atmospheric. really liked this one too. its spookiness crawls under yout skin as you can't really make sense of the setting but it's captivating. it also helped that I was more familiar (just a little bit) with the fairytale this one was inspired from (Hansel & Gretel), though that didn't really help much, since this was more sci-fi.
6- The Lady and the Fox: well, I really loved that one. there's romance and shape-shifting fox and magical snow on christmas day. I have some issues with some characters, but overall, I think this is another win in the collection
7- Skinder's Veil: I think this one is the highlight of the entire collection. personification of death? a lot of creepy stories woven into the narrative? talking bear? hallucinations? a big secluded house? ...more
this month's short story anthology to discover new authors. the downside to this collection is that these are their debut stories from 2021, so there'this month's short story anthology to discover new authors. the downside to this collection is that these are their debut stories from 2021, so there's a big chance I won't find many - or any- complete published works by them, by I'll remember to take a note of any new fav authors!
Authors I want to check out from this collection: Erin Connal - Yasmin Adele Majeed - Patch Kirrschenbaum - Catherine Bai - Preeti Vangani - Seth Wang - Emma Shannon
1- Sacrilege - Edward Salem: the writing style didn't really grip me, despite some good passages about the parallels between art and identity. It humps between Palestine, Egypt, and France, and we follow an artist who's interested in art pieces using rocks/whatever surrounds him in htese areas, and each are intriduces a different question. Palestine and the intifada, Egypt and its history, France and its colonialism. A lot of big ideas but the story was too short, so the ending felt scattered.
* 2- The Black Kite and the Wind - Erin Connal: I REALLY find it hard to sympathize with rich white kids and especially if it's a story where they killed someone. but this story doesn't glorify that or even shows that these characters managed to move on from what they did. It's set in Australia, and in the background, the bushfires are tormenting the country, and we follow some high-school girls in their delusional attemp to "shake the system" by setting minor fires in their neighborhood. I liked the writing style, and I'm actually waiting for the author's first novel
* 3- A Wedding in Multan, 1978 - Yasmin Adele Majeed: In a way, this gives me "Atonement" vibes? I'm amazed by all the author managed to put in one story: a coming of age story, a mystery story, a political story, and a wedding story, set in Pakistan. really heartbreaking.
* 4- For Future Refernce: Notes on the 7-10 Split - Patch Kirrschenbaum: I like a story told by an older adult person to their teenage self, as they usualy have some sort of dark humor. but this one had too many bowling terminology for my taste. I liked his writing style and the emotional punch, but was disappointed when I read that his debut novel will be about professional poker players. I don't know if his writing style will make me interested in reading about poker while I was skimming the parts about bowling in this short story, still an author to keep an eye on.
5- All we Have left is Ourselves - Oyedotun Damilola Muees: normally I like dystopian stories, but this was too fragmented for my taste, and I was never sure of the timing of certain events, were they before or are they happening now in that character's life? the photographer protagonist angle was interesting, it's a shame that it wasn't explored enough.
* 6- Writing with Blood - Catherine Bai: such a lyrical story about the barrier of langiage. a chinese girl born in america and her struggle to connect with her chinese family, about immigration and relating it to the nature. it's written in the style of vignettes, so it seemed like different snapshots, but I loved a lot of the imagery!
7- Them Bones - CK Kane: some stories make you wonder if there's something wrong with the author, and this was one of them. depending solely on the shock value of its depraved characters, I expected more than just a story filled with taboos.
8- Man, Man, et cetera - Cal Shook: I'm interested to read more by this author, this story had some things I didn't like (cheating), but it had a lot of things I liked, like the writing style and the way this woman's life was told through all the men she knew, untill she is changed (or maybe not) by motherhood.
* 9- Work Wives - Preeti Vangani: I loved this story. a fesh graduate navigating life, relationships, friendships after the loss of her mother and how that coats everything in her life. just loved it.
10- The Chicken - Rz Baschir: a metamorphosis type of story wih some body horror and way too much blood for my liking. I liked the magical realism aspect of the story and would read more by this author, bu I'm not sure if I can read a lot in one sitting if they're all this bloody
* 11- The Cacophobe - Seth Wang: this gives off the feeling of "picture of dorian gray" (which I haven't read but I totally know the vibe, and this is it), and I liked the narrator from the first paragraph. another ne of those stories that makes wonder is there's something wrong with the author, but this one was totally to my taste. a story about a boy allergic to ugliness and his time at a retreat and the ugly secret he holds from those days.
* 12- Beat by Beat - Emma Shannon: JUST LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS ONE. I love the protagnist and his connection to the worm that created our world, the small connections and the bigger meaning behind everything that happens. I can classify this as sof sci-fi and I can't wait for a novel or a collection from thsi author...more
التجربة الثانية لكورت فونيجت، وبرضة بترجمة محمد أحمد جمال. والمرة دي مجموعة قصصية. القصص تنوعت بين الاجتماعي والساخر والديستوبي (ولو أني كنت أفضل لو كالتجربة الثانية لكورت فونيجت، وبرضة بترجمة محمد أحمد جمال. والمرة دي مجموعة قصصية. القصص تنوعت بين الاجتماعي والساخر والديستوبي (ولو أني كنت أفضل لو كانت القصص الديستوبية أو الخيالية أكتر من كده) بس أعتقد أنها كشفت كتير عن أسلوب كورت فونيجت، مع أني حساة فيها باختلاف كبير عن الرواية التانية الوحيدة اللي قرأتها له. تجربة ممتعة وقراءة قصة أو قصتين كل يوم من المجموعة كان ممتع من دون شك
ريفيو بسيط لكل قصة: 1- حيث أعيش: استعراض لبلدة أمريكية صغيرة ببعض التهكم والسخرية، حسيت أن المقدمة أظرف وأخف دما من القصة دي. بداية عادية أوي للمجموعة.
2- هاريسون بيرجيرون: ديستوبيا عظيمة وتقديم جديد لفكرة الأخ الأكبر ولعب على فكرة الرقابة وتشويش الشبكات. محزنة كأي ديستوبيا ولم تخل برضة من الكومييدا السوداوية
3- من أنا هذه المرة؟: متوقعتش قصة رومانسية رقيقة ولطيفة في سياق بلدة صغيرة وتمثيل مسرحي وشخصيات حبوبة.
4- أهلا بك في بيت القرود: عاجبني التنظيم المرتب-العشوائي للمجموعة دي. قصة لطيفة عن بلدة صغيرة وبعدها قصة ديستوبية مرعبة. يا ترى ده هيفضل مستمر طول الكتاب؟ طبعا الديستوبية المرة دي كانت عن زيادة التعداد السكاني و"طرق" مواجهة المشكلة دي. القصة دي كانت شديدة شوية وانتهاك مش بحب أقراه بس مقرأتش كتابات كتيرة عن تنظيم النسل فكانت مختلفة. بتفكرني بسلسلة روايات حديثة نوعا ما للشباب اسمها Arc of a Scythe
5- تمشية طالت إلى الأبد: ايه القصة العسولة الرقيقة دي؟
6- ملف فوستر: جملة "أبيع النصيحة للأثرياء" اللي بتبدأ بيها القصة لسبب ما عجبتني جدا جدا. بسبب طريقة الكتاب في أول 4 قصص، كنت متوقع قصة ديستوبية، بس لقيتها قصة اجتماعية برضة عن راجل بيساعد أصحاب الأموال على استثمار فلوسهم عشان يكسبوا منها وبتقابله حالة عجيبة في شخص معاه أصول غالية بس مش عايز يبيعها لسبب يجهله، وبنشوف رحلته في فهم الشخص ده.
7- الآنسة فتنة: قصة اجتماعية عن جندي عائد من الحرب (تاني قصة عن جندي شاب أفتكر حتى الآن؟) والممثلة الشابة في البلدة وفتنتها والتوتر اللي بينهم. مكانتش أفضل قصة
8- كل أحصنة الملك: قصة أخرى عن جنود، وده فعلا فعلا أقل الأنواع تفضيلا في القصص عندي. بس رغم كده فهي قصة شيقة، مباراة شطرنج والخسارة معناها الموت وقطع الشطرنج هم بشر. مش هنكر أنها خلتتني متوترة لحد الآخر، مع أني كنت عايزة خاتمة أكثر قسوة
9- كلب توم أديسون الأشعث: مش محتاجة قصة تقنعني أن الكلاب أذكى من البشر، أنا متأكدة من ده، بس ظريفة يا فونيجت.
10- قاموس جديد: أعتقد اللي هيقعد يتابع الإصدارات المختلفة من القواميس لكل سنة وويكتشف ايه الكلمات الجديدة اللي بتضاف في كل إصدار هيكتشف كتير، وخصوصا أن دلوقتي القواميس بتضيف الكلمات - في أحيان كتيرة - معتمدة على شيوع استخدامها في المحادثات اليومية والعامية نوعا ما.
11- الجيران: كنت أتمنى نهاية سوداوية أكتر للقصة دي لأنها قائمة على سوء فهم مثالي في القصص الي زي دي، وخصوصا أنها من وجهة نظر طفل ومأزعجتنيش جدا زي قصص تانية بتبقى من وجهة نظر أطفال، وطبعا فكرة التلصص على الجيران والتدخل في حيواتهم عمرها ما بتقدم.
12- قصور أكثر فخامة: بطلة القصة المغيبة عن الواقع فكرتني جدا بديزي من قصة "غاتسبي العظيم". بس مش هنكر أن نهاية القصة صادمة وضافت بعد جديد للحزن اللي في القصة دي. أقدر أقول إنها من قصصي المفضلة في المجموعة حتى وإن كانت خالية تماما من أي عنصر خيالي.
13- حكاية هاينيس بورت: السياسة بتطغى على القصص دي، وساعات بتكون عابرة، بس في قصص زي دي، بيبقى لو الشخص مش فاهم السياق السياسي للفترة دي أوي فمش هيطلع منها بحاجات كتيرة وخصوصا لو كل الأسامي المذكورة لا تعني له شيء، بس كانت ظريفة
14- مياه أكثر مما رأيت في حياتك: قصة محزنة عن الحرب والأيتام اللي بتسيبهم، وتمنيت لو كانت القصة كلها من وجهة نظر أطفال أيتام بدلا من تاني إدخال الجنود في الموضوع زي أغلب قصص المجموعة. وبرضة خاب أملي لقلة القصص الديستوبية في المجموعة دي.
15- تقرير عن تأثير بارنهاوس: قصة عن السلام والقوة الذهنية واللي مكن تعمله وازاي ممكن حد يستغلها. لطيفة
16- سؤال اليوفوريا: نظرة ديستوبية سوداوية عن سؤال ايه اللي هيحصل لو الناس تقدر تتحكم بالسعادة وتبيعها وتخلي الناس تدمنها زي المخدرات؟ فكرتها حلوة
17- عد إلى زوجتك وابنك الغاليين: ماشي، تمام. معنديش تعليق على القصة دي حقيقي غير أن الرجال أوغاد يا ربي.
18- غزال في الورش: يعني ايه؟ يعني ايه؟ هرب للغابة ورا الغزال وساب حياة التمدن مثلا ولاقاها مش ماشية على ذوقه؟ حسيت أني كنت بقرأ قصة شبه أليس في بلاد العجائب بس واقعية تماما
19- الكذبة: قصة ادتني شعور "غيلمور غيرلز" شوية في شخصياتها وأحداثها. عن ولد مع عيلته الغنية اللي أسهمت في تأسيس مدرسة قديمة والكذبة اللي الولد مخبيها عن أهله
20- غير جاهز للبس: قصة ظريفة خيالية عن أشخاص قدروا يخرجوا من أجسادهم ويدخلوا أي أجساد يحبوها في أي وقت.
21- الفتى الذي غلب معه الجميع: قصة لا بأس بيها عن أستاذ موسيقى وولد متمرد وازاي أنه بيساعده يلاقي هدف في الحياة، قصة اتهرست مية مرة قبل كده بس ملقيتش فيها حاجة جديدة هنا.
22- صواريخ ورجال: قصة تانية جميلة جدا، عن أبوين لعالمين فضاء، واحد من روسيا والتاني من أمريكا، وبيبعتوا خطابات لبعض بعض موت أولادهم في الفضاء. غيها تساؤلات عن الفرق بين حب الفضاء والاستكشاف والعلم واستغلال الحكومات للشباب المتحمس لتحقيق أجنداتهم الخاصة. تاني، مفيهاش جديد، بس عجبني أسلوبه جدا.
23- إبيكاك: أوه يا إبيكاك المسكين! أنا خلاصت وصلت لمرحلة الإشفاق على الآلات من البشر
24- آدم: نظرة حلوة لاختلاف منظور الناس لمولود جديد ما بين غير المبالي وما بين المنبهر تماما. مش فاهمة علاقة اسم القصة واسم "آدم" نفسه بالموضوع
25- غدا وغدا وغدا: ونختم المجموعة بديستوبية بائسة. وحبيت اكوميديا السوداوية في العالم ده واللي هو تاني عالم ديستوبي فونيجت بيحبه، عن بشر قدروا يتجاوزا الشيخوخة والموت والتكدس السكاني وأثره في عائلة من عائلات الكوكب المتكدس....more
a collection of different works drawn by Frank Quitely (none of the works here are written by him, some comics are black and white and others in colora collection of different works drawn by Frank Quitely (none of the works here are written by him, some comics are black and white and others in color). some of them from DC comics (mainly Batman) and others from different series and books he worked on. and scattered across the book are some covers he worked on, (covers I loved: Vamps: Pumpkin time, Transmetropolitan #6, The Authority, his rendition of The Endless, Batman & Robin, the robo cat and dog and bunny, all his covers for Batman and Robin). Truly a great read!
1- The Physicist and the flying saucers: a black and white comic about Bob Lazar, a real figure in America and one of the main people advocating to conspiracy theories about aliens and area 51 in nevada. I didn't know about him before reading this comic
2- New toys: toy story but make it horror! the last panel will keep me up at night!
3- A visit with the hanging judge: no, thank you. literally a judge who was famous for hanging people talking about the different hangings in the US.
4- Salvador dali: a biography of salvador dali, would have loved to see full-pages art of some of his paintings.
5- The Heroic Revenge Fantasy: a short revenge story. I mean, I can't deny that I've had similar fantasies.
6- The Elephant man: really sad, about the life of the "elephant man", who I heard a little about. a man who had many diformities that made life cruel to him.
7- Romancing the Stone: a story about a man who's in love with stone. he gets turned on by anthing stony. streets, statues, anything at all. it's funny at times and really disturbing at times.
8- The Cottingsley Fairy Photos: loved this! a story of two cousins and how they supposedly took pictures of fairies. also based of course on real people and events.
9- Your special day: a mafia story and a wedding story. told through photographs from a wedding from the point of view of a hired killer. very engaging.
10- Ma Barker: interesting story about a criminal family of sons and their mother in the US.
11- Immune: this was terrifying. a story of a plague and immune people, and how the first symptom isn't physical, it's the paranoia. a little bit genius in my opinion.
12- Pavel Navratsky's Pig Pen: an interesting story about a Ukrainian man hiding from the Russian troops and a sad conclusion to his story. reminds me of the classical story about the man who spent around 40 years asleep and went back to his village and found everything changed.
13- Nice Neighbourhood: huh. this was interesting. geezers in a zombie-like state caused by something like viagra. I mean, it's a lesson in getting old.
14- St. Polycarp: The Cult of Saints: religious story about an old saint. liked the art but the story was too short. a small biography piece.
15- Batman: Scottish Connection: there's some gorgeous art in this one, also it's nice to read a Batman adventure outside of Gotham. this one incorporates myths and legends and scottish heritage.
16- Flexibility: about the funny superhero "Offspring" whose super power is flexibility to take any shape and control his body any way he wants, reminds me of Reed Richards from the Fantastic Four. but I loved the aspect of father-son duo, I don't see it much in superhero teams.
17- Watching You: well, this was horrific. a real horror tale of obsession and love and addiction.
18- Glitterdammerung!: this one was too weird for me.
19- Destiny: I'm in love with his art for The Sandman and his portrayl of the Endless. has to be one of my favorite artists drawing these characters. this was perfection.
20- Batman Reborn, part one: in this story, Bruce is dead and Dick Grayson (one of our old Robins and previously known as Nightwing) takes his place, with Damian by his side as Robin. 21- Batman Reborn, part two: delving a lot into the psychology of Damian and Dick, and how each of them deals differently with losing Bruce. 22- Batman Reborn: part three: a bad-ass ending, and it makes me want to continue reading that series
23- Time and the Batman: Today: very short, and we're still with Nightwing as Batman, and Bruce isn't in the picture. also keeping the legacy of "where Batman was born" alive.
24- Snapshot: Revelation! while many of the stories don't really require a lot of background info, I felt totally lost reading this one. ...more
when I first heard of this author, people described her writing as "lucid dreams" or "hallucinations" type. this book included seven short stories andwhen I first heard of this author, people described her writing as "lucid dreams" or "hallucinations" type. this book included seven short stories and each one of them felt truly like fever dreams, that you;re reading just for the vibes.
brief reviews of the stories:
1- None of that: that was an experience. a mother and daughter seem to be driving aimlessly looking at other people's houses, but the mother's obsession with others' houses goes beyond just looking at them. it set off some anger inside of me and some pity for these people
2- My Parents and My Children: this was weird. it felt like a dream or a nightmare, about a summer house and people who seem to disappear in it and some family drama.
3- It happens all the Time in this House: I'm not sure what's happening in these stories, this seems to be about resignation and grief and getting over lost of loved ones through routine or maybe hanging on to the past. the lyrical writing is strong, but again these all feel like scattered shots.
4- Breath from the Depth: what was this I just read? the story of a woman waiting for death in a house that's slowly being sucked out of life. she makes lists and packs up her things, she imagines people and seems to have dementia. it gave me the chills towrads the end, as it felt like a proper horror story.
5- Two Square Feet: I feel like there are too many parallels between this story and the previous one. the boxes, the remembering things, characters being lost in their own minds, the weird family situation. very sad and really captures the feeling of lonliness.
6- An Unlucky Man: this was really uncomfortable. a pedophile-lolita-type story.
I liked the introduction and th backstory of this author, but the fairytales themselves aren't engaging enough to continue, so this'll be a DNF for meI liked the introduction and th backstory of this author, but the fairytales themselves aren't engaging enough to continue, so this'll be a DNF for me....more
brief reviews of all the stories: - A Ravishing Sun by Leslie Blanco: wonderful and heartbreaking. a story of a cuban woman whA really solid anthology.
brief reviews of all the stories: - A Ravishing Sun by Leslie Blanco: wonderful and heartbreaking. a story of a cuban woman who's starting over in so many ways and how the ptsd of an accident affects her. I saw myself in her and I was scared than I was comforted. 5 stars. (apparently the story is inspired by her real life)
- The Little Widow from the Capital by Yohanca Delgado: What a melancholic story. A widow moves into an apartment building in New York coming from the Dominican Republic and her story turns into a folk tale by her neighbours. loved ths sadness in every word. 5 stars (I discoevered that the story is inspired by a latin american nursery rhyme, and I liked that idea)
- Man of the House by Kim Coleman Foote: a sad story about family. from the point of view of an older black man, who deals with the passing of his mother and it prompts him to think of his family and the segregation and slavery and all their history of pain. brief mention of domestic violence that I didn't like. 4.5 stars. (like a lot of black writers, the author writes from experience, also the story is inspired by the author's family and relatives)
- The Wind by Lauren Groff: my god, this was gut-wrenching. a story of escaping an abusive house, and how we choose to tell that story. what version of the truth we choose to retell. absolutely broke my heart in 15 minutes. 5 stars.
- The Hollow by Greg Jackson: It's one of those stories that you're sure there's some deeper meaning behind it, but I couldn't grasp that meaning. a story about two men who were in the same college and their reunion many years later, and their different appraoches to life. 3 stars.
- Detective Dog by Gish Jen: a Chinese mother trying to protect her family from politics and covid. About immigration, rich immigrants, politics and protestors and the regime in China, and a mother who's just trying to protect her kids. 3 stars. (one of the prolific author in the collection, and I'm still hesitant if I want to read something else by her seeing how her writings is wraught with politics I don't fully comprehend, but I'm intrigued)
- Sugar Island by Claire Luchette: a couple and their relationship on the frings and their trip to buy a couch while one of them contemplates leaving the other. you know how it ends but it still surprises you. 3 stars (seems like another story taken directly from the author's life)
- The Souvenir Museum by Elizabeth McCracken: a story of divorce and motherhood and hidden feelings and sadness. I liked the setting, in Denmark, but I was confused about the timeline and who's who. 3 stars (another prolific author in this collection, and it's interesting to know her insight to writing this story and choosing the setting to be someplace familiar to her)
- Post by Alice McDermott: This was depressing. because it's never really over. The story of two people and their lives before, during, and post Covid. Covid changed people's relationships to themselves and others, and we see that through the eyes of a couple here who were both changed by the sickness. 4 stars. (I always thought this author wrote depressing books though having never tried her and now I'm scared to try a full-length novel by her though she's another prolific author. taking inspiration from an older story with the same concept: two people falling in love during 1918 flu pandemic but setting it in our covid life is great. )
- Bears Among the Living by Kevin Moffett: didn't get on with this one. felt like random snippets of a guy's life focused on his dead father and his own son and family. some lines were profound, but the story didn't stick. 2 stars.
- Soon the Light by Gina Ochsner: really atmospheric. a bit religious in themes, and uses the trope of possessed/demon child, but the main focus of the story: the relationship of a brother and sister and their relationship to their mother was lost a bit. It's truly an all vibes story. 3 stars. (O'm always intrigued about stories of europeans in the us, and the clash of cultures)
- Mbiu Dash by Okwiri Oduor: The writing style is just magical in this one. one of those rare cases where I actually liked the story being narrated by a child. It's very unique. A little girl losing her mom in an african town, with some politics and touching on the lives of orphans in villages like this. It felt very real. 5 stars. (I think the reader of this story would benefit from reading the author's debut novel since it seems like she uses the same protagonist here. )
- The Meeting by Alix Ohlin: Am I imagining things or is the character "James Halliday" based on that millionaire in Ready Player One minus the sci-fi? wsn't he also named James Halliday? anuway, stories like this one about corporate life and being at the mercy of your work really depress me. the end took a darker and grim turn. 3 stars. (a prolific author, for some reason since I didn't read much by these authors I thought they hadn't much published but seems like I was wrong. )
- The Beyoglu Municipality Waste Managment Orchestra by Kenan Orhan: a different look to the "big brother is watching" idea. set in Istanbul and follows a garbage woman who hoardes things banned by the country. has this feel of magical realism mixed with light dystopia. 4.5 stars. (It's always scary when a story that seems really dystopic turn out to be really rooted in reality)
- The Ghost Birds by Karen Russell: the elements of sci-fi/fantasy are rare in this collection, but this one just has my heart. a story of a father and daughter in a post apocalyptic world, focusing on all the disasters we brought to our planet and the extinction of birds. taking place in 2080 I think. I loved the emotions and the sadness and even the horror of this future. 5 stars. (a great climate change warning story)
- Mr. Ashok's Monument by Sanjena Sathian: liked the setting and the touch of magical realism. I love when a story introduces interesting departments and ministries. an interesting look at myths and the history of India. 5 stars. (this really prompted me to read more into indian mythology, it's really interesting and I haven't read enough of it at all. it also deals with many interesting ideas about history and who gets to write it)
- Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers: uh, ma'am, are you okay? first of all, the idea of emotional cheating is still cheating, and any story based on cheating isn't my cup of tea. I was intrigued by the way this woman always had two lives going, one real and the other imaginary. 1.5 stars.
- The Sins of Others by Hector Tobar: interesting concept and not too far-fetched sadly, in which there's a "replacement law", and white people can commit crimes and have any of the immigrants replace them in detention and jail. just didn't really get the ending, but it was chilling and frustrating. 4 stars. (when the author mentions Kafka in his notes, everything clicks together. this story is very kafka-esque in its bizarreness and surrealism.
- Elephant Seals by Meghan Louise Wagner: this has no right being this beautiful and making me cry. the different life scenarios of 3 people and it's just so beautiful. 5 stars! (I like how this story seems like a recovery story for the author as well)
- Foster by Bryan Washington: any story with a cat has my heart, this story was just sad, the brothers' relationship made me really sad. 4 stars. (I don't know much about this author but I'm guessing he used some of these themes before, I heard about his novel memorial and I remember that it had to with Japan, and Japan plays a big role here....more
As all anthologies, some stories were great and others were meh. It's always a good opportunity for me to discover new authors. and I've already put aAs all anthologies, some stories were great and others were meh. It's always a good opportunity for me to discover new authors. and I've already put all of Triangulation anthologies on my wishlist because they're such a treat. I love it when anthologies have a good theme. It's always interesting to see what authors would do with it. All the authors here were new to me, so that's exciting too.
brief review of each story: - Warnings by Liam Hogan: short and horrifying. 4 stars. - The Bubble Tea Frogs by Blake Jessop: didn't expect this mix of anime, j-pop, and extinct frogs. a scientist's trip around asia looking for extinct frogs for his research. 4 stars. - A Killing Garden by Owen Leddy: girl infected with a virus that makes her communicate with plants? a harrowing warning against deforestation. 3.5 stars - Labyrinthula animalis by Katie Sakanai: A story told by a cell (?) after the extinction of all life on earth, and it really puts is face to face with all our wrongs. 4 stars - Migratory by Joshua David Bellin: a visitor at a zoo where the circumstances are weird. wasn't very engaging despite liking the writing. 2.5 stars - There Were Giants on the Earth in those Days by Marshall J. Moore: A spin on Noah's ark, explaining why no unicorns, dragons or giants are present on earth. gives me the vibes of "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse". 4.5 stars - Red is the Taste of Death by Rhonda Eikamp: a story of a marine biologist and her mission to save th dolphins in a dying world. Dolphins have always been the closest to my heart among marine animals. 4 stars. - The Fire of Countless Stars by Jamie Lackey: A story instead of being set in the distant or near future, it's set in the medieval times, dealing with dragons and other fantastical creatures going extinct because of lack of magic. 4 stars. - As much as the Crows by Jennifer R. Povey: a story about racism and genetics and generations that I'm not sure I fully understood. 3 stars - Tales of the Shrub by Jim Hanson: a sad poem-like tale told by a shrub to the last human after tragey strikes, by our hands. 3.5 stars. - Letters for Samantha by Sean Jones: In a world post a pendemic, two sisters joined by two gorillas navigate their collapsed world. Something similar to covid forces social distancing in an extra scary way. a broken down society that still have some sort of order. I'm intrigued to read a full length novel from that world. 4 stars - We Only Have by E. A Petricone: Heartbreaking and wonderful. Extinction and rebirth. 5 stars - The Perfect Solution by Brett Kozlowski: liked the dark humor in this one. any story with people dressing up as something else is bound to end up badly. 4.5 stars. - Four Little Bees by Bradley Heywood: very weird writing and I didn't get on with this one at all. 1.5 stars. - Will-o-the-Walmart by Jennifer Lee Rossman: a melancholic sad story about the artifical life we're heading towards (or are living) and how a little bit of nature can bring us back to life. 4 stars. - No one needs a Chiweenie by Katrinka Mannelly: the first line of this story broke my heart as a cat lover, then it got sadder and sadder like the rest of the book. also, anything with gods ie just perfect. 4 stars. - The Bambi Collaboration by Bo Balder: an interesting story about plastic pollution. 3 stars. - Ancestral Nocturne by Bethany van Sterling: to short to make somthing out of it. - Akiki, the Magician by Steve Carr: So many questions and not enough answers. about killing the gorillas and poachers. I believe it's the 2nd story to center on gorillas in this collection. 3 stars - Run, Baby, Run by Joy KEnnedy O'neil: What an interesting look at extinction and bringing back species. 4 stars. - In the Garden of Burning Plastic by Marissa James: such a sad sad story of how our life would looks like if we survived the destruction of all life forms and only had plastic for company. 4.5 stars. - Conjugation of the Verb by Brian Rappatta: a story in the form of a wikipedia page. wierd and i'm not sure what it really implied. - Loving Monsters by Anya Ow: love the tribal/folk setting in this. seems like it's set among the tribe of some indegineous people and a look on colonization, hunting rare creatures and the building of zoos. also somehow giving off Witcher vibes? 4 stars. - Rare Seeds by Michael Triozzi: set in a rare seeds vault, a perfect place for a story about extinction. posing the question: at the end of times would we save ourselves or the hope for future humans? very dark and won't end well. 4 stars. - Aviatrix Unbound by Carins Bissett: feels like a futuristic version of Circe? at least in a loose sense. 4 stars. - Landscape on the Outskirts by Sam Hicks: I'm not entirely sure what is it I just read. ...more
This really felt cinemtaic or part of ongoing series: of this guy working on a movie set and he deals with some supernatural shit with his kick-ass laThis really felt cinemtaic or part of ongoing series: of this guy working on a movie set and he deals with some supernatural shit with his kick-ass lady. I loved it....more
Death reaper and ghost funerelas and magic candels? this was really intriguing, and the main character's was admirable and quick on her feet, which I Death reaper and ghost funerelas and magic candels? this was really intriguing, and the main character's was admirable and quick on her feet, which I liked considering the horrors she went through...more
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