So last weekend my story, "Capital Coffee," went up at Electric Spec. And, as I said I would, I figured I would just write up some thoughts as background for that story. In case anyone was curious.
I wonder if sometimes people look back at stories they get publish and sort of worry that it's no good. Not that I dislike "Capital Coffee," but it's from a while ago (it amassed fourteen rejections before it found a home, which is pretty high for flash fiction). In truth, it was starting to get difficult to send out, which means that it was only a step from being retired. So when I got the acceptance I don't think I believed them at first.
But then I did and the story is out there now with my name on it and I must try to be comfortable with it. The story itself came out of the Unidentified Funny Objects call for coffee-related stories. Obviously, this one didn't make it, but this is special for me in that it is my only zombie story. I don't really much care for zombies. I read and watch zombie things, but I'm normally more a hard sell on zombies. So why write a zombie story? Really, it was because I thought zombies drinking coffee and that being what causes them to run kind of funny. I mean, coffee is incredibly wide spread in America. The whole Starbucks thing and everyone having coffee makers or those cup things...I figured fueling zombies with coffee would be great.
There is also that joke about people being zombies without their coffee. That a zombie and your average commuter stopping for a cup would be pretty much identical in sound and action. I mean, I'm not my ending quite works for me now. They still didn't know it was a zombie? But a part of me was thinking that because it's so difficult to tell the difference, that maybe one slipped through. Not a great excuse, really, but hopefully it provided for a cheap laugh or two. Which really was about the only part of the story. It's weird, because while zombies are a subject that I don't write about very often, coffee is. Not in a while, but I think coffee plays into at least three different stories I've written and then retired.
Anyway, that's about it for that story. I hope people like it. Certainly it's a bit more "mainstream" than most of my other work. Oh, and if you ever want to know what I've gotten out recently, you can now check out the My Stories tab under the banner and find links to what of mine is still up online. Not the hugest of lists, but it's growing. Anyway, thanks for taking the time, and thanks for reading!
All the best,
Charles Payseur
Short(ish) Reviews of Speculative Short Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction. Word counts are approximate. Opinions are my own. (also, probably SPOILERS ABOUND!)
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Friday, March 6, 2015
Quick Link - The Monthly Round for February 2015!
So instead of putting up a review today I'm going to link to this month's Monthly Round over at Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together.
Maybe go check that out. It's my favorite stories from the month complete with drink pairings. Good times. Also, I might as well announce that I might be moving to four reviews a week instead of five, or at least reserving the right to do four reviews a week instead of five. I very much enjoy doing these reviews, but apparently life kicks my ass occasionally and I just can't see being able to keep up doing so many. That said, I'll probably be moving to review Strange Horizons only once every two weeks instead of every week. That alone will save me a day every two weeks, which might be all I need.
I will try to schedule my skip-days on days when I have something going up elsewhere, though, like here with the Monthly Round. But again, that might only work so far. Sorry for not being able to keep up with the pace I had set earlier. But I'm hoping people are still liking these reviews. Indeed.
All the best,
Charles Payseur
Maybe go check that out. It's my favorite stories from the month complete with drink pairings. Good times. Also, I might as well announce that I might be moving to four reviews a week instead of five, or at least reserving the right to do four reviews a week instead of five. I very much enjoy doing these reviews, but apparently life kicks my ass occasionally and I just can't see being able to keep up doing so many. That said, I'll probably be moving to review Strange Horizons only once every two weeks instead of every week. That alone will save me a day every two weeks, which might be all I need.
I will try to schedule my skip-days on days when I have something going up elsewhere, though, like here with the Monthly Round. But again, that might only work so far. Sorry for not being able to keep up with the pace I had set earlier. But I'm hoping people are still liking these reviews. Indeed.
All the best,
Charles Payseur
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Quick Sips - Strange Horizons 02/23/2015 and 03/02/2015
Well damn me for not getting to the last of the Strange Horizons releases last month. But it was a short month! And as there was only a poem and a nonfiction piece I thought I could just roll over the two weeks into one post (don't hate me). So here we are, with a larger review for Strange Horizons than normal, but that's okay, right? Hopefully so!
Story:
"Even the Mountains Are Not Forever" by Laurie Tom (3440 words)
This one's a nice story about a people who have traveled to a new world and whose spiritual leader, the Kunchen, frequently enters into cryogenic in order to seem immortal. For the current Kunchen, who is aging, it is time to select a successor, a rather tricky thing given that very few know that the Kunchen is not immortal. Looking for someone who can handle the loneliness of the job, can handle watching everyone around her die, the Kunchen finds a girl who she think will work, but the girl refuses, and instead finds a different way to pass on knowledge, to make it so that the knowledge of previous generations is not lost. It's a good call for the generational passing of knowledge, and also a push away from the importance of one person to personify the past. The setting is interesting and the story itself sweet. It's a pleasant read, and tends to keep things rather simple, but still has enough to it to be worth a look.
Poetry:
"Hypnotizing Pendulum" by Justin Peter Rubenis
This poem has a nice sense of movement and style, the way it draws together its images of the pendulum, the snakes and ladders to actually riding snakes to riding the worms in Dune. It's a short poem, with lines that go from long to short then work back again, in my mind mimicking the swing of the pendulum. Also drawn into that idea, the hypnotizing effect, is how the imagery moves in a sort of stream of conscious rush, the way it seems almost dreamlike. And, at least to me, it seems to be drawing the idea of Dune to the idea of hypnosis, perhaps to try and make the claim that science fiction or fantastical fiction in general is hypnotic, that it does something to the mind and eyes, that it transmutes and brings the reader away somewhere else entirely. At least, that's how I'm reading it. A nice little poem.
"Four" by John W. Sexton
This one is a little more sinister, a little more unsettling of a poem, about a strange creature that births its young in the belly of a fish. This creature, this threadcat, is the top predator of its ecosystem, and so it is the most important thing according to the poem. It has the evolutionary advantage, and "everything begins and ends with them." The imagery is stark and cool, bringing to mind a number of strange creatures that exist here on Earth that have developed similar ways to help their own survival. Buried in this, though, I feel is also something of a comment on humanity. The way we have developed into the top creature, the way the world begins and ends with us. It's a subtle thing, and probably I have to think about this poem more, think about the number four and what more it might mean. But overall I think that it does a great job showing this place and these creatures. Also, I kind of want a threadcat. It sounds adorable. But that aside, the poem is solid and well done, a fairly even column of text that keeps things grounded and centered on the scene and the players. Effective work.
Nonfiction:
"Gladiatorial Combat in The Hunger Games" by Juliette Harrisson
An interesting look at the use of gladiators and combat not just in The Hunger Games but in popular culture in general. Personally, the movie Gladiator has been one of my favorites for a long time, so I find the run down of points and the conclusions are pretty solid. I do think that this sprouts from that vast simplification of Roman culture and, further, the moral superiority of Rome that we have largely inherited probably because of Christianity. We don't seem to have the same complex with races, for example, though to my understanding it was a much more popular and often bloody affair. I think a lot of what goes on about the gladiatorial system and how we view Rome in general is colored by Christianity and the fact that Christianity has stuck around and Rome is in securely in the past to be made to seem a fallen and decadent waste. But a good article.
"Communities: Adventures in Anthology Curation" by Renay
This is a rather earnest look at someone's first experience with working as an editor on an anthology, something that I don't have really any experience with either. I mean, I worked on literary magazines, and even running one, but it was small and university-based and perhaps because of the make-up of the staff and the university as a whole we never had any real issues with male to female submissions. We were, however, incredibly white. And at the time I didn't think about that. The university, after all, was incredibly white. But this article brings up a lot that's worth thinking about, both for those entering into the field of editing and curating and for those who want to submit to anthologies, who want to participate. There's a lot of insights here, and I can't fully imagine how difficult it must be to work on a more professional project like that and the responsibility that one would feel to doing it right. It's...well, it shows how hard it is and how much people need to think about what they're doing and not just let submissions fall as they may. Overcoming institutional and societal oppression is not something that's easy. It takes work, and I'm glad there are people out there doing the work that needs doing.
"Nimoy and Spock: Reflections and Farewells" by lots of people
There have been a lot of Nimoy remembrance posts and this one is long and heartfelt, bringing in a lot of people to speak to just what Nimoy and Spock meant to them. Now I didn't grow up with Spock. I found the original Star Trek later, in college, and was always most drawn to Spock. Who isn't? And the commentary on the importance of Spock is excellent here and I can't help but getting a bit emotional reading it all. Of course, for me, my first exposure to Leonard Nimoy came in a different form, in the cartoon adaptation of The Halloween Tree. Nimoy played Moundshroud, the weird death-analogy that brings the children along on their journey through time. For some reason that cartoon hit me pretty hard. Which is weird because it's not the best thing ever. I mean, it was adapted by Bradbury himself, and Bradbury is the narrator, but even so the animation isn't the best and the acting is...well, for whatever reason that project staid with me. And later on I watched Star Trek, I read some of Nimoy poetry (which was...well, it was earnest), and I've seen some of his photography (which is quite good). Anyway, that got all tangent-y. The tribute is good and offers a whole lot of voices mourning a great man.
Story:
"Even the Mountains Are Not Forever" by Laurie Tom (3440 words)
This one's a nice story about a people who have traveled to a new world and whose spiritual leader, the Kunchen, frequently enters into cryogenic in order to seem immortal. For the current Kunchen, who is aging, it is time to select a successor, a rather tricky thing given that very few know that the Kunchen is not immortal. Looking for someone who can handle the loneliness of the job, can handle watching everyone around her die, the Kunchen finds a girl who she think will work, but the girl refuses, and instead finds a different way to pass on knowledge, to make it so that the knowledge of previous generations is not lost. It's a good call for the generational passing of knowledge, and also a push away from the importance of one person to personify the past. The setting is interesting and the story itself sweet. It's a pleasant read, and tends to keep things rather simple, but still has enough to it to be worth a look.
Poetry:
"Hypnotizing Pendulum" by Justin Peter Rubenis
This poem has a nice sense of movement and style, the way it draws together its images of the pendulum, the snakes and ladders to actually riding snakes to riding the worms in Dune. It's a short poem, with lines that go from long to short then work back again, in my mind mimicking the swing of the pendulum. Also drawn into that idea, the hypnotizing effect, is how the imagery moves in a sort of stream of conscious rush, the way it seems almost dreamlike. And, at least to me, it seems to be drawing the idea of Dune to the idea of hypnosis, perhaps to try and make the claim that science fiction or fantastical fiction in general is hypnotic, that it does something to the mind and eyes, that it transmutes and brings the reader away somewhere else entirely. At least, that's how I'm reading it. A nice little poem.
"Four" by John W. Sexton
This one is a little more sinister, a little more unsettling of a poem, about a strange creature that births its young in the belly of a fish. This creature, this threadcat, is the top predator of its ecosystem, and so it is the most important thing according to the poem. It has the evolutionary advantage, and "everything begins and ends with them." The imagery is stark and cool, bringing to mind a number of strange creatures that exist here on Earth that have developed similar ways to help their own survival. Buried in this, though, I feel is also something of a comment on humanity. The way we have developed into the top creature, the way the world begins and ends with us. It's a subtle thing, and probably I have to think about this poem more, think about the number four and what more it might mean. But overall I think that it does a great job showing this place and these creatures. Also, I kind of want a threadcat. It sounds adorable. But that aside, the poem is solid and well done, a fairly even column of text that keeps things grounded and centered on the scene and the players. Effective work.
Nonfiction:
"Gladiatorial Combat in The Hunger Games" by Juliette Harrisson
An interesting look at the use of gladiators and combat not just in The Hunger Games but in popular culture in general. Personally, the movie Gladiator has been one of my favorites for a long time, so I find the run down of points and the conclusions are pretty solid. I do think that this sprouts from that vast simplification of Roman culture and, further, the moral superiority of Rome that we have largely inherited probably because of Christianity. We don't seem to have the same complex with races, for example, though to my understanding it was a much more popular and often bloody affair. I think a lot of what goes on about the gladiatorial system and how we view Rome in general is colored by Christianity and the fact that Christianity has stuck around and Rome is in securely in the past to be made to seem a fallen and decadent waste. But a good article.
"Communities: Adventures in Anthology Curation" by Renay
This is a rather earnest look at someone's first experience with working as an editor on an anthology, something that I don't have really any experience with either. I mean, I worked on literary magazines, and even running one, but it was small and university-based and perhaps because of the make-up of the staff and the university as a whole we never had any real issues with male to female submissions. We were, however, incredibly white. And at the time I didn't think about that. The university, after all, was incredibly white. But this article brings up a lot that's worth thinking about, both for those entering into the field of editing and curating and for those who want to submit to anthologies, who want to participate. There's a lot of insights here, and I can't fully imagine how difficult it must be to work on a more professional project like that and the responsibility that one would feel to doing it right. It's...well, it shows how hard it is and how much people need to think about what they're doing and not just let submissions fall as they may. Overcoming institutional and societal oppression is not something that's easy. It takes work, and I'm glad there are people out there doing the work that needs doing.
"Nimoy and Spock: Reflections and Farewells" by lots of people
There have been a lot of Nimoy remembrance posts and this one is long and heartfelt, bringing in a lot of people to speak to just what Nimoy and Spock meant to them. Now I didn't grow up with Spock. I found the original Star Trek later, in college, and was always most drawn to Spock. Who isn't? And the commentary on the importance of Spock is excellent here and I can't help but getting a bit emotional reading it all. Of course, for me, my first exposure to Leonard Nimoy came in a different form, in the cartoon adaptation of The Halloween Tree. Nimoy played Moundshroud, the weird death-analogy that brings the children along on their journey through time. For some reason that cartoon hit me pretty hard. Which is weird because it's not the best thing ever. I mean, it was adapted by Bradbury himself, and Bradbury is the narrator, but even so the animation isn't the best and the acting is...well, for whatever reason that project staid with me. And later on I watched Star Trek, I read some of Nimoy poetry (which was...well, it was earnest), and I've seen some of his photography (which is quite good). Anyway, that got all tangent-y. The tribute is good and offers a whole lot of voices mourning a great man.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Quick Sips - Clarkesworld #102
This month's Clarkesworld is a slightly bigger affair than normal because of a new translation. I must say that I've been quite pleased with the influx of translated works, and the one here is no exception. Otherwise, it also has the conclusion to the two-part story that began earlier, and it's definitely not one to miss. All in all, it's a quite good issue. So to the reviews!
Stories:
"Slowly Builds An Empire" by Naim Kabir (6551 words)
In a world where everything is connected digitally, telepathically, and empathetically, Shinsuke is stuck in the analog age, unable to connect, isolated and desperate. When he starts to have visions of distant worlds, though, he is put into a group with other people like himself, something that is normally strictly forbidden. He doesn't care about the illegality of it, though, and soon joins one of his compatriots in a camp of even more people like himself, and discovers he's not the only one who sees different worlds. When he is asked to take part in a sort of revolution, then, he thinks nothing of it, glad to be a part of something. But he learns that he was being used, lied to. And he learns that he doesn't have to be a victim, that he can turn the tables, that he can build something. It's an interesting story, with Shinsuke a rather flawed mind, a bit warped by his experiences. I'm not entirely sure about the ending, which seems to imply that Shinsuke has decided to take over, that if he is to be connected he must rule, must reach out toward the planets he has visions of. He becomes a machine of war, quite the turn from what he was. Perhaps the story is making some hints that extreme social isolation leads to being kind of messed up and, like Shinsuke, engaging in some shady business. Maybe it's saying that living in a world without vocal or "in-person" interaction makes a population easily led and controlled. I'm not too sure. It's a neat story, with good action and memorable images, but I'm just not sure what to make of it.
"Cassandra" by Ken Liu (5462 words)
A sort of super villain is created in this story about a woman who discovers she has the ability to see the future. At first she doesn't know what to do with this knowledge. She tries to take it to the only superhero in town, a Superman analogy, but he doesn't believe in preventing crimes, not before they're being committed. But the new "villain" can't live with the visions, with the knowledge that if she does nothing then people will die. So she starts taking steps, preventing the things that she sees, that might happen. And the superhero tries to stop her because he doesn't believe in what she's doing. It's a nice argument piece, one that shows two sides of an argument. Because obviously the "villain" here is trying to save people and does seem to have a power, just like Showboat (the superhero). But he, being powerful, being someone who doesn't believe in punishing certain things, disapproves. It's a hard argument to make, that one should act based on a possible future, but in the end it's true that they're not too different. Both are concerned with punishing the wrongdoer. Neither really try to save the day without violence. Neither consider the problems at the root, though the "villain" seems closer to it. But it does show the hypocrisy of some superheroes, and indeed of the justice system in general, which seems to be what's being poked here. It's a nice story, and great for me because I have a soft spot for superhero/villain tales. Good times.
"The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild" (part 2) by Catherynne M. Valente (9523 words)
And now, the second part! The story continues on with the surreal mix of steam of conscious narration and dream logic. It maintains it's charm, and the strange coherence that it had in the first part keeps right along with Violet traveling toward Red Country. And everything comes together in this story. Traveling through the different lands, questioning everything, talking to the ordinary emperor. Everything is tight and works and yet is sort of wavy, sort of strange. It's a surreal experience, where everything is basically an extended metaphor and literal at the same time. The way love and sorrow change from place to place. The way each country answers Violet by basically telling her to forget her mission. Because it threatens them, because it threatens anyone who thinks it's not worth it to try. The emperor's origin story and his plan. The way that Violet makes it into Red Country. My brain hurts a little from reading this, because it's such a novel experience, and there is a part of me that wants to resist this story, because in some ways it could be too obvious, or too different for different's sake, but it won me over. And then some. Violet's story just seems so real, her hurt and her stubborn and her strange companions and while I might not have completely gotten every aspect of this story I can't help but feel a bit uplifted at the end. It won me over and I found myself smiling, felt a warmth inside that I hadn't expected and it just works and I'm sorry that this is a mess and sort of a review, but it can be both. Hopefully it's allowed.
"All Original Brightness" by Mike Buckley (4479 words)
This one's a military science fiction that focuses on a pair of marines who have been severely damaged by their service. Both now live in tanks, their bodies rather damaged from seeing action. Mitchum is a bit of a loser, kind of hopelessly in love with Gonzo, who's much more cocky, sure of herself. The pair have a friendly relationship and Mitchum doesn't really want to disrupt that only his tank is being taken away. He'll be kept alive, but he'll be unable to do anything else. No communication, no visuals. He thinks to kill himself, but instead something very different happens. It's a sweetly romantic story for being about death and disability and war and a bit about how we treat soldiers like items, like things and not people. A bit how we treat, or how society treats, everyone like that, as walking dollar signs. It's a rather nice story, though, emotionally powerful and with a setting that was stark but not wholly unbelievable. Another solid effort.
"Coming of the Light" by Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu (8399 words)
Mixing technology and religion, this story focuses on Zhou Chongbo as he navigates a crisis involving (perhaps) the destruction of all things. At the very least, he has to deal with the fallout from an idea he has that goes viral and takes on a life of its own. Working in marketing for dot com start-ups, Zhou accidentally comes up with the idea to incorporate some Buddhist teachings into the marketing strategy and inadvertently causes the product he was trying to sell to become mired in problems that prevent it from seeing a wide release. Only later does he discover that his seemingly conscious decision was only part of the universe's own defense mechanism to protect itself. That he was an NPC being brought in to protect the big boss from threat. It's a fascinating idea, using some ideas like karma and fate and things I probably don't understand too well because I'm lacking some knowledge but that seem to imply that Zhou was just sort of letting himself be used, that he wasn't one of the heroes, just an NPC thinking he was making his own choices when really he was adrift. I love the use of video games to explain things, that mix of technology with grander things, with philosophy and religion. I'm really liking these translations that Clarkesworld has been putting out. The difference in perspective is great and there are stylistic choices that just seem to really work. Of course, the story succeeds in kind of making me feel stupid because I'm sure I'm missing things (took me a while to get the binary section numbers...but hey, I felt like I accomplished something when I figured it out), but I like it. It's funny and it's deep and it's definitely worth a read.
 |
| Art by Peter Mohrbacher |
Stories:
"Slowly Builds An Empire" by Naim Kabir (6551 words)
In a world where everything is connected digitally, telepathically, and empathetically, Shinsuke is stuck in the analog age, unable to connect, isolated and desperate. When he starts to have visions of distant worlds, though, he is put into a group with other people like himself, something that is normally strictly forbidden. He doesn't care about the illegality of it, though, and soon joins one of his compatriots in a camp of even more people like himself, and discovers he's not the only one who sees different worlds. When he is asked to take part in a sort of revolution, then, he thinks nothing of it, glad to be a part of something. But he learns that he was being used, lied to. And he learns that he doesn't have to be a victim, that he can turn the tables, that he can build something. It's an interesting story, with Shinsuke a rather flawed mind, a bit warped by his experiences. I'm not entirely sure about the ending, which seems to imply that Shinsuke has decided to take over, that if he is to be connected he must rule, must reach out toward the planets he has visions of. He becomes a machine of war, quite the turn from what he was. Perhaps the story is making some hints that extreme social isolation leads to being kind of messed up and, like Shinsuke, engaging in some shady business. Maybe it's saying that living in a world without vocal or "in-person" interaction makes a population easily led and controlled. I'm not too sure. It's a neat story, with good action and memorable images, but I'm just not sure what to make of it.
"Cassandra" by Ken Liu (5462 words)
A sort of super villain is created in this story about a woman who discovers she has the ability to see the future. At first she doesn't know what to do with this knowledge. She tries to take it to the only superhero in town, a Superman analogy, but he doesn't believe in preventing crimes, not before they're being committed. But the new "villain" can't live with the visions, with the knowledge that if she does nothing then people will die. So she starts taking steps, preventing the things that she sees, that might happen. And the superhero tries to stop her because he doesn't believe in what she's doing. It's a nice argument piece, one that shows two sides of an argument. Because obviously the "villain" here is trying to save people and does seem to have a power, just like Showboat (the superhero). But he, being powerful, being someone who doesn't believe in punishing certain things, disapproves. It's a hard argument to make, that one should act based on a possible future, but in the end it's true that they're not too different. Both are concerned with punishing the wrongdoer. Neither really try to save the day without violence. Neither consider the problems at the root, though the "villain" seems closer to it. But it does show the hypocrisy of some superheroes, and indeed of the justice system in general, which seems to be what's being poked here. It's a nice story, and great for me because I have a soft spot for superhero/villain tales. Good times.
"The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild" (part 2) by Catherynne M. Valente (9523 words)
And now, the second part! The story continues on with the surreal mix of steam of conscious narration and dream logic. It maintains it's charm, and the strange coherence that it had in the first part keeps right along with Violet traveling toward Red Country. And everything comes together in this story. Traveling through the different lands, questioning everything, talking to the ordinary emperor. Everything is tight and works and yet is sort of wavy, sort of strange. It's a surreal experience, where everything is basically an extended metaphor and literal at the same time. The way love and sorrow change from place to place. The way each country answers Violet by basically telling her to forget her mission. Because it threatens them, because it threatens anyone who thinks it's not worth it to try. The emperor's origin story and his plan. The way that Violet makes it into Red Country. My brain hurts a little from reading this, because it's such a novel experience, and there is a part of me that wants to resist this story, because in some ways it could be too obvious, or too different for different's sake, but it won me over. And then some. Violet's story just seems so real, her hurt and her stubborn and her strange companions and while I might not have completely gotten every aspect of this story I can't help but feel a bit uplifted at the end. It won me over and I found myself smiling, felt a warmth inside that I hadn't expected and it just works and I'm sorry that this is a mess and sort of a review, but it can be both. Hopefully it's allowed.
"All Original Brightness" by Mike Buckley (4479 words)
This one's a military science fiction that focuses on a pair of marines who have been severely damaged by their service. Both now live in tanks, their bodies rather damaged from seeing action. Mitchum is a bit of a loser, kind of hopelessly in love with Gonzo, who's much more cocky, sure of herself. The pair have a friendly relationship and Mitchum doesn't really want to disrupt that only his tank is being taken away. He'll be kept alive, but he'll be unable to do anything else. No communication, no visuals. He thinks to kill himself, but instead something very different happens. It's a sweetly romantic story for being about death and disability and war and a bit about how we treat soldiers like items, like things and not people. A bit how we treat, or how society treats, everyone like that, as walking dollar signs. It's a rather nice story, though, emotionally powerful and with a setting that was stark but not wholly unbelievable. Another solid effort.
"Coming of the Light" by Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu (8399 words)
Mixing technology and religion, this story focuses on Zhou Chongbo as he navigates a crisis involving (perhaps) the destruction of all things. At the very least, he has to deal with the fallout from an idea he has that goes viral and takes on a life of its own. Working in marketing for dot com start-ups, Zhou accidentally comes up with the idea to incorporate some Buddhist teachings into the marketing strategy and inadvertently causes the product he was trying to sell to become mired in problems that prevent it from seeing a wide release. Only later does he discover that his seemingly conscious decision was only part of the universe's own defense mechanism to protect itself. That he was an NPC being brought in to protect the big boss from threat. It's a fascinating idea, using some ideas like karma and fate and things I probably don't understand too well because I'm lacking some knowledge but that seem to imply that Zhou was just sort of letting himself be used, that he wasn't one of the heroes, just an NPC thinking he was making his own choices when really he was adrift. I love the use of video games to explain things, that mix of technology with grander things, with philosophy and religion. I'm really liking these translations that Clarkesworld has been putting out. The difference in perspective is great and there are stylistic choices that just seem to really work. Of course, the story succeeds in kind of making me feel stupid because I'm sure I'm missing things (took me a while to get the binary section numbers...but hey, I felt like I accomplished something when I figured it out), but I like it. It's funny and it's deep and it's definitely worth a read.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Quick Sips - Flash Fiction Online March 2015
A new month means three new stories out at Flash Fiction Online. And this month there are also interviews with two of the authors, so there's that, too. As always, this is one of the best places to check out some very short stories, and in the days at the beginning of the month is something of a nice breather in between larger issues. So let's get to it!
Stories:
"Small Wishes" by Carol Otte (983 words)
This story's about a group of friends who discover dragons that will approach anyone singing and grant a wish. Not a big wish, though. Any big wish kills the dragon. And Joe, the main character, has a wish, to be healed following a construction accident that has him in constant pain. So he goes out to sing for the dragons, but when one is in front of him he decides to give the dragon his wish instead, to free the dragon from its need to grant human wishes. It's a nice, hopeful story, one that believes that humans in general can be decent, and for that alone it's a refreshing story. More than that, though, it acknowledges the desires that humans have, sees the selfish desires and how those are able to be kept back in order to do the right thing. Because Joe does want to be well, wants freedom from his own pain, but is unwilling to make someone else suffer because of him. Not that he doesn't hope that the dragons will just heal him anyway, but that he doesn't expect it and instead resolves to push through anyway is a nice sentiment. So hurrah.
"The Last Man on Earth -- A Mini Novel" by John Guzlowski (990 words)
This story, much as its title implies, is something of a mini novel, broken up into very mini chapters, about the last man on Earth. Maybe. How literal that title is was never entirely clear to me, because while there seems to be less people on Earth, there do see to be some, and even some men, though it's possible that they've all gone by the end and there is only the Last Man at that point. In some ways the story seemed to me to be about isolation, about despair. The Last Man doesn't seem to have much to live for. Most people are gone but he doesn't try to reach out, doesn't try to make connections. His status as Last Man seems almost self-imposed at this point, a way for him to think of himself that keeps the isolation in place. And in that case it's perhaps not even the case that the world has been emptied of people. There is the creeping possibility that the world is exactly how it always was, peopled and all, but that some event has caused the Last Man to become detached from it. There's quite a bit going on here, though, and the mini novel is definitely worth reading a few times through to try and unpack what's there.
"The Cratch, Thy Keeper" by Matthew F. Amati (723 words)
The shortest and also the most violent of the stories here this month, this one centers on a small community who worships a kind of corn god/monster called the Cratch. The Cratch's will is upheld by the narrator of the story, at first in a way that makes it seem like he's powerless about what happens and then, at the end, in a way that implies that the Cratch might not be so supernatural after all. The story is told in dialect but no location is given for the story, nor are the characters identified by race that I could tell. The valley that the story takes place in is a sort of nebulous nowhere, on Earth because of references to Jesus and Christian missionaries, and vaguely current for someone to have a tape deck, but I'm guessing the story is pulled away from any possible culture in an attempt to not offend anyone with the dialect choice. Because the speech/narration does seem to be of a broken nature, almost like the narrator uses English as a second language. I'm not sure how well that approach to dialect works for me personally, though it does give it a more striking sound. It's just...it seemed to me a bit as a way to make these people sound a bit more backward so that it would be more believable that they would worship a creature like a Cratch. Only that seems to imply that worship of agricultural gods is linked with backwardness and...I'm just not sure that it quite worked for me.
Stories:
"Small Wishes" by Carol Otte (983 words)
This story's about a group of friends who discover dragons that will approach anyone singing and grant a wish. Not a big wish, though. Any big wish kills the dragon. And Joe, the main character, has a wish, to be healed following a construction accident that has him in constant pain. So he goes out to sing for the dragons, but when one is in front of him he decides to give the dragon his wish instead, to free the dragon from its need to grant human wishes. It's a nice, hopeful story, one that believes that humans in general can be decent, and for that alone it's a refreshing story. More than that, though, it acknowledges the desires that humans have, sees the selfish desires and how those are able to be kept back in order to do the right thing. Because Joe does want to be well, wants freedom from his own pain, but is unwilling to make someone else suffer because of him. Not that he doesn't hope that the dragons will just heal him anyway, but that he doesn't expect it and instead resolves to push through anyway is a nice sentiment. So hurrah.
"The Last Man on Earth -- A Mini Novel" by John Guzlowski (990 words)
This story, much as its title implies, is something of a mini novel, broken up into very mini chapters, about the last man on Earth. Maybe. How literal that title is was never entirely clear to me, because while there seems to be less people on Earth, there do see to be some, and even some men, though it's possible that they've all gone by the end and there is only the Last Man at that point. In some ways the story seemed to me to be about isolation, about despair. The Last Man doesn't seem to have much to live for. Most people are gone but he doesn't try to reach out, doesn't try to make connections. His status as Last Man seems almost self-imposed at this point, a way for him to think of himself that keeps the isolation in place. And in that case it's perhaps not even the case that the world has been emptied of people. There is the creeping possibility that the world is exactly how it always was, peopled and all, but that some event has caused the Last Man to become detached from it. There's quite a bit going on here, though, and the mini novel is definitely worth reading a few times through to try and unpack what's there.
"The Cratch, Thy Keeper" by Matthew F. Amati (723 words)
The shortest and also the most violent of the stories here this month, this one centers on a small community who worships a kind of corn god/monster called the Cratch. The Cratch's will is upheld by the narrator of the story, at first in a way that makes it seem like he's powerless about what happens and then, at the end, in a way that implies that the Cratch might not be so supernatural after all. The story is told in dialect but no location is given for the story, nor are the characters identified by race that I could tell. The valley that the story takes place in is a sort of nebulous nowhere, on Earth because of references to Jesus and Christian missionaries, and vaguely current for someone to have a tape deck, but I'm guessing the story is pulled away from any possible culture in an attempt to not offend anyone with the dialect choice. Because the speech/narration does seem to be of a broken nature, almost like the narrator uses English as a second language. I'm not sure how well that approach to dialect works for me personally, though it does give it a more striking sound. It's just...it seemed to me a bit as a way to make these people sound a bit more backward so that it would be more believable that they would worship a creature like a Cratch. Only that seems to imply that worship of agricultural gods is linked with backwardness and...I'm just not sure that it quite worked for me.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Quick Sips - Tor.com February 2015
Today I'm looking at the February stories from Tor.com. And yes, I know that it's March. The shame I feel at having to do this is great, but there was really no avoiding it. February was long and I just had too much I wanted to get to. Also, writing a review the first day of the month is difficult, so this gives me a whole extra day. I'm sorry is what I'm saying. Sorry and I'll try to do better. But anyway, on with the show!
Stories:
"The Human Engineer" by Jessica Brody (6743 words)
Definitely not a happy story, this one at least doesn't make the idea of growing fetuses in artificial wombs out to be something evil or one step in a slippery slope. If anything, it's a great advocate for such technology, because as the main character notes, it has tons of advantages. It's more a story about giving a corporation that kind of power can lead to some terrible decisions. In an age where there are memory coders and things like that, having things be driven by the commercial aspect of things makes for some really terrible things. Like putting a dollar sign on life. And that seems to be at the heart of the story. It's also a rather bleak look at what might be the future, but it makes some decent points, blasting the capitalist system where whatever makes money is valued. Where the money is more important than the human. It's a delicate position to take, but I do think that the story manages, that it succeeds. It's not a particularly happy story, but it is a pretty good one. So hurrah.
"The Language of Knives" by Haralambi Markov (2719 words)
This story moves smooth as knife cuts, revealing a daughter and parent working together to make the body of their father and husband into a cake. It's a slow, methodical story, and one that snuck up on me. I will admit that I was surprised by the turn, by the reveal that the second parent is a man. It's very well done to set up the expectation that it's a woman, with the magic using instead of the brawn, with the baking, with those small hints at what is perceived as feminine. So this one caught me, got me to question my own assumptions when approaching the work, and yet I didn't really feel tricked. I didn't feel that the story became about that twist. Indeed, I think that's a great part about it, that it doesn't dwell on the reveal, that it sets it up so that the fact that he's a man is rather insignificant. It's obviously consciously chosen, to show how people assume, to challenge those assumptions. But the story itself is no different. If it had been a mother and daughter it would be no different. The pain and jealousy and hurt and all of that would remain. Basically, that he's a man or a woman doesn't cast him into any assigned gender role. It shows that gender roles are constructs, that they don't magically change the meaning of the story if one character is male or female. And it works. It's a beautiful story and wonderfully told.
"Acrobatic Duality" by Tamara Vardomskaya (3996 words)
This story seems to circle around the idea of identity and also athletic ethics as a single person becomes a pair of gymnasts competing at the World Championships. The idea that two people are really the same, that one mind is split between them, is interesting and strange and is explored well in the story. There is a sense that despite the two bodies being different, that they are completely in sync. Except that as they compete and as they come to terms with what they are and what winning would mean, they realize that they can't just pretend that they are normal, can't just continue on as if they have earned the praise that they are receiving. It's a flowing, intricate story, and the split psyche is handled well, the descriptions of the gymnastics well framed and the feel of the story solid. I did want to know what was going on, empathized with both their want to fulfill their potential and their want to find out who they really are. Because the easy thing to do would be to accept that the sport is their life. That they can be successful. But they forego that in order to seek the more difficult truth, regardless the outcome.
"Shrödinger's Gun" by Ray Wood (7679 words)
Set in Prohibition era Chicago, the story follows a female detective as she investigates the murder of a gangster. Only she's no ordinary detective. She has a heisen device that allows here to visit other realities, to explore the uncertainty of the universe and use it to her advantage. It is a great idea and one that really works with the setting, a mixture of high tech and noir. And really it's not something I'd expect to work, but it does. Historical science fiction noir. Good times. And it plays with some interesting ideas swirling around uncertainty, with how a detective might use the tools available to her, as well as what might happen with the truly improbably happens. It's a fun story, full of the feel of the time, of smoke and cheap booze and despair, and it works with the ending, with that ultimate uncertainty of her decision when faced with the two different outcomes. For the readers, we are left to make that decision of what happens or let it linger, forever unanswered.
"The Hell of It" by Peter Orullian (15347 words)
In some ways this story is even more painful than the author's story from last month (also at Tor), which was all about torture. I'm sensing a theme, at the very least, of loss and pain when it comes to these two stories at least. In this one, which is quite long, a man faces the prospects of losing everything he has left, which isn't all that much to begin with. Down on his luck following the death of his wife, Malen finally hits the bottom when he's fired from his job as a deck scrubber and resorts to trying to gamble with the last of his wife's things. Things go from bad to worse as Malen slowly makes concessions, slowly gives up everything, continually cheated out of his way out. It's a gritty story, and one that really just seems an exercise in kicking a character when he's down. Because the ending comes off as a bit hollow to me. At least, though the story focuses on the fact that Malen is a "good" man who has been kicked by the system, and that he's finally won in some ways because his son is being taken to become part of that system, I can't see it as a victory in any sense. Maybe it's just what he needs to tell himself in order to not die, but it doesn't seem like any victory to give his son up. It seems another thing that will work out poorly for Malen, like when he finally returns he'll find his son has embraced the system that kept him down and that Malen delivered him into that system and I just don't know what to take from that ending. Part of it just rubs me a little the wrong way, because it seems to focus on Malen's nobility by showing how terrible things are around him, and how futile his struggle is, because even in the end the best he can do is make his son a tool to do to others what was done to him. Hmm... This story definitely brings up a lot to think about, though. So there's that.
Stories:
"The Human Engineer" by Jessica Brody (6743 words)
Definitely not a happy story, this one at least doesn't make the idea of growing fetuses in artificial wombs out to be something evil or one step in a slippery slope. If anything, it's a great advocate for such technology, because as the main character notes, it has tons of advantages. It's more a story about giving a corporation that kind of power can lead to some terrible decisions. In an age where there are memory coders and things like that, having things be driven by the commercial aspect of things makes for some really terrible things. Like putting a dollar sign on life. And that seems to be at the heart of the story. It's also a rather bleak look at what might be the future, but it makes some decent points, blasting the capitalist system where whatever makes money is valued. Where the money is more important than the human. It's a delicate position to take, but I do think that the story manages, that it succeeds. It's not a particularly happy story, but it is a pretty good one. So hurrah.
"The Language of Knives" by Haralambi Markov (2719 words)
This story moves smooth as knife cuts, revealing a daughter and parent working together to make the body of their father and husband into a cake. It's a slow, methodical story, and one that snuck up on me. I will admit that I was surprised by the turn, by the reveal that the second parent is a man. It's very well done to set up the expectation that it's a woman, with the magic using instead of the brawn, with the baking, with those small hints at what is perceived as feminine. So this one caught me, got me to question my own assumptions when approaching the work, and yet I didn't really feel tricked. I didn't feel that the story became about that twist. Indeed, I think that's a great part about it, that it doesn't dwell on the reveal, that it sets it up so that the fact that he's a man is rather insignificant. It's obviously consciously chosen, to show how people assume, to challenge those assumptions. But the story itself is no different. If it had been a mother and daughter it would be no different. The pain and jealousy and hurt and all of that would remain. Basically, that he's a man or a woman doesn't cast him into any assigned gender role. It shows that gender roles are constructs, that they don't magically change the meaning of the story if one character is male or female. And it works. It's a beautiful story and wonderfully told.
"Acrobatic Duality" by Tamara Vardomskaya (3996 words)
This story seems to circle around the idea of identity and also athletic ethics as a single person becomes a pair of gymnasts competing at the World Championships. The idea that two people are really the same, that one mind is split between them, is interesting and strange and is explored well in the story. There is a sense that despite the two bodies being different, that they are completely in sync. Except that as they compete and as they come to terms with what they are and what winning would mean, they realize that they can't just pretend that they are normal, can't just continue on as if they have earned the praise that they are receiving. It's a flowing, intricate story, and the split psyche is handled well, the descriptions of the gymnastics well framed and the feel of the story solid. I did want to know what was going on, empathized with both their want to fulfill their potential and their want to find out who they really are. Because the easy thing to do would be to accept that the sport is their life. That they can be successful. But they forego that in order to seek the more difficult truth, regardless the outcome.
"Shrödinger's Gun" by Ray Wood (7679 words)
Set in Prohibition era Chicago, the story follows a female detective as she investigates the murder of a gangster. Only she's no ordinary detective. She has a heisen device that allows here to visit other realities, to explore the uncertainty of the universe and use it to her advantage. It is a great idea and one that really works with the setting, a mixture of high tech and noir. And really it's not something I'd expect to work, but it does. Historical science fiction noir. Good times. And it plays with some interesting ideas swirling around uncertainty, with how a detective might use the tools available to her, as well as what might happen with the truly improbably happens. It's a fun story, full of the feel of the time, of smoke and cheap booze and despair, and it works with the ending, with that ultimate uncertainty of her decision when faced with the two different outcomes. For the readers, we are left to make that decision of what happens or let it linger, forever unanswered.
"The Hell of It" by Peter Orullian (15347 words)
In some ways this story is even more painful than the author's story from last month (also at Tor), which was all about torture. I'm sensing a theme, at the very least, of loss and pain when it comes to these two stories at least. In this one, which is quite long, a man faces the prospects of losing everything he has left, which isn't all that much to begin with. Down on his luck following the death of his wife, Malen finally hits the bottom when he's fired from his job as a deck scrubber and resorts to trying to gamble with the last of his wife's things. Things go from bad to worse as Malen slowly makes concessions, slowly gives up everything, continually cheated out of his way out. It's a gritty story, and one that really just seems an exercise in kicking a character when he's down. Because the ending comes off as a bit hollow to me. At least, though the story focuses on the fact that Malen is a "good" man who has been kicked by the system, and that he's finally won in some ways because his son is being taken to become part of that system, I can't see it as a victory in any sense. Maybe it's just what he needs to tell himself in order to not die, but it doesn't seem like any victory to give his son up. It seems another thing that will work out poorly for Malen, like when he finally returns he'll find his son has embraced the system that kept him down and that Malen delivered him into that system and I just don't know what to take from that ending. Part of it just rubs me a little the wrong way, because it seems to focus on Malen's nobility by showing how terrible things are around him, and how futile his struggle is, because even in the end the best he can do is make his son a tool to do to others what was done to him. Hmm... This story definitely brings up a lot to think about, though. So there's that.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Quick Thoughts - Reading Challenge
So if you haven't, go read K. Tempest Bradford's challenge to read no white, straight, cis male (henceforth WSCM) authors for a year. It's a great and inspiring piece about changing how you see the writing (and reading) landscape when you stop focusing on the largest (loudest, most pushed, etc.) section of it. It's about learning about yourself and growing as a reader (and writer). Which is what a lot of people attacking the idea don't seem to get. The challenge is framed in how much it will help the READER. The participant in the challenge. It's not about limiting potential books. It's not about only reading non-WSCM authors FOREVER. It's about challenging yourself to move outside what's most common for a year and then seeing how that year has changed you. It's about opening yourself to the idea that once you see what's out there beyond the seemingly default WSCM perspective, you might find what you really, really, really like and that will make you happier.
Personal story time! So I grew up basically WSCM (I am WCM, but most people could probably have guessed). That was how I thought of myself for a long, long time. When I started reading, it was WSCM authors. And I resisted branching out from there. There were some. Yes, I loved the Dragonriders of Pern (while listening to Queen because obviously...the two are still inextricably linked in my mind). But mostly I read the "big" names from Tor. I read Robert Jordan and L.E. Modesitt, Jr. and Terry Goodkind and Tad Willaims and thought that I was a great reader because everyone was willing to tell me I was. Not that any of those authors are bad, necessarily. I still enjoy many of their works. But I didn't think about what I was reading. So by the time I was in college, I had read something like 500 books that I could remember and probably 90% of them (at least) were by WSCM authors. That this wasn't odd to me was A PROBLEM. It wasn't healthy. I was seeing only one kind of narrative and one where I didn't even exist.
Thank glob for other people and other writers. Because as I read more, as I was exposed to more in college, suddenly I was understanding more things about myself. Suddenly I was understanding more about other people. Suddenly I could empathize and see just how messed up I was. And how did that happen? By reading books I wouldn't have otherwise. By taking classes where we read autobiography and new women writers and non-white writers and non-straight writers. Things started making sense. I started to understand myself. It wasn't even about trying to support diverse writers. It wasn't about making sure my money was going to places I could feel good about. It was entirely selfish, because that's where it had to start. Suddenly I made more sense to me. Because I left my comfort zone. Which, I realized, wasn't very fucking comfortable.
And after that I found myself gravitating to voices that I could feel more comfortable with, could feel better about myself with. That spoke to me. I figured out what my preferences were for books and am much better able now to seek out and find books that stoke a part of me that makes me feel alive and happy. That wake me up. That CHALLENGE me. Because that's what this is all about. It's about CHALLENGE. Mostly it's about personal challenge. If you never challenge your assumptions, especially those you have about yourself and your own preferences, then you might go your entire life never finding those books that will speak to you most. What do you have to lose? A year's worth of reading? If you find that you hated what you read, then feel free to go back to whatever you were doing before.
For me, personally, I think it's a great idea. I have ideas and I want to do this challenge. Because of how I queue up my books and how I review for a few places, it's not something that I'll likely be doing this year, and maybe not next year either. But it sounds like so much fun! It does sound like something that will challenge me, that will help me grow as a reader and a person. It's not limiting. It's not even about supporting diverse fiction (though it does and that's a very good thing). It's not about winning some sort of weird "points" as some people are bound to claim. The way the challenge is framed, this is about being selfish. This is about challenging yourself, challenging your mind and your assumptions, and finding out more about yourself. If you come out the other side unchanged, then fine, no harm, but chances are you'll come out with a more profound understanding of yourself, which is always a good thing.
So make plans. Get a queue of books going. Start a wishlist or figure out alternates in case the library doesn't have a certain book in when you're to it. Let's do this!
All the best,
Charles Payseur
P.S. Some of my recent favorites that would qualify for the list:
The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear
Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling
To the Resurrection Station by Eleanor Arnason
The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin
Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Personal story time! So I grew up basically WSCM (I am WCM, but most people could probably have guessed). That was how I thought of myself for a long, long time. When I started reading, it was WSCM authors. And I resisted branching out from there. There were some. Yes, I loved the Dragonriders of Pern (while listening to Queen because obviously...the two are still inextricably linked in my mind). But mostly I read the "big" names from Tor. I read Robert Jordan and L.E. Modesitt, Jr. and Terry Goodkind and Tad Willaims and thought that I was a great reader because everyone was willing to tell me I was. Not that any of those authors are bad, necessarily. I still enjoy many of their works. But I didn't think about what I was reading. So by the time I was in college, I had read something like 500 books that I could remember and probably 90% of them (at least) were by WSCM authors. That this wasn't odd to me was A PROBLEM. It wasn't healthy. I was seeing only one kind of narrative and one where I didn't even exist.
Thank glob for other people and other writers. Because as I read more, as I was exposed to more in college, suddenly I was understanding more things about myself. Suddenly I was understanding more about other people. Suddenly I could empathize and see just how messed up I was. And how did that happen? By reading books I wouldn't have otherwise. By taking classes where we read autobiography and new women writers and non-white writers and non-straight writers. Things started making sense. I started to understand myself. It wasn't even about trying to support diverse writers. It wasn't about making sure my money was going to places I could feel good about. It was entirely selfish, because that's where it had to start. Suddenly I made more sense to me. Because I left my comfort zone. Which, I realized, wasn't very fucking comfortable.
And after that I found myself gravitating to voices that I could feel more comfortable with, could feel better about myself with. That spoke to me. I figured out what my preferences were for books and am much better able now to seek out and find books that stoke a part of me that makes me feel alive and happy. That wake me up. That CHALLENGE me. Because that's what this is all about. It's about CHALLENGE. Mostly it's about personal challenge. If you never challenge your assumptions, especially those you have about yourself and your own preferences, then you might go your entire life never finding those books that will speak to you most. What do you have to lose? A year's worth of reading? If you find that you hated what you read, then feel free to go back to whatever you were doing before.
For me, personally, I think it's a great idea. I have ideas and I want to do this challenge. Because of how I queue up my books and how I review for a few places, it's not something that I'll likely be doing this year, and maybe not next year either. But it sounds like so much fun! It does sound like something that will challenge me, that will help me grow as a reader and a person. It's not limiting. It's not even about supporting diverse fiction (though it does and that's a very good thing). It's not about winning some sort of weird "points" as some people are bound to claim. The way the challenge is framed, this is about being selfish. This is about challenging yourself, challenging your mind and your assumptions, and finding out more about yourself. If you come out the other side unchanged, then fine, no harm, but chances are you'll come out with a more profound understanding of yourself, which is always a good thing.
So make plans. Get a queue of books going. Start a wishlist or figure out alternates in case the library doesn't have a certain book in when you're to it. Let's do this!
All the best,
Charles Payseur
P.S. Some of my recent favorites that would qualify for the list:
The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear
Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling
To the Resurrection Station by Eleanor Arnason
The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin
Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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