Quick Sips 02/26/2021

So there’s a lot to get to today. A LOT. And most of it rather new to me, including me starting coverage on a new magazine, a new serial/mosaic project, and quick reviews on yet another anthology from last year (which I missed at the time and which is Ah-Mazing! Just saying). On top of that there’s a new Translunar Travelers Lounge, new Strange Horizons, and new Pseudopod works all out. So from my lightest week to, well, this deluge of SFF goodness. Wow!

NOTE: This will be a recurring note that will run with every Quick Sips. First, please note that I don’t necessarily mention every story or poem out in an issue. I am giving myself permission to either DNF stories, or else finish and just not comment on them. Please don’t assume it’s because I disliked the work! There are many reasons I might chose not to comment on a piece, and I reserve the right to do just that. Second, you might notice the notations at the end of the micro reviews and wonder what the [c# t#] is. These are for the Scales of Relative Grimness and a full explanation of them can be found through the tab at the top of the page or through this link. With that said, let’s get to the reviews!

Community of Magic Pens, edited by E.D.E. Bell (37 short stories, 3 poems total)

• “Penultimate” by ZZ Claybourne (short story) - A wonderful and rather poetic story about a person who has a pen, who is a pen, who writes reality and love with her every stroke. It’s a perfect opening to the anthology’s themes and starts things with a peppy mood and genuine joy. Pens, Reality, Transformations, Love. [c1 t1]
• “Of Signatures and Contracts” by Andrew K Hoe (short story) - A fun and bouncy story about a man, a corporate merger, and some magic pens that seem determined to help him steer away from catastrophe and remind him of what’s important. Charmingly written and tightly paced, it leaves open a hope and energy going forward. Pens, Magic, Corporations, Agencies, Relationships. CW- Aggressive Capitalism. [c2 t2]
• “The Confessionist” by Ava Kelly (short story) - A story of a kind of technological sin-eater used to absolving people of their guilt by taking it on himself, all while trying to pay off his massive debt. One last big job looms, one that scares him, but might just set him free in more ways than one. Beautifully done. Confessions, Guilt, Memory Transfers, Trans MC. CW- Debt, Coerced Mental Manipulation. [c3 t3]
• “Mightier” by Elizabeth Shaffer (short story) - A quick and cute take on superheroes and Essie, who wants desperately to be an active hero, but who is gifted with a rather passive superhero tool. Just really nice all the way around. Superheroes, Powers, Pens, Communication. [c1 t1]
• “Qalam” by Z. Ahmad (short story) - A piece about the power of stories to transport people, to go on adventures, as revealed by a student given a gift that allows her to move through time and space. A great read! Pens, Stories, Transportation, Time Travel, Studies. [c1 t1]
• “Inheritance” by J. S. Bailey (short story) - A heartwarming story of loss and communication through time, as a woman misses and seems to reconnect with her grandmother with the help of a magic pen. A generational story of connection and comfort. Pens, Communication, Time Travel, Family. CW- Death of a Grandparent, Grief. [c3 t2]
• “The Taste of Words” by Kella Campbell (short story) - A super sweet (well, all sorts of flavorful, really) and romantic story that’s short but bursting with cuteness. Wonderful! Pens, Food, Recipes, Flavors, Relationships. [c1 t1]
• “Writink” by Ether Nepenthes (short story) - A rather meta story about a character dealing with writer’s block struggling with the pressure to create Art when they just want to Have Fun and finding that the two are not necessarily separate. A fun and all-too-familiar situation captured with care and compassion. Stories, Writing, Fanfiction, Non-binary MC. CW- Grades. [c1 t1]
• “The Cemetery Merchant” by Anthony W. Eichenlaub (short story) - This story changes things up a bit by putting something of a grim edge to the magic of the pens featured, making them almost cursed. And it finds two characters who have lost each other maybe finally ready to be found again. Pens, Bargains, Curses, Memories. CW- Memory Loss.
• “Love in the Library” by Robert Perez (short story) - A story about hiding and being open about love, about a wedding and the discovery of an old secret romance. Another heartwarming and incredibly sweet story that I loved! Letters, Weddings, Queer MC, History, Secrets, Family. CW- Intolerance/Prejudice [c2 t1]
• “Pen ID” by Adam Kissel (short story) - A short and rather strange piece that imagines a sort of governance of pens, with pens passing laws about disclosure and privacy. It’s a piece that holds a lot, that hits on politics and identity in some neat ways, and is definitely worth a read. Pens, Laws, Courts, Identity, Colors. CW- Law/Injustice/Literal Identity Politics.
• “Do Not Write to Wrong” by N.R. Lambert (short story) - A jerk gets hold of a reality altering ledger and pen and...things don’t go well. And it’s up to a group of his fellow fifth graders to set things right. A rather tense but fun read. School, Reality, Pens, Rules. CW- Bullying. [c2 t3]
• “Invisible Ink” by Gerri Leen (poem) - The first poem in the anthology and actually kinda creepy and a bit more grim than most everything else so far. Still, a neat piece about the secrets of those cheap plastic pens that never seem to get thrown away. Nice.
• “Werepen” by Avery Montavon (short story) - A funny premise that hides a rather more profound sentiment as a writer confides a secret to her wife and sees herself and her work a bit differently. A very short but striking read. Curses, Transformations, Writing, Novels, Queer MC, Witches. [c1 t1]
• “Scrawls of Squid Ink” by D.A. Xiaolin Spires (short story) - A woman. Her recently deceased grandmother. A pizza that might be a conduit to the afterlife. A perfect storm of recrimination, introspection, and a rather tender look at life and death. Fun and charming. Pizza, Mediums, Communication, Family. CW- Death of a Grandparent. [c2 t2]
• “Memories of a Rose Garden” by Beth Goder (short story) - A story of a magical pen, a secret garden, and a rather spectacular breakup, but told in a quiet, restrained, rather yearning way. Beautifully rendered! Gardens, Relationships, Pens, Reality. [c1 t3]
• “Today, I am a Fountain Pen” by Lawrence Miller (short story) - A stunning and beautifully understated story that at irs surface is just the story of a woman and the pens she makes but that, sinking into the tale, reveals histories touched by magic, leaning toward something warm and compassionate. A fantastic story! Pens, Woodwork, Family, Celebrations, Gifts. [c1 t1]
• “A Pencil Golden and Rich” by Rai Rocca (short story) - A wrenching story of a family dealing with the fragility of their situation in America as immigrants and yearning for safety, security, and the freedom to breathe. A great read! Immigration, Visions, Pencils, Flight, Family. CW- Exploitation/Prejudice. [c2 t3]
• “MaterialSkin” by Tlotlo Tsamaase (short story) - A woman falls in love with the virtual reality of a game only for her love to disappear. The truth, though, reveals some things she didn’t know were possible, and forces them both to make some hard decisions. Virtual Reality, Games, Investigations, Queer MC. [c1 t3]
• “The Last of Your Kind” by Vijay Varman (poem) - A lonely poem, told in rhyme, narrator by a pen looking down the barrel of extinction. Kinda heavy, but also a bit fun and playful.
• “Memory Malfunction” by Minerva Cerridwen (short story) - Sibill, an android who can no longer make long term memories, still wants a job at a prestigious mercantile business. So he’s given a kind of test to make sure he’d be a good fit. I really like the way it all comes together. Memory, Employment, Deals, Art. CW- Memory Loss/Impairment. [c2 t2]
• “Shared Space” by A. P. Howell (short story) - A shared cubicle is a strange place that Tracey has tried to make her own when mysterious artwork makes her get more into the idea of sharing. Cute and fun! Offices, Cubicles, Sharing, Art, Hockey. [c1 t1]
• “Mystical Woo” by Victorial Hollis (short story) - A sweet story tempered by missed opportunities, two people who think they know what they want just...missing each other because they don’t know, can’t know until life happens first. A beautiful story. Journals. Pens. Wishes, Magic. School Reunions. CW- Cheating/Infedelity. [c2 t2]
• “Charcoals from an Unidentified Chicago Artist” by Dawn Vogel (short story) - A strange and somewhat haunting story about fire and helplessness and an artist linked to it, all swirling around Chicago and loss and destruction. Fires, Art, Curses, Ghosts. CW- Death/Burning. [c2 t4]
• “Pointy Chances” by Robert Kingett (short story) - Nick has a magic pen, but even it might not be enough to help him with his hesitation about confessing his feelings to his crush. Just an incredibly sweet story. School, Blindness/Blind MC, Pens, Confessions. [c1 t2]
• “Old News” by Gustavo Bondoni (short story) - A young girl is given a powerful gift and a great responsibility, and manages to live up to both in this story about time and change and magic. Wonderfully woven. Pens, Magic, Alternate History, Altering History, Family. CW- Colonization/Treaties. [c2 t1]
• “Illumination” by Joy Givens (short story) - A story of the birth of the printing press and two women of faith, one of whom has something of a crisis imagining the future that invention might usher in. But it faces fear and moves through it, holding to faith over prejudice. A fine read. Printing Presses, Religion, Fire, Spying. CW- Religion. [c2 t2]
• “A Blank Canvas” by Ethan Hedman (short story) - A very quick work that finds an artist working on a canvas as big as a world, planning a landscape in a terraforming project that gives her carte blanche to create outside of a utilitarian model. It’s a sweeping piece. Terraforming, Art, AIs, Landscapes, Moons. [c1 t1]
• “One Story, Two People” by Nicole J. LeBoeuf (short story) - A beautiful story of friendship and two quantumly entangled pens that allow them to “script” across distances in space and, it turns out, time. The piece is heavy at times but powerfully accomplished and a great read! Pens, Communication, Time Travel, Friendship. CW- Abuse, Death of a Friend. [c3 t3]
• “The Oneiric Archive” by Lorraine Schein (poem) - A neat little piece about dreams, about electronic/digital integration, about memory and storage and a technological kind of magic pen. Quite good!
• “Writ Large” by Holly Schofield (short story) - A rather fun story of technology that begins as assistive/disability tech and turns out to be something that benefits everyone, that starts to break down the walls of deceit and exploitation that make progress so difficult. Technology, Thought-to-text, Assistive Technology, Non-binary MC. CW- Aggressive Capitalism. [c2 t2]
• “Rhapsody in D Minor” by Jannae’ Sifontes (short story) - A composure has something of a chance meeting during a creative session, one that might get her to rethink the way she engages with the world, and her art. An affirming and fun read. Music, Composing, Queer MC, Disabled MC. [c1 t1]
• “Written with Love” by Stella B. James (short story) - Cupid’s granddaughter might have made a mistake when she when into his forbidden office and used a magic pen to try and tilt the odds of love in her favor. And now she has something of a problem, which Cupid just finds hilarious. A wild and funny read! Family, Mythology, Love, Pens. CW- Coercion/Mind Control. [c2 t1]
• “The Healer” by M. Kaur (short story) - A story of faith and magic, and a time and a place torn apart by violence in the wake of the violence of colonization. For that weight, though, the piece is lovely and kind and rather charming and warm. Pens, Horses, Family, Religion, Healing. CW- Colonization, Religion/Religious Intolerance/Violence. [c3 t2]
• “Magical Markers” by Lena Ng (short story) - This is a beautiful but emotionally devastating story, just powerful and hitting in an intense but wonderful way. Wow. Family, Markers, Magic, Fairies. CW- Hospitals, Cancer, Death of a Grandparent, Death of a Child. [c5 t1]
• “Rekindled” by Mikko Rauhala (short story) - A heartwarming story of two generations of medicine women reconnecting through letters, and finding an understanding and a continuation of wisdom and love. Plus the crow familiar is adorable! Crows, Letters, Quills, Family, Healing. CW- Death of a Parent. [c2 t2]
• “Ink” by E.D.E. Bell (short story) - A very short but resonating story about a narrator sitting down to get a tattoo, and the non-binary artist working with them, and all the things they say, and leave unsaid. Lovely work. Tattoos, Ink, Truths. [c1 t1]
• “The Drawing of a Sword” by K. Alysee Simon (short story) - A craftsman managed to make a magic pen, one that would allow them to draw weapons and then draw them out from the paper into reality. A useful skill in war, though it doesn’t seem to be enough to turn the tide in the situation they’re embroiled in. A tightly woven and satisfying read. Pens, Art, Paper, Weapons, Maps. CW- War/Violence. [c2 t3]
• “Nothing to Write Home About” by M. R. DeLuca (short story) - A charming story about a man who has to set his grandmother’s estate in order after her passing only to find the stories of her demise might be exaggerated. At least, kinda sorta. A fun and funny piece! Pens, Houses, Invention, Souls, Afterlives. CW- Death of a Grandparent. [c2 t2]
• “Write Me a Soul” by Jennifer Lee Rossman (short story) - A fantastic story about a narrator with a magic pen and the woman she conjured into existence...without a soul. And what follows is a mini choose-your-own-adventure that is warm and lovely and such a great way to close out the anthology. Souls, Queer MC, Pens, Chosen Family. [c2 t2]

This is a big, wonderful anthology. Seriously. And while it’s a 2020 release, it’s one of those that I regret not getting to before this. Because the fun, funny, charming stories that fill up the pages there, that burst with hope and kindness and love, is the perfect balm for hard times. For stress. For angst. These are stories that shine with warmth, that can be stretched out, a story a day, to make for well over a month of gentle and affirming short SFF. Definitely go and get yourself a copy!

khōréō magazine #1 (5 short stories total)

• “The Taste of Centuries, the Taste of Home” by Jennifer Hudak (short story) - A lovely story about family, about bread, and about a world beyond a portal, where some people who choose to stay can be happy and safe. Warm and wonderful. Bread, Portals, Family, Traditions. CW- Memory Loss/Dementia. [c2 t2]
• “Vampirito” by K. Victoria Hernandez (short story) - A heavy story about intolerance, family, and getting by, all within a family of vampires who are often targets of racial discrimination, intimidation, and violence. The world building here is powerfully done, and that it unfolds through all the perspectives in the family is sharp and a bit shattering. That ending! Vampires, Family, Food Trucks, Allergies, Traditions. CW- Bully, Racism, Violence, Abuse. [c4 t4]
• “A Little History of Things Lost & Found” by Shingai Njeri Kagunda (short story) - A generational story of women connecting to the trees of Nairobi, learning and forgetting and remembering the importance of those trees and the promises made. It’s a building story about strained histories and people still reaching for healing and peace. Great work! Trees, Family, Voices, Resistance, Conservation. CW- Political Violence, Death of a Parent. [c2 t3]
• “The Frankly Impossible Weight of Han” by Maria Dong (short story) - A story about a little box that can create perfect copies. Of fruit. Of grief. Of itself. And what happens when such a thing is unleashed on the world. It’s a strange but powerful story! Inventions, Copies, Family, Ghosts. CW- Grief/Loss/Death of a Spouse, Cancer, Illness/Death.
• “All Worlds Left Behind” by Iona Datt Sharma (short story) - A lovely story about a woman who grew up in part in a portal realm, but one that she has become increasingly distanced from, tied in complicated ways to her father, a man who is now dying even as she’s trying to plan her wedding. A complex and wrenching, but ultimately beautiful story about what gets lost in movement. Family, Portals, Weddings, Language. CW- Death of a Parent, Loss/Grief. [c2 t3]

The inaugural issue of khōréō brings a wonderful spread of fantasy stories that deal with family, with loss, with portals, and with moving forward. The works carrying a great thematic resonance, returning to ideas and building together in this vibrant and complex web of identity, destruction, grief, and hope. And I’m definitely looking forward to next issue!

Translunar Travelers Lounge #4 (14 short stories total)

Gazpacho

• “Fanfiction for a Grimdark Universe” by Vanessa Fogg (short story) - A beautiful and shattering story about a pair of people caught in a bad situation, one of them explaining a very strange phenomenon involving stories, and fanfiction. It’s a warm and devastating read, hopeful in the end though bleak at times and just wow, incredibly strong stuff. I love it! Confessions, Fanfiction, Relationships, School. CW- Death/War/Necromancy, Torture (mentioned). [c3 t4]
• “The Theory and Practice of Time Travel: A Syllabus” by David DeGraff (short story/flash) - And strange and rather charming story told as the title suggests--as a syllabus for a fictional college class about time travel. Fun times! Time Travel, Universities, Dinosaurs, Latin. CW- Death/Illness (implied). [c2 t2]
• “Prophecy Girls” by Sydney Paige Guerrero (short story) - A Chosen One deals with, well, being alive after she was supposed to die to fulfill her role, and has to face the way that those who prepared her for that role don’t know what to make of her. The piece is heavy with the weight of sacrifice, and the promise of freedom. Magic, Rituals, Cycles, Chosen Ones. CW- Death/Torture/Ritual Killing, Death of a Child. [c4 t3]
• “The Taste of Your Name” by Amal Singh (short story) - A heartwarming story of a love that the narrator’s mother does not approve at all of, and a curse that makes the narrator forget first the name of, then the face of, his lover. Full of flavors and language and beautifully done. Tastes, Names, Relationships, Family, Curses. CW- Familial Strife/Arranged Marriage, Memory Loss. [c2 t3]

Lentil Peanut Stew

• “Memories of Fire” by Benjamin C. Kinney (short story) - A strange and action-packed story of rebel stars and the cages built to hold them. About the stories people tell to try and make themselves into better versions of themselves. Stars, Chains/Cages, Rebellion, Family. CW- Captivity/Coercion, War/Executions/Torture. [c3 t3]
• “Fractured” by Aimee Kuzenski (short story) - The narrator of this story, Casey, is still recovering from an injury that has left their body a kind of democracy, each limb and part with something of a mind of its own. But when disaster strikes, their training as a med tech might be enough to get the riotous parts of themself to work together toward something important. A great read! Space, Recovery, Food. CW- Injury/Pain/Trauma, Explosions/Blood. [c3 t3]
• “The Shape of Snowflakes” by Kehkashan Khalid (short story) - Another heavy story about a group of friends touched by an alien “snow” living in a city that exploits them, that they can’t seem to escape from. A complex and wrenching read. Friendship, Snow, Trees, Heists, Cities. CW- Abuse, Suicide, Poverty, Fatphobia. [c4 t4]
• “An Infection of Priests in the Body of God” by Matt Dovey (short story) - Another difficult and rather grim story, though lifting in the end. Healing, Gods, Religion. CW- Imprisonment/Torture/Slavery, Pregnancy/Childbirth, Sacrifice/Death/Suicide. [c5 t4]

Tomato Soup

• “Bottle Up Your Dreams, But Don’t Forget Them” by Jo Miles (short story/flash) - A story about time and regret, about what happens to a dream put on a shelf, and what happens when a cat knocks it down and lets it back out. A lovely read. Cats, Memories, Bargains, Dreams. CW- Memory Alteration/Dream Sacrifice/Marital Unhappiness/Abuse. [c2 t2]
• “A Clamour at Dusk” by dave ring (short story) - A story full of shadows and magic, longing and love, as a young woman promised to be married to a man she barely knows finds escape in the wings of a parliament of rooks, and the arms of the fey queen of them. Enchanting! Rooks/Birds, Iron, Fey, Time, Family. CW- Arranged Marriage. [c2 t3]
• “Extemporaneous Resurrection” by Jason P. Burnham (short story/flash) - A very fun story about a crew trapped in a place where the laws of reality seem to not be working quite right...or maybe it’s the crew themselves who are struggling with the loss of a rather important cognitive ability. In any case, it’s delightful! Space, Object Permanence, Eggs, Microwaves. [c1 t1]

Chilled Blackberry Lavender Dessert Soup

• “Love Potion Number Thirteen” by Anatoly Belilovsky (short story/flash) - A sweet and smile-inducing story about two people making a love potion together. And finding out that it might not be necessary after all. A wonderful read! Love Potions, Recipes, School, Video Games, Awkwardness. [c1 t1]
• “Tweeting”by Mari Ness (short story) - A great story told in reverse because of the framing as a social media account tweeting about the narrator literally transforming into a bird. Adorable and hilarious and just amazing. 100% wholesome content. Birds, Transformations, Social Media, Flight. [c1 t1]
• “The High Witch of Westham” by Tom Jolly (short story) - A story of floating, of accused witchcraft, of just trying to be. It finds a woman who often feels light villainized for that, forced into increasingly drastic situations to try and simply live. Rather fun, though, and with a lovely ending. Flight/Floating, Sewing, Historical, Witches. CW- Prejudice/Harassment/Attempted Burning. [c3 t2]

This issue is built around...soup! At least, it’s organization and framing is, and I like the ways the categories give some added context to the stories and the issue on a whole. It’s a fairly heavy issue, too, as far as the publication goes, not really veering away from the mandate of “fun” but certainly giving some fairly grim experiences mixed into that fun. There are stories of imprisonment and prejudice, exploitation and trauma, all made fun mostly through the resilience and caring that people show, for each other and for themselves. It’s a great issue, and there’s a lot to check out, so dig in!

Strange Horizons 02/15/2021 (1 short story, 1 poem total)

• “Ootheca” by Mário de Seabra Coelho (short story) - A complex and difficult story about change, guilt, and the messy lives of two people in a world bent and twisted by some sort of fallen god and a force called the Hag that curses people in unique ways. Sensual, beautifully told, and rather difficult, it’s fantastic! Cockroaches, Relationships, Dating, Sex, Gods. CW- Body Horror/Insects, Suicide/Self Harm. [c4 t4]
• “Wildlife Encounter” by Wen-yi Lee (poem) - A sharp piece on the wild, the magical, the wondrous, being rendered into something tame, something artificial, and the simultaneous grief, loss, and shame that goes along with it, even as the beauty of the creatures isn’t in doubt, isn’t full shadowed by the reality of their situation. So good!

A really strong issue, though a difficult one as well. Still, the story is haunting and beautiful, sensual and messy all at once, and the impact is somewhat devastating but with a reach toward healing. And the poem is great too!

Pseudopod #744 (1 short story total)

• “This Wet Red” by Marisca Pichette (short story) - A chilling story of monsters and hungers, about a narrator moving through a ruined, evacuated landscape. Well, evacuated-ish. Atmospheric, mysterious, and bloody. Monsters, Evacuations, Houses, Snakes, Mice. CW- Gore/Blood. [c3 t4]

This episode brings a story where the nature of the narrator is a bit of a mystery, revealed in parts as the truth of what the monster is becomes clearer, though the setting and backstory is always something of a bloody and unsettling question mark. Good stuff!

Stories of Driesch #1&2 by Julie C. Day (2 short stories total)

• “Shattered” by Julie C. Day (short story) - This story introduces not just a rounded cast but a city built on glass that carries AI that can be embedded in skin, that can integrate with a person’s mind, and a whole rather gritty landscape of desperate people trying to get by. Lottie, the narrator, is someone who’s used to living with a lot of voices in their head but the latest has thrown them off balance and it might leave them broken, shattered. AI, Glass, Siblings, Bargains, Integration. CW- Surgery, Mental Invasion. [c3 t4]
• “The Night Fishers” by Julie C. Day (short story) - As the setting comes more into focus, the corruption and exploitation of the city looms large, and a young woman has to make a hard choice to try and get out of terrible working conditions before she dies, and in the process breaks off a part of herself in a way she doesn’t fully understand. Family, Immigration, Bargains, Markets. CW- Imprisonment, Unsafe Working Conditions/Injuries/Scars. [c3 t3]

I’m happy to start this project from Julie C. Day and Vernacular Books, which explores a city, Driesch, that is enjoying a Glassed-Ghost Age, full of AI, hunger, and bad decisions. Though bad decisions mostly because of a lack of good ones, as the setting is grim and difficult even as the people living in it find ways to survive and reach toward hope. The connective tissue is there for this mosaic novel/serial project and I am all on board!

Works read this year to date: 215 stories, 35 poems {+60 stories, +4 poems)

Well I said that this week was going to be my biggest of the year so far, and, well, shit. It is! In large part because one anthology was 40 works long, but that aside it wasn’t going to be a light week in any event. I have to say, I can tell that this new style of reviewing is a lot easier on my brain. Not that I don’t think about the stories, but keeping things brief does allow me to have the mental fortitude to keep reading much more than when I would stop and write up longer reviews after each piece. That…really does take a lot of effort. And yes, I miss the depth that I got to go in, but I also am quite enjoying being able to put a little speed on, and I’m hoping people are still finding these useful.

There’s actually a bit to report. X Marks the Story has returned at The Book Smugglers (or, er...will soon), which is super cool. And my incredibly brave article about Suikoden IV should be out or coming out soon. I’m getting a lot closer to being through my reading for We’re Here, though there are some very difficult decisions to make about that yet for the editorial team. Pity us. Unfortunately, life has been sort of a mess of things lately, so I don’t have any other media to cover this time. I did have an absolutely lovely class session with Clarion West about reading, reviewing, and how that relates to writing. Thanks so much for everyone who attended!

So…eff. Things are certainly going this year! Anyway, hope you all are staying warm and safe and strong. Cheers!

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