It’s March already and the Nebula “suggested reading list” is in full swing. Now, these are not the shortlisted nominees, and, in truth, anyone can “suggest” for nomination any story published so far this year before nominations close and the field is narrowed and votes are cast, but the future winner will likely come from one of these suggested stories.
I’m not going to pretend that I have the time or inclination to read all the suggested novels, novellas, and novelettes that will be offered up for Nebula consideration. My favored genre is the short story. Sci-Fi short stories are often brimming with solid worldbuilding, rich themes, and spellbinding storytelling packaged in a format that I can read on my lunch break.
Now, whether or not the Nebula winner comes from the list I’m reviewing here is irrelevant. Some of these short stories are just good tales that deserve to be read. The stories here are all free to read online, but the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America’s website has links to the stories that are printed in anthologies if you’re disposed to spending money (digital anthologies on Kindle are actually pretty inexpensive and feature loads of great stories).
Here are a few spoiler-free reviews.
A House by the Sea (PH Lee) – This story is difficult for me to review, so let me get it out of the way first. PH Lee writes this short in a difficult second person point of view. Tough to pull off well without sounding pretentious or pontificating and I’m not so sure Lee accomplishes it here. There are a lot of rhetorical questions aimed at the reader (“Would you believe me if I told you…?”) and I kind of felt like I was sitting in on a sermon (something this heathen hasn’t done in 25 years) only instead of fire and brimstone it was immigration. Although the writing style seemed a bit reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (although not as beautiful), the theme seemed a bit heavy-handed. It was a quick read, though and you won’t be any worse off for having read it.
A Bond as Deep as Starlit Seas (Sarah Grey) – This is a story about a woman and her love for her spaceship. Sounds weird, but Sarah Grey does here what good sci-fi should do. She takes an interesting facet of our modern technology, and exploits it, analyzes it, and takes it to its logical conclusion. The concept is that our devices and tech are being manufactured to conform to our personal idiosyncrasies. Google knows my daily agenda without my input. About an hour before I leave work every day my phone tells me how my commute is looking. I’ve never told Google where I work, or what my schedule is – it figured that out on its own. Now, take this to its logical conclusion, and Grey presents us with a story about a starship captain who sells her ship to a galactic corporation that is bent on scrapping it. She suffers from a case of Seller’s Remorse, since her ship is adapted to her – it knew her touch, her thoughts, her hopes, wishes, needs and desires – and she must do what she can to get it back. It’s a surprisingly touching tale.
A Green Moon Problem (Jane Lindskold) – Jane Lindskold tells the timeless tale of a man and his obsession for a woman. Who among us hasn’t been so frustrated at being friendzoned that we pay a mystical eldritch woman (who may or may not be human) to use her otherworldly powers to force this Jezebel to accommodate our needs? A classic story. Only this one takes place on a space station. The misogynistic tendencies of the protagonist aside, A Green Moon Problem is a good read. The worldbuilding is more than serviceable. Lindskold dangles just enough in front of us to give us the idea that this is a complete, whole world. I didn’t find the protagonist very charming, but that’s not always a bad thing.
Follow Jane Lindskold on Twitter @JaneLindskold
A Lumberjack’s Guide to Dryad Spotting (Charles Payseur) – Got an extra ten minutes to spare? Long line at the grocery store or pharmacy? Arby’s got a line out the door? Read this little bit of flash fiction by Charles Payseur. Clocking in at a scant 908 words it’s well worth the meager time it takes to read. Payseur paints a picture of a lumberjack couple who are looking for a fabled dryad to capture and sell to escape the somber and ultra-hetero world of the lumberjack trade. It’s a cute little magical realist love story.
Follow Charles Payseur on Twitter @ClowderofTwo
2086 (T.K. Lê) – Great sci-fi should tackle current social themes and 2086 does just that. Vietnamese author T.K. Lê tells a tale of how, in the year 2086, the governments of the world send transporter devices to poor cities looking for guinea pigs to test their new technology. A poor Vietnamese grandparent (I don’t recall it specifying gender…) disappears in one and her family tries to move on when they don’t return.
Now, you’d think the one percent might have learned a thing or two after the French Revolution, but no, it’s apparent that we still need cautionary tales like this one. If there ever was a prevailing and ubiquitous theme in speculative fiction, it’s “don’t trust the government.”
T.K. Le is on Twitter. Follow her @tk_le_tired
Poems Written While (Natalia Theodoridou) Let me get right to the point with this one: it features, among other great poetry, a little bit of Shakespeare. I’m a sucker for the Bard and I’ll fight anyone who says Romeo and Juliet is a terrible story. It’s a terrible love story, yes.But it’s a fantastic story. So whenever I see it pop up in other stories I’m reading, I get giddy. Poems Written While is set in a post-apocalyptic near-future and tells the tale of a trans-man who “sells” poems to orphaned kids he takes care of to give them hope in a war ravaged land (dreams, which are the children of an idle brain). He chances upon a woman in need of rescuing (did my heart love till now?) and the two begin an awkward friendship. The mysterious woman must then choose between staying, or continuing her journey across miles of dangerous territory (will his solemn hymns to sullen dirges change? Will these violent delights have violent ends?).
Follow her on Twitter @natalia_theodor
Did I miss something? Am I way off base on a review? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
