Hi everyone!
Can you believe we’re in June already… Anyway, here’s the quick roundup of my favourite short story reads in the month of May!
The Crooked House - Jonathan Lethem
Disorientating architecture with mirrors and mazes… as Pauline, who recommended this, so accurately said: ‘another month another short story about a fucked up house’ so it is my duty to pass along the recommendation to you all also!
The Very Pulse of the Machine - Michael Swanwick
Moving on from houses, we are scaling up to a moon and an astronaut in a tad of trouble (understatement obviously). This was published in the year I was born and I can’t believe it has taken me THIS many years to discover their work! I don’t wish to spoil any of it because the concept blew my mind… read it if you are a science fiction fan, read it if you like good short stories, read it etc…
The Hydraulic Emperor - Arkady Martine
A woman has been searching for a rare film all her life. What would she sacrifice in an alien high stakes auction for the chance to watch it? Such a well constructed short in my opinion - the character development, the world building, the pacing <3
Golubash, Or Wine-Blood-War-Elegy - Catherynne M. Valente
1) Lush descriptions of wines to structure this story. 2) The concept of Golubash as a planet ticks all the boxes. 3) Valente just has such a way with words… Like look at this introduction!
The difficulties of transporting wine over interstellar distances are manifold. Wine is, after all, like a child. It can bruise. It can suffer trauma—sometimes the poor creature can recover; sometimes it must be locked up in a cellar until it learns to behave itself. Sometimes it is irredeemable. I ask that you greet the seven glasses before you tonight not as simple fermented grapes, but as the living creatures they are, well-brought up, indulged but not coddled, punished when necessary, shyly seeking your approval with clasped hands and slicked hair. After all, they have come so very far for the chance to be loved.
And if you would prefer some exquisite descriptions of scents and perfumes, then this one is for you: The Nine Scents of Sorrow by Jordan Taylor!
(And if you would prefer your short story to be structured around food descriptions, then there’s this one which is not a May recommendation but a longtime favourite: The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections by Tina Connolly)
^ I think it’s fun to compare how these three are all structured!
A Sheltered Woman - Yiyun Li
Finally - Stepping away from scifi/fantasy, this one is about Auntie Mei, a nanny who only ever stays with the family for the baby’s first month. Contemporary short stories are always rather hit and miss for me, but I found the portrayal of Auntie Mei so carefully constructed, it was an intriguing character study!
[…] each world had sheltered her from the other, and to lose one was to be turned, against her wish, into a permanent resident of the other.
Ok, I lied - I am not quite done but this is not a short story as such but it is a short story related recommendation! Kathleen Jennings has a wonderful series of short stories reading posts you should all check out - It’s just super fun to read her commentary because as a short story writer herself (The Wonderful Stag, or The Courtship of Red Elsie!), she brings a unique perspective.
Now, that’s actually finally all from me.
So as ever, till next time and happy reading!
Y.
Looking forward to these!
:D