Short Fiction Review: September/October 2018
This month I have five stories to recommend, and each story is pure and simple fun. First, I loved “The House on the Moon” by William Alexander, which appears in Uncanny Magazine‘s recent Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction special issue. In this story, Ana, a disabled girl living on the moon, goes on a field trip to a Welsh castle that’s been moved onto the moon. Ana is a delightful, witty narrator who has a lot to say about the politics and constructedness of (dis)ability. Second, I recommend “Jump” by Cadwell Turnbull, which appears in Lightspeed Magazine Issue 100. In “Jump,” a couple accidentally teleports home one day, but they are unable to recreate the experience. Turnbull’s story starts with a fun science fictional “what if” and then explores its repercussions in a fascinating way. Third, do you enjoy Victorian era lost world adventure stories, but want one that deftly avoids the problematic tropes that often underlie those stories? If so, then don’t miss Carrie Vaughn’s “Harry and Marlowe and the Secret of Ahomana,” which also appears in Lightspeed Magazine Issue 100. Next, we have “Nation Building and Baptism” by Octavia Cade, which appears in Capricious Issue 10. It’s a moving tale about rebuilding and welcoming refugees after the catastrophes of climate change. If the news has you feeling down, you really should read this warm and gentle story. Lastly, if you love stories about magical books and bookstores, then you simply must check out “The Secret History of the Clockwork King” by Heather Morris, which also appears in Capricious Issue 10.
