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starladyI like short stories a lot, and I think in a lot of ways they're harder to do well than novels. So have some story recs! All of these are available complete for free online at the links below, and if you like them, please think about leaving a comment--it's notoriously hard to get comments on internet short fiction, and the lack of feedback leaves editors guessing.
The outer two are science fictional, and the inner two are fantasy--the de Bodard story is another articulation of "advanced Aztec society", this time with steampunk, you can't go wrong with that. But you should read them all.
Catherynne M. Valente, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at Space/Time" (Clarkesworld Magazine)
Yoon Ha Lee, "The Territorialist" (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #47)
Aliette de Bodard, "Memories in Bronze, Feathers, and Blood" (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #45)
Yoon Ha Lee, "Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain" (Lightspeed Magazine #4)
I went to Borderlands Books last week and picked up two back issues of the zine Shimmer (hint: both issues had stories by Aliette de Bodard), the spring 2006 and art 2008 issues. Looking at the zine's website, it turns out that I know one of the authors in the current issue, so I'll have to buy it the next time I'm in the Mission. In the meantime, if you think the zine sounds like your thing, I encourage you to check it out (electronic issues are $4)--both issues had a refreshing, serious but quirky sort of sensibility, a nice mixture of styles and tones (and they're clearly publishing a diversity of authors, too).
The outer two are science fictional, and the inner two are fantasy--the de Bodard story is another articulation of "advanced Aztec society", this time with steampunk, you can't go wrong with that. But you should read them all.
Catherynne M. Valente, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at Space/Time" (Clarkesworld Magazine)
Yoon Ha Lee, "The Territorialist" (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #47)
Aliette de Bodard, "Memories in Bronze, Feathers, and Blood" (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #45)
Yoon Ha Lee, "Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain" (Lightspeed Magazine #4)
I went to Borderlands Books last week and picked up two back issues of the zine Shimmer (hint: both issues had stories by Aliette de Bodard), the spring 2006 and art 2008 issues. Looking at the zine's website, it turns out that I know one of the authors in the current issue, so I'll have to buy it the next time I'm in the Mission. In the meantime, if you think the zine sounds like your thing, I encourage you to check it out (electronic issues are $4)--both issues had a refreshing, serious but quirky sort of sensibility, a nice mixture of styles and tones (and they're clearly publishing a diversity of authors, too).
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(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-10 19:53 (UTC)And I loved "Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain". The concept is such a neat one, the worldbuilding is stellar (it's amazing how much it packs into such a small space), and the writing is just awesome. Then again, I'm a Yoon Ha Lee fan...
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-10 19:56 (UTC)And yes, isn't Yoon Ha Lee great? All the stories are just really innovative in the worldbuilding, and there's always great details and telling moments on the levels above that.