(Cover image for Nebula Awards Showcase 2013 by Julie Dillon)

For this week’s Short Fiction Friday post over at SF Signal I review the seven short stories that were recently announced as nominees for this year’s Nebula Award for Short Story.

All seven stories have something to offer the reader. They are a strong list of nominees with many stories that are accessible and will speak to non-genre readers and genre readers alike. There are stories that address aging, the struggles of being a working parent, cultural identity, the importance of books, the price of true love and other pertinent life issues and they do so in imaginative and fantastical settings.

Each story is available free online, some in audio as well as written format, and can be found in the links provided in my post. I do hope you’ll consider reading one or more of them. My two favorites, noted by my 5/5 star ratings, are “Robot” by Helena Bell and “Immersion” by Aliette de Bodard.

Please join me over there as we look at what current short SFF fiction has to offer.

As I have grown old, I have watched the world of my youth fade with me. The damage done by the Great War will never be calculated. And yet, even now, I hear from my friends in the circles of power – in truth, most are now the children of my friends – that a third war in Afghanistan is all but certain. Even more than the war on the continent just passed, I find myself in dread of this new conflict and the powers it may provoke. And yet, also I feel the nostalgia of old hunts, old games, old enemies now lost to history, and feel again not the rush of conflict but its echo. And recall the unparalleled eyes of a most singular woman I once knew…

~From the Last Notebooks of Mr. Meriwether, 1919

At a Glance: SnackReads offers up two bite-sized tales of gentlemen’s adventure Victoriana from the imagination of fantasy and science fiction author Daniel Abraham. Agents Balfour and Meriwether use their cunning and their skill with weaponry to protect Queen and country against threats mechanical and supernatural in these late nineteenth century thrillers.

The Good: Quick and satisfying story telling; engaging protagonists; strong female character in each tale; only two greenbacks for two stories; more stories to come.
The Bad: The snack is devoured all too quickly.
The Ugly: Plentiful spelling/copy editing errors, especially in the first story, leaves me less than impressed with SnackReads as a fledgling e-publisher.{UPDATE: These were corrected, details to come}

My Experience: Balfour and Meriwether have the chemistry of Jude Law and Robert Downey, Jr’s Holmes and Watson with just a dash more of the gentlemanly air and when danger threatens the realm these two respond with alacrity and panache. Daniel Abraham deftly captures the spirit of the late 1800’s while weaving in fantastical elements that enhance but don’t overwhelm the focus on these two appealing protagonists. The second story is stronger than the first but both are well worth reading, especially at the price offered.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Continue reading Balfour and Meriwether ~Daniel Abraham →