Earlier this week Tor.com released a short story by Shadow and Bone author Leigh Bardugo as a companion piece to the second novel in her series, Siege and Storm, that was released on the same day.

What struck me first on navigating to the Tor.com website was the piece commissioned to accompany this story. If you know me at all you then you know that I find the cover illustration to be a significant factor in the reading experience. This image is striking in its use of specifically-placed color and its overall design. My immediate thought was “I want to read this story”. Never mind that I had not read the author’s work before.

                                                                            (Illustration by Anna and Elena Balbusso, click to enlarge)

I knew immediately that this was what I would be reading on my lunch break; and I did just that–and enjoyed it immensely. My first experience with Leigh Bardugo will not be my last. For those of you who are already fans of her work, you can relate. I know I said that I would not be returning to the posts where I pick and discuss in detail a short story until next Sunday after Ken Liu’s award-nominated story “Mono no aware” became available (June 11th on the Lightspeed website), however, this story captivated me and there was no way I was going to pass up sharing it with you. That night I went home and read the story aloud to Mary and she enjoyed it every bit as much as I did.

“Too-Clever Fox” is written in style of folk story that is at once comforting in its familiarity. Author Leigh Bardugo builds upon that familiarity as she unveils the story of a sly, clever, endearing fox and the ways in which his wits sometimes get him out of trouble, as well as into it. Leigh Bardugo demonstrates her own cleverness with the way in which she can turn a phrase. The story is well worth your time and it would be great if you would follow this link to give it a read and then return for a spoiler-filled discussion after the break.

Continue reading “The Too-Clever Fox” by Leigh Bardugo →

(Image/creation credit)

Ken Liu’s record-setting short story “Paper Menagerie“, the first to win all three major science fiction awards (the Hugo, the Nebula, and the World Fantasy Award), tells the story of young Jack and the complicated relationship he has with his Chinese mother and ultimately with himself as a mixed-race child.

I picked “Paper Menagerie” sight unseen, confident that my respect and admiration for previously read Ken Liu stories and its numerous accolades would make for a good story to read and discuss. Depending on your reaction to it, I either succeeded in my assumptions or failed in spectacular fashion.

For “Paper Menagerie” is, arguably, a highly-effective, tightly-woven story about a boy’s relationship with his mother and the way in which that goes from touching to tumultuous as a boy grows up. It is a sad story, I will warn you now (if you haven’t already discovered that for yourself) but ultimately I feel that it is worthwhile firstly because it is a great example of the power of the medium of short stories and secondly because it packs a powerful punch, reminding us of the importance of allowing forgiveness and healing in our lives while the time remains to do so.

I hope you’ll click on the link above, give it a read, and come along with me for a discussion.

Continue reading “Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu →

This week’s story, “The Woman Who Married the Man in the Moon”, is one of the several Peter S. Beagle short stories most recently collected by Tachyon Press in their lovely collection, Sleight of Hand.  Over the many years of reading short story collections and anthologies I have come across some MUST READS and were I to have the means to purchase all of my short story loving friends a box of books that I feel contain the very essence of what story is all about, Sleight of Hand would be one of the first books I purchased.

“The Woman Who Married the Man in the Moon” is a story about stories.  It is also about the stories we tell ourselves, be they true or embellished, to make sense of our lives.  Eleven year old Mourra and her younger brother Findros are lost and becoming more so when a tall, gangling man with a pointy hat falls from a tree in front of them.  The man turns out to be the magician, Schmendrick, who for some unapparent reason puts them at ease.  The children are unsure of what kind of magician he is, however he does know their names without being told and he promises to get them home.

Beagle’s short story is about their journey home and the stories that are told on the way and after they arrive.  What at first may seem like a sleight story contains surprising depths and in addition to the magic there is an underlying sadness, not unlike what happens in this adventure that we call life.  It is not a particularly long story.  If you would like to participate in this week’s discussion, please go read it and then join us below.

Continue reading The Woman Who Married the Man in the Moon ~Peter S. Beagle →