Readers know a book is special when it grabs them and won’t let go; when that final page is turned and they are awash with emotions. An exceptional short story collection is extra special in that it can give you several of those experiences back to back, leaving you with feelings of joy, anger, sadness, delight all rolled into one.

If the name Carrie Cuinn is not one you are familiar with, that would not surprise me. Although she has been writing for some time, she is not one of the big names…yet. This collection is the match that could set things on fire. I promise you it will spark your imagination as it demonstrates in a variety of ways just how effective the short story format can be at eliciting emotion and at making you look at real, important issues in a new light.

I know Carrie Cuinn as a fellow SF Signal Irregular. She writes excellent columns about independent and lesser known comic books in her Outside the Frame column. She also blogs regularly about life, writing and important social issues in the SFF community at her personal website.

I have enjoyed her nonfiction writing and when she announced that she had put together a collection I rushed out to buy it. Then the opportunity arose to review the book for SF Signal and I quickly volunteered, not thinking about the aftermath of worrying about how difficult it would be to write a review if I was less than impressed with the stories. I sat down last Sunday afternoon to sample the collection, and ended up reading one story after another until I sat in my chair awash with emotions when the final (digital) page was turned.

Carrie Cuinn is obviously a big fan of the short story and her quest to become proficient in the format is on display in these nine stories. You won’t love every one, that is a tall order for any selection of short fiction, but you will find stories that demonstrate just how effective the short story can be at engaging you as a reader. There are interesting characters, imaginative scenarios, adventures, laughs and potentially tears awaiting you in Women and Other Constructs. Carrie Cuinn entertains, to be certain, but she also tackles some tough subjects with the skill of an author who can use the tropes and trappings of SF/F/H to examine hard truth in a non-preachy yet highly effective manner.

My proper review for the book is up at SF Signal. It would give me great pleasure if you checked it out. I enjoyed this book so much that I am giving away one signed print version and two ebook versions. All you need to do to qualify is to leave a comment here. I will draw names randomly late Sunday night/early Monday morning to determine the winners. If you would like to double your chances of winning, comment over on the SF Signal site as well and your name will go in the hopper twice! Had I only liked the excellent Introduction and the first story, “Mrs. Henderson’s Cemetery Dance”, this collection would be a must-have. Thankfully I enjoyed aspects of each story and I want you to experience her work.

You need not wait for Fate to be kind to you, however, as the books are available in print form, ebook and as a bundle, all for very reasonable prices, here.

Have a lovely weekend filled with great stories!

Today’s short story discussion focuses on the newest story by E. Lily Yu, “The Urashima Effect“, which is featured in the June 2013 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine. Yu is one of the newer stable of writers whose name in a magazine will have me scrambling to pick up a copy. I really enjoy her work.

Leo Aoki wakes from a cold sleep, disoriented and alone on a ship bound for the planet Ryugo-jo in the Alpha Lyrae system. He has been under for three years, awakened as the ship attains a closer proximity to its destination. Leo’s mission is to establish a small liveable base. His astrophysicist wife, Esther, will join him on a ship launched two years after his. In addition to necessities and entertainments, the ship contains recordings from family and friends, meant to assuage Leo’s loneliness. Esther’s recording begins with a story about a man named Urashima Taro and the rescue of a small turtle. Leo rations this story, completing necessary tasks and engaging in other entertainments to make these moments last. As Urashima’s tale unfolds, the reader is shown how the stories of these two men intersect, and E. Lily Yu leaves her protagonist with a decision that will have the reader contemplating the options for days to come.

E. Lily Yu has crafted a story that focuses on a man in isolation which manages to beautifully convey the importance of relationships and the costs that must be paid in the name of progress.

The story can be read at the Clarkesworld site or listened to via podcast.

After you take some time to read the story, come along and check out my spoiler-filled thoughts and leave some of your own.

Continue reading The Urashima Effect by E. Lily Yu →