I really enjoy how this story jumps between two points of view. You have that really sinister voice that is planning bad things. And then there’s the more innocent bystander who ends up saving the day and making sure that the sinister things just don’t happen. It definitely helped to heighten the sense of thrill and suspense. Knowing that there were bad things about to happen, not knowing if the story will end with a better ending than death…
Duffy is a great character. Boxer, with an out of control dog. Actually, it’s really Al that technically saves the day. But I love the normalcy of Duffy’s interactions with the other characters and movements throughout this story. The unwitting hero is always quite a bit of fun. Particularly when they’re actually a bumbling dog that is just taking everyone out in his quest for food.
As with anything that touches upon the psychological, I found the bomb maker to be quite scary. I mean, massive many people killing vendetta is scary enough. But having that point of view written in a totally logical and calm manner? Terrifying.
Unlike some of the short stories that I’ve been reading lately, the title of this short story really didn’t give me any kind of hint as to what this tale was actually going to be about. The most I could assume was that the name had at least some allusion towards freedom. And it kind of did, although not exactly in the way that I was expecting. In fact, although it was kind of an underlying hint of a theme, it really didn’t take centre stage the way I was expecting.
Liberia is literally just the name of the ship that this young cohort of settlers is aboard, travelling through space to a better future. And here the freedom / liberation feeling of the story pretty much ends. Mostly, this tale is (for me) about our family and our ancestors. About those things that get passed down to us in our day to day lives. For me it is baking with my grandfather, for some of the members of this crew, its Cassava and its propagation.
Having never had Cassava, and it not being an important part of my culture, I love how this food source was highlighted as not just a food. It was, again, about ancestors and family. There is a whole lot of cultural significance in a lot of what we eat, and I think it’s great that I got to read a short story that focuses on this idea. It’s not about physical sustenance, but also mental, emotional and social… something we should really keep in mind if we’re ignorant enough to mock another’s food.
I love that there is constant conflict throughout this story – with the lead of the tale constantly at loggerheads with their captain. And, again, highlighting how something that is seen as maybe a little bit “everyday” is actually seriously important. And worth fighting for. A fantastic short story, and I would love to read more of Mbalia’s world and writings.
I really wasn’t expecting this short story to be about gang life to be quite frank. I’m not quite sure what I anticipated. But I think, from the cover of this collection (I know, you should never judge a book by its cover), I was expecting something a little bit more… cuddly. And I love that this wasn’t. I mean, I loved this short story completely. And part of that was because it was such a surprise, but it was also brilliantly written.
One of the things that I loved about this is that it is a story, at the centre, about family. And food, but mostly family. I really enjoyed how the mother manages to get her final revenge, in an incredibly symbolic and surprising way. I figured that this story was going to end in death, but I actually thought that it might be the death of the narrator as she tried to enact her revenge.
Whilst I really enjoyed reading this story, it was also kind of difficult. I can’t imagine the pain of having a brain dead child. Particularly when this brain death was caused by the actions of someone you love and respect. And then you have to look at her killers face and smile… I understand the anger that just seeps out of this storyline.
This is a fairly serious storyline, with a whole lot of anger and death. I love that there was delicious food that acted as a counterpoint to this more serious storyline. In fact, there was a lot of food in this that I kind of want to try my hand at making. Or at least, its inspired a few dishes in my mind…
I knew that this was going to be a bit of a twisty kind of story. But I really didn’t see that ending coming. It was kind of brilliant and in one way, I really enjoyed it… on the other hand, it was pretty twisted and disturbing. There was not a moment in this that I could imagine being in the shoes of the two characters, but also not a moment in which I didn’t feel connected to them and sympathetic to both of their plights.
This short story makes till death do us part take on a whole new meaning. And not necessarily in a good way, it was pretty disturbed if I’m being honest. And of course, that is exactly what I loved about it. Kind of twisted and disturbed, a whole lot of fun. And when we talk about death, it’s really not the kind of death that you expect.
This short story is pretty dang dark and fatalistic. I, being the slightly twisted human that I am, absolutely adored it. Definitely a short story that I would be intrigued to read again.
You don’t even have to start reading this short story to realise that there isn’t really going to be an overly happy ending here. I mean, it’s literally called The End is Never Pretty. And then the story starts, and you continue to have that feeling that nothing is going to end well here. Which is fun, because you spend the entirety of this tale on pins and needles waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Although this is mostly in chronological order, it is kind of disjointed in its telling as well. As you read it, it becomes clear that it is more and more difficult for Nessuno to actually figure out who she is. I mean, we all have that battle at times – figuring out who we are and who we want to be. But most people aren’t doing this whilst literally pretending to be someone else. The disjointed nature of the story line works to highlight the disconnect that Nessuno is feeling more and more as her deception unfolds.
Honestly, there wasn’t really a surprising twist at the end of this story – two agents who have a moment in time together, and talking about the lines that you’ll cross to keep cover? Yeah, I kind of saw the ending coming. But I was really hoping that it wouldn’t be the case. It was just a little bit too tragic, most definitely working as a poignant end to a short story.
For all that this is a pretty damn dark story, it’s also a pretty easy read. I mean, it’s dark and twisty. Focusing on spy versus spy and the darkness of double agents, but it was still a simple read. One that I would probably enjoy reading again.
Title: Distress Call Author:Connie Willis In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this) My Bookshelves:Horror Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Tachyon Year: 2013
Admittedly, I found this a little bit hard to follow exactly what was going on. But I actually think that that lent to the air of horror in this story. I mean, when it is hard to pinpoint something, you tend to feel more uncomfortable about it. That whole fear of the unknown thing. And in the case of this short story, it definitely left me feeling a whole lot more “haunted” when I turned that final page.
Maybe another reason why I found this story so unexplainably emotionally poignant was the fact that it was all about a mother wanting to protect her child. I mean, even after death, she is driven to protect her baby and make sure that she is safe. I completely understand that drive, and anytime you can relate to the characters, there’s going to be a much stronger emotional connection.
The part that made this kind of hard to follow was the constant talk of the titanic. It definitely leant to the feeling of fatality and haunting in this. But I spent half the story wondering if they were titanic ghosts haunting, or just that there were some lovely parallels. And honestly, I’m still not 100%. But I enjoyed it anyway. It’s kind of fun to fill in those gaps and confusions on your own…
This was a wonderfully unique spin on the Cinderella fairy tale. One that wasn’t dark and twisted. Rather, one that was about a young girl who was trying to find a way to save her family. And in doing so manages to capture the attention of the prince. And the king and queen. And just generally a whole heap of people. It also had a number of wonderful LGBTQI+ spins throughout that helped it become even more beautiful and inclusive.
The “Cinderella” in this story is travelling to the ball not to win over the prince, or to find a better fate for herself. But, to save her mothers from being separated – they live in a country that separates those who are in same-sex relationships and forces them to remarry into hetero-couples (feels a little too hauntingly familiar in this day and age). The fact that there is magic to be had to send her there and it is the very family she is trying to save who also act as the fairy godmothers makes it all that much better.
Then there is the fact that the prince is actually trans. The immediate understanding in his activities when the “Cinderella” states her case is really sweet and made my heart melt a little bit. There was the obvious moment of attraction and lust between the two, but it was the support that I found to be truly romantic. Maybe that’s because lust and attraction can be fleeting – but supporting one another? That’s forever.
Lastly, I loved the courage that is shown throughout this. When offered a sure thing to save just her family, the girl decides to go with the uncertainty to try and help everyone. It’s such a nice moment and a reminder that although not everyone will always do the right thing, there are plenty of people who are willing to try. A great short story of romance, love and the need to fight for what is right in the world.
There always seems to be a bit of a gap and randomness in my reading updates these days. Although I do TRY and make it so that there is no gap. This is mostly because I have an insane toddler on the run. And now I have another bun in the oven, so this may become even MORE sporadic as time passes. But it’s still a nice thing to do and update. So here is the latest tales that I have dived right into. I hope you enjoy my thoughts.
As keen as I’ve been to actually get into this series (I love some of the older urban fantasy / vampire books), it took me 1) forever to actually pick this up and 2) a little while to actually get into this storyline. I love that Anita’s background (both socially and genetically) is quite a mystery from the very beginning, and it makes you ask a whole lot of questions from the very first page. But, it did take quite a bit to get into the actual action. I appreciated all of the work that Hamilton went to to actually set up the whole background story and this world. But it was also somewhat slow going to get there. Having said that, as soon as I FINALLY started to get into the action, this became a very hard book to put down.
As much as I might lament how long it took to get into the action of this story, I did seriously love how this is the beginning to a series. From the very first page you can feel all the things that Hamilton is trying to set up in her storyline. That there is going to be reveal after reveal throughout the series. There are just so many secrets, not just in some of Anita’s partial immunity, but also what kind of connection she now has to some of the master vampires in the city, the politics that she’s facing going forwards, and whether we’re going to see the rat king again. I also loved that although it’s obvious that Anita has some extra-ness to a normal human, she’s also so completely human. In fact, throughout most the story she tends to lament how human she is and what danger she is placing herself in. The battle is won by intelligence and trickery, not brute force, the only way to win against a bigger and scarier opponent.
I have a lot of urban fantasy / vampire books on my shelves that I truly love reading. However, most of them are most definitely a lot less adult in feeling than this one. There is talk about sex clubs, orgies and fetishes. All things that are not as blatantly addressed in many of my other books. Which, of course is part of what I loved about this. I mean, a lot of people sexualise vampirism today, so why not include that in a story which actually features these beasties? I love how it is such an uncomfortable relationship in this book – the woman who hunts the vampires and the people who fetishise them. There’s a wish to not totally ignore each other and be a total dick, but also serious discomfort which left me feeling a bit uncomfortable on reading some of these scenes too.
Although this was a slow start and it took me a while to fall in love, once I did, I dived right in. I can’t wait to read The Laughing Corpse and hopefully have a few of my lingering questions about Anita answered. Although, I’m sure that there will then be a whole slew of new questions to ask…
I love how Play Smart manages to build not only on Street Smart and touches on the rest of the Work For It series, but it also builds further upon the Elements of Chemistry series. There were so many easter eggs in this story that I noticed and absolutely loved. I can’t imagine how many more there will be when I do a reread. It’s always fun when you read series that are interconnected and notice all of those little nods to other stories. But when it’s the SmartyPants Universe and all of these nods are to other peoples’ works… priceless.
But to the actual book (I could go on forever about how amazing the whole SmartyPants Universe is). Play Smart is wonderful. It follows Marcus’ (from Street Smart) roommate as he too tries to enter the corporate world. I’m looking forward to another tale about the third roommate, but again, I digress. I love that Nash is kind of ridiculously sexy. Intelligent, moody, musician who is forced into the corporate world because… money. Although, as with all of the wonderfully flawed characters that I love, there are many moments when he kind of needs to get over himself and act like an adult.
Contrastingly, Paige is actually a little bit stuck up. She is pretty quick to judge, which makes the conflict between her and Nash from the beginning kind of priceless. But, I love that she is willing to try and see things from another point of view. In fact, as she realises how wrong her initial impressions were, she is able to correct her thinking. And eventually save the day. I can’t wait to see how this benefits Martin and has major impacts in the future.
Chad is a character that you love to hate from Street Smart, as is Reedwether. I loved their bumbling reintroduction in this tale. I mean, there isn’t a moment that they’re in that didn’t have me giggling and smiling. I mean, honestly, it concerns me that they actually reminded me of people who are that truly clueless in real life. Stiles has created these characters that are kind of scary in the fact that they hold power and are morons, but are also just wonderfully hilarious. They act as a great counterpoint to the intensity of Nash and Paige’s developing relationship and all of the espionage that is occurring to drive the rest of the storyline. Honestly, this whole story was just brilliant and wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyable and one of my favourite reads this year.
Earth and Skye 