July 14, 2020
Editor’s note: We haven’t officially discussed many of the Hugo nominations this year, but our fabulous Merrin wanted to tackle the short stories. Who were we to say no! Merrin has covered this particular category of the Hugos twice before, so she knows her stuff. Handy links have been provided for your own reading enjoyment, and you should definitely check…
May 13, 2020
I’m back with more Blue Rose. I enjoyed the first short story so much, I knew I wanted to share the next one I read as well. This one dives a bit more into some intrigue and political drama of the world, giving an interesting picture of a multifaceted conflict. Tales of Blue Rose: Heartsong (2018) Written by: Lindsay Smith Genre:…
April 8, 2020
During lockdown, I’ve been diving into some of the tabletop games I haven’t been able to play yet. Blue Rose, a game from publisher Green Ronin, also has a fiction line set in its world. To learn more about the game, I decided to check out the stories. As a bonus, the short story length is perfect for my chaotic…
October 2, 2019
Growing Things and Other Stories (2019) Written by: Paul Tremblay Genre: Horror Pages: 352 (Hardcover) Publisher: William Morrow Why I Chose It: I really enjoyed both Disappearance at Devil’s Rock and A Head Full of Ghosts. I thought this short story collection was bound to be interesting/creepy/provocative. And my library had it. Love my public library!!! The premise: A masterful…
September 14, 2019
It’s the end of the week and the beginning of higanbana season! Every September in Japan, the beautiful spider lilies bloom in droves. These flowers are also called the Flowers of the Other Shore, and the Other Shore lies beyond the River Sanzu, a river of the dead. Many cultures all over the globe affiliate the autumn season with death,…
September 3, 2019
Metamorphosis (2019) Written by: Claire Fitzpatrick Genre: Horror Pages: 245 (E-Book) Publisher: IFWG Publishing Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Why I Chose This: Forever intrigued by the Phoenix, rebirth, and the darkness in humans, the evocative cover of this book beckoned me to spend some…
August 28, 2019
One of the most common questions authors face is a deceptively difficult one to answer: “Where do you get your ideas?” Yet, the answers to that common question can be almost as interesting as the resulting story. Welcome to You’re My Inspiration, a new column dedicated to discovering what inspires a particular author and their work. Whether it be a…
September 12, 2018
Back in January, I made a resolution to read the entire works of NK Jemisin, which actually began in late 2017 with her Mass Effect Andromeda tie-in novel and continued with the Inheritance Trilogy. It’s August, friends, and time is running out. Because all of her books are on wait lists at the library and have been for months, today…
August 17, 2018
Hugo voting is over and the winners will shortly be announced. So I’m getting in just under the wire with a review of the short stories! Reading this category is something of a challenge to myself, as I don’t read enough short fiction in general. I’ve talked about these in ballot order and have not spoiled the ending for any…
January 16, 2018
Beneath the Sugar Sky, the third in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series, was recently released into the wild. Before I get into my review of the novella, I want you to take a minute to read this essay that McGuire wrote for Tor.com regarding My Little Pony. I’ll wait. Back? Great. I had you read that because it gives you…