I read a lot of good short fiction this week. Of the seventeen stories I read, almost half (eight) were four or five star reads for me. The two five star stories are the first two stories in the latest issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact.
“Sin Eater” by Mark W. Tiedemann takes place in a near future after first contact has taken place. While these aliens have adapted to our human ways, they still stand apart. The story follows a lone detective who is still grieving for his dead wife as he investigates the kidnapping of two alien children. After their recovery in the opening, the rest of the story explores the attempt to get the aliens to press charges against the kidnapper. It is fascinating exploration of punishment and forgiveness, especially in the context of grief.
“The Origami Man” by Doug Franklin opens with a fisherman off the coast of Alaska finding what appears to be a dead body in the water. But then it seems to come back to life. I don’t want to give away too much of this story but for me it has all that I look for in speculative short fiction—great writing and realistic characters exploring multiple aspects of what it means to be human.
An honorable mention must also go to Octavia E. Butler’s Hugo award winning “Bloodchild”, a disturbing tale of humans at the mercy of aliens in her tale exploring male pregnancy. While an excellent story, this was only a four out of five stars for me due to its disturbing nature.
