I’ve once again updated my Short Story Read table, and the best story I read (and my only 5-star read in this batch) was “Ladd’s Robot Repair” by David Anaxagoras in the August issue of Lightspeed Magazine. It is a post-apocalyptic tale in which the protagonist goes looking for a part he needs in the most dangerous part of the city. In his travels he meets a robot that he is not interested in at all. However, the robot imprints on him and follows his around while he searches. They run into danger and that’s where the heart of the story is. This is a story with many layers. It is yet another fine example of what I look for in speculative fiction.
This issue of LIghtspeed was exceptional. There were three other stories in the issue that I rated as 4 stars. Check them out as well.
- “Infinite Wishes” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch — A young woman captures a fairy and prepares to make her third wish.
- “Fragments of the Whole” by Brooke Bolander — For a new job, a candidate undergoes a unique, and questionable, form of therapy.
- “The Goddess of Not Enough” by Susan Palwick — A Cinderella character is fired by her fairy godmother and seeks her purpose in life.
