"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." – George R. R. Martin
A vegetarian cook decides to learn to cook meat with surprising results.
The Last Serving by Lincoln Michel (2023) — 1,006 words (about 4 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Lightspeed magazine issue #152, January 2023.
A vampire on the moon attempts to save mankind.
Message in a Vessel by V.G. Harrison (2023) — 4,900 words (about 20 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Apex magazine issue #135, January 2023.
When an innocent girl falls for a bad boy with tattoos, all is not as it seems.
Blank Space by Delilah S. Dawson (2023) — 4,745 words (about 19 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Uncanny magazine issue #51, March/April 2023.
What if there really was something to those fears of what lies under your bed or in your closet?
The Ghasts by Lavie Tidhar (2023) — 4,932 words (about 20 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Uncanny magazine issue #53, July/August 2023.
A lovely story of overcoming secrets and pain.
The Music of the Siphorophenes by C.L. Polk (2023) — 9,232 words (about 37 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Uncanny magazine issue #53, July/August 2023.
It seems that no matter how far back you go, there have always been problem children.
The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry (1907) — 4,150 words (about 17 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in The Saturday Evening Post, 6 July 1907.
A unique allegory about othering at 30,000 feet.
Over Moonlit Clouds by Coda Augeuy-Pegon (2023) — 6,900 words (about 28 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Apex magazine issue #136, March 2023.
This feels like a cosmic version of Live Aid or We Are the World
The United Systems of Goodwill Concert Series and the Greatest Performance of All Time by James Van Pelt (2023) — 1,258 words (about 5 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Lightspeed magazine issue #158, July 2023.
This is an inside look at a reality show of the future. I don’t think I’d be participating in this one.
The Narrative Implications of Your Untimely Death by Isabel J. Kim (2023)
Originally published in Lightspeed magazine issue #152, January 2023.
Each April my book club reads a memoir or biography. This year, we selected this book. Betty White has been a beloved TV personality since before I was born. She started back in the 1950s with shows like The Betty White Show and continued into the 21st century in roles on comedies like Hot in Cleveland and a Super Bowl commercial. It was a joy to learn about how involved she was in the rise of television.
She starts with telling briefly of her youth as an only child of very loving parents in Los Angeles. She learned her loved of all animals from them. From there she tells of her love for performing and getting started in TV. As she grows in the new medium, she tells of only a few relationships, one of which becomes a lasting marriage. She continues until the time of the book’s publication in the 1990s. Remarkably, she had nearly thirty years more in TV after the book was published.
This is a quick, easy, entertaining read. While it has Betty’s trademark wit throughout, it also has poignant moments of relationship and loss. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about a woman who has been a part of most of my life. It made me miss her presence all the more.
My rating: 4/5