Favorite Short Fiction of the Week

I read ten pieces of short fiction this week ranging from about 1,500 words to almost 25,000 words. To view the entire list of what I read, look at the top ten entries in the table at the bottom of my Short Fiction page.

Two of these stories were five stars for me. The first was Sarah Pinsker’s And Then There Were (N-One). I read it as part of her collection Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea which my book club is reading this month. It is a very strange story indeed. In it, Sarah Pinsker (but not the actual author) is the main character and storyteller. She is invited to a SarahCon where she meets other Sarah Pinskers from across the multiverse (presumably even our author). When one of these Sarahs dies, the insurance investigator narrator Sarah is called on to look into it. This is a fascinating look at both identity and what might have happened if we had only made different choices.

The other story I loved, from the January issue of Uncanny magazine, is A.T. Greenblatt’s The Doorkeepers. The titular doorkeepers are essentially chaperones to small rooms where paying customers can experience a brief glimpse of the near future. The only caveat? Anything you take from that experienced future does not survive leaving the room. So, no Grays Sports Book problems like in Back to the Future II. The story is a well-written exploration of how our choices and behavior can affect our futures. And how trying to manipulate the future doesn’t turn out like we expect.

And only now am I seeing how the theme of choices is integral to both of my favorites this week. Interesting. I wonder if there will be a connecting theme for my favorites next week.

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

I am not sure how I first learned about this book, but I really liked the author’s Arc of a Scythe series. The premise of this one sounded intriguing when I was deciding what to read next, so I picked it out of my to read pile.

Published in 2025, it takes place after the COVIC-19 pandemic during a new and unusual worldwide virus scare. This new virus, called Crown Royale, is virulent and deadly. But those who survive find they have a very unusual side effect—preternatural kindness and happiness. In fact, many people who are not among the recovered feel that the recovered are no longer themselves. There arise two perspectives among individuals. One, avoid the virus at all costs as it will change you. Two, seek out the virus for the happiness that follows recovering. This is the crux of the novel as it follows those on both sides of the issue.

The writing is very engaging and easy to follow. The author delves into both perspectives in a way that makes both seem understandable even while some of the actions taken on both sides are exceptionally questionable. I very much enjoyed the book but found the end extremely unsatisfying. Without any spoilers, there is no real resolution. I am okay with ambiguous endings. In fact I often really like a story that doesn’t spoon feed me what I should think about it. Here, though, there is no resolution at all. I have no indication whatsoever of how things go. It feels like the story just ends. Some may appreciate that, but I found it extremely disappointing.

My rating: 3.5/5

My 2026 Reading Goals

Traditionally, I set a goal each January for how many books I want to read in the year. About halfway through 2025, I rededicated myself to reading more short fiction. Taking that into account, I have not set a goal for how many books I want to read this year. My reading goals are a little more complicated.

This year I plan to have three reading tracks this year. One is to be reading a book, either a novel or nonfiction. At the same time I will be reading short fiction from one of the short fiction magazines I subscribe to and from a collection or anthology. And instead of a goal of books to read, I have set a goal of reading 400 short fiction stories this year. That is a little more than one a day.

So far this year, I am on track having read twenty-one stories so far. You can keep track of what I read on my Short Fiction page. I will continue to share reviews here of each book I read this year. I have also toying with the idea of at least occasional reviews of some of the short fiction I read. But that will depend on other things in my life.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

I remember when the movie based on this book came out back in 1993. It is hard to put into words how amazing and realistic the dinosaurs were. I am sure today they don’t hold the same awe for viewers as they did then. When I recently heard a podcaster raving about this novel, it sparked an urge in me to read the original material. Being in the mood for a quick read, I picked up this old school thriller.

Everyone pretty much knows the story. A billionaire clones dinosaurs on an island off the coast of Costa Rica with the plan of opening a family friendly theme park. Some of his investors are a little concerned and convince him to host a lawyer representing the investors, two paleontologists, and a critical mathematician to evaluate the park and island. They land. Chaos ensues.

What most impressed me about this novel was the critique of scientific hubris. The mathematician is the mouthpiece for this in the book. At one point he says that scientist never ask if they should do something. It is only enough if they can. They justify it by saying if they don’t, someone else will. Though based in science and technology, this book is very humanist. The emotions (particularly fear) are front and center. I felt like I was really there. It was a fantastic combination of excellent storytelling and examination of the science and thinking of its time.

My rating: 4/5

City of One by Stephen S. Power

The author has used a number of unique tools in this excellent story. First, the story is in the second person, so it is speaking directly to the reader. I often find this distracting, but here it is used to devastating effect in drawing the reader in and immersing them in the narrative. Second, this isn’t really a story. It is more of a description of a video game told using a narrative style. Again, seems like it wouldn’t work very well, but it does. Without giving away too much, it describes a kind of hind and seek game that seems impossible to win and has existential consequences. And the second half describes a sequel that flips the script.

This one is dark and hits close to home. It shows the extremes of our internet, mobile phone culture and how unavoidable and futile it can feel. Read it.

Length: 885 words (< 5 minutes)

My rating: 4/5

The Girlfriend Experience by C.Z. Tacks

In a bleak, near future dystopia devastated by climate change, a sex worker is forced by her economic circumstances to entertain a client whose proclivity involves choking her. It’s okay, though. She has a “closet” she can use. This is a technology that allows for a sort of full body mask that subsumes her consciousness during the experience. But the technology seems to be on the fritz and something unexpected happens.

The world building here is detailed and deeply immersive without being expository, flowing organically as part of the storytelling. The best part of the story is exploring the idea I cannot reveal without spoiling the story. This is another piece of short fiction exploring ideas through story. Well done!

Length: 5,017 words (about 20 minutes)

My rating: 5/5

The Place I Came To by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko

This is a short, simple story of how the narrator moved to a new city that he at first didn’t really like but eventually came to appreciate and love. Despite its brevity, it does evoke a feeling for what it is like to move from feeling estranged in a new place to loving it despite, or even because of, all its apparent shortcomings.

Length: 982 words (about 5 minutes)

My rating: 3/5

Last Meal Aboard the Awassa by Kel Coleman

Many science fiction adventure stories involve alien encounters, learning from them or fighting against them. Most of these involve some sort of “happy” ending where humans are triumphant in some way. This story is instead much more bleak. The crew of the Awassa are all doomed to die, consumed by a giant space creature that was thought to be a planet. Probing it has awoken it and made it angry. It expands, engulfing everything in its path. It is moving too fast to avoid. The crew is in its path. We follow the crew as they prepare for their inevitable end.

Despite the grim and predetermined outcome of this story, it does have some bright spots. It shows the community that exists on board, highlighting how each member turns to care when they realize their end is near. The crew also appear to be non-human with a variety of body forms and types. All in, this is an uplifting story of community, care, and strength in the midst of bleakness. A rather helpful message in our moment.

Length: 1,792 words (about 10 minutes)

My rating: 3/5

A World of Their Own by Robert Falco

The Earth is devoid of humans who have all left the world they destroyed to find a new place to live. Left behind are two unique forms life—sentient drones and biomechanical animals. This story (whose world reminded me a bit of the 2008 movie WALL·E) centers on one of the drones who is doing a routine inspection of the launch complex nearby. An acid rain storm approaches and the plot involves her encounter with the “animals” in her attempt to avoid the killing rain.

I found this story a fascinating exploration of what life might be left and evolve after humans have left behind a ruined world. The drones are still guided by their programming and the biomechanical animals are intriguing. The author leaves out exactly how they came about. I wish there had been more of that. I was left wanting to experience and learn more about the world built here.

Length: 2,610 words (about 15 minutes)

My rating: 4/5

Five Impossible Things by Koji A. Dae

Alice lies dying in a hospice bed while her mind attempts to gain citizenship in Vtora Sviat, a virtual reality realm designed as an alternative to dying. The challenge is that the mind must accept the VR as reality. But Alice struggles to do this each time she visits by noticing the impossible things in the virtual world. With time running out, she must overcome this mental obstacle or face imminent death.

The call backs to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are obvious in this penultimate story of the September issue of Clarkesworld. The storytelling is superb—touching, poignant, and heartfelt. Alice struggles with leaving her family behind, exploring the difficulty of relationships in a hospice situation. At the same time it tackles the experience of discovering new things about yourself. Another fantastic story that I highly recommend.

Length: 4,110 words (about 20 minutes)

My rating: 5/5