There are writers one will follow wherever they go, for their voice if nothing else, and for me Arnason is one such.Ī recent story collection worth your attention is The Burning Day and Other Strange Stories by Charles Payseur, who may be better known for his short fiction reviews and his Hugo Award nominations as a Fan Writer. All this is amusing but never condescending, and plainly and dryly told. And, intriguingly, a much later offer to another author!Īfter all that, my favorite piece this issue is Eleanor Arnason’s ‘‘ The Graveyard’’, a sly and practical story told at a purposeful remove, via the curator of a museum, to the supposed narrator (Arnason?), retelling an Icelandic farmer’s story of being haunted by the ghosts of a graveyard, offended by an American of Icelandic descent having added a cross and an iron fence…. And apposite.Įllen Kushner’s ‘‘ Immortal Coil’’ is the very satisfying story of a certain Will, circa 1607, encountering a man he thought had died long before – Kit Marlowe – and Marlowe’s description of the price he paid, and the rewards he gained, for his post-death fate, leading inevitably to a similar agonizing offer to Will. Cooney is never less than enjoyable, and ‘‘ From the Archives of the Museum of Eerie Skins: An Account’’ does not disappoint, telling of Firi Kanaphar, a wolfcaster who wanted to become an archivist… but a certain rich Warlock decided he didn’t like her and stole her skin. The central idea is really cool, and truly Gothic, and the story is well written, though the ending falls somewhat flat.Ĭ.S.E. ![]() The narrator is the actress portraying the partner, and the story turns on the death of the actor playing the alchemist, and his replacement, who realizes the bizarre captivity he’s entered… and, with the narrator, sets upon a dangerous way out. ![]() White’s ‘‘ Diamond Cuts’’, set in a world whose magic reenacting the way that magic was brought to the world – by an alchemist’s partner stealing a star and sacrificing herself. Uncanny’s general excellence is never surprising. ![]() The Burning Day and Other Strange Stories, Charles Payseur (Lethe Press) August 2021.įantastic Americana, Josh Rountree (Fairwood Press) August 2021.
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