I managed to read 31 stories in April! One day, I will start following magazines in a more organized manner, but this is not the day. For some reason, I like reading randomly, either from people that tweet their favorite stories, or someone promoting their own work, or even going in a magazine and just choose what to read based on the title (and the length. Never forget the length).
There aren’t many poems this month, because I didn’t read any. I’ll fix this as I go.
So, here are eight favourites of mine from this past month.
Stories
A House Is Not a Home by L Chan, in Clarkesworld : An empty house run by an AI that goes through its daily functions despite it being empty. The sense of abandonment is almost tangible in this story. What is the role of the house, its responsibility, with whom does its loyalty lies, in an authoritarian state that controls everyone? A short but beautiful story, with enough hint of hope to make it better.
Blue by Kathleen Brigid, in Translunar Travelers Lounge: Language barriers and aliens is a concept I’ll always love. And this was a very short story about language misunderstandings without any high stakes which made it pretty fun. I laughed out loud with this one!
The Family In The Adit by A.T. Greenblatt, in Nightmare Magazine: The most awkward and creepy dinner I’ve ever been invited to. A Mine Worker has to pass through a very difficult dinner with the Guard and his Family in order to win her freedom from the Mine. The claustrophobic feeling of the world that seemed compressed around a dinner table, the unsettling food and the commentary on everyone’ s supposed roles made the story dark and very interesting.
Daddy’s Girl by Jennifer R. Donohue, in Syntax & Salt: A soft and heartfelt story about a girl growing up waiting for her father to return from war, while growing up with the drone he had sent to watch over her. A short story packing quite the emotional punch.
Mr Death by Alex E. Harrow, in Apex Magazine: A man dies and becomes one of the Deaths that help souls cross over. Until the day that he’s assigned to help a child cross over and things become personal and difficult for him. I find myself crying all over Harrow’s short stories. *shrugs* I loved this story.
Laughter Among The Trees by Suzan Palumbo, in The Dark : When the older sister fails to look after the younger one, everything changes. A dark story about guilt, the mistakes of the past and how they haunt her no matter the years or who she becomes.
Hold Me Like Yourself by Avra Margariti, in Wigleaf: A short, lovely, lovely story about care and affection between lovers. It will warm your heart.
Lesser Things by EJ Slide, in Fireside: A short mystery story about supernatural creatures, desperate solutions and finding love. A lovely read.
Poetry
Like the gator loves the snake by Maria Zoccolain in Fantasy Magazine