Short Stories I enjoyed in February and March

Hello! Summer is here!

I read 33 stories during these two months, so I thought I’d make a post about them together. So many stories, so little time.

As always, here we go in no particular order:

For sale: One Unicorn Saddle, Mostly Disenchanted by Aimee Picchi in Translunar Travelers Lounge: A short, fun and cute story over the sadness and disappointment for your run-away unicorn and how internet strangers can help you realize what really happened. ?

Gennesaret by Phoenix Alexander in Beneath Ceaseless Skies: What is escaping from what you know when you know nothing else? And who will pay the price? A short and sad story about taking the dangerous leap towards change and going in blind.

Metal like blood in the Black by T. Kingfisher in Uncanny: A unique story about two machines, their relationship with their father and how they managed to survive on their own against a villainous figure. I really enjoyed this one.

An Incomplete Account of the Case of the Bird-talker in Yaros by Eleanna Castroianni in Fireside: From 1967-1974, during the years of the Greek Junta, the island of Yaros in the Aegean was used as a prison for the political prisoners. This is a gentle story in the form of short interviews from the prisoners about the living conditions in prison as well as their personal experiences with the regime.

 

Poetry:

A Jar of Condensed Milk by Gretchen Tesshmer in Strange Horizons

The Prophet, to His Angel by Bogi Takàcs in Fantasy Magazine

Return to the Cities by Marie Vibbert in The Future Fire

Eosphosphorus by Avra Margariti in Eye to the Telescope

A Message From Her Feline Self, Unborn, to Her Cousin, Whose Ancestors Were Once Wolves by Jessica Cho in Fireside 

Shreds and Tatters by Jennifer Crow in Kaleidotrope

Short stories I enjoyed in January

A very late post considering, but my notes are frowning at me and I have to oblige. January was a great month reading wise and I read a lot and very good short stories. As always, here you’ll find both old and new pieces in no particular order. Just the way I put them down on my notes. (You can also see that when I like a magazine or an author I kind of … don’t let go.)

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Favourite books of 2021

In 2021 I had to relearn how to enjoy reading. I went months without picking up a book, or starting books and putting them back down. I missed reading, I missed the joy that came from immersing myself in a fictional world and I missed the easiness of being able to follow a story. In the end, I decided to do it the hard way: force my way through. Luck was with me. The couple of books that I forced my way through were entertaining and fun. Which, of course, was an additional push out of my reading slump. Also, smaller books helped with feeling the satisfaction of finishing a book, giving me enough momentum to move and read forward.

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Short Stories I enjoyed in December

On one hand, in December I only read 12 short stories but, on the other, I discovered Diabolical Plots and Nature Futures, and I had a blast reading stories from them. ^^

Practice on a Pulsefish by Steven Berger in Nature Futures: A flash that deals with the consequences of ignoring the natural environment in order to make some easy money. I’m always in for some petty revenge.

A Guide to Snack Foods After The Apocalypse by Rachel K. Jones in Diabolical Plots: Two kids trying to survive the apocalypse on their own. This story was weird and cute and weird!

The Art And Mystery of Thea Wells  by Alexandra Seidel in Diabolical Plots: I loved the descriptions of the paintings in this story. They felt like art pieces that existed and the feeling they evoked unsettled and intrigued me.

Audio Recording left by the CEO of the Ranvannian Colony to her daughter on the survival imperative of maximizing profits by Cassandra Khaw and Matt Dovey in Diabolical Plots: Ohhhh I loved this one. Unique descriptions of alien food, taste and ways to cook or serve it while at the same time describing the horror of making choices in the altar of profit. Also, mind the content notes on this one.

Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Thoughts on the previous and new year

Happy New Year!

It’s customary here to wish people you’re seeing for the first time ‘Happy New Year’ even when it’s late in January.

To say that the past century two years have been hard it would be an understatement. Everyone is tired from the on going plague and the fear that surrounds it, the lockdowns, the deaths, the questions, the lack of answers, the insecurity.

My 2021 thankfully was kinder to me than 2020 (even typing the year gives me goosebumps).

I made an effort on getting back on track in 2021, keeping the blog updated, reading more, writing more, but grief works in weird ways and I stopped writing and reading altogether for months. I didn’t really start coming around and feeling better until late August, when I went on a new adventure – freediving, I started freediving ? – , pushed myself emotionally and physically to its limit and I came on top. I managed to find something else I love as much as books and the sea, and it helped me, gave me focus and purpose. I was lucky. I have a lovely spouse and a strong support system which helped immensely.

If you’re finding that you’re struggling to be creative, it’s okay. The extreme pressure of the pandemic over every day hurdles is overwhelming. But we have to believe that things will get better.

So this year, I’m going to set moderate goals, read plenty and focus on setting a schedule of writing and submissions. What come will come but I have to put myself out there first, right?

Be kind to yourselves this year. Take care, be careful, vaccinate.

 

 

 

Almost poetry: a sea poem

Thalassa, the daughter of Hmera

her depths unexplored

her secrets unconquered

she has conquered the world

explored our inner depths

we ‘re all Thalassa’s daughters

 

definitions from Greek to English

θάλασσα, thalassa: sea

ημέρα, hmera:  day