A skeptical newspaperman is surprised by a spirit manifested at a seance and unable to express his new beliefs.
Category: Story a Day 2022
“A Feather for Mrs. Edmund” by David Demchuk
A young medium channeling a spirit who is not approved by his guardian meats out grim justice on a murderer. This was a delightfully dark little story.
“The Bone Eater” by Lee Murray
A homeless Maori man helps the unquiet dead find peace. I enjoyed how this story deftly weaves together traditional Maori traditions in a gritty modern environment; quite touching.
“The Marble Lily” by Kathe Koja
A janitor at a Paris morgue becomes obsessed with the beautiful corpse of a nameless young woman who drowned in the Seine. A strange and touching story of obsession.
“The Happy Medium” by Helen Marshall
A woman acts as a medium for the dead at a theme park while dressed in a mascot costume, and delivers devastating news from beyond that is outside of the park’s guidelines….
“Haunt Me” by Gemma Files
A young medium, who has come out of an especially grueling haunting with heightened powers, intervenes with an ancient, lovelorn spirit connected to an odd museum artifact. An interesting story of obsession…
“Useful Phrases” by Gene Wolfe
The owner of a bookshop finds a compelling and strange phrasebook for a mysterious language, and tries to connect with its native speakers. This is an interesting little story of loneliness and…
“Bettering Myself” by Ottessa Moshfegh
A teacher at a Catholic school leads a tawdry and desultory life, but seems unable to break out of her chaos. There’s something refreshing about how over-the-top and unrepentant the narrator is.
“To Sunland” by Lauren Groff
A young woman on her way to college travels by bus from her small town to a home for the mentally disabled on her way to college, burning bridges as she goes….
“Out of All Them Bright Stars” by Nancy Kress
A blue alien goes into a rural diner on a rainy night and offers gentle courtesy to a waitress. This story plays with prejudice and fear, bullies and oppression, in some interesting…