A woman’s ruminations about her estranged daughter may have undone a magic show that her husband takes her to on her birthday. This feels a bit like “Our Town’s Talent” from the…
Tag: short story
“So Late in the Day” by Claire Keegan
On what would have been his wedding day if he weren’t such a jerk, a man has a depressing evening at home. This is a beautifully written story that perfectly captures the…
“Darcy’s Patent Automic Nanny” by Ted Chiang
A scientist is forced to reconsider the implications of his efforts to rehabilitate his father’s invention when its effects on his own son become clear. Told in the form of a brief…
“The King’s Teacup a Rest” by Michael Andreasen
The King of Retired Amusements takes possession of Liebling’s Sunday Morning Carnival and Midway, and is undone by expired hot dogs and faulty rides while his entourage pursue their own quests. A…
“What’s Expected Of Us” by Ted Chiang
A toy triggered by future actions proves that there is no free will, resulting in despair and catatonia. Less a story than a thought experiment with terrible implications; and it’s more than…
“The Fifth Stone” by Simon Strantzas
Over the course of her life a woman collects and discards five stones that both fascinate and torment her, and in the end discovers that they can unlock her nightmares. This a…
“Yoda” by Brian Doyle
A man finds a newborn, apparently abandoned by his teenage neighbor. This is an odd, short little story, very much a character sketch.
“Collision” by J. S. Breukelaar
Multiverses collide, and alternate versions of people and lives are entangled and then ripped apart. This is an interesting and twisty take on the multiverse trope, with a heartfelt and heartrending core…
“In the Tall Grass” by Simon Strantzas
A widow tries to find a place for the man-tree who may be her son to belong. This is an odd story that feels a bit like a fairy tale despite its…
“Skinder’s Veil” by Kelly Link
A graduate student watches a secluded house with two important rules: any friends of the owner who come to the back door are to be let in, but under no circumstances may…