Falling behind again, but circumstances still being what they are... you know!
Part of the point of documenting what I'm reading (even if it's only for me) is an attempt to read more widely and finish books on my TBR list (I have a tendency to re-read old favourites a lot), read outside of my default comfort zone (which is SFF/speculative), and also read more deliberately around the genre(s) I want to write in, which currently includes interesting/weird short fiction and books that draw heavily on folklore. You can't write a genre you don't read!
So, in May I finished two books, and while I haven't wandered very far from my comfort zone yet, this month I did cover the last goal: both folklore and short fiction.
Strange but rather lovely - this is a quiet, meandering book that is far more complex than it might appear at first glance. Set in a fantasy version of post-Roman, 'dark ages' Britain, it plays with Arthurian myths and other similar tropes in a way that feels very familiar, but also a bit twisty and hard to grasp. As a story largely about memory and history (personal and societal), in which many of the characters do not know or cannot quite remember what is going on, it has a dreamlike quality. It also explores love, aging, loss, and death, through what is happening to the characters and also to the land itself. It is somewhat unusual in fantasy to have elderly protagonists, and this plays into the tone of the book - even the action sequences have a subdued or confused feel to them. The overall effect is a poignant, rather ambiguous narrative that feels simultaneously odd and familiar, sad and quietly satisfying. I enjoyed it and would suggest anyone who likes interesting takes on mythology gives it a go.
A short story collection in which each story is inspired by a different scientific theory or area of study. Maitland consulted with experts/academics in each field, and each story has an afterword written by them responding to the her story and/or explaining the science. It's a fascinating approach to storytelling and has resulted in tales that are variously creepy, unexpected, whimsical, and weird. Many of them also blend elements of myth or folklore with the science - frankly, it's a brilliant collection. Among my favourites were Her Bonxie Boy, which combines bird migration on a remote island with a traditional shapeshifting lover tale, Lighting the Standard Candles, about Henrietta Leavitt (who was responsible for a key discovery linked to measuring the scale of the universe in the early 20th century), and the title story Moss Witch, a delicately dark story of the encroachment of humans on the natural world and how it doesn't always end well even when we have the best intentions.
And here are the month's recommended short reads that you can find online...
The Day We Disappeared by S.A. Leavesley (in Ellipsis Zine) - A weird, fun little story about inexplicable happenings in an otherwise normal world. Includes a bonus link to a 'supporting' website!
The Family by Rab Ferguson (in STORGY) - A longer piece about the pressure of family, denying who you are, and the power that comes from embracing it instead, tied up in magical happenings.
The Magic in Her Bones by Rin Willis (in Corvid Queen) - A wonderfully creepy cyclical fairy tale/horror story, beautifully written with interwoven narratives.
Marathon by Kalisa Ann Lessnau (in Daily Science Fiction) - This appeals to the long distance runner in me, at the point in every race where you start wondering why the hell you are doing this... Being pursued by monsters is as good a reason as any!
The Levitation by Jennifer Todhunter (in The Forge) - An intense, stream of consciousness narrative about aging and nostalgia and trying to reclaim something from your past (plus teenage-me loved The Craft, so...)
Revelations by Derek Heckman (in Milk Candy Review) - What happens after the Rapture, to those left behind. The structure adds an extra dimension, with numbered paragraphs like bible verses.
Luna by Giles Montgomery (in Reflex Fiction - Another dark one, telling a pretty bleak story of hubris and the futility of human endeavour, with just a hint of a sting of hope in its tail.
John's Oak by Mike Fox (in Fictive Dream) - A poignant story of the relationship between man and nature, inspired by John Clare.
Ghost Me in the Ghost Moon by Faye Brinsmead (in Spelk) - A strange little piece with something to say about loss and change. Feels quite resonant in lockdown, which I think is why it grabbed me on first reading.
Meat Eaters by Kristina Ten (in Fictive Dream) - A visceral story with a well realised voice and setting, that will leave you feeling slightly grubby and just a little bit vengeful.
All done for now - more soon I promise! Stay safe out there folks...
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