“We men dream dreams, we work magic, we do good, we do evil. The dragons do not dream. They are dreams. They do not work magic: it is their substance, their being. They do not do; they are.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin, The Farthest Shore
Who among us isn’t fascinated by dragons, drawn by their majesty? In the realms of fantasy, some might desire to be like them. Some desire to own them, to have power over the might creatures. And some desire to take some of their power for themselves, doing whatever it takes to obtain it. Consider the following stories:
“Blackwood Dragon Blues” by Michael Haynes
Rich people have a thing for “exotic” animals. And they’re definitely interested in paying good money if said animal is a dragon—in this case, a Blackwood dragon. These creatures are born small and take decades to become fully grown.
One family, however, that cares more about money than dragons is going to put a Blackwood up for auction. There’s a customer who really wants to buy it, but they only have enough money to afford a safecracker like our narrator and a dragon trainer like Martha. Our narrator could do with some cash, but it’s no easy job when the object of your theft is a beast that can breathe fire and, having been cooped up in captivity, will definitely not be in a pleasant mood.
“The Dragon Project” by Naomi Kritzer
Vivian is a bioengineer who makes living creatures through 3D printing. She and her business partner Jed have a new customer who wants them to make him a dragon. Vivian creates a small and accurate one, but the client isn’t pleased. He wants something bigger—something with wings and scales that’ll breathe fire, insurance terms be damned.
When the next attempt doesn’t please him and they decide to drop the client, he resolves to get his dragon made elsewhere. But the terms, the client is going to find out, exist for a reason. How will he get out of this mess? And might it be to Vivian and Jed’s benefit?
A fun story with a happy ending.
“Dragon’s Choice” by Deborah Drake
Dragons as pets is not a new idea. But what if the dragons were actually small and delicate rather than giant and fierce? And what if those dragons had their own ideas about domestication? A short and sweet flash story.
“Earth Dragon, Turning” by Anya Ow
Yue Ling goes around selling medical bak chang. General Xie crosses paths with Yue Ling, who asks Xie if she is going to “appease” the earth dragon, who recently caused deadly earthquakes in the region. The General has brought bombs to deal with the beast, an idea that appalls Yue Ling. Through braided flashbacks, we learn why such an approach shocks her, and Yue Ling’s own reasons for dealing with the earth dragon differently. A gentle story about belief and loss.
“Dragon Soap” by M.K. Hutchins
Maisy hunts small dragons, who have been damaging the radishes and taking away chickens, selling them to Beth, the apothecary, so she can put food on the table and buy Gran’s tonic—although Gran mustn’t find out how Maisy manages to do so. Unfortunately, her little brother follows her into the swamp and ends up getting the mange, so Maisy has to swallow her hatred for the apothecary and go ask for anti-mange soap on credit.
The thing is, Gran and Maisy are pretty sure Beth is scamming everyone with her remedies, but they’re too busy trying to survive to find another way—until Maisy makes a discovery that might save them all.
For a recent novel about dragons as pests, there’s I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons, by Peter S. Beagle. I enjoyed it immensely!
Just finished reading that and it reminds me, more than anything, of LeGuin’s novel Tehanu.
What about the Dragonriders of Pern…the best ever series about dragons.
Does Loiosh qualify as a small dragon?