Psychic connections and pink dolphins, jinn and keys, ghostly ancestors and distant futures. November was another month of great short fantasy, horror, and science fiction, so here are my ten favorites.
“A Review: The Reunion of the Survivors of Sigrún 7” by Lars Ahn
Years ago, a crew of astronauts disappeared during a voyage to Mars, and when they returned, they were short a captain. The survivors refused to explain what happened, until controversial filmmaker Manuela Riviera locked them in a room together. Written as a review of Riviera’s documentary, this short story is just as secretive and full of implications as the film’s subject. It offers few answers and a ton of questions.
Lightspeed Magazine (November 2023; Issue 162)
“Cherenkov Blue” by Charlene Brusso
Poppy and their client, an elderly Mentor called Valentin, take yet another tour of Chernobyl, one of the “Big Mistakes trifecta” along with Three Gorges Dam and the “Orbital Whiplash”. Most do the tour remotely, but Valentin insists on going in person, despite the risk to their health. I think what compelled me about this piece was about the joys of taking risks and how sometimes it can be more fulfilling to do or see something yourself instead of processed through a screen.
Nature: Futures (November 22, 2023)
“In Her Dreams, the River” by A. Y. Lu
When her family migrates to space for a better life, Mi, the teenage daughter, is left behind on Earth as the ghost bride to three dead men. It’s her job to tend to their graves and honor their spirits to help them move on or at least not cause harm while they haunt a place. Watching Mi find peace and satisfaction in the life she’s given, even though it’s not the one she wanted, was a good reminder for me about my own life. Maybe we can take what we have and make it our own. Maybe we can learn to want new things. Maybe we can use what we’re stuck with as a launching pad to something better.
Three-Lobed Burning Eye (November 2023; Issue 40)
“In the Shelter of Ghosts” by Risa Wolf
A strange fungus consumes structures, except those haunted and protected by the spirit of an ancestor. Our narrator works at the agency who assigns what housing is left—“a steel warehouse”, “a stone mill house”, a shipping container, a treehouse, a ditch, etc—but in their freetime they’re rebuilding their father’s house, plank by plank. A bittersweet story about grief and familial bonds, of learning the difference between being unwilling to let go and finding strength in your ancestors.
Diabolical Plots (November 1, 2023; #105)
“Stitch” by Kathleen Schaefer
A father “stitches” or is psychically connected to his newborn daughter. Doctors understandably don’t want infants bonding with their adult parents that deeply, as it could negatively impact their learning and development. But Aden struggles with keeping his boundaries. Given the note the story ends on, I’d put this down as a cautionary tale. Kathleen Schaefer reminds readers of why parents should be friendly with their children but not try to be their friend. Your job is to parent; let them be best friends with their peers.
PodCastle (November 14, 2023; #813)
“The Corruption of Malik the Unsmiling” by Naseem Jamnia
““JINN OF THE UN-GASOLINE,” booms the voice no denizen of Hell wants to hear. “REFILL MY VEHICLE.”” A jinn decides to open a gas station in Hell, and a frustrated angel unexpectedly becomes a regular. Naseem Jamnia is great at writing in general, but especially the details. For lesser writers, they might be just throwaway gags, but for Jamnia they are an integral yet subtle part of worldbuilding. A fun, clever story about an unlikely friendship.
The Sunday Morning Transport (November 12, 2023)
“The Curse of the Boto Boy” by Woody Dismukes
Botos are said to be shapeshifters that can turn into handsome men who seduce women along the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. They’re also an endangered species in a habitat being destroyed by dams and pollution. Woody Dismukes taps into folklore to tell a story about an outcast woman and her son, as well as the lengths a parent will go to to protect their child, even if the child doesn’t need it. A nice pairing with “Stitch”.
Nightmare Magazine (November 2023; Issue 134)
“The Last Science Fiction Writer: A Hallucination” by Fábio Fernandes
This intriguing story is a transcript of a 5000-year-old hallucination that “was recorded and coded into fungal patches…for use in ancient chemotelepathy systems.” The interview is complex and overlapping. Raymond, the person being interviewed, is a time traveler refugee of sorts, and their conversation is mostly about how the concept of science fiction has shifted over the centuries. This was just fun and textually satisfying to read, like tasting a new dish with a lot of interweaving and contradicting flavors.
IZ Digital (November 2023)
“The Meaning of the Key” by Sonia Sulaiman
“The woman leans out of her wheelchair and touches their dark hair fondly with a shaking hand, then gives them a large key carved from olive wood, saying, “Do not forget Palestine; promise me that.”” During a ceremony where honorary keys are handed out, antagonists try to diminish the existence of Palestine and the humanity of Palestinans. Then a miracle happens that challenges those oppressors. Sonia Sulaiman also made my October spotlight, but I couldn’t pass up this powerful story.
If There’s Anyone Left (November 22, 2023; Volume 4)
“Yaka Mein Lady” by Vivian Chou
““The door to Chinatown is always open for those who are willing to find it,” Mama says. “Just don’t let your brain cover it up.”” A woman can see the past, present, and future of an object. To treat her condition, her mother takes her to a Chinatown that no longer exists. This is such a lovely piece about ancestry and honoring your past by living the best possible present. The Chinatown in my hometown was also bulldozed about the same time as the one in New Orleans, its residents forced out and scattered to the winds even though they had been there since at least 1850, so this story stuck with me long after I finished it.
Heartlines (November 2023; Issue 3)
Alex Brown is a Hugo-nominated and Ignyte award-winning critic who writes about speculative fiction, librarianship, and Black history. Find them on twitter (@QueenOfRats), bluesky (@bookjockeyalex), instagram (@bookjockeyalex), and their blog (bookjockeyalex.com).
