Giovanni moves to a new city, and finds that his apartment overlooks an enclosed garden where beautiful flowers grow. And a beautiful woman tends to them. She is Beatrice, the daughter of Rappaccini. But a friend of his father, Baglioni, warns Giovanni away from Rappaccini. He values knowledge and science too much, he pursues it […]
This is the story of a scientist who falls in love and marries. But his wife, although beautiful, has a flaw. A birthmark in the shape of a small red hand upon her cheek. Unluckily for her she is very very beautiful and, as her only flaw, this mark is a disaster. Or at least […]
Vanessa works in a roadhouse in an isolated part of Australia. When we first meet her we don’t know why exactly she’s out there, she says she just wants to save some money and then maybe travel. That isn’t all the truth however. She left home to escape her past, or to find a future […]
Okay, do you remember when I “reviewed” The Isles of the sun and I said that I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on it? Well that goes double for this story. I really liked it. Was a bit squicked out by parts of it. But I have no idea what it means. Has anyone […]
one of the stories in Cracklescape One evening when all the other children have gone home for their dinners Elric sees something. Someones. He calls them pharaohs, for lack of a better word, and because they are tall and thin. And come from sun-beams. All at once he knows what they do, they soothe your […]
A Newsflesh novella. In 2014 Dr Wells was on his way to curing cancer. Tests are progressing well. At the same time Dr. Kellis is working on a cure for the common cause. Who would have thought that the two genetically modified cures would ever combine and almost end the world. This novella tells the […]
one of the stories in Cracklescape Tanner found an abandoned dresser on the street, thought it would be an addition to his room, and so took it home. But he may have gotten more than he bargained for. First the handle starts to rattle, with no cause that anyone can see. And then he begins […]
I recently posted a link to some of the nebula nominees that are available to read online. And today I decided to read one, so at random i clicked a link and found myself reading The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary. It is set in the near future where scientists have discovered how to […]
In a small English village something is afoot. A local gent has lost his head, quite literally. Someone has murdered Donny Crispin by chopping his head off. And so Tim Rice comes to investigate. After all, Donny did some work for his department back in the day. Quite what Tim’s department is, I’m not entirely […]
This is just a round-up post of my thoughts after week three of the Fragile things read. As with any short story collection some of the stories worked for me, and other didn’t. I tend to like the more traditional stories, where we have somewhat of a resolution or development. The more open-ended and experimental, […]
Spoilers below Hell is other people, so the saying goes. But in this story hell is pain and the life you’ve lived. Other people is another short short story. Just a couple of pages, so I won’t be writing much about it. It is one that you should read, but I doubt it’d be one […]
Spoilers ahead! What makes you want to abandon your life? To chuck it all and just leave? In Bitter grounds we are never told exactly why the narrator leaves his home, but it certainly has something to do with a woman. Whatever his reason our protagonist just up sticks and drives off. Living in his […]