2018 Short Stories

List of Short Stories Read in 2018

  1. Honor Killing by Ray Tabler (Escape Pod 321, 3.5/5)
  2. Chicken Noodle Gravity by J. Daniel Sawyer (Escape Pod 322, 3.0/5)
  3. Marking Time on the Far Side of Forever – DK Latta (Escape Pod 323, 4.0/5)
  4. Long Winter’s Nap – Catherine H. Shaffer (Escape Pod 324, 3.5/5)
  5. Alien Archeology – Neal Asher (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.5/5)
    • I didn’t really get into the vengeance plot on this one, but I really liked the idea of an advanced alien race that removed its capability for sentience to escape a galaxy spanning virus that targeted sentient life.
  6. Bad Dogs Escape – James Patrick Kelly (Escape Pod 325, 1.0/5)
  7. Poppies and Chrome (Escape Pod 326, 2.5/5)
  8. Rabbi Aaron Meets Satan (Escape Pod 326, 3.0/5)
  9. Fine-Tuning the Universe (Escape Pod 326, 3.0/5)
  10. Revenants – Judith Tarr (Escape Pod 327, 2.5/5)
  11. The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate – Ted Chiang (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 5.0/5)
    • I really like Ted Chiang’s philosophy of time travel and this story really hits the spot.
  12. Surviving the eBookalypse – Randy Henderson (Escape Pod 328, 3.0/5)
  13. Pairs – Zachary Jernigan (Escape Pod 329, 3.0/5)
  14. Beyond the Wall – Justin Stanchfield (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.0/5)
  15. The Ghost of a Girl Who Never Lived – Keffy R. M. Kehrli (Escape Pod 330, 3.5/5)
  16. Sweet Little Memory – Antony Mann (Pseudopod 217, 4.5/5)
    • Listening to this one so quickly after The Ghost of a Girl Who Never Lived is a bit odd, but I really liked how this story crafted the entity, what it does to its host family, and how one might go about hunting it.  Maybe it was the mention of Frank Black, but this story felt like one part Millennium, one part Twilight Zone, and one part Supernatural – good DNA, if you ask me.
  17. Devour – Ferrett Steinmetz (Escape Pod 331, 3.0/5)
  18. Overclocking – James L. Sutter (Escape Pod 332, 3.5/5)
  19. Asteroid Monte – Craig DeLancey (Escape Pod 333, 4.0/5)
  20. The Eckener Alternative – James L. Cambias (Escape Pod 334, 3.5/5)
  21. The Water Man – Ursula Pflug (Escape Pod 335, 2.5/5)
    • I felt that the world building and narrative on this one was a bit too weak for me to really enjoy it – there were a lot of words, but nothing for me to connect with.
  22. Kiosk – Bruce Sterling (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.5/5)
  23. Last Contact – Stephen Baxter (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 4.0/5)
  24. The Speed of Time – Jay Lake (Escape Pod 336, 2.5/5)
    • I wanted to like this one, as it seems very quotable and was right there…  …But I couldn’t quite connect with the disparate stories that weren’t quite more than the sum of their parts.
  25. Counting Cracks – George R. Galuschak (Escape Pod 337, 3.5/5)
  26. The Trojan Girl – N. K. Jemisin (Escape Pod 338, 4.0/5)
  27. The Sledge-Maker’s Daughter – Alastair Reynolds (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.5/5)
  28. “Run,” Bakri Says – Ferrett Steinmetz (Escape Pod 339, 4.5/5)
    • Aahhhh, Groundhog’s Day, this worked for me in how it came together just right…
  29. Sanjeev and Robotwallah – Ian McDonald (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.5/5)
  30. The Skysailor’s Tale – Michael Swanwick (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 2.5/5)
  31. Golubash (Wine-Blood-War-Story) – Catherynne M. Valente (Escape Pod 340, 3.0/5)
    • The story was good, but Mur started me off on the wrong foot by saying this was a story about food – the only food stories that were memorable to me were on Pseudopod: Wendigo (not my thing) and Why I Hate Cake (good, but…  …not for the faint of stomach).
  32. Aphrodisia – Lavie Tidhar (Escape Pod 341, 2.5/5)
  33. Certus Per Bellum – S. Hutson Blount (Escape Pod 342, 3.5/5)
  34. The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees – E. Lily Yu (Escape Pod 343, 4.0/5)
  35. The Homecoming – Mike Resnick (Escape Pod 344, 4.0/5)
    • I’m pretty sure that Mike Resnick supplements his income by the tears of the people who read his stories.  He’s a menace to society and probably has filled an Olympic-sized swimming pool every day for the last six years on this one alone.
  36. Of Love and Other Monsters – Vandana Singh (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.5/5)
  37. The Paper Menagerie – Ken Liu (Escape Pod 345, 4.0/5)
  38. Hawksbill Station – Robert Silverberg (Escape Pod 346, 4.5/5)
    • A neat bit of time travel, and where better to have a penal colony but on the receiving end of a time travel device in the late Cretaceous period…
  39. Steve Fever – Greg Egan (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 4.0/5)
    • Reminded me a bit of Devour but a bit more feel-good.
  40. Next Time, Scales – John Moran (Escape Pod 347, 4.5/5)
    • I really liked this one, as it reminded me of The Dark Abyss by Bruce Coville (the second book in Philip Jose Farmer’s: The Dungeon).  The idea of love as a telepathic bond that goes beyond species really resonates with me, and I would be interested in seeing it done this well more often.
  41. Hellfire at Twilight – Kage Baker (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.0/5)
  42. The Immortals of Atlantis – Brian Stableford (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.5/5)
  43. Nemesis – Nathaniel Lee (Escape Pod 348, 3.0/5)
  44. Origin – Ari Goelman (Escape Pod 349, 3.5/5)
  45. Observer Effects – Tim Pratt (Escape Pod 350, 3.0/5)
  46. Nothing Personal – Pat Cadigan (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 4.0/5)
  47. Tideline – Elizabeth Bear (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.0/5)
  48. Food for Thought – Laura Lee McArdle (Escape Pod 352, 3.0/5)
  49. Talking to the Enemy – Don Webb (Escape Pod 353, 4.0/5)
  50. The Caretaker – Ken Liu (Escape Pod 354, 3.5/5)
  51. Grandmother – Cat Rambo (Escape Pod 355, 2.0/5)
  52. Three-Quarters Martian – CR Hodges (Escape Pod 356, 3.5/5)
  53. The Accord – Keith Brooke (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 4.0/5)
  54. Laws of Survival – Nancy Kress (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.0/5)
  55. Connoisseurs of the Eccentric – Jetse de Vries (Escape Pod 357, 4.0/5)
  56. Like a Hawk in its Gyre – Philip Brewer (Escape Pod 358, 3.5/5)
  57. Chasers – Scott W. Baker (Escape Pod 359, 3.0/5)
  58. The Mists of Time – Tom Purdom (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 2.0/5)
  59. Craters – Kristine Kathryn Rusch (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 4.5/5)
    • While definitely not a happy story, this one had it out for me, and I found myself moved.
  60. The Prophet of Flores – Ted Kosmatka (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.0/5)
  61. Stray – Benjamin Rosenbaum & David Ackert (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 4.0/5)
    • I really like this one – Benjamin Rosenbaum always has great stuff, it was short, and I really liked the way the main character has to consciously work to not manipulate people…
  62. Follow That Cathedral! – Gareth Owens (Escape Pod 360, 3.0/5)
  63. Ashes on the Water – Gwendolyn Clare (Escape Pod 361, 3.5/5)
  64. Contamination – Jay Werkheiser (Escape Pod 362, 4.0/5)
  65. Flowing Shapes – Rajan Khanna (Escape Pod 363, 3.0/5)
  66. Techno-Rat – Brad Hafford (Escape Pod 364, 3.0/5)
  67. The Garden of Earthly Delights – Jay Caselberg (Escape Pod 365, 3.0/5)
  68. Some of Them Closer – Marissa Lingen (Escape Pod 366, 3.5/5)
  69. Lion Dance – Vylar Kaftan (Escape Pod 367, 3.0/5)
  70. Roxie – Robert Reed (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 3.5/5)
  71. Springtime for Deathtraps – Marjorie James (Escape Pod 368, 4.5/5)
    • Another great entry in the Deathtraps series.  I like what Marjorie did here, it’s fun and gets you to think through all the angles.
  72. Passengers – Robert Silverberg (Escape Pod 369, 3.0/5)
  73. The Care and Feeding of Mammalian Bipeds, v. 2.1 M. – Darusha Wehm (Escape Pod 370, 3.0/5)
  74. A Querulous Flute of Bone – Cat Rambo (Escape Pod 371, 4.5/5)
    • This one really struck a chord with me – the philosophy, the search for objects of power, and the girl who very much had a power all her own.
  75. Health Tips for Traveler – David W. Goldman (Escape Pod 372, 2.5/5)
  76. Echoes of the Bouncing Ball – Paul Celmer (Escape Pod 372, 3.5/5)
  77. Tornado on Fire – Luc Reid (Escape Pod 372, 3.5/5)
  78. Chandra’s Game – Samantha Henderson (Escape Pod 373, 3.5/5)
  79. Oubliette – J. Kelley Anderson (Escape Pod 374, 4.5/5)
  80. Marley and Cratchit – David Steffen (Escape Pod 375, 4.5/5)
    • I really liked the recontextualization of the Christmas Carol here – pretty much everything about this story clicked with me, from the alchemist’s hoop to Scrooge’s transformation.
  81. Shutdown – Corry L. Lee (Escape Pod 376, 4.0/5)
  82. Real Artists – Ken Liu (Escape Pod 377, 3.5/5)
  83. Scout – Bud Sparhawk (Escape Pod 378, 3.0/5)
  84. Concussion – David Glen Larson (Escape Pod 379, 4.0/5)
  85. Punk Voyager – Shaenon Garrity (Escape Pod 380, 3.0/5)
    • I struggled with this one due to the language and jargon – the plot was awesome, but I didn’t really like the way it was written…
  86. Elias, Smith and Jones – Mark English (Escape Pod 381, 3.5/5)
  87. Dark Heaven – Gregory Benford (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 25th, 2.0/5)
    • Unfortunately, this one really didn’t work for me, and it was the last story in the collection.  It was a bit too long, a bit too obvious, and a bit too back-weighted to be really good.
  88. They Go Bump – David Barr Kirtley (Escape Pod 382, 4.0/5)
  89. The First Book of Flaccid Swords – Edward Cowan (Escape Pod 383, 4.0/5)
  90. The Tamarisk Hunter – Paolo Bacigalupi (Escape Pod 384, 5.0/5)
    • This story resonated so strongly with me, both this time, and the first time I read this story a few years ago.  It’s terrifying in a way that I can only describe as hitting so close to home that he actually names my home, and is a story I will never forget.
  91. The Very Pulse of the Machine – Michael Swanwick (Escape Pod 385, 3.0/5)
  92. Finished – Robert Reed (Escape Pod 386, 2.5/5)
  93. Perspective – Jake Kerr (Escape Pod 387, 3.5/5)
  94. Trixie and the Pandas of Dread – Eugie Foster (Escape Pod 388, 3.0/5)
  95. Keeping Tabs – Kenneth Schneyer (Escape Pod 389, 2.5/5)
  96. Cerbo un Vitra ujo – Mary Robinette Kowal (Escape Pod 390, 2.0/5)
  97. Making My Entrance Again With My Usual Flair – Ken Scholes (Escape Pod 391, 3.5/5)
  98. Aftermaths – Lois McMaster Bujold (Escape Pod 392, 3.5/5)
  99. Red Card – S. L. Gilbow (Escape Pod 393, 3.5/5)
  100. Good Hunting – Ken Liu (Escape Pod 394, 3.0/5)
  101. Robot – Helena Bell (Escape Pod 395, 2.0/5)
  1. Dead Merchandise – Ferrett Steinmetz (Escape Pod 396, 4.0/5)
  2. A Gun for Dinosaur – L. Sprague de Camp (Escape Pod 397, 3.0/5)
  3. Subversion – Elisabeth R. Adams (Escape Pod 398, 4.0/5)
    • I laughed when I started this story thinking, “I wonder if it’s about the software engineering tool and not, like, subversive.”  It was.
  4. Turing’s Apples – Stephen Baxter (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 26th, 3.5/5)
  5. From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled – Michael Swanwick (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 26th, 3.5/5)
  6. The Gambler – Paolo Bacigalupi (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 26th, 3.0/5)
  7. Boojum – Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 26th, 2.5/5)

Thoughts are stripped of their texture to form words that they might be colored by the mind of another.