Clarkesworld: Short Fiction Reviews by A.C. Wise
In “The Music Must Always Play” by Marissa Lingen in the September issue of Clarkesworld, aliens crash land in Minnesota, but are all killed as a result, before the residents of Earth have a chance to meet them. It’s a unique take on a first contact story, focusing on Maryam, a member of the team studying the crash, who feels guilty for not being at home with her father while he’s going through chemo, trying to find meaning and hope in her attempt to understand a new sentient life form that is already dead. “Broken” by Laura Williams McCaffrey makes effective use of being told in reverse chronological order, opening with Flyer 247-3 finally receiving her repaired helmet, which will allow her to return to what she thinks of as the real world, then gradually unfolding the events leading up to that moment. The tension comes from the reader knowing more than the character, and it’s nicely handled, giving the whole story an uneasy feel.
“The Children I Gave You, Oxalaia” by Cirilo Lemos (translated by Thamirys Gênova) is an alternate history, set in 1920s Brazil, where Cordylans (better known to humans as Venusians) live as refugees. There’s some nice worldbuilding, and the story is told from multiple points of view, allowing for reflection on how people perceive themselves versus how they’re seen by others, while also reflecting on what it means to be a refugee, and what it means to belong, among other themes. “A Theory of Missing Affections” by Renan Bernardo centers on sisters Jekya and Kata. After their fathers split up, they were raised on separate planets. Now, the warp gate (aka The Great Door) allowing for communication and travel between their worlds is set to close, cutting them off forever, and they must decide which – if either – will uproot her life. Bernardo does a good job showing an uneasy sibling relationship encompassing both love and clashing points of view, while also exploring the difference between living in a culture and studying it from the outside.
“Fish Fear Me, You Need Me” by Tiffany Xue brought to mind Waiting for Godot, set in a surreal, postenvironmental collapse world where some humans have become fishlike creatures. Mac is convinced that one day he will find his lost wife by fishing; however, the narrator focuses on the present and future, leading to conflict between the two main characters and infusing the story with a subtle thread of longing. “How to Remember Perfectly” by Eric Schwitzgebel is a lovely and melancholy story about two senior citizens in assisted living. Following the death of her husband, Joy is enhanced, allowing her to control her emotions and rewrite her memories. The narrator, Mx. Sung, also chooses to be enhanced, and the two embark on a relationship, creating new memories together of things that never happened in a bittersweet exploration of grief, healing, and what counts as “real.”
“Those Who Remember the World” by Ben Berman Ghan is a gorgeously written novelette with a fluid and dreamlike feel. The narrative is framed as a letter written by the Investigator – created by the City for the purpose of solving a series of murders – to Mina, who discovered the first body. The letter recounts the events and how the Investigator ultimately comes to understand the murders in the context of the world in which they both live, which reminded me of the works and worlds of Jeff VanderMeer and China Miéville, while still feeling unique. “A World of Milk and Promises” by RH Wesley closes out the issue with another shifting and dreamlike narrative, framed as one character recounting events to another. In this case, the narrator is a mother who crash-lands on an alien planet where everything exists in a completely symbiotic relationship, speaking to her daughter and sharing how she had to reframe her understanding of life and death for this new world.
Recommended Stories
“How to Remember Perfectly”, Eric Schwitzgebel (Clarkesworld 9/24)
“Those Who Remember the World”, Ben Berman Ghan (Clarkesworld 9/24)
“Broken”, Laura Williams McCaffrey (Clarkesworld 9/24)
This review and more like it in the December 2024 issue of Locus.
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