A review by souloftherose
Uncanny Magazine Issue 25: November/December 2018, by Ursula Vernon, Sofia Samatar, Steven H. Silver, Isabel Yap, T. Kingfisher, Monica Valentinelli, Hal Y. Zhang, Sharon Hsu, Caroline M. Yoachim, Beth Cato, Leah Bobet, Diana M. Pho, Sarah Goslee, Cassandra Khaw, Nilah Magruder, Michael Damian Thomas, Naomi Kritzer, Lynne M. Thomas
5.0
I have several back issues of Uncanny Magazine on my kindle but started reading this one because a couple of stories came particularly recommended. Highlights from this edition were:
How to Swallow the Moon by Isabel Yap - f/f fantasy novelette inspired by Filipino folklore about breaking out of expected roles (and I think this is the story the awesome cover art is inspired by)
The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society by T. Kingfisher is a funny short story which plays with the trope of women pining away after romantic encounters with the fae.
The Thing About Ghost Stories by Naomi Kritzer is a lovely, moving novelette about a folklorist who collects ghost stories dealing with the loss of her mother. I've really enjoyed her short fiction in the past and would read pretty much anything Kritzer writes at this point.
My Name is Cybernetic Model XR389F, and I Am Beautiful by Monica Valentinelli - an author I haven't come across before but I really enjoyed this #metoo themed story from a robot's perspective.
An Account of the Land of Witches by Sofia Samatar is a reprint and a short story published in her collection [b:Tender|31945153|Tender|Sofia Samatar|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487309685s/31945153.jpg|52603794] (which has gone on my reading list) - a story about slavery, oppression and modern day politics in Africa. It's one of those stories that leaves you uncertain what happened but I found it thought-provoking.
And in the essay section I particularly enjoyed There and Back Again by Sarah Goslee which takes the themes of sacrifice and associated costs from [b:The Lord of the Rings|33|The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3)|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1547450792s/33.jpg|3462456] and applies them to illness in real life.
'That is not our tale. Our story has no room for the broken, the changed, the poisoned and scarred. “There,” certainly, but we ignore “and back again.” Our narratives are simple: you fall bravely, fighting all the way, or you live happily ever after. (Either way, you are only here to inspire those around you, even those who never set foot on the road to Mount Doom.) The best stories limn the truth in tones of light and shadow. This tale has only glaring noon and blackest night.
We ignore the grays, push everything aside that fails to fit our story. Noticing the complexity would require also recognizing the randomness, the lack of control. The strongest fighters always win, because we pride ourselves on being strong. The story ends with the fight, because we cannot face the consequences of winning. (Losing is acceptable, if done bravely, because then we can be inspired and move on with our lives.) Ringbearers who come home live always in the light of noon, the winners. Those are the lies we force on each other.'
All stories and essays are available to read free here (or you can purchase an ebook version of the magazine in several formats): https://uncannymagazine.com/issues/uncanny-magazine-issue-twenty-five/
How to Swallow the Moon by Isabel Yap - f/f fantasy novelette inspired by Filipino folklore about breaking out of expected roles (and I think this is the story the awesome cover art is inspired by)
The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society by T. Kingfisher is a funny short story which plays with the trope of women pining away after romantic encounters with the fae.
The Thing About Ghost Stories by Naomi Kritzer is a lovely, moving novelette about a folklorist who collects ghost stories dealing with the loss of her mother. I've really enjoyed her short fiction in the past and would read pretty much anything Kritzer writes at this point.
My Name is Cybernetic Model XR389F, and I Am Beautiful by Monica Valentinelli - an author I haven't come across before but I really enjoyed this #metoo themed story from a robot's perspective.
An Account of the Land of Witches by Sofia Samatar is a reprint and a short story published in her collection [b:Tender|31945153|Tender|Sofia Samatar|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487309685s/31945153.jpg|52603794] (which has gone on my reading list) - a story about slavery, oppression and modern day politics in Africa. It's one of those stories that leaves you uncertain what happened but I found it thought-provoking.
And in the essay section I particularly enjoyed There and Back Again by Sarah Goslee which takes the themes of sacrifice and associated costs from [b:The Lord of the Rings|33|The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3)|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1547450792s/33.jpg|3462456] and applies them to illness in real life.
'That is not our tale. Our story has no room for the broken, the changed, the poisoned and scarred. “There,” certainly, but we ignore “and back again.” Our narratives are simple: you fall bravely, fighting all the way, or you live happily ever after. (Either way, you are only here to inspire those around you, even those who never set foot on the road to Mount Doom.) The best stories limn the truth in tones of light and shadow. This tale has only glaring noon and blackest night.
We ignore the grays, push everything aside that fails to fit our story. Noticing the complexity would require also recognizing the randomness, the lack of control. The strongest fighters always win, because we pride ourselves on being strong. The story ends with the fight, because we cannot face the consequences of winning. (Losing is acceptable, if done bravely, because then we can be inspired and move on with our lives.) Ringbearers who come home live always in the light of noon, the winners. Those are the lies we force on each other.'
All stories and essays are available to read free here (or you can purchase an ebook version of the magazine in several formats): https://uncannymagazine.com/issues/uncanny-magazine-issue-twenty-five/