Monday, December 23, 2013

Stories to Read (part 1?)

Because I read a lot, and because not everything I read is very good, thought I'd compile a list of recommendations of stories that I enjoyed, and found myself remembering long after--which is rare, because a lot of what I read goes in one eyeball and out the other. So maybe you'll enjoy them too, or maybe not.Tastes vary, after all.

Rhododaktylos Nyx by Brandon Nolta -- I'm not one for flowery language, but the poeticness of the intro caught my eye--who knew post-apocalyptic futures could sound lovely!-- and serves as an interesting contrast to the hard reality portions of the story. It's a thinker, and if you like thinking, this might be for you.

Captain Quasar and the Popularity Contest On Goobalox Five by Milo James Fowler -- Out of all the Captain Quasar tales, this one remains my favorite. (They'll all good, of course.) It's good fun and likely to make you laugh ... that is if you aren't a scrooge.

Alligators by Twitter by John Wiswell -- Absurdism via Twitter. Never fails to make me laugh.

The Pony Spell by Gary McNulty -- Another silly story where a curse somehow turns into a wish fulfillment for the entire family.  

Womanspace by Ed Rybicki -- I've mentioned this story before, but it's worth bringing up again because it's an enjoyable "poke at the sexes" kind of tale. I do think people came down on this too hard, and for that, they are total scrooges. 

The Watchmaker's Wife by Lydia S. Gray -- A sad tale of a dream made into a clockwork woman, who faces the cruelties of both the world and of men. But the ending gives the reader hope of a better future for our mechanical heroine.

Day of the Creamsicles by Don Raymond -- More absurdism, because gosh darn it, it's fun! Great voice in this one.

The Third Attractor by Mjke Wood -- The story that inspired "The Mission" for me. If you can get past the techno-babble in the beginning, you are rewarded with an amusing twist. Also, it's one of the few stories I've encountered that doesn't portray the religious character as a narrow minded bigot.  

Captain Confederation by Jim Robb -- Funny story about over-regulating super heroes and their activities. 

That's it for now. A much lighter (in terms of tonality) list, but would be kind of a bummer to recommend downer stories for the holidays, not to mention, I really don't care for "weep-woe" protagonists.

1 comment:

  1. I haven't heard of many on your list -- thanks! Looking forward to checking them out.

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