Featured Post - Ninja Writer's Story Club - Week 2
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Edited to add: What? Is no one going to read this story with me other than Lyda??
I loved the conversation that ensued after last week's story, The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate, so much that I've decided to make a Story Club out of it. This week's story is much shorter and completely different, but it's also nominated for a Hugo Award.
The story and the link is:
"A Small Room in Koboldtown" by Michael Swanwick was originally published in Asimov's April/May 2007. It's also collected in The Dog Said Bow-Wow by Tachyon Publications.
Well, what do you think?
CAUTION - as usual with the Story Club, the comments are going to contain spoilers.
Well, I read it. It's a nice example of dark/distpoian fantasy, I guess. I couldn't quite figure out the time period. It had the feel of 1800s Chicago or New York (with all the political machine stuff), but at one point Toussiant pulls out a cell phone.
I also had to read it out loud in order to grok all the hip, jive, faerie words. The crime mystery worked for me; it had kind of a CSI: Urban Fantasy vibe going on.
Posted by: Lyda Morehouse | Friday, 11 April 2008 at 10:53 AM
I liked it. It was clever in a noir way. I agree with you, Lyda about the feel of political machine Chicago. Maybe 1920's because of the automobiles and such, maybe more modern. It was kind of a steampunk paranormal detective story. All the fantastic creatures made it even more interesting and Swanwick's a good writer to be able to make a competent mystery while imparting the rules to his world in so few words.
It was good, but award-level good? That I'm not sure about. I'm curious to read the rest of the nominees to see.
Posted by: CV Rick | Saturday, 12 April 2008 at 07:24 AM
Has anyone else read it? Time to get the discussion going.
Posted by: CV Rick | Monday, 14 April 2008 at 12:44 AM
half cab heelflip
Posted by: large | Thursday, 17 April 2008 at 07:30 PM
I'll print it tomorrow and read it.
Posted by: jane | Thursday, 17 April 2008 at 11:22 PM
I have tried reading it twice now, I get five pages into it and I see something shiny. But I will try again.
Posted by: Cele | Friday, 18 April 2008 at 12:33 AM
That's a perfectly valid response, if you try to read it and it just isn't interesting or you can't get past the first couple pages - then by all means, stop and let us know. That's the sign of a story that doesn't resonate or has problems.
Posted by: CV Rick | Friday, 18 April 2008 at 07:46 AM