I've been negligent in posting my stories of the week. As a result, I'm going to quickly mention several of the best stories I've read in the last month.
- "Days of Wonder" by Geoff Ryman, a great story which shows how wonderful a writer Ryman can be when he avoids mundane SF (from Fantasy and Science Fiction, Oct./Nov. 2008).
- "Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake" by Naomi Novik. In this beautifully written tale of an aristocratic lady trying to find her own way in a constrained world, sometimes becoming a pirate is the only choice one can make (from Fast Ships, Black Sails, edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer).
- "Way Down East" by Tim Sullivan. This elegant and moving tale of first contact takes a very personal look at the lives of two aged New England lobstermen. The unexpected yet totally perfect payoff makes this one of my favorite stories of the year (from Asimov's Science Fiction, December 2008).
