SHADOWS SEARCHING FOR WHAT CAST THEM: This is most of what I wrote in the past year or so. As I plunge into the Season of Revision, I’d greatly appreciate any comments you have on the rough drafts. Also, it’s possible you would like a story of mine that you’ve missed. So I’m putting all the links together here. (There are three drafted stories I never posted, so this isn’t quite complete.) This is a combination Eve Tasting Plate and plea for help, so the descriptions will be half-enticing and half-plaintive. Sorry about that…. In order from oldest to newest:

Judge Me, O God: Cindy “Kristallnacht” Greenberg in crisis, prompted by a (justified) accusation of date rape. Starts here, continues here. Question: Do you feel like her reaction, and the places she’s looking for answers, make sense?

What You Can Do for Your Country: A researcher investigating genetic malformation tries to regain control of her career and her life. Starts here, continues here. Excerpt:

I still haven’t read the Newsweek story. I guess I should do it now. Bedtime story. “Once upon a time there was a perfect little child just like you, only with lovely soft wings–but then the nasty scientists came and ate him!”

Sure.

Now and at the Hour: “My finest death was two centuries ago now.” Welcome to a future where the drugs make you think you’re in West Berlin, and you can live forever if you really think you want to. Starts here, continues here.

Desire: A romantic comedy. Starts here, continues here. Question: If I place Suha’s handfasting in the Winter section, rather than in “April Fools,” will the abrupt change in the final section feel more earned? Excerpt:

We were always well-equipped for Halloween, my favorite holiday. Since early childhood I’d created these utterly obscure, private costume ideas–when I was ten I was “the ghost of a wolf,” which was not even the most bizarre. I would ring the doorbells, waiting, secretly wishing that behind the cotton-cobwebbed doors I would find someone who would guess what I was. This, of course, never happened.

Getting Fired: Peter Ware loses his job and begins a bizarre adventure heavily influenced by ’30s movies. Of all the things I’ve written, this is the one I think has the most potential to be genuinely great. …It also has the most continuity errors and dropped subplots, so enter at your own risk. Questions: Who do you want to see more of, and why? Are there actions that don’t make sense here? When–if ever–did you feel like you “got” what was happening? Are there philosophical problems with any of the events? Anyway, the story starts here, continues here, goes here, and finishes here. (Sorry about that. I do think this one is worth the schlepping from link to link.)



Kissable Pictures: Fun metafiction-y thing about disturbed and disturbing relationship between the two people who make up a newly-popular band. This is one of my two favorite pieces (second only to “Getting Fired”). Starts here, continues here, then finishes here. (Again, apologies for schlepping.)

Through the Years We All Will Be Together: Claustrophobic, baggy story about a group of friends at the Christmas party from Hell. Any suggestions on structuring this piece would be especially welcome, as right now it’s a big tangle. Starts here, finishes here.

You Will Be Pulled Back: “Did you perhaps go further than you told us?”–or, When you are king I had better be the first against the wall. Two boys growing up and discovering the power of dreams. Question: What the heck did you think this story was about? Also, do you hate the title? …Starts here and finishes on that page.

Better At It: How do you fight aliens who are better at being human than you are? I really like this one. Here.

I Count Only Sunny Hours: Two psychics have very different responses to their gift. Question: This story is either much too opaque or much too obvious… and I can’t tell which. Can you help?! …Here.

Ship Comes In: My reworking of the Norse myths, focusing on Sigyn, Loki, and Loki’s lover. This story is a bit of a mess, really. Tell me what you think it’s about; that will help me figure out where I let it get out from under me. I do think there are some really nice bits here, but the story needs to be whacked into shape. Here.

A Separated Soul: Christ brings new life. But what if you miss your old life? …I really don’t like the title. Anyway, the story is here.

Odysseus’s Scar: Spies, lies, and naked thighs. Here.