What better thing to do, late on a Christmas mornig, then write about my favourite short stories from 2011.
Of the 7,000 or so short stories written and published in any one year, I read 185 of them. Considering one of my aims this year was to read as much short fiction as possible, as part of the LSS crew, I haven’t exactly covered myself with glory. In fact I wasn’t able to finish the full years output of a single magazine… though I got close with Clarkesworld.
Still, I’ve learnt from my rookie errors and have changed how I’ll approach short fiction for 2012. (For one, I’m only going to read from a handful of physical and online magazines. I’ll also try and read those stories recommended by other members of the LSS crew).
Of the 185 stories I did read, I heartily recommend the following.
An Owomoyela, Frozen Voice, Clarkesworld
Caitlin R Kiernan, Tidal Forces, Eclipse Four
Christopher Barzack, Smoke City, Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
E. Lily Yu, The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees, Clarkesworld
Ellen Klages, Goodnight Moons, Life on Mars
Jeremiah Tolbert, Work, with Occasional Molemen, Giganotosaurus.org
Jerry Oltion, Taboo, Analog
Kate Wilhelm, Music Makers, Fantasy & Science Fiction
Ken Liu, The Paper Menagerie, Fantasy & Science Fiction
Ken Liu, Tying Knots, Clarkesworld
Ken Liu, Altogether Elsewhere, Fantasy & Science Fiction
Ken Liu, Simulacrum, LightSpeed Magazine #9
Lisa L Hannett, Fur and Feathers, Bluegrass Symphony
Lisa L Hannett To Snuff a Flame Bluegrass Symphony
Lisa L Hannett, Forever, Miss Tapekwa County, Bluegrass Symphony
Lisa L Hannett, Carousel, Bluegrass Symphony
Lisa L Hannett, The Short Go: A Future in Eight Seconds, Bluegrass Symphony
Nalo Hopkinson, Old Habits, Eclipse Four
Nancy Fulda, Movement, Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
Nnedi Okorafor, Wahala, Life on Mars
Paul McAuley, The Choice, Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
Rachel Swirsky, Diving After The Moon, Clarkesworld
Rachel Swirsky, Fields of Gold, Eclipse Four
Rachel Swirsky, The Taste of Promises, Life on Mars
Robert Shearman, Restoration, everyone’s just so so special
Robert Shearman, Times Table, everyone’s just so so special
Robert Shearman, Cold Snap, everyone’s just so so special
Robert Shearman, Endangered Species, everyone’s just so so special
Robert Shearman, Patches, everyone’s just so so special
Robert Shearman, The Big Boy’s Big Box of Tricks, everyone’s just so so special
Robert Shearman, A History of Broken Things, everyone’s just so so special
Robert Shearman, History Becomes You, everyone’s just so so special
Robert Reed, Purple, Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
Robert Shearman, Acronyms, everyone’s just so so special
Robert Reed, Woman Leaves Room, LightSpeed Magazine #10
Robert Shearman, Granny’s Grinning, everyone’s just so so special
Yoon Ha Lee, Ghostweight, Clarkesworld
K J Parker, A Small Price for Birdsong, Subterranean Magazine
Marc Laidlaw, The Boy Who Followed Lovecraft, Subterranean Magazine
Karen Joy Fowler, Younger Women, Subterranean Magazine
