Short Stories 366:51 — “Be Not Afraid,” by Alyssa Cole

Audiobook novellas for the win again today, with Alyssa Cole's "Be Not Afraid" (which you can get in a bundle of four novellas from Audible, by the way). This is another historical, set during the American Civil War, and the meeting between Kate and Elijah is... well, it's something. Elijah has just been on the …

Short Stories 366:50 — “Rosebud Missouri: 1921,” by Jewelle Gomez

Every story about Gilda I read just draws me further and further in. That we're circling into more "modern" times with this piece really starts to bring attention the unique point of view she has, and the empathy Gilda displays in this particular story was phenomenal. Basically, if you've never read The Gilda Stories, consider …

Short Stories 366:49 — “The Hermit of Houston,” by Samuel R. Delany

Every time I read a short fiction piece by Samuel R. Delany I have to expand my idea of range. Not just in the ways in which science fiction can aim a lens at people—though, to be clear, that too—but in what a writer can accomplish in the space of a single piece of short …

Short Stories 366:48 — “Graham Greene,” by Percival Everett

Another short fiction piece (and author) I stumbled across thanks to LeVar Burton Reads (if you're not checking out that podcast, you should), "Graham Greene" is a story found in Everett's collection Half an Inch of Water. Listening to LeVar Burton read this story was a complete treasure in more ways than one: I was …

Short Stories 366:47 — “Jooni,” by Kemba Banton

There was so much going on so incredibly well in such a short space of time in this story I think Kemba Banton might be some sort of magic-wielding individual herself or something. This time, Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History takes us to Jamaica in 1843, and the titular character of …

Short Stories 366:46 — “Red Dirt Witch,” by N.K. Jemisin

Okay, before I say anything else, I'm going to mention again how freaking well the stories are performed for this audiobook. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? is fast becoming a source for new audio performers to follow like mad, and I love it when that happens—it leads to finding new authors to enjoy. The …