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 …

Short Stories 366:43 — “Yerba Buena: 1890,” by Jewelle Gomez

I don't think I could pin down my favourite thing about The Gilda Stories as a singular point, but I can say the way the stories—and the worldbuilding and Gomez's takes on vampiric lore—unfold is a huge part of it. This is the second Gilda story, and she has been of her kind for forty …