Tag: short story

Review – Answering the Questions You Might Have About the Kharbat

N.T. Kova

A few months ago I listened to “Answering the Questions You Might Have About the Kharbat” by Adam-Troy Castro published in LightSpeed Magazine and I have to say, I hated it. The premise of this short story is… confusing. Basically, it is a conversation between a victim of an in-progress Kharbat attack and an expert on Kharbats. Is this conversation happening because the victim has implants which let him converse with anyone at any point? The allusion to candles as a primary light source later in the story would suggest otherwise. So, how is this conversation happening? Not clear. But…

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Review – Exhalation

N.T. Kova

Lately, I’ve been loving short stories and anthologies. Basically, every short story that I’ve read I either loved outright, or it was good enough to be worthy of a read. Well, the stories in Exhalation are definitely challenging this. Not that they’re all bad, it’s just that they are such a mixed bag, that they kind of sour the whole anthology. It starts off strong with The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate. A time travel story in the style of 1,001 Arabian nights, a tale within a tale, which lends itself well to the paradoxes of time travel. Then, Exhalation…

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Review – The Atonement Path

N.T. Kova

This one was… disturbing. Certainly interesting and definitely captivating. A thought provoking piece that I do recommend you read (or listen to). I found it in the Lightspeed Magazine online. A magazine that has plenty of free short stories to read and listen to. This story, I found by clicking on the author’s name, Alex Irvine, and perusing through his works published in the magazine. The style was engaging – we only get one side of the conversation, never actually hearing the questions asked, only the answers to them. It’s part of what makes this story engaging: you want to…

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Review – Salt and Iron

N.T. Kova

Salt and Iron is a short story written by Gem Isherwood for the PodCastle, a fantasy fiction podcast. It took me a little while to get into this story. It is a short story, so it wasn’t too long of a while. I think that’s because in the beginning the protagonist feels a little like a cliché that we’ve seen a little too often. That said, it is a narrated short story so it’s not much effort to get to the good part. Overall, the story is interesting, building a drab fantasy world and a main character on a quest.…

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Encounter

N.T. Kova

“Hold Him!” Kristof yelled, aiming his bow. “What do you think I’m doing?” Varios snapped back landing a punch right into the beast’s eye. The beast roared and turned its jagged tusks onto Varios, who took the hit with his shield. Kriftof unleashed an arrow barrage into the side of the beast, but most of them bounced off the scales. “God damn it. I can’t hit this thing.” Kristof lowered his bow. “I need to hit it in the eye or something.” Varios wanted to punch Kristof more than the beast now, but instead he just said, “Take aim!” Then…

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Review – The Red Thread

N.T. Kova

I enjoyed The Red Thread by Sofia Samatar. It is a quick read or a quick listen (there’s a button right there on the website). The story is told as a series of short letters to Fox and as the protagonist writes she tells of her current predicament and revisits old memories. I really enjoyed the style and the format. A quick glance into a very different world and a life lived in it. If you have 25 minutes, read it, you won’t regret it. Or listen to it on your way to work. I found it in the Light…

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The Wind

N.T. Kova

She stayed awhile longer in bed, feeling the soft tenderness of the clean sheets. Drifting in and out of consciousness was pleasant and everything seemed bright, warm, and comforting. Eventually the desire to start the day outgrew the white plushness and she got up. She set up her favourite tune, somewhat up-beat, somewhat smooth and slipped into the shower. The water was warm and the steam itself seemed to emanate a pleasant vanilla aroma.  Breakfast was already waiting in her room and she gladly started to eat, even though she thought it was unnecessary. “I’d like to cook something” she…

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Review – Fritz Leiber Short Stories

N.T. Kova

I listened to three short stories by Fritz Leiber, a prolific speculative fiction writer in the mid to late 20th century. The stories themselves are alright. Perhaps, I didn’t like them as much because they are dated, perhaps because of the narrator that I found so annoying (he was actually doing a robot voice), I’m not really sure. This was another case that I’m sure I would have enjoyed the stories more if I had read them rather than listened. I did get the recordings for free from Librivox, who record public domain works. I do want to say something…

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Footprints

N.T. Kova

I pointed my rifle to the ground and used my left hand to shield my face as I walked through the branches. I felt the cold tinge of snow on the back of my neck and tried to shake it out. After giving up, I grabbed the rifle with both of my hands and proceeded further into the woods in knee deep snow. I knew the likelihood of sneaking up on a deer was basically zero. It was a bright, calm day and the forest was quiet, unlike my steps. On the other hand, deer were reluctant to move in…

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Discovery

N.T. Kova

Emily swiped her card. The little red light turned to green and she walked into the warm embrace of the hallway. She shook her umbrella and let it drip as she made her way into the break room.  The building was quiet and the rare light coming in from the break room was inviting. As usual, Emily made her way in, hung her coat, placed down her umbrella, and powered up the expresso machine. The noise from the water pump broke the silence and then the whirling blades overwhelmed the pump. The smell of fresh ground coffee filled the room…

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