I actually really enjoy the month of January. The hectic holidays are over. Marathon training is over. We don’t have a lot planned, and we finally get a chance to catch our breaths.  The only problem is the total lack of light. I don’t mind the cold but the dark prevents us from being outside as much as we would like. Leaving for work when it’s dark is lame and coming home in the dark is even lamer. However, all complaints aside, staying inside gave me the excellent opportunity of reading some fantastic short stories this month.

The Three Stories

1. A Contract of Ink and Skin by Angela Liu. Published in Uncanny Magazine. In which the protagonist is injected with a substance known as “Ink,” which provides visions and causes other changes. This plot description is shallow compared to the story’s poetic voice and the author’s sheer imagination. Like many of the stories I wrote about last month, this one is beautifully surreal. It is also surprisingly dense (I mean that in a good way). At under 1,500 words, many publications would consider this flash fiction but every time I read it, I picked out something new.
2. In The Tree’s Hollow, a Doe by Lowry Poletti. Published in Lightspeed Magazine. At under 800 words this story manages to be even shorter. All I will say about the plot is: A hunter whose town is haunted by fairies shoots a doe and finds something amazing inside… One of the great things about flash fiction is it gives us the opportunity to have such a strong snapshot of a character’s life in such a short period of time, and this story does that excellently, giving us a clear vision of both the person and the place. Definitely check this one out, especially if you’re into dark fairy tales.
3. The 31st Of October In Locust, Maine by Amanda Cecelia Lang. Published in Uncharted Magazine. This horror story has an excellent setup: years ago, everyone who resides in the town of Locust, Maine vanished without explanation. The only person who remained is one young girl. Now, on the Halloween night that marks the thirteenth anniversary, she returns with a social media influencer to uncover the mysteries of the deserted tow. Needless to say things don’t go swimmingly. This is a legitimately creepy story that got under my skin and remained there long after I finished reading it. Also, it’s set in a town called Locust, which is a great name for a town. While this story is very Halloween-themed, it will make a cold February night feel just as eerie.

What Else Have I been Up To

I’m going back and forth between working on a novel and a script for a one-shot comic book. Both are going slowly but are coming to a head. I hope to soon have the novel sent to editors and the script sent to illustrators.

Just last night I read the excellent first volume of Public Domain by Chip Zdarsky. Definitely check it out, even if you’re not into graphic novels (but especially if you are). I also recently re-watched the remake of Suspiria (2018). A lot of people don’t care for this one but I honestly like it.

I feel like there should be more for me to write about, but January was a relatively quiet month. Big things are coming in February, though. I hope that next month’s post will have a lot more pictures.