K. J. Parker Archives - Martin's Booklog

Short SF Marathon Day 22: K. J. Parker, Richard Parks

Published on February 26, 2015Leave a comment

K. J. Parker, “I Met a Man Who Wasn’t There.” Subterranean, Winter 2014.

Three fantasy stories today, two by Parker, which read as if they’re set in the same or at least very similar worlds. Both star feckless young men who made the wrong choices in their lives and now have to live with the consequences. The first one is a light, humourous piece about a con artist/thief who seeks to entrap another con artist in teaching him magic.

I begin to understand Parker’s strengths as an author, they’re excellent at creating a well put together world through little details and have that ability of a good fantasy writer to take you along with them on their journey.

K. J. Parker, “The Things We Do For Love.” Subterranean, Summer 2014.

Which is even more the case in this story, even if i got this song stuck in my head thanks to its title. This is the longest story so far I’ve read, a proper novella about a young thief who has a witch fall in love with him and the increasingly desperate attempts he undertakes to get rid of her or her love, either by killing her or by killing himself.

This is meant to be light hearted I’m sure, but I found the protagonist to be an ass and some of the details were a bit uncomfortable.

Richard Parks, “The Manor of Lost Time.” Beneath Ceaseless Skies, June 26, 2014.

Richard Parks meanwhile writes a good old fashioned demonic summoning story, told in the traditional monologue to the reader as the demon pontificates on his relationship to the very famous enchantress his summoner was interested in. Well told, with some neat ideas, this still feels more like an advertisement for a novel than a proper short story in its own right.

Short SF Marathon Day 21: An Owomoyela, Susan Palwick, K. J. Parker

Published on February 25, 2015Leave a comment

An Owomoyela, “And Wash Out by Tides of War.” Clarkesworld, February 2014.

This is a story about a woman growing up without her mother because her mother has gone off to war and what happens when she comes back. One of the qualities a good science fiction writer should have is the ability to imply a much larger world than is shown in their story and make it look natural. Owomoyela has that ability in spades.

Susan Palwick, “Weather.” Clarkesworld, September 2014.

Every now and then I still have a dream in which Sandra’s alive and in that dream I both know she’s alive and know she isn’t. I always wake up stressed and depressed The idea of giving the dead a virtual afterlife, of having them interact with their friends and family left behind fills me with dread. That seems like the worst of both worlds, having them there but out of reach, never quite getting closure.

Not a new idea in science fiction, but Susan Palwick gives it a new twist and makes this a deeply humane story about love and regret and wanting to make up for mistakes made when it’s probably already too late.

K. J. Parker, “Heaven Thunders the Truth.” Beneath Ceaseless Skies, October 2, 2014.

I said Yoon Ha Lee had the most stories in this list, but K. J. Parker equals him. Parker is a veteran SFF writer I’ve never read anything by, one of those writers who’s there but never discussed much. As an introduction to their writing, “Heaven Thunders the Truth” would be difficult to improve. Set in a vaguely African country, it’s a story about a wizard and a king and the virtue of telling the truth at all times.