The February 2010 issue of Asimov’s hits newsstands today, including my novelette “Stone Wall Truth” (and also the novelette “The Wind-Blown Man” by fellow Codexian Aliette de Bodard).
An excerpt from my story:
Njeri sewed the woman together with hairs from a zebra tail. Her deer-bone needle dipped under the woman’s skin and bobbed back out. The contrast of the white seams against her dark skin was striking.
“The center seam makes a straight line,” Njeri told her apprentice, “but the others flow with the natural curves of the body, just as the Enshai River follows the curve of the landscape.”
Odion leaned in to examine her work, his breath warm on the back of her neck. Foolish boy, wasting his attention on her. Njeri set her needle on the table and stood up to stretch. The job was nearly done—she’d repositioned the woman’s organs, reconstructed her muscles, sewn her body back together. Only the face was still open, facial muscles splayed out in all directions from the woman’s skull like an exotic flower in full bloom.
“Why sew them back together, after the wall?” Odion asked. “Why not let them die?”
(You can also read a longer excerpt at the Asimov’s website.)
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Also out this month is issue 42 of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, with my short story “Pageant Girls.” This one is available for download here.
And here’s an excerpt from that one:
Kat holds my hand and pulls me across the street. Living kids ain’t supposed to cross the street by themselves, and I got appearances to keep up. I’m six years old, always six. I been dead about fifteen years now. Kat’s dead too. I call her Mama, but we don’t share blood. She’s just some dead lady, about the right age.
Double yay!
Double thanks :)
Very nice ;o)
Thanks!
Superawesomeness, you!!!
Happy holidays, Caroline.
And happy holidays to you too, Camille!
I read “Stone Wall Truth” in two big gulps last week. Well done, Caroline. Gut-wrenchingly well done.
Thanks, Kate! I’m glad you enjoyed it :)
Yay!!! Awesomeness! Congratulations, you!
Thanks, Jess :)
Excellent! And judging from the two covers, sea serpents are in! :)
Wow, I hadn’t noticed that. Go sea serpents!
Congrats! I remember critiquing that story. It was very memorable.
Thanks :)
Congrats! A good way for the year to go out.
Thanks! 2009 has definitely been good to me :)
Squeeee!
:: squee ::
yay!
Thanks, Stephanie!
Thanks for “Stone Wall Truth”
The train from Minneapolis to Boston takes 36 hours each way, and I got a Kindle for Christmas. Let me say that during a week full of reading in multiple genres, this story stood out to me. The only ones I enjoyed as much were by Philip K Dick, although your story reminded me more of Ursula K LeGuin.
Well, if your middle name starts with K, consider adding that to your signature.
I’m looking forward to hunting down your other stories.
Re: Thanks for “Stone Wall Truth”
Wow. I am honored to be mentioned in the same sentence as Philip K Dick and Ursula K LeGuin. Glad you enjoyed the story!
Stellar!! And a happy birthday to you.
Piece at Daily Science Fiction
Dear Caroline,
I very much enjoyed your story at Daily Science Fiction. I live in Bangkok, so I get email update right in the middle of my working day, and it always provides a nice break. The story was great, as I always enjoy sci-fi that has a subtle relation to themes in our current world.
-Paul Salvette