<aMadReason>

for anything!

Published: 15 Jul 2024

Reading Short Stories 📚

I recently decided to try a short story writing course at Curtis Brown Creative with Cynan Jones as the tutor.

The course came with a short story reading list, but there were also a few recommended by fellow students I wanted to read.

The Red Hair

By Dara Yen Elerath - Read Online

This went in a direction I wasn’t expecting, but I enjoyed it. The writing was good, and the story was engaging. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of a twist in their stories.

Maria

By Amy Haejung - Read Online

This was interesting, almost two stories in one. One about the moon just being gone one day and the other about two little girls and their relationship. I felt the ending fizzled a bit, but I liked the sense-of-wonder and world-building centered around the missing moon interwoven and reflecting the changes in the main character and their relationship.

The Dig

By Cynan Jones - Read Online

I found this strange, the language felt awkward to me, but I think that was the point. The beginning was difficult to get into, but by the middle I was invested in the story. All I will say is the ending was a kind of everyday horror I wasn’t expecting.

Overall, not my favorite, but I can see why it was recommended.

[Door creaks open. Footsteps]

By Octavian Esanu - Read Online

Full Title: [Door creaks open. Footsteps]: Fredric Jameson’s Seminar on Aesthetic Theory

This is an unusual piece of work, it’s actually a narrative transcription based on recordings that feels a little like a stage-play. The subject itself is quite fascinating, but I found the delightfully eccentric characterization of Fredric Jameson to be both amusing and charming.

Not for everyone, but I likes what I likes. 👍