Katya is a dealer in Authenticities and Captures, remnants of a world long gone. She finds old things and sells them to her rich clients. She is constantly connected to the grid, which provides her with information when she asks it to, gives her warnings when she needs them and so on. One day, Katya is forced to stop her bike on her way into the city, in order to let some deer cross the road undisturbed. Suddenly, one of the deer is shot and […]
An intriguing short story collection
After reading Forest of Memory, I decided that I needed even more Mary Robinette Kowal. So when I heard about a few of her short stories, I decided I needed to track them down. I discovered Word Puppets, an anthology with an introduction by Patrick Rothfuss. I was sold. Read the introduction first because it is hilarious. And even with his intro to Kowal, Rothfuss manages to cement the collection with major themes and ideas from Kowal’s work. It’s a great way to think about […]
A strange but intriguing little tale
’ve been going through a Glamourist Histories withdrawal. I’ve been wishing that the series wasn’t over, even though I was really happy with the way Mary Robinette Kowal wrapped it up. I did a library search to see what else I could read and happily, there are a few things left that I had not yet uncovered. I decided to start with a novella, Forest of Memory. It’s a short, tense, and captivating read, and you see where Kowal’s fantasy and sci-fi roots take hold. […]
Spiritualism and the Great War
I have been aware of Mary Robinette Kowal for some time now. Several of my favorite authors sing her praises regularly, John Scalzi in particular springs to mind as I write this. Last year Kowal went on a book tour with Marie Brennan. Brennan writes the delightful Lady Trent Memoirs series, of which I am a fan, so it was exciting to be able to attend a signing of hers for the first time. As Kowal was coming too, it seemed time to finally pick […]