Shel Graves' Sensorium

Why it springs to mind:  You'll never look at an ice cube the same way again. Where read: In the 2014 Hugo award-winning Lightspeed Magazine , August. Length: 5,194 words Summary: A woman has an ice cube for a soul. Memorable: How the story invites us to think about the shape of our soul, how it (or our perception of it) influences us and how it changes. What ordinary every day object would your soul be? A silver spoon, a beech stick? A great party conversation starter, this. Quote:  “All life is an experiment." Notable:  The protagonist Rina is an avid reader (always a good choice). Pairs well with: T.S. Elliot, Edna St. Vincent Millay Origin:  The story was written in 24 hours based on a writing prompt. (See Author Spotlight: Ken Liu ) About the author: Ken Liu’s debut novel, The Grace of Kings , the first in a fantasy series The Dandelion Dynasty, is due out from Saga Press ( a new Simon & Schuster imprint ) in 2015.

Taste:  a ripe blackberry by the side of the road Sight: wall of tires; pink dusted lilacs; deer tail, rabbit tail Sound: lowered voices, pleading voices; The Connells, "Get a Gun"; "Bingo!, Bango! Bongo!" Touch: dripping nectarine juice, sticky hands Smell: growing lavender; dill; nectarine Extra: sunrise/sunset; thresholds Grateful for: my home

Taste: iced coffee Sight: a pink parrot, a painted fence, free books, a magical neighborhood Sound: " To Lose My Life ," White Lies; "Never Forgive," "Bi-Polar,"  Contempt , Assemblage 23; "Laughing in July," piano in the park Touch: unicorn plushy Smell: petunias and phlox; jasmine and campfire smoke Extra: happiness, uplift, lightness; "Range after range of mountains Year after year after year I am still in love." — Gary Snyder  Grateful for: dancing

Taste: chives Sight: " I am Dust ," Gary Numan directed by IAMX; "Atlantis" by Stephen Cooper, plantman.org Sound: "Lithium," Nirvana; " Love Bleed Hurt ," Gary Numan; "Lithium can be a miracle drug." Touch: sobbing Smell: skunk Extra: a midnight craving for carrots and hummus; Pratipaksha Bhavana - the art of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones; the end of an abusive relationship "Poor Bert, I'd say, except Bert is a freestanding catastrophe. I don't feel bad for Bert. He brought this on himself." — "Dim Sun," Maria Dahvana Headley  Grateful for: endurance