Spring story review: "It" by Theodore Sturgeon

I've been bingeing on some short stories so I'm posting a few of my Springy Short Story reviews (stories that keep springing to mind) to remember the details of the ones I know will pleasantly haunt me. I'll also post a review of a few great collections I've read recently (in the running for my personal Book of the Year).

"It" by Theodore Sturgeon

Why it springs to mind: The origin story for swamp creatures!
Where read: The Complete Stories: Volume I: The Ultimate Egoist
Summary: A creature made of mud, plants, debris and the skeleton of Roger Kirk kills out of curiosity as it investigates its world.
Memorable: A unique and curious monster.
Notable: Written in 1940, some characterizations feel particularly dated — violent men, passive women and puzzling relationships and reactions to events.
Read this, for writers: A short story told in shifting points of view: the monster, a dog, a man, a young girl.
Quote:

"It crawled out of its mound in the wood and lay pulsing in ^the sunlight for a long moment. Patches of it shone wetly in the golden 'glow, parts of it- were nubbled and flaked. And whose dead bones had given it, the form of a man?"

Personal connection: Stories about chaotic-neutral plants — I can't resist them and I'm working on a project of classic monster utopias (one inspired by The Creature From the Black Lagoon, Black Orchid, Swamp-Thing, Man-Thing, Animal Man, hive minds).
About the author: Theodore Sturgeon, 1918-1985, was a prolific and esteemed science fiction author. The Complete Stories collection of his works includes 222 stories collected in 13 volumes!
Added to my to-read list: Sturgeon's More Than Human
Pairs well with: The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Comments

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Springy Story Review: "Gestella" by Susan Palwick

Why it springs to mind: A hauntingly beautiful horror story about what happens when a woman relinquishes her power. A unique werewolf story with commentary on aging. Where read: First in Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology ( 2015, PM Press edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer) and then in Palwick's collection The Fate of Mice ( 2007, Tachyon Publications ) — both outstanding! These presses won't steer you wrong. Summary: A young woman werewolf allows herself to be dominated by a lover who takes control of her fate. Memorable: The powerful ending! The word: sportfuck. A new take on lycanthropy. Written in second person — you. Quote: "You know that your growing wisdom is the benefit of aging, the compensation for your wrinkles and your fading—although fading slowly as yet—beauty. You also know that Jonathan didn't marry you for wisdom." Personal connection: Some of my favorite stories seem to be the ones that address t...

Springy story review: "State Change" by Ken Liu

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.

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