Love Letter by George Saunders (The New Yorker) I listened to this story in the The New Yorker Fiction Podcast where it was read by David Sedaris, and I must admit that Sedaris' excellent narration of the story might also have affected how I feel about the story. Still, as Sedaris also mentions in his … Continue reading Short Story Recommendations – March 2026
Tag: Fantasy
Story Recommendations – February 2026
All right, it is technically March. And it’s not because I forgot to hit post or anything… Honestly, it’s not. Well, maybe a little. Anyway, here they are, the February short story recommendations… in March. I Met You on the Train by J.R. Dawson (Uncanny) This is a familiar little tale about a person who … Continue reading Story Recommendations – February 2026
Story Recommendations – January 2026
Righ, so this was meant to be my final post of 2025, but somehow, I never got around to doing those last edits and pressing "Publish" in time. I'm sure all of you have survived the wait, though. So here are the story recommendations for December/January. Loneliness Universe by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny): The story starts … Continue reading Story Recommendations – January 2026
Short Story Recommendations – November 2025
It’s time for another round of short story recommendations. I’m doing thing a bit differently this time, or rather, more like I used to back when I started doing these reviews way back. I’ll be recommending both old and new stories, and I’ll be including stories from a wider array of magazines rather than just … Continue reading Short Story Recommendations – November 2025
Short Story Recommendations – October 2025
It's time for another round of short story reviews, marking the first time in loooong while that I've managed to do these posts two months in a row. (I'm still not sure I'm ready to make that a habit again, though.) We will start out strong. If an Algorithm Can Cast a Shadow by Claire … Continue reading Short Story Recommendations – October 2025
Short Story Recommendations – September 2025
It is about time I posted my lasted short story recommendations. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of Clarkesworld, Podcastle, and Flash Fiction Online (FFO) (all three some of my favorite magazines), trying to catch up on what they have published during the summer. That really shows in what made it to the list of … Continue reading Short Story Recommendations – September 2025
Short Story Recommendations – March 2025
Well... It's been a while since I last did short story recommendations. I needed a break from short fiction, from reading it at least. And while it might not become a monthly segment on the blog again (at least, not yet), it's time I start diving back into the wonderful world of short fiction. So, … Continue reading Short Story Recommendations – March 2025
Short Story Recommendations – December 2024
The short story recommendations are back. Well, maybe... sort of. Thing is, I've just come out of something of a writing slump that has lasted most of the fall. And it's been even longer than that since I've read short stories on a regular basis, focusing more on novels instead. But I do still love … Continue reading Short Story Recommendations – December 2024
New Story Out Now In Stupefying Stories
I tried something new yesterday. I had my second story of the year published. Until now, I've been lying pretty steadily around once piece a year. With another seven months left of 2024, I might even dare hope for a third publication before the year ends. My most recent story is called "Canned Kraken", and … Continue reading New Story Out Now In Stupefying Stories
The Anatomy Of A Modern Science Fiction & Fantasy Best Seller
It's been a while since I did a writing essay. In the meantime, I've spent a lot of time reading newer fantasy and science fiction best sellers award winners as well as listening to podcasts about writing and the publishing industry (like the Publishing Rodeo Podcast). This post is the results of all that writing, … Continue reading The Anatomy Of A Modern Science Fiction & Fantasy Best Seller
Toby Backman 