Escape Pod Flash Fiction Contest, Honorable Mention: Silence
Published by Rachel on 6 Dec 2008 at 1:00 am.
9 Comments.
Filed under Flash, Podcasts, Rated PG, Uncategorized.
by Rachel Swirsky. Read by Ann Leckie.
Whatever the midwife told you, it’s not true.
I cannot walk through walls. I cannot conjure a chicken and make it dance or start a fire with my fingers. I cannot shape familiars from fog or examine entrails to see if a man will die. I cannot resurrect your son.
Rated PG.
Abbie on 6 Dec 2008 at 3:50 pm: 1
I really liked this one. Sad, but clever.
mithrilwombat on 7 Dec 2008 at 1:08 am: 2
How incredibly bleak, but I appreciate that aspect. But what bothers me more is that I suppose the mother would have to be really self-deluded to miss the “hint hint, I just lied to make you feel better” comments at the end. That sort of negates the favor in lying, don’t you think?
scatterbrain on 7 Dec 2008 at 7:54 pm: 3
Quite deep and much better than the one in second place.
pelican on 8 Dec 2008 at 2:07 am: 4
This was my favorite of the group as well.
Elvis on Mars on 11 Dec 2008 at 10:38 am: 5
Rachel Swirsky? Hmm, nepotism much?
Think I would’ve dug it more if it’d been longer. As it is, it’s too much “these are the rules” and then “I’m telling you the rules again in different order.” We also don’t have enough time to get to know the narrator or understand why she would lie and put herself through all that.
Sayeth on 17 Dec 2008 at 9:20 pm: 6
Elvis, I believe these flash pieces all came from a contest held quite some time ago, before Ms. Swirsky became editor of Podcastle. IIRC, they were voted by Escape Pod forum members, not Mr. Eley, as the best flash stories submitted. This is not a case of Mr. Eley showing any favoritism.
Steve on 18 Dec 2008 at 11:11 pm: 7
The story was trite and predictable but was thankfully saved by the line about conjuring chickens. How can you not like a story where chickens might be conjured?
Blaine Boy on 21 Dec 2008 at 4:38 am: 8
You think maybe this is commenting on religion? You think maybe the writer has a lack or excess of religious upbringing? I know I’m going to sound like a fanatic here but, honestly, I think that there is a lack of religion because of the way children are being raised around religion. Parents are handing their children these stories and they take it at face value. Parables just as parables don’t mean jack shit people.
Sorry for the rant guys.
Sincerely, The Blaine Boy
Blainey Boy on 21 Dec 2008 at 4:39 am: 9
You think maybe this is commenting on religion? You think maybe the writer has a lack or excess of religious upbringing? I know I’m going to sound like a fanatic here but, honestly, I think that there is a lack of religion because of the way children are being raised around religion. Parents are handing their children these stories and they take it at face value. Parables just as parables don’t mean jack shit people.
Sorry for the rant guys.
Sincerely, The Blaine Boy