Sunday Short: Ruthanna Emrys' The Litany of Earth

This week's Sunday Short is Ruthanna Emrys' novella - The Litany of Earth, published in Tor.com. 

Art by Allen Williams, published via Tor.com

The protagonist of Litany of Earth is Aphra Marsh, a woman from Innsmouth. Out of fear of her religion and magic, Marsh (with the rest of her family and town) are kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured by the government. We meet Aphra as she is living in San Francisco and working in a bookstore. At this bookstore, she is approached by a government agent asking for help in investigating a neo-Aeonism cult that may be harming others. 

The story drifts between moving scenes of Aphra explaining her religion and magic to Charlie (her boss), remembering her childhood, and interacting with members of the cult. In my opinion, Emrys crafts a story here that delves into Lovecraftian mythos while also calling out the racism intrinsic in the original works. There is no horror (as Lovecraft is known for), but an intrinsic sense of wonder and bewilderment of the greater unknown in our existence.

It is a complicated but beautiful story, and I for one am hoping that there may be more Aphra Marsh in the future. 

Some favorite lines of mine: 

"The power that can be found in magic is less than what you get from a gun, or a badge, or a bomb.. What magic is for is understanding. Knowledge. And it won’t work until you know how little that gets you.

"What our religion tells us is that the gods created life to try and make meaning. It’s ultimately hopeless, and even gods die, but the effort is real. Will always have been real, even when everything is over and no one remembers."

Rating: 4.5/5 

Next week, the Sunday Short will be a modern spooky story from Tor.com - Lavie Tidhar's Selfies. Read and then try to take a selfie. I dare you! 

Soundtrack Saturday: Jake

And here we are -- the last of the Soundtrack Saturdays, as originally created by The Hardcover Lover. You can catch my playlists for the other main characters of Stephen King's Dark Tower series - Roland, Eddie, and Susannah - in my previous installments.

This week, I'll also post my review on the final installment in the series - The Dark Tower. And then I'll probably just continue thinking about this series. Because it is so good. Luckily there are still graphic novels to read and movies/tv show rumors to hope for.

This week, my playlist is devoted to Jake Chambers, the boy who lived (after dying seriously too many times). So relax, and press play to listen along to the playlist I compiled.

1. Pinback  - Good to Sea: Jake of The Gunsinger is so fraking accepting. The lines 'Go then, there are other worlds than these' rival the opening lines. Children can accept so much, and it breaks your heart.

It seems to me to be a sign / I don't believe in such and yet

It seems to me to keep one eye on the situation's best.

2. The Black Keys - Fever: This song reminded me of Jake going crazy in The Wastelands. The desperation to get back.

Fever 'cause I'm breaking / Fever got me aching

Fever, why won't you explain? / Break it down again.

3. Feist - I Feel It All: Having a child gunslinger? It was more than a little creepy at first. And then I knew Jake was going to break my heart.

I'll be the one to hold a gun / I know more than I knew before. 

I didn't rest, I didn't stop / Did we fight, did we talk? 

4. Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over: Listening to this song, I can see Jake running with Oy (Oy! I loved you so!) and Benny through the fields near Calla Bryn Sturgis. He was the kid he was always supposed to be there.

The dog days are over / the dog days are done

The horses are coming / So you better run.

5. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man: Jake is in many ways the opposite of this song. He is brave and full hearted. When Roland slips and Jake steps in in the final book, I needed a few hours to recover from the hurt. (Damn you Stephen King. I have feels!)

Tremble for yourself, my man

You know that you have seen this all before.

But it was not your fault but mine / And it was your heart on the line

I really f-ed it up this time, Didn't I, my dear?

6. Of Monsters and Men - King and Lionheart: Jake's relationship with Roland, the redemption of it for both characters... it was one of the best parts of the series to me. (Sniffle. Feels.)

Taking over this town, they should worry

But these problems aside I think I taught you well.

That we won't run, and we won't run, and we won't run.

But you're a king and I'm a lion-heart.

7. Mumford & Songs - Sigh No More: I think Jake's take away message was really the unconditional love and respect he showed Roland (because, honestly, I am not sure I could have loved Roland the way he did). I am not sure if Roland fully understood it, at the end, which is definitely a tragedy in itself.

Love that will not betray you, dismay or enslave you

It will set you free

Be more like the man you were made to be.

Have you read the Dark Tower series? Do you have any suggestions for songs that reflect Jake or the other characters in the epic? Leave them in the comments below! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

Welcome to another post for the weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list, and then bloggers respond with their answers. Without further ado, this week's list (in no particular order)! 

Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

This week's list was tough for me to compile (and thus, only 5 books long -- apologies!), which is probably the result of reading too many dystopias / apolocalpytic books. Just because I love a book and a world doesn't mean I want to live in it! But worlds I do love include:

1. Pern. As a child, Anne McCaffery's books and world captivated me. The whole premise of being imprinted on an awesome dragon to save the world? Sign me up!

2. Steampunk Victorian London ala Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate. I loved the way Carriger's books melded my favorite parts of steampunk (all the cool inventions!) and urban fantasy and the Victorian age.

3. Hogwarts. Who doesn't want to be a witch or wizard educated at the secret school of wizarding?

4. Eretz. I have only read the first book in Lanini Taylor's trilogy (I know -- bad reader, bad reader!), but I loved the world she created in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone with chimera and seraphim.

5. Ringworld's Earth. Larry Niven created a book with snippets of an interesting future Earth and vast spread of humanity's knowledge of space and neighboring species. I would love to live in a time like this. I wouldn't even mind living on the mysterious Ringworld with uncertain creators or purpose.

Anyone have a favorite world from a book they'd love to visit? Comment below!

I am taking a break on posting this week as I prepare for a family vacation (Maui -- be jealous!), catch up on some bookclub reading, plus prepare some content for Sci-Fi November. As a result, there will not be a post this Thursday like usual, but check back this weekend for another Soundtrack Saturday and Sunday Short! 

Sunday Short: Polenth Blake's Never the Same

This week's short is from Strange Horizon -- Polenth Blake's Never the Same.

Martin Pasco, Strange Horizons

In this story, you get snippets of a building world-wide mystery with a dose sibling rivalry from the perspective of an unnamed psychopath. In fact, he/she is the world's only known psychopath, but it is a world is not our own. A group of scientists is trying to terraform this world unsuccessfully, and the narrator's sister is running for president of the world, while the narrator suspects that their brother is doing nefarious things to jeopardize the world's progress (most of which get blamed on the narrator).

First off, I'll admit that this story was not the easiest for me to get through. I am not entirely sure why, but I think it might have been the combined result of shifting time-frame, no character names, and weird gender conventions -- some of which I realize was probably the result of the unreliable narrator.

I did find the world Blake created here interesting, with the central mystery of why the terraforming wasn't succeeding in addition to the growing sibling tension alluring enough to push through to the finish. The narrator had some great lines about what it truly means to be a psychopath, too.

Overall, I'd recommend this short story to someone who likes mind twisty sci-fi and is willing to put in the effort to read. I was ultmately satisfied with the ending
, but I'll admit it took me reading this story a few times to understand it (and I think that may have been a few too many times).

Rating: 3/5

Favorite line:

...others liked to suggest I wasn't truly human. That made us even. But that wasn't the main point. Everyone is an object, including me. The idea of self is a delusion to keep fear at bay. I don't feel fear, so I don't need the delusion. 

What's important is objects can be unique. They need care and they can be hard to replace. When I care about an object, I'll look after it. When I don't, I'm indifferent to it. People murder because they care too much, not because they don't.

Next Sunday's short will be Ruthanna Emrys' The Litany of Earth, published via Tor.com. I posed the question in the Sword and Laser goodreads group a few weeks ago for everyone's favorite short stories this year, and this one was definitely a favorite of many -- so I am excited to read it! Per Tor.com "The Litany of Earth is a dark fantasy story inspired by the Lovecraft mythos." What better way to start the Horror October fortnight than Lovecraft, right? I hope you will read along! 

Soundtrack Saturday: Dark Tower's Susannah

This Saturday, I am again participating in Soundtrack Saturday, a meme created by the blogger The Hardcover Lover. Each week, I have been posting the playlist for one character from Stephen King's epic Dark Tower series.

This week's character is Susannah, Odetta, Detta... the woman of many personalities. Honestly, as a reader, it took me awhile to come to terms with her. But by the end, I loved her (even Detta) just as much as Roland, Eddie, Jake, and Oy. We meet Odetta/Detta in Drawing of the Three, and learn that she lost her legs (and some of her sanity) at the hand of another man.

It is Saturday morning, so hit the play button and listen in on songs that remind of Susannah.

Susannah Dean

1. Imagine Dragons - Demons: There are probably better (more profanity filled) songs to describe Detta, but I think by the end of the series I realize she was really just trying to help protect Susannah in the only way she could. Enjoy mahfahs. 

I wanna hide the truth / I wanna shelter you

But with the beast inside / there's nowhere we can hide

2. The Lumineers - Ho Hey: With each new member, the ka-tet opens up for each member and makes them family. I was unsure how it'd work with Susannah after seeing how well Eddie & Roland work together, but work it did.

So show me family

All the blood that I would bleed

I belong with you, you belong with me...

3. Lorde - Team: The most memorable image of Susannah I have from the series is when she is slinging plates with the Sisters of Oriza. I can see the opening of this song playing while we watch her rise on her knees and kick ass. 

Wait 'til you're announced / We've not yet lost all our graces

The hounds will stay in chains / Look upon Your Greatness and she'll send the call out.

4.  Mumford & Sons - Awake My Soul: When Susannah realizes that she is still battling an unknown personality (that takes over her body), the fear she feels is palpable. She had thought that was over with Odetta and Detta.  

I struggle to find any truth in your lies

And now my heart stumbles on things I don't know

My weakness I feel I must finally show.

In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die.

5. The Submarines - 1940: To me, this song fits with Susannah & Mia's weird relationship in Song of Susannah.

Somethings wrong when you regret / Things that haven't happened yet.

But it's a glorious day when morning comes / Without the feeling of alarm.

So rise, and shine

Now's the time to be alive

To stay awake with me a while and smile.

6. James Blunt - Bonfire Heart: Susannah is the heart of the ka-tet. I didn't realize it until they were separated, but she is the one to greet them all with 'sugar' and hugs. (Also, I just LOVE this song.)

Your mouth is a revolver / Firing bullets in the sky

Your love is like a soldier / Loyal 'til you die

Days like these lead to / Nights like these lead to
Love like ours.
You light the spark in my bonfire heart.

7. Ellie Goulding - How Long Will I Love You: Guys, I swear I am not going to spoil anything. But this song reminds me of when Something happens in the final book and Susannah has all the feels. (Damn you, Stephen King! All the feels!)

How long will I love you?

As long as stars are above you

And longer, if I can.

Next week, we'll wrap up the ka-tet playlists with Jake Chambers. Have any thoughts on songs that fit Susannah better? Leave them in the comments below!