My short story “Husbandry” has just gone up at Strange Horizons! I encourage you to read it, and hope you enjoy it.
I have never been able to characterize this story to my satisfaction in terms of genre. I can’t decide if I think it is fantasy or science fiction. To that end, a poll:
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Damien G. Walter
April 6, 2009 — 8:42 am
I would have to classify this as ‘Something else’. I don’t know what this something else is called. Whatever it is, it works. It does feel like there is some emergent genre between literature and and science fiction and fantasy, that I would place this as part of. I’m super impresed by it, whatever its called.
Sandy
April 6, 2009 — 10:47 am
This is just crying out to be a novel, I swear it is. I want to know more about this world and how people function in it. The characters are compelling and that’s a strong part of the story, but the world itself is pulling me in. More?
Kat
April 6, 2009 — 3:17 pm
Can “weird” be a genre? I want to be clear that I don’t mean weird to imply anything negative. I agree with Damien that it works, but I’m just not quite sure what it is.
Not that that matters. What you have is a good story. That’s enough.
Sarah
April 6, 2009 — 5:30 pm
It’s EJ-fiction and Kelly Link-fiction having surprisingly straightforward yet subtle bastard baby stories o.O
(I loved it, though.)
Nicole
April 7, 2009 — 7:59 pm
Also not sure what the “something else” is, but it’s very good and moving stuff. I enjoyed the story, but don’t know how to pigeon-hole it. I passed my copy to my BFF and said “Read please!”
Elizabeth Twist
April 12, 2009 — 8:14 pm
I’m here via Strange Horizons. Loved the story; voted “something else” on your poll. I would call it literary horror, really. We are talking zombies, aren’t we? Zombies of subtlety?
In any case, congrats on a finely-crafted piece of work.
Eugene Fischer
April 13, 2009 — 3:55 pm
Thanks for the kind words, everyone!
Sandy: The idea of writing a novel is still kind of imposing to me, though I’m warming to it. As for the world, I have been occasionally tempted to return to it. I know a little bit about an insurance adjuster in this world whose story I may at some point want to tell.
Elizabeth: We are indeed talking zombies! Your comments and some others make me realize I should have included horror as a poll option. I think I overlooked it due to a lacuna in my own reading habits, which I will be posting on soon.
Celsius1414
April 13, 2009 — 10:56 pm
Weird *is* the genre you’re looking for, as in the New Weird.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Weird
Also here from Strange Horizons — a very well done story, well constructed. I’m looking forward to reading more from you.
Jenn
March 14, 2010 — 9:36 pm
I just read it, having been so impressed by the ‘future realism’ of “Adrift.” This story – I don’t know how to classify, but just like Adrift, there was something very real about the situation and the characters.
I’m dreadfully impressed with your talent – I hope there’s more stories in the works!