Saturday 12 December 2009

Shall we call them The Cates


At the beginning of the year, I intended to keep a list of all the short stories I read online and in magazines over the year so that I could list my favourites in December. I fell off the wagon in early March. So here are my nine favourite stories from Jan-March 2009* in award order (noting that if its on the list - even at the bottom - I loved it):

Facing Myself by Marshall Payne (Fear & Trembling)
Fish Balls & Mushrooms by Natalie L Sin (Tainted anthology)
The Tethering by WD Prescott (Tainted anthology)
Post-Procedural Care on the Bloom Memorial Line by Jeremy Kelly (Malpractice anthology)
The Camping Wainwrights by Ian R MacLeod (Postscripts 17)
The Adventures of Petal, the Paperdoll Pirate by Paul Jessup (Fantasy Magazine Feb '09)
Keepity Keep by Carole Lanham - Fantasy Magazine Dec 29th '08)
Going to Pieces by GW Thomas (Every Day Weirdness)
Gary Sump's Hidden City by Aaron Polson (Every Day Weirdness)

Other stories that I can remember loving in 2009 that feature in no-particular order:

The Container of Sorrows by Mercedes M Yardley (Pedestal Magazine)
The World in Rubber, Soft and Malleable by Aaron Polson (A Fly in Amber)
The Music Box by TL Morganfield (Shock Totem #1)
Complexity by Don D'Ammassa (Shock Totem #1)
Slider by David Niall Wilson (Shock Totem #1)
Shades of White and Road by Camille Alexa (Fantasy Magazine, April)
White Paper by Rachel Green (52 Stitches)
The Unkindness of Ravens by Stephanie Gunn (Grants Pass anthology)
Boudha by KV Taylor (Grants Pass anthology)
Hells Bells by Cherie Priest (Grants Pass anthology)
Animal Husbandry by Seanan McGuire (Grants Pass anthology)
Ink Blots by Amanda Pillar (Grants Pass anthology)
Lime Green Closet by KV Taylor
Mi Casa Es Su Casa by Barry Napier (Every Day Weirdness)
End of Our World as We Know It by Robert Swartwood (Space & Time #109)
Small Motel by Dennis Danvers (Space & Time #109)

Next year, I resolve to keep a more complete list as I'm certain I've missed a really important story (oh and yes, it's by you). I'm so far behind with my short story reading it's insane... I have a few issues of M-Brane SF to read, ditto Murky Depths and Postscripts. I also have my free issue of Black Static, the October issue of Necrotic Tissue, Space and Time, and several anthologies to devour.

Oh, and an extra note. My top three anthologies of 2009 are...

1. Malpractice edited by Nathaniel Lambert
2. Tainted edited by Aaron Polson
3. Grants Pass edited by Jennifer Brozek and Amanda Pillar

*Note to members of the Academy Awards - never put me in charge.

19 comments:

Jason Sizemore said...

No Apex stories. Guess I'll have to try harder next year!

Cate Gardner said...

Now, I feel guilty as I haven't read as many Apex stories as I should. I shall make it my resolution to devour every one next year.

Jamie Eyberg said...

I see a lot of Grant's Pass in there. I will definitely have to add that to my to buy list.

Cate Gardner said...

Jamie, I could probably have added more Grants Pass stories but I thought it was getting a little excessive. :D

Anonymous said...

I shall spread the word.

Jeremy D Brooks said...

I'm ashamed to say that I've read so few of those. I have a few of those sitting on my hard drive, though. And, I have Tainted on backorder with Amazon right now. I guess my goal for '10 needs to be reading more small market shorts.

Unknown said...

Awww, shucks, Cate.

Aaron Polson said...

You know I'm blushing, right?

(and Jamie, Grant's Pass is wonderful)

Fox Lee said...

Woo-hoo! I'm winner : )

Cate Gardner said...

Thanks, MG

Jeremy, I have the same goal. I've neglected many wonderful sites this year.

Jeremy, I may have already mentioned it was my favourite in the antho. :D

Aaron, you should be used to it from me by now. Oh, and Kurt Newton has been spreading news of the Sand Chapbook line on the Shock Totem forum. Woot!

Natalie, always.

Terry Martin said...

Nothing from Murky Depths either? :(

Cate Gardner said...

Terry, only because I have 3 unread issues in my 'to read' pile.

David Niall Wilson said...

I love seeing comments like this... I have always liked that story, but baseball horror stories are a hard sell...I can say this having written at least three...very glad you enjoyed it.

David

Danielle Birch said...

I try to keep track of the books I've read but I never think to keep track of short stories.

Katey said...

Yay, I'm so glad you liked Grants Pass! I love Tainted, too-- it's one of the first things I got this year, actually. I need to do a goodreads review, thanks for reminding me.

And in other news, er, thanks man!

Carole said...

Thanks so much for reading and mentioning my story, Cate! You made my week!!!!

Cate Gardner said...

David, I hope you sold the other two.

Danielle, I kind of failed on that point too.

Katey, I believe the word is loved.

Carole, thanks for leaving a comment. :D

Anonymous said...

Oh, thanks for the mention! I say belatedly, but you should see my cheeks flushing with pleasure. :)

I came back because I wanted to put down your Top Five Reads on my list for 2010. I'm being all organized, now.

-Mercedes

Stephanie Gunn said...

Very belated thanks for the comment on my story here :) It's nice to see it being liked :)