Tuesday 18 February 2020

Read 2020 - 20 - Bewere the Night (and childhood seaside memories)



I picked up Bewere the Night, an anthology edited by Ekaterina Sedia, at a charity shop in West Kirby last year. The Bestwick and I always trawl the charity shops when we go there. West Kirby is a seaside resort on The Wirral, that I've been visiting forever. I have so many happy childhood memories of there, of Wade Whimsies, of sand in my shoes, of walking to the island that isn't Hilbre (still haven't done that), of making sand castles that were partly made of oil. Yes, I did enjoy it. I swear. I'm now making new memories there with my Bestwick.

But oh, I do miss my days there with my mum and my little brother. Sigh! In the famously hot summer of 1976 we spent almost every day at West Kirby and at New Brighton (where I now live - sort of - it's close).

The first story The Thief of Precious Things by AC Wise was my favourite. Their shadows are crows. Beautifully written , it a story of fox-girls, crow-lords and a devastated human race. This is a broken world.

I think I was a little bit broken too. Apparently, it's possible to read too-many short stories in a row, so I struggled to finish the anthology. I am certain it is 100% my fault. I decided that if Dom chose another story anthology/collection, I would skip it this one time and read something longer instead.



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