What do you think?
Rate this book
Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #225
Issue #225 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies online magazine, featuring stories by Caroline M. Yoachim and A.T. Greenblatt.
33 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2017
About the author
Scott H. Andrews
439 books19 followersScott H. Andrews is a writer of science fiction. He teaches college chemistry. He is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the fantasy magazine Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
Andrews's short stories have appeared in Weird Tales, Space and Time, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, On Spec, Crossed Genres, and M-Brane SF.
Andrews's short stories have appeared in Weird Tales, Space and Time, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, On Spec, Crossed Genres, and M-Brane SF.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
April 10, 2018
A Nebula and Hugo award nomined short story from the 2017/18 crop, free to read online here at Beneath Ceaseless Skies magazine. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Zee lives in a world inhabited entirely by doll-like wind-up people and animals. They have a mysterious, unseen maker who winds their mainspring each night using the key attached to their backs, giving them energy for the next day. Everyone gets approximately a thousand days of life before their mainspring can’t be wound anymore and their parts are then recycled. Zee is lucky: she has a stronger mainspring than most people, which gives her extra “turns” or energy each day.
Zee and her Papa live a quiet life in Closet City, making clothing out of scraps of cloth dropped by the maker, and taking care of her Granny and Gramps, whose springs are winding down. So on the day Carnival Nine comes to town on the train, Zee plays hooky from her chores and runs off to see the carnival. There she meets a carny boy named Vale, who shows her around. Eventually Zee leaves her home to make a life, and then a child, with Vale. Literally “make”: they go to the part of the train where extra parts are stored and assemble their child Mattan, then wait overnight for the maker to give him his mainspring and life. But there’s a problem:
There are some charming details to this world, like the traditional 200th day of life when a person’s child-sized limbs are swapped out for adult-size ones (which they help choose), and the train carrying Carnival Nine being described as traveling a circuit “from the Attic City to the brightly painted Children’s Room and down the long hallway to Closet City.” It’s a quiet, contemplative tale with a slightly nostalgic feel.
Zee lives in a world inhabited entirely by doll-like wind-up people and animals. They have a mysterious, unseen maker who winds their mainspring each night using the key attached to their backs, giving them energy for the next day. Everyone gets approximately a thousand days of life before their mainspring can’t be wound anymore and their parts are then recycled. Zee is lucky: she has a stronger mainspring than most people, which gives her extra “turns” or energy each day.
Zee and her Papa live a quiet life in Closet City, making clothing out of scraps of cloth dropped by the maker, and taking care of her Granny and Gramps, whose springs are winding down. So on the day Carnival Nine comes to town on the train, Zee plays hooky from her chores and runs off to see the carnival. There she meets a carny boy named Vale, who shows her around. Eventually Zee leaves her home to make a life, and then a child, with Vale. Literally “make”: they go to the part of the train where extra parts are stored and assemble their child Mattan, then wait overnight for the maker to give him his mainspring and life. But there’s a problem:
The maker gave me forty-three turns the day that I met my child. My darling Mattan got only four. Something was wrong with his mainspring. I was definitely no mechanic, but I could hear it, a strained and creaking noise like metal bending to its breaking point. What could you do with four turns? How could I teach him the world if that was all he had to work with?“Carnival Nine” is an extended metaphor, primarily about caring for others who have special needs, but also about life, caring for others and sharing burdens. This toys-as-humans metaphor reminded me of Max Lucado’s inspirational children’s book, You Are Special, though the religious element (if one acknowledges “the maker” as a God figure) is far subtler. The metaphor is straightforward, perhaps a little simplistic, but touching nevertheless. The plot is secondary; this is more the story of one woman’s life and her loves and choices.
There are some charming details to this world, like the traditional 200th day of life when a person’s child-sized limbs are swapped out for adult-size ones (which they help choose), and the train carrying Carnival Nine being described as traveling a circuit “from the Attic City to the brightly painted Children’s Room and down the long hallway to Closet City.” It’s a quiet, contemplative tale with a slightly nostalgic feel.
January 1, 2019
WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!
boilerplate mission statement intro:
links to all stories read in previous years' calendars can be found at the end of these reviews, in case you are a person who likes to read stories for free:
2016: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2017: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
scroll down for links to this year’s stories which i will update as we go, and if you have any suggestions, send 'em my way! the only rules are: it must be available free online (links greatly appreciated), and it must be here on gr as its own thing so i can review it. thank you in advance!
DECEMBER 6:
good gravy. this short story punched me in my one remaining ovary. over and ovary. and i'm not gonna lie - it took its sweet time. at first, i was a little blah blah blah towards it (cue excuse parade: it's been a long day, i'm on three hours of sleep and zero food, reading this after a full shift at my new book factory and a radio show appearance that always stresses me out because i don't like sounding dumb &etc) so at first, i was just doing what needed to be done for project - reading the words, trying to visualize the characters, the world, the details. but at some point, none of that shit mattered and i just fell into it. all that matters is that this is the most human story i have read in a long time. and once it clicked it just started rabbit-punching me in my heart and all my other soft bits and DAMN!
i know i'm usually all "if i only had a heart" when it comes to my reading, but this time, it might have been located.
close enough.
read it for yourself here:
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
*******************************************
DECEMBER 1
DECEMBER 2
DECEMBER 3
DECEMBER 4
DECEMBER 5
DECEMBER 6
DECEMBER 7
DECEMBER 8
DECEMBER 9
DECEMBER 10
DECEMBER 11
DECEMBER 12
DECEMBER 13
DECEMBER 14
DECEMBER 15
DECEMBER 16
DECEMBER 17
DECEMBER 18
DECEMBER 19
DECEMBER 20
DECEMBER 21
DECEMBER 22
DECEMBER 23
DECEMBER 24
DECEMBER 25
DECEMBER 26
DECEMBER 27
DECEMBER 28
DECEMBER 29
DECEMBER 30
DECEMBER 31
come to my blog!
boilerplate mission statement intro:
for the past two years, i’ve set december’s project aside to do my own version of a short story advent calendar. it’s not a true advent calendar since i choose all the stories myself, but what it lacks in the ‘element of surprise’ department it more than makes up for in hassle, as i try to cram even MORE reading into a life already overcrammed with impossible personal goals (live up to your potential! find meaningful work! learn to knit!) merry merry wheee!
since i am already well behind in my *regular* reviewing, when it comes to these stories, whatever i poop out as far as reflections or impressions are going to be superficial and perfunctory at best. please do not weep for the great big hole my absented, much-vaunted critical insights are gonna leave in these daily review-spaces (and your hearts); i’ll try to drop shiny insights elsewhere in other reviews, and here, i will at least drop links to where you can read the stories yourselves for free, which - let’s be honest - is gonna serve you better anyway.
HAPPY READING, BOOKNERDS!
links to all stories read in previous years' calendars can be found at the end of these reviews, in case you are a person who likes to read stories for free:
2016: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2017: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
scroll down for links to this year’s stories which i will update as we go, and if you have any suggestions, send 'em my way! the only rules are: it must be available free online (links greatly appreciated), and it must be here on gr as its own thing so i can review it. thank you in advance!
DECEMBER 6:
“You sure you’re ready to do this?” Vale took me to the front car where all the parts were.
I nodded. Our train’s next stop was the maker’s workbench; this was the right time for us to make our child.
He started picking through the gears, laying out everything we’d need to build a child. “My half-sister has these great pincers, like lobster claws—”
“I thought maybe he could look more like us.” Carnies came with a wide variety of parts, which was fun for shows, but the more outlandish ones all reminded me of my mother.
good gravy. this short story punched me in my one remaining ovary. over and ovary. and i'm not gonna lie - it took its sweet time. at first, i was a little blah blah blah towards it (cue excuse parade: it's been a long day, i'm on three hours of sleep and zero food, reading this after a full shift at my new book factory and a radio show appearance that always stresses me out because i don't like sounding dumb &etc) so at first, i was just doing what needed to be done for project - reading the words, trying to visualize the characters, the world, the details. but at some point, none of that shit mattered and i just fell into it. all that matters is that this is the most human story i have read in a long time. and once it clicked it just started rabbit-punching me in my heart and all my other soft bits and DAMN!
i know i'm usually all "if i only had a heart" when it comes to my reading, but this time, it might have been located.
close enough.
read it for yourself here:
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
*******************************************
DECEMBER 1
DECEMBER 2
DECEMBER 3
DECEMBER 4
DECEMBER 5
DECEMBER 6
DECEMBER 7
DECEMBER 8
DECEMBER 9
DECEMBER 10
DECEMBER 11
DECEMBER 12
DECEMBER 13
DECEMBER 14
DECEMBER 15
DECEMBER 16
DECEMBER 17
DECEMBER 18
DECEMBER 19
DECEMBER 20
DECEMBER 21
DECEMBER 22
DECEMBER 23
DECEMBER 24
DECEMBER 25
DECEMBER 26
DECEMBER 27
DECEMBER 28
DECEMBER 29
DECEMBER 30
DECEMBER 31
come to my blog!
December 30, 2023
Review only for the short story “Carnival Nine” by Caroline M. Yoachim:
How do you see a life well-lived? How do you measure that? Is it a life lived to the fullest, with experiences for yourself, with every moment filled with something you want and enjoy? Or is it a life spent lived for others, pouring yourself into happiness of those you love and having little left for yourself? Or is there not even such a thing as life well-lived and instead it’s just life, from the start to the eventual winding down, however it all works out, even if it was nothing like what a young you ever imagined, for better or for worse?
“Carnival Nine” by Caroline M. Yoachim is a quiet and bittersweet story about life lived in a way not quite expected, and a strange story in the world of wind-up dolls living on the number of turns given them each day by the unseen Maker. It’s a straightforward metaphor and focuses on caretaker burdens and rewards, and the constant push and pull between “want” and “need” and “must”; and yet despite being very transparent - or maybe precisely because of that - it still can punch in the feels just right. Because sometimes, as the clock ticks and your time gets closer and closer to the winding down inevitability it’s hard not to think about how it all turned out and the roads not taken and the crossroads in life that led you to places you didn’t envision but yet here they are.
And hopefully in the end of it there’s love, or maybe a few different kinds of love, because then it’s all worth it.
3.5 stars.
————
Read it here: https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.c...
How do you see a life well-lived? How do you measure that? Is it a life lived to the fullest, with experiences for yourself, with every moment filled with something you want and enjoy? Or is it a life spent lived for others, pouring yourself into happiness of those you love and having little left for yourself? Or is there not even such a thing as life well-lived and instead it’s just life, from the start to the eventual winding down, however it all works out, even if it was nothing like what a young you ever imagined, for better or for worse?
” My life has been different from the adventures I imagined as a child, but I made the most of the turns I was given, and that’s all any of us can do.”
“Carnival Nine” by Caroline M. Yoachim is a quiet and bittersweet story about life lived in a way not quite expected, and a strange story in the world of wind-up dolls living on the number of turns given them each day by the unseen Maker. It’s a straightforward metaphor and focuses on caretaker burdens and rewards, and the constant push and pull between “want” and “need” and “must”; and yet despite being very transparent - or maybe precisely because of that - it still can punch in the feels just right. Because sometimes, as the clock ticks and your time gets closer and closer to the winding down inevitability it’s hard not to think about how it all turned out and the roads not taken and the crossroads in life that led you to places you didn’t envision but yet here they are.
And hopefully in the end of it there’s love, or maybe a few different kinds of love, because then it’s all worth it.
3.5 stars.
————
Read it here: https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.c...
December 18, 2023
***Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim***
Oh what a beautiful and sad story that is.
A tale of getting older. Of how our time is limited and sometimes life doesn’t play out the way we envisioned for ourselves.
Sometimes we have to give up on our hopes and dreams. For the better of our loved ones.
But isn’t it the greatest hope and dream of ‘em all? To love and be loved in return.
2018 Hugo and 2017 Nebula Award finalist Best Short Story
You can read it here.
____________________________
Best Novel
• The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi (Tor)
• New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
• Provenance by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
• Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit)
• The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Best Novella
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• And Then There Were (N-One) by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny, March/April 2017)
• Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
• The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
• Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
• River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• Children of Thorns, Children of Water by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny, July-August 2017)
• Extracurricular Activities by Yoon Ha Lee (Tor.com, February 15, 2017)
• The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld, January 2017)
• Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• Wind Will Rove by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s, September/October 2017)
Best Short Story
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny, September 2017)
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny, September/October 2017)
• The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata (Tor.com, July 19, 2017)
• Sun, Moon, Dust by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017) by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex, August 2017)
Best Related Work
• Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate by Zoe Quinn (PublicAffairs)
• Iain M. Banks (Modern Masters of Science Fiction) by Paul Kincaid (University of Illinois Press)
• A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison by Nat Segaloff (NESFA Press)
• Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal (Twelfth Planet Press)
• No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy by Liz Bourke (Aqueduct Press)
Best Graphic Story
• Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time written by Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by Christian Ward, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Marvel)
• Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Valentine De Landro and Taki Soma, colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Image Comics)
• Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood written by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)
• My Favorite Thing is Monsters written and illustrated by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
• Paper Girls, Volume 3 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Jared Fletcher (Image Comics)
• Saga, Volume 7 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
Best Series
• The Books of the Raksura, by Martha Wells (Night Shade)
• The Divine Cities, by Robert Jackson Bennett (Broadway)
• InCryptid, by Seanan McGuire (DAW)
• The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by Marie Brennan (Tor US / Titan UK)
• The Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson (Tor US / Gollancz UK)
• World of the Five Gods, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Harper Voyager / Spectrum Literary Agency)
___________________
Best Novel
• Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly (Tor)
• The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss (Saga)
• Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory (Knopf; riverrun)
• The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit US)
• Jade City by Fonda Lee (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• Autonomous by Annalee Newitz (Tor; Orbit UK 2018)
Best Novella
• River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
• Passing Strange by Ellen Klages (Tor.com Publishing)
• And Then There Were (N-One) by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3-4/17)
• Barry’s Deal by Lawrence M. Schoen (NobleFusion Press)
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• Dirty Old Town by Richard Bowes (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction 5-6/17)
• Weaponized Math by Jonathan P. Brazee (The Expanding Universe, Vol. 3)
• Wind Will Rove by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s 9-10/17)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld 1/17)
• A Human Stain by Kelly Robson (Tor.com 1/4/17)
• Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny 5-6/17)
Best Short Story
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex 8/17)
• Utopia, LOL? by Jamie Wahls (Strange Horizons 6/5/17)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• The Last Novelist (or A Dead Lizard in the Yard) by Matthew Kressel (Tor.com 3/15/17)
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 5/11/17)
Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
• Exo by Fonda Lee (Scholastic Press)
• Weave a Circle Round by Kari Maaren (Tor)
• The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller (HarperTeen)
• Want by Cindy Pon (Simon Pulse)
Oh what a beautiful and sad story that is.
A tale of getting older. Of how our time is limited and sometimes life doesn’t play out the way we envisioned for ourselves.
Sometimes we have to give up on our hopes and dreams. For the better of our loved ones.
But isn’t it the greatest hope and dream of ‘em all? To love and be loved in return.
2018 Hugo and 2017 Nebula Award finalist Best Short Story
You can read it here.
____________________________
2018 Hugo Awards Finalists
Best Novel
• The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi (Tor)
• New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
• Provenance by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
• Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit)
• The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Best Novella
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• And Then There Were (N-One) by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny, March/April 2017)
• Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
• The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
• Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
• River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• Children of Thorns, Children of Water by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny, July-August 2017)
• Extracurricular Activities by Yoon Ha Lee (Tor.com, February 15, 2017)
• The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld, January 2017)
• Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• Wind Will Rove by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s, September/October 2017)
Best Short Story
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny, September 2017)
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny, September/October 2017)
• The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata (Tor.com, July 19, 2017)
• Sun, Moon, Dust by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017) by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex, August 2017)
Best Related Work
• Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate by Zoe Quinn (PublicAffairs)
• Iain M. Banks (Modern Masters of Science Fiction) by Paul Kincaid (University of Illinois Press)
• A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison by Nat Segaloff (NESFA Press)
• Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal (Twelfth Planet Press)
• No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy by Liz Bourke (Aqueduct Press)
Best Graphic Story
• Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time written by Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by Christian Ward, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Marvel)
• Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Valentine De Landro and Taki Soma, colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Image Comics)
• Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood written by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)
• My Favorite Thing is Monsters written and illustrated by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
• Paper Girls, Volume 3 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Jared Fletcher (Image Comics)
• Saga, Volume 7 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
Best Series
• The Books of the Raksura, by Martha Wells (Night Shade)
• The Divine Cities, by Robert Jackson Bennett (Broadway)
• InCryptid, by Seanan McGuire (DAW)
• The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by Marie Brennan (Tor US / Titan UK)
• The Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson (Tor US / Gollancz UK)
• World of the Five Gods, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Harper Voyager / Spectrum Literary Agency)
___________________
2017 Nebula Award Nominees
Best Novel
• Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly (Tor)
• The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss (Saga)
• Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory (Knopf; riverrun)
• The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit US)
• Jade City by Fonda Lee (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• Autonomous by Annalee Newitz (Tor; Orbit UK 2018)
Best Novella
• River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
• Passing Strange by Ellen Klages (Tor.com Publishing)
• And Then There Were (N-One) by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3-4/17)
• Barry’s Deal by Lawrence M. Schoen (NobleFusion Press)
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• Dirty Old Town by Richard Bowes (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction 5-6/17)
• Weaponized Math by Jonathan P. Brazee (The Expanding Universe, Vol. 3)
• Wind Will Rove by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s 9-10/17)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld 1/17)
• A Human Stain by Kelly Robson (Tor.com 1/4/17)
• Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny 5-6/17)
Best Short Story
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex 8/17)
• Utopia, LOL? by Jamie Wahls (Strange Horizons 6/5/17)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• The Last Novelist (or A Dead Lizard in the Yard) by Matthew Kressel (Tor.com 3/15/17)
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 5/11/17)
Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
• Exo by Fonda Lee (Scholastic Press)
• Weave a Circle Round by Kari Maaren (Tor)
• The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller (HarperTeen)
• Want by Cindy Pon (Simon Pulse)
May 19, 2020
"Carnival Nine" by Caroline M. Yoachim
Hugo, Nebula and Locus nominee
A windup creature portions life by the turns. Ultimately, one of those reflections on life that's done in a unique way.
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
Cross posted mostly permanently at https://wordpress.com/post/clsiewert....
Hugo, Nebula and Locus nominee
A windup creature portions life by the turns. Ultimately, one of those reflections on life that's done in a unique way.
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
Cross posted mostly permanently at https://wordpress.com/post/clsiewert....
April 12, 2018
This was nommed for '18 Hugo for short stories.
Clockwork dolls as a metaphor for special needs, a bittersweet and actually rather heartbreaking little tale of living one's days as best as you can.
I like it well enough but it doesn't come with much of a punch. More of a watery reflection.
Clockwork dolls as a metaphor for special needs, a bittersweet and actually rather heartbreaking little tale of living one's days as best as you can.
I like it well enough but it doesn't come with much of a punch. More of a watery reflection.
September 3, 2019
4 to 4 1/2 stars
“You can’t do everything, always [...].”
Short Story: Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
Excerpt:
I’ve heard it said that every hundred days passes faster than the previous hundred. In childhood, the days stretch out seemingly forever, and we spend our time and turns freely on any whim that catches our fancy. But at the end of our lives, each day becomes an increasingly greater fraction of the time we have remaining, and the moments grow ever more precious. A hundred days, a hundred more, time flits away as we make our slow circuit on the train.
This was a sad, lovely, and thought-provoking read about love, life's journey, and how we choose to use the precious 'turns' we are given...
*** Once again, much appreciation to Dennis for providing the free short story link provided above (as well as many other free story links that I plan to check out in future) and for leading me to yet another unique and interesting tale:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“You can’t do everything, always [...].”
Short Story: Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
Excerpt:
I’ve heard it said that every hundred days passes faster than the previous hundred. In childhood, the days stretch out seemingly forever, and we spend our time and turns freely on any whim that catches our fancy. But at the end of our lives, each day becomes an increasingly greater fraction of the time we have remaining, and the moments grow ever more precious. A hundred days, a hundred more, time flits away as we make our slow circuit on the train.
This was a sad, lovely, and thought-provoking read about love, life's journey, and how we choose to use the precious 'turns' we are given...
*** Once again, much appreciation to Dennis for providing the free short story link provided above (as well as many other free story links that I plan to check out in future) and for leading me to yet another unique and interesting tale:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
May 3, 2020
This review is for the short story Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim
Zee is a young doll at the beginning of this story. She lives with her Papa and her grandparents in Closet City but dreams of the adventure that is the carnival. One day, she decides not to use the turns of her key for chores but to go explore, thus ending up at Carnival Nine (the numbers come from the train cars the carnival is housed in).
There, she meets Vale and decides that a life as a carnie is more her thing. What then follows is a sad little tale of family and belonging, of a life well lived, or not really lived at all, of taking care of others versus taking care of yourself, of selfishness and selflessness. Because where do you draw the line? How much CAN anyone give before they start having nothing left for themselves?
As such, the central theme was time. The perception of it, which differs depending how old you are, the passing of it and making it count no matter how much or how little is given to you.
I really liked this creative look at a life, the turns one had each day. I didn't like ! That, however, was counter-balanced by the examination of .
As you can s ee, the author tackled a lot of difficult themes in this story but she did it nicely and in a very colourful and creative way that I enjoyed very much.
You can read the story for free here: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
Zee is a young doll at the beginning of this story. She lives with her Papa and her grandparents in Closet City but dreams of the adventure that is the carnival. One day, she decides not to use the turns of her key for chores but to go explore, thus ending up at Carnival Nine (the numbers come from the train cars the carnival is housed in).
There, she meets Vale and decides that a life as a carnie is more her thing. What then follows is a sad little tale of family and belonging, of a life well lived, or not really lived at all, of taking care of others versus taking care of yourself, of selfishness and selflessness. Because where do you draw the line? How much CAN anyone give before they start having nothing left for themselves?
As such, the central theme was time. The perception of it, which differs depending how old you are, the passing of it and making it count no matter how much or how little is given to you.
I really liked this creative look at a life, the turns one had each day. I didn't like ! That, however, was counter-balanced by the examination of .
As you can s ee, the author tackled a lot of difficult themes in this story but she did it nicely and in a very colourful and creative way that I enjoyed very much.
You can read the story for free here: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
January 26, 2019
I’ve heard it said that every hundred days passes faster than the previous hundred. In childhood, the days stretch out seemingly forever, and we spend our time and turns freely on any whim that catches our fancy. But at the end of our lives, each day becomes an increasingly greater fraction of the time we have remaining, and the moments grow ever more precious. A hundred days, a hundred more, time flits away as we make our slow circuit on the train.
I am going to have to stop reading short stories at work if I keep finding stars like this - this was absolutely heart-breaking, and uplifting, and beautiful. Also, I have loved ones who have MS, and others who care for children who will always need that care, and felt the turns analogy was one they would recognise and appreciate.
Available here: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
Edit: this record was merged. Review is just for Carnival Nine.
I am going to have to stop reading short stories at work if I keep finding stars like this - this was absolutely heart-breaking, and uplifting, and beautiful. Also, I have loved ones who have MS, and others who care for children who will always need that care, and felt the turns analogy was one they would recognise and appreciate.
Available here: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
Edit: this record was merged. Review is just for Carnival Nine.
December 22, 2020
Review for Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim
I’ve heard it said that every hundred days passes faster than the previous hundred. In childhood, the days stretch out seemingly forever, and we spend our time and turns freely on any whim that catches our fancy. But at the end of our lives, each day becomes an increasingly greater fraction of the time we have remaining, and the moments grow ever more precious.
Bittersweet story. First I was sad that Matts got so few turns. But really it’s not about how many turns you have, but what you make of them, isn’t it? And Zee made hers count, even if in the end she didn’t live the life that she had envisioned.
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
(Finalist for the 2018 Hugo Awards, Best Short Story)
(Finalist for the 2017 Nebula Awards, Short Story)
I’ve heard it said that every hundred days passes faster than the previous hundred. In childhood, the days stretch out seemingly forever, and we spend our time and turns freely on any whim that catches our fancy. But at the end of our lives, each day becomes an increasingly greater fraction of the time we have remaining, and the moments grow ever more precious.
Bittersweet story. First I was sad that Matts got so few turns. But really it’s not about how many turns you have, but what you make of them, isn’t it? And Zee made hers count, even if in the end she didn’t live the life that she had envisioned.
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
(Finalist for the 2018 Hugo Awards, Best Short Story)
(Finalist for the 2017 Nebula Awards, Short Story)
September 29, 2019
GoodReads Librarians strike again. This story is for?? Your guess is as good as mine. I give up. Not broken, but definitely beaten. Sigh.
Thank you carol.! The below review is for Carnival Nine.
I’m not crying, you’re crying! 5, punches you in the feels, stars.
Thank you carol.! The below review is for Carnival Nine.
I’m not crying, you’re crying! 5, punches you in the feels, stars.
May 26, 2018
It took one reread for me to appreciate this sad but beautiful story.
June 24, 2018
A short story about clockwork dolls, physical limitations, family and living one's life to its fullest.
February 26, 2021
Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim is lyrical and softly, sweetly sad. CW or a hook, depending on how you look at it: this is a story that is going to speak much more powerfully to those who have been parents (or close to the parents) of a child whose life does not match what was envisioned for them (whether through disability or neurodiversity/divergence) and all the worries and considerations that go along with that.
April 10, 2018
This short story is short listed for Hugo Awards. For me this is the winner. The genre is hard to define, for me it is neither SF nor fantasy but weird. A great poignant story set in a strange universe, inhabitants of which are wind-up toys. The world-building is awesome for such a short story.
June 21, 2018
"Carnival Nine"
Hugo 2018 nominee - Short Story
Hugo 2018 nominee - Short Story
January 1, 2024
This review is for Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim. Short but potent, this story pulls at heartstrings while exploring the lives of wind-up dolls in a peculiar little world who become metaphors for the way we choose to fill our days, each only getting a limited number of turns to create our lives and to affect the lives of others. Compelling.
May 22, 2018
This short story by Caroline M. Yoachim was nominated for the 2018 Hugo award for short stories and can be read for free here.
A young girl named Zee lives with her father in Closet City, working on whatever tasks her Papa needs help with. Zee and her father are clockwork figures with a set amount of "turns" per day before must go to sleep. They live in the more boring section of the room while the local carnival train that runs around the room provides occasional entertainment and adventure. When she makes a trip to the carnival one day, Zee is given the opportunity to make use of her turns to go on a grand adventure with a boy there and finally meet her mother.
The world building by Yoachim turns what might be an average coming of age story into something sweet and unlike most other stories I've read. I liked the idea that each of the clockwork figures like Zee and her dad have an assigned amount of time per day and must carefully ration their actions to make sure they can still do what they must. The system isn't always fair and Zee has to deal with the fallout from that. Despite not having a lot of action, I found myself intrigued by the clockwork concept from beginning to end and feeling more for Zee's circumstances than I expected for a short story.
A young girl named Zee lives with her father in Closet City, working on whatever tasks her Papa needs help with. Zee and her father are clockwork figures with a set amount of "turns" per day before must go to sleep. They live in the more boring section of the room while the local carnival train that runs around the room provides occasional entertainment and adventure. When she makes a trip to the carnival one day, Zee is given the opportunity to make use of her turns to go on a grand adventure with a boy there and finally meet her mother.
The world building by Yoachim turns what might be an average coming of age story into something sweet and unlike most other stories I've read. I liked the idea that each of the clockwork figures like Zee and her dad have an assigned amount of time per day and must carefully ration their actions to make sure they can still do what they must. The system isn't always fair and Zee has to deal with the fallout from that. Despite not having a lot of action, I found myself intrigued by the clockwork concept from beginning to end and feeling more for Zee's circumstances than I expected for a short story.
June 18, 2018
4.25ish stars.
September 21, 2018
5 out of 5 - Original, touching, and beautiful.
This is one of two 2017 Nebula Short Story finalists that I've read, the other being Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience by Rebecca Roanhorse. Both are beautifully written stories that I loved for somewhat different reasons.
Carnival Nine is set in a very unique toy world. The reader meets Zee, her family, and a cast of characters who are powered by wind-up springs. Yes, wind-up springs. Everyone has only so many turns each day before they run down and must budget their turns (energy) to get their work accomplished as well as finding time for personal pursuits and fun. Each night, the Maker winds them back up, readying them for the next day. And so it goes until the main spring wears out.
The reader follows Zee as she grows up, leaves her home to explore the world, finds love, and makes sacrifices for the love of her family. Beautiful and poignant, the story is available in text, eBook, and audio.
The story is excellent and highly recommended.
This is one of two 2017 Nebula Short Story finalists that I've read, the other being Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience by Rebecca Roanhorse. Both are beautifully written stories that I loved for somewhat different reasons.
Carnival Nine is set in a very unique toy world. The reader meets Zee, her family, and a cast of characters who are powered by wind-up springs. Yes, wind-up springs. Everyone has only so many turns each day before they run down and must budget their turns (energy) to get their work accomplished as well as finding time for personal pursuits and fun. Each night, the Maker winds them back up, readying them for the next day. And so it goes until the main spring wears out.
The reader follows Zee as she grows up, leaves her home to explore the world, finds love, and makes sacrifices for the love of her family. Beautiful and poignant, the story is available in text, eBook, and audio.
The story is excellent and highly recommended.
June 19, 2018
Nominated to ‘18 Hugo for Best Short Story.
A very touching short story about special needs children.
A very touching short story about special needs children.
April 1, 2018
This story has been shortlisted for the 2018 Hugo Awards according to https://www.tor.com/2018/03/31/2018-h...
It is available to read and listen to online at http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
ashramblings verdict 5* A heart wrenching story of a mother's love for her son, the sacrifices she makes. But there is a twist. No spoiler alerts but from the begining you realise this is no ordinary woman, there is talk of a maker, or springs and turns, each person having so many per day.
What I loved about this story was how it is never actually stated, only as you read does the setting, the context become apparent. Very cleverly done.
Beautifully read by Tina Connolly
Althought it is the first of the Hugo Shortlist I have read I could not give it less than a 5* rating.
It is available to read and listen to online at http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
ashramblings verdict 5* A heart wrenching story of a mother's love for her son, the sacrifices she makes. But there is a twist. No spoiler alerts but from the begining you realise this is no ordinary woman, there is talk of a maker, or springs and turns, each person having so many per day.
What I loved about this story was how it is never actually stated, only as you read does the setting, the context become apparent. Very cleverly done.
Beautifully read by Tina Connolly
Althought it is the first of the Hugo Shortlist I have read I could not give it less than a 5* rating.
Read
April 5, 20182018 Hugo Finalist for Best Short Story
“Carnival Nine,” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
Audio edition: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
Listened to this short story on the commute home today. Definitely liked it. 4 stars.
“Carnival Nine,” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
Audio edition: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
Listened to this short story on the commute home today. Definitely liked it. 4 stars.
July 27, 2018
Lovely story about choices
May 3, 2019
The wind-up life at the carnie, where you live life by the turn.
March 12, 2018
This one touched close to home.
My sister had a birth defect that my mom blamed herself for.
I was younger and for my developmental years, I did not understand why my sister got special treatment.
This story pointed up how a mother will sacrifice for her child as my mother did until she died.
I cried.
My sister had a birth defect that my mom blamed herself for.
I was younger and for my developmental years, I did not understand why my sister got special treatment.
This story pointed up how a mother will sacrifice for her child as my mother did until she died.
I cried.
July 15, 2018
Hugo Award Nominee for Best Short Story (2018)
This is my favorite short story nominee this year. Set within a society of clockwork dolls, where each doll only gets a certain number of key turns to use each day, the story explores the experience of disability through the life of a family. What's it like to have more energy than average, to be able to do everything you want and make the most of your life? What about having to carefully plan and conserve all of your energy because you just don't have enough? A wonderful, difficult depiction of parenthood and the imperfect choices you have to make when either you or those around you are disabled. It rang very true to my own life experiences in many ways.
This is my favorite short story nominee this year. Set within a society of clockwork dolls, where each doll only gets a certain number of key turns to use each day, the story explores the experience of disability through the life of a family. What's it like to have more energy than average, to be able to do everything you want and make the most of your life? What about having to carefully plan and conserve all of your energy because you just don't have enough? A wonderful, difficult depiction of parenthood and the imperfect choices you have to make when either you or those around you are disabled. It rang very true to my own life experiences in many ways.
May 20, 2018
Clockwork universes are a great plot device, as they simplify the workings of that universe so that they can be exposed. Yoachim's clockwork dolls have a very simple economy based around carnivals that proceed along the tracks. They have no doubt who their Maker is, as that Maker winds their mainsprings every day. Otherwise, it's a story of our lives, translated into this clockwork universe. So it's 100% predictable, but suspense is not the point. We get a new perspective on what it means to care.
Thing is, it's a nice story and well written, but for me not super engaging. I do think it has a decent shot at an award.
Thing is, it's a nice story and well written, but for me not super engaging. I do think it has a decent shot at an award.
April 17, 2018
This has been nominated for a 2018 Hugo. It is freely available to read/listen from http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co....
A short story about wind-up people. They have a number of turns based on their spring, and the more they have, the more they can do. Zee has a lot, and can do a lot, but they do run out. The maker then winds them back up.
This is a life journey, from child, to adult, to old age.
Interesting take, but for me was little lacking. Maybe if this was expanded upon it would have more enjoyable.
A short story about wind-up people. They have a number of turns based on their spring, and the more they have, the more they can do. Zee has a lot, and can do a lot, but they do run out. The maker then winds them back up.
This is a life journey, from child, to adult, to old age.
Interesting take, but for me was little lacking. Maybe if this was expanded upon it would have more enjoyable.
June 1, 2018
Hugo Nominee 2018 Best Short Story
A four on the first reading; a two on the second. I really, really liked the worldbuilding and the way the central metaphor interacted with concepts like "spoons", chronic illness/disability, the value that individuals bring to society.
I was less enamored by the implicit conclusions that the woman's job is as a caretaker (yes, this is slightly relieved by the reversal of roles among her parents, but still), and the fact that any time the protagonist took any time for herself this was narratively punished.
It's admittedly a hard line to walk.
A four on the first reading; a two on the second. I really, really liked the worldbuilding and the way the central metaphor interacted with concepts like "spoons", chronic illness/disability, the value that individuals bring to society.
I was less enamored by the implicit conclusions that the woman's job is as a caretaker (yes, this is slightly relieved by the reversal of roles among her parents, but still), and the fact that any time the protagonist took any time for herself this was narratively punished.
It's admittedly a hard line to walk.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews