The fiction I read this week came from one of the back issues of various 'zines I purchased over the holiday, in this case, from Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet 19.
"Tubs" by Ray Vukcevich. From Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet 19. Vukcevich is a favorite of mine. Any 'zine with stories by him and Carol Emshwiller make it a must-have. If you want a clinic on worldbuilding a quirky world, this story is it. 5 out of 5.
"Grebe's Gift" by Daniel Rabuzzi. It might be a little unfair to read and rate any story having read anything by Vuk, a writer I admire for his usual brevity. Rabuzzi's story is very rich and textured, if a touch slow for me. 4 out of 5.
"Dropkick" by Dennis Nau. It took me awhile to warm up to this story. For a moment I thought it, too, was running a bit long for my taste. But the payoff was well worth it. I really loved the characters in this one. An enthusiastic 5 out of 5.
"You Were Neither Hot Nor Cold, But Lukewarm, and So I Spit You Out" by Cara Spindler & David Erik Nelson. This one was a re-read from about three or so years ago when I'd read The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet. I'd almost forgotten what it was about until a certain secondary character was introduced. And then I remembered not feeling ready to be able to grok this story when I first read it. But I was now, and I loved it. 5 out of 5.
"The Bride" by Kara Kellar Bell. This story seemed well-written but a bit predictable. Maybe because I'd read a story recently with a similar theme, but I'm not so sure about that. 3.5 out of 5.
"Lady Perdita Espadrille Tells the Story" by Andrew Fort. I've never been a huge fan of the story-within-a-story, but I did enjoy both stories very much. I like to think it brought me close to world from which I was far, far removed in the '80s. 4 out of 5.
"The Slime: A Love Story" by Anna Tambour. My previous exposure to Tambour's writing was her story in the Interfictions anthology, "The Shoe is SHOES' Window." And while I recognize a similar quirkiness in "The Slime," I didn't seem to enjoy it as much. 3 out of 5.
"Such a Woman, Or, Sixties Rant" by Carol Emshwiller. But for the length, I thought this was more prose poem than fiction. And I really like prose poems. 4 out of 5.