Marco and the Red Granny

by Mur Lafferty

Marco is a failed graphic artist and writer figuring he's at the end of his career when his ship comes in. The aliens that run the Moon (now nicknamed "Mollywood") want him and his work, and will pay well to get it. But when Marco meets an octogenarian lunar gladiator called The Red Granny, he learns there's a darker side to patronage, and he's not sure he wants in. But it may be too late.

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Fantasy, Ebooks, Science Fiction Fantasy, Humor

104 pages, Nook

First published November 4, 2010

About the author

NOTE- Goodreads mail is NOT a good way to get in touch with me. I don't get notifications of questions and I'm rarely here. Please contact me via my website, murverse.com.

Mur Lafferty is the author of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Hugo and Nebula nominated novel Six Wakes, The Shambling Guides series, and several self pubbed novels and novellas, including the award winning Afterlife series. She is the host of the Hugo-winning podcast Ditch Diggers, and the long-running I Should Be Writing. She is the recipient of the John Campbell Award for best new writer, the Manly Wade Wellman Award, the Best Fancast Hugo Award, and joined the Podcast Hall of Fame in 2015, its inaugural year.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally don't like to start a review with criticism, but in this case I think my one critique of this novella says it all: the only thing really wrong with Marco and the Red Granny is that it's too short.

This short novel is jammed full of interesting ideas and rich details. It's not just a story about a lunar gladiatorial combat reality TV show and its geriatric star. It's not just a story about what happens when you can mix creative media in ways almost beyond imagining, blending fashion with novels, baking with poetry, or sculpture with nostalgia. It's not just a story about an alien culture dominating the entertainment industry and bringing artistic patronage back into vogue. It's all of those things, and that's not even mentioning the Alcoholics Guild, the story of lost love, or the struggle of an artist against a system stacked against anyone who doesn't get a lucky break. Oh, and it all takes place on the moon (naturally).

And that's a lot of big ideas for so few pages! Any one element would have made for a great story, but Lafferty, as always, gives us everything she's got. With so many new concepts in the story, you'd expect a problem with infodumps or pacing. You needn't worry, though, as the story moves quickly, filled with plenty of action, while still managing to tell the reader everything he or she needs to know.

Again, my only criticism is that maybe it moves a little too fast. It left me wanting more, not in the sense that I felt unsatisfied with what I'd read, but in the way that when you get off a roller coaster you wish the ride had been twice as long because you were just enjoying it that much. I would love to see this novella fleshed out into a full-length novel--I'm reminded of Ender's Game, the original short story, in that regard--and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it and read the same story again. Failing that, I'd love to see a sequel (of any length).

Failing that, I still say reading Marco and the Red Granny was time well spent. I highly recommend it, along with the rest of Mur Lafferty's work, to anyone who enjoys an exciting story full of thought-provoking ideas.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first contact with Mur Lafferty and I must say I wasn't quite expecting to be completely blown by her storytelling. This short story tackles the usual sci-fi theme of alien conquer of planet Earth, but by different means than outright war. The author paints an incredibly vibrant and believable frontier world, where humans and aliens live together.
The Li-Jun are a peaceful alien race that helped humanity build its first moon-base. At the time of the story the most acclaimed works of art (be that painting, music, movies, books or anything else) come from the moon-base and from the artists that are under Li-Jun patronage. This is where Marco comes in, as a graphic artist that receives a patronage offer from one of the alien houses (House Blue) and travels to the Moon to follow his dreams. Only that soon after his artist mapping he starts questioning the aliens' imposed prohibitions and their true motives. In the end he finds himself propelled to the forefront of human resistance in an effort to stop the aliens from enslaving humanity by use of their emotions embedding technology.
As far as Marco, as a character, goes his evolution seems plausible. In the beginning he's living a profound depression caused by his girlfriend leaving him to accept patronage on the Moon. He rebounds when he himself is offered the opportunity to accept a Li-Jun patronage, but once he meets his patrons he starts having second thoughts. The closer he gets to the end of the book the bigger the transformation we can find in him. He ends the book as a brave character, one ready to sacrifice everything to protect the world, a leader among men.

I found this short story unexpectedly enjoyable and a very entertaining read. I strongly recommend it!

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caution: May contain spoilers!

This is a short novella set in a not-too-distant future where we meet an alien race who cannot understand human emotion, but their technology allows them to capture emotions and embed them within our other five senses. Imagine putting on a bathrobe in the morning and actually smelling coffee and pancakes, or touching a painting and hearing beautiful classical music, or picking up a knife and feeling murderous rage.

The story is about Marco, a down-on-his-luck writer who's given the opportunity of a lifetime to live on the aliens' moon base and create art full time, with every need attended to, making a ton of money. There's definitely a dark side to his fortune, which he discovers all too soon after meeting "The Red Granny", a famous contestant in the aliens' version of a Survivor-like death match game played on the moon's surface. As things slowly spiral out of control for Marco, he uncovers the dark truth to the aliens' apparent benevolence towards humans and their desire to create this extra-sensory art for us.

I've always liked this author's work, and this is one of those situations where I wished I had enough dough to support them all. When she announced that for one day only she was giving away a number of her ebooks for free on her website, I had to jump at the chance. Now I just need to eke out the time to settle into more of them.

[Ame · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd have to agree with many reviewers that this story is really too short. Marco and the Red Granny gives the reader a futuristic opportunity to know what it would be like if aliens and artists collaborated. Yes, the aliens of the future are fascinated by the passion that humans exhibit so they extract that passion and place it into works of art, from clothing to music to pastries.

What sorts of delightful products could we indulge in? A custom-tailored suit that smells of the first Winter snowfall mixed with mulled cider and plays the soothing voice of Neil Gaiman narrating "Neverwhere" perhaps? That'd be fine with me! These aliens have a talent for creating polysensory overloads that delight the humans of earth, but at what price? This novella unintentionally makes the reader aware of how much the average individual can tolerate in order to acquire such a precious material possession.

Oh yes, this is a great concept, and the Red Granny, Miss Blood Sports champion, deserves a prequel. Bravo to Mur for another adventurous romp into a world I'm always sad to leave.

[Kate Sherrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mur Lafferty's most memorable and exciting creation to date, The Red Granny, is one that only grows more interesting as this novella unfolds. While she is not the main character -- that is a mostly hapless artist experiencing the ultimate fish-out-of-water story -- she steals every scene in which she appears even before we get hints of an alarming and interesting back-story.

On the whole she gets lost, though, as Lafferty is more interested in telling a cautionary tale to artists who may be tempted by deals that seem too good to be true. That's all right: her invented alien culture, bent on co-opting earthly artistic output to serve their own ends is an interesting one on its own, and her viewpoint character, Marco, shows us just enough of it to make us suspicious without necessarily seeing the ending coming.

I wanted more of the Red Granny, though, darn it!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The members of the alcoholics’ society have the best nicknames EVER - the speculative imagined art - inventive,and the agent - she’s obviously the BEST ever ;)

[James Hauenstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy read. I tried liking it but I couldn’t feel for the characters.

[Roxanne Crouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mur Lafferty is the host on the podcast I should be writing If you're a writer and you're not listening to it, you should. The podcast is a wonderful resource for self-published and traditionally published authors alike.

Mur Lafferty also publishes her own books and Marco and the Red Granny is one I recommend reading.

Book description borrowed from Amazon: By bringing back the patronage system, a new alien species has transformed the moon into the new artistic center of the universe, and Sally Ride Lunar Base soon gains the nickname “Mollywood.” These aliens can do amazing things with art and the senses, allowing a painting, for example, to stimulate other senses than simply sight. When someone asks a starlet, “Who are you wearing?” she could as easily say “J.K. Rowling” as she could “Gucci.”

Every creative person in the world wishes for a patronage. It’s quite competitive.

Marco wanted one, once. But then his girlfriend got one and shuttled off to Mollywood for fame and fortune, and Marco stayed home, waiting for his own patron. After several years, he gave up entirely. His career faltered. His agent dumped him. And then, one morning, he gets a call. At last he has a patron, at last the aliens want him. But he’s about to find out that an artistic patronage isn’t what it was in the good old days, and that the only friend he’s made, a tiny old woman who’s the star of a blood sports reality series called The Most Dangerous Game, has secrets of her own.

I enjoyed this book. It's a short, simple story that you can sit down and read in a day. Except for a few areas that could have used some editing, the book is written well with a style that's easy and flows naturally. The setting and world development are interesting. Everything is set on the moon with aliens that are patrons of the arts. The idea that you can put on a shirt and experience a novel from wearing it is unique.

The character Marco is likable and comes across real. The secondary character the red granny is also likable, I wish there was more of her in the story, more about her past and how she ended up in the Dangerous Game.

One gripe, it would seem to me that Marco would've had a harder time excepting Penelope's name change and in the narrative would have continued to call her Penelope.

I enjoyed the ending. I thought is was well plotted out and executed. The ending leads me to believe that there may be sequels to the story and I hope Mur Lafferty does write them.

[BigJohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to countless sci-fi stories and movies, art does not thrive in the future. It may survive, but only as a vestige of the past. Nearly all portrayals of art, whether it is music, poetry, painting or something else, it seems that art in the future exists as a quaint reminder of the past, as we see our present-day artforms clung to my a few sentimental characters in the future. But there is nothing NEW; art in the future has died somewhere along the way.

Marco and The Red Granny is set in a future where aliens have colonized the moon, and set up a thriving economy by invigorating the stimulation of the senses. Mur Lafferty presents a story that has as its core the futuristic technology that imbues art with the senses, combining literature with clothing, or taste with music. It's a fascinating concept.

In the future, the aliens have the technology to imbue this sensory input into all kinds of things, and rely on the system of patronage to discover artists that can create art that appeals to the various senses. It's the dream of many earth-bound artists to achieve patronage, where they are relocated to the moon and enter into lengthy contracts to provide for the aliens.

Marco is an artist who achieves his patronage and must hurry to the moon to meet his patron and get to work. He is woefully unprepared for the trip and the experience, but along the way meets and befriends The Red Granny, a fan-favorite futuristic gladiator in the bloodsport The Most Dangerous Game. The Granny helps Marco adjust and shows him the ropes; the dos and don'ts; where to go and where not to go. The more time Marco spends on the moon, the more things start to concern him, and the more rebellious he becomes towards his patron.

This story was really, really fun. There's some fascinating future-tech that is described, but not overly explained. It's an extant part of the future landscape, and it's really not important to know how it all works. On the one hand, the novella is too short - the story really left me wanting more. On the other hand, it works very well as a "slice-in-time" story that lets your imagination continue long after you've finished reading.

[M.A. Kropp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marco and the Red Granny by podcaster and writer Mur Lafferty (http://www.murversre.com/ and the excellent I Should Be Writing podcast), was serialized on the Hub, a weekly(ish) sci-fi broadcast. It’s also short, and easily read in a day or so. None of that is to say it’s a bad story. Far from it.


The Marco in the title is a down on his luck graphic artist and writer. Much of the artistic content being produced is under the control of aliens based on the Moon. They have developed a way of integrating art and sensory experience. So it is possible to now have a dress that makes you taste apple pie, or a sculpture that encompasses the plot of a story. The aliens have resurrected the practice of artistic patronage, bringing various artists from Earth to the Ride Lunar Base to help them create. Marco’s ex-girlfriend accepted one such patronage and left him for it. One morning, Marco gets the call that he, too, has been chosen for a patronage. He sets off for the Moon, and on the way meets the Red Granny, an older woman who is the reigning star of a bloody, to the death reality fight show. Once he arrives on the Moon, Marco soon discovers that the coveted artistic patronages are not what they might seem, and that everyone, the Red Granny included, has secrets.

The story is interesting, with a neat take on alien invasion. If you’re looking for space battles and laser cannons, you won’t find it here. But the danger is no less threatening. There is some violence, though it is fairly minor. The characters are well-drawn, especially the Red Granny, who, although not the main character, is probably the most interesting. The aliens are alien, and enigmatic, and dangerous, a good combination in aliens. The plot kept my interest, with enough twists and a surprise or two to keep it moving along.

[Timothy Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit this book didn't grab my attention at first, though I really didn't give it much of a chance since I didn't read much past the first few pages. I thought the idea of clothes inspired by stories and a secondary character called the Red Granny were interesting, but didn't exactly shoot to the top of my to read list.

I am so glad I gave it a second chance. As a fan of Mur's podcast, I Should Be Writing, I heard her say how this book wasn't really taking off, but since everyone who's read it loved it, she didn't really know why. I decided to give it a read and see for myself.

The book starts off with a writer on a shuttle about to launch for the moon. Aliens have set up a colony there and have exported their powers into art, such as necklaces that evoke taste, cake that tells a story while you're eating it, etc. Our writer, Marco, is tempted to join these aliens, the Li-Jun, in order to revive his failing career. He will face heart wrenching trials dealing with love, free-will, and other amazing conflicts I don't want to reveal.

There are a lot of reasons why you should read this book. First of all, it's a complete story; Mur has crafted excellent characterization, built fascinating aliens that have innovative powers central to the plot, and she delivers on everything she sets up, which is good for the reader, but painstaking for her hero - just what we want in a story.

Consider the consequences of artwork that evokes directed emotional responses, such as fear, love, and contentment. While at first this sounds like a great idea, the dangers are great and create a story you won't want to end.

[Tami Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story disguised as a novella that I would have loved to see as a novel.

Worldbuilding here was fantastic. Glorious. _Fascinating._

The story is not plot driven, or even character-driven (as one might assume based on the title). It is instead, driven by a need to explore and punctuate a moral question (thus that "short story in novella's clothing").

This is a future world, where an alien species becomes patrons of the best and brightest of earth's artists, lavishing them with wealth and fame. The aliens combine the results of these artistic endeavors in amazing ways, giving you alcohol that allows you to experience Moby Dick, or a pendant that emanates the taste of strawberry tarts.

The Red Granny is the only other human in House Blue (the alien house that picks up the struggling graphic artist Marco) and she's an artist only of blood. Champion multiple times in the moon death arena, she becomes Marco's only friend in a society that turns stranger and darker the longer Marco stays in it.

I did feel like the ending was abrupt and (a teensy eensy bit heavy-handed). I also felt like there were a ton of delicious moral threads left dangling for the reader to weave into their own pattern. (Thus my desire for it to have been a novel).

Well written, incredibly worldbuilt, and as much fun to chew on after finishing as it was to read.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit of a unique experience for me - I've been a fan of Lafferty's work for awhile now, both in terms of her fiction projects (Playing for Keeps, Heaven, The Takeover) and her nonfiction work (the I Should Be Writing podcast), but this was my first time actually reading her in print. Well, as close to print as e-ink is, anyways.

This was a really fun read. I love the setting (an alien settlement on the moon becomes "Mollywood", the hottest cultural Mecca of the 21st century), as well as how it looked at art, media, and commerce and the sometimes messy ways that they interact. There's a lot going on here, but Lafferty manages to present it in a way that leaves you satisfied with what you've gotten, but still hoping for more. It's not easy to do that in the novella format, but she does it well.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely fell in love with this story. I was a little put off at first by the odd title, but I quickly settled into the narrator's voice. I had no idea what I was getting into. Mur is an amazing world-builder, and world-building is my favorite aspect of the sci-fi & fantasy genres.

I found the audio version on Hub Magazine (http://www.hubfiction.com/) and started half-listening to the podcast while I was doing something else, expecting to only listen to the first episode. Thirty minutes later, I was in awe, and I ended up listening to the whole story straight through. I don't even remember what I had been doing when I started listening.

You can find this story for free here: http://podiobooks.com/title/marco-and...

If you like this title, you really should check out her other works.

[Ashley Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it; it was engaging enough that I read 3/4 of it last night. I don't know that I necessarily liked the main character; while he wasn't strictly unlikable, there were some moments (that I cannot place right now) where I was like, "Whatever, Marco." However, he's a *good* character and he moves the story, and I really enjoyed the Red Granny.

There's a feeling when you finish where you're both satisfied with the ending and curious about what happens next. The plot is great for a novella, while it creates a setting that could lend itself to a lot of further exploration.

It's a good read; I'd definitely recommend it to sci-fi fans. :D

[A.F. Grappin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marco and the Red Granny was entertaining, intriguing, and just an all-around great literary experience. I've seen a few other reviews out there, and there is one thing their opinions and my opinion agree on: it was too short! Honestly, my only serious criticism is that I felt there was so much here that was untapped, so much potential! Even if Lafferty didn't want to expand this particular storyline anymore, there is a ton of wonder in the world she's created that could be fleshed out. I would loved to see a "normal" patronage in this future-verse! On the whole, though, this is well worth the effort to read or listen to. And hey, it doesn't take a lot of time!

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrated by the author: I've heard a lot of her narration on Escape Pod and listened to Mur Lafferty's Heaven series. I really like her narration and it keeps growing on me more and more.

I really enjoyed this book. The author had a lot of fun playing with stereotypes in the Red Granny's character. I must say the ending took me completely by surprise - you just have to read it for yourself to find out more.

My complaint? We need a pre- and/or sequel, please!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought a cheap Pandigital Novel ereader and I've been exploring it's limitations. I can download from the San Antonio Public Library, email MP3s to it for local storage and playback, and I can listen to Podio books online.
This was the first Podiobook I tried. It was an excellent choice.
Mur quickly brought you into her world, told a tight story and left you with a good meal satisfied feeling and a resolve to return. If every writer were like this, there would be no none readers.

[Saretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marco è un artista, Heater una nonnina killer campionessa di un gioco mortale sulla luna organizzato da alieni.
I due sono impiegati dalla stessa casa aliena su una luna dove è vietato bere e dove gli alieni con sette sensi fanno dolorose mappature delle emozioni degli umani che lavorano per loro.
Marco si scontrerà con il suo passato e con l'impatto della cultura aliena a lui ignota.
Ben scritto, scorrevole e con idee interessanti.

[Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Unique central idea that really is central to the plot and not just pretty filler. I liked this very much and look forward to reading more from Mur Lafferty. This is nicely paced - I was able to read it in one sitting. I really got involved with the characters. Heather - the Red Granny of the title - is not as simple as she seems. And Marco is a reluctant hero who manages some serious growth given the length of the story. Very much recommended!

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mur's writing is growing more towards my tastes, which makes me happy because I want very badly to like it. The main character is a bit weary in a very "regular guy you could know or be" sort of way, and the alien culture benefits from not being explained too much. Throw in a few quirks and twists, and it turns out all right for a quick weird bubblegum listen/read.

[Mark Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts a little slow, but hang in there - it gets really good. Lafferty does a great job in telling a fun story while weaving in themes regarding commercial art vs. "art for art's sake". The story is set on a futuristic moon base, but a lot of the issues are very current. Definitely one of the most unique books I've read in a long time.

[Scbickle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally listened to this as podcast read by Mur Lafferty. Then read it as an eBook. As with much of Mur's work she has some unique ideas. In this case about how a future where an alien race on the moon sponsor earth's artistic community and the biggest star of reality TV is a gladiatorial granny. All this is pulled together in a short novella with a satisfyingly logical resolution.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella via the podcasts hosted on the author's site. When it started, I wasn't sold on it and figured I was only going to listen to that one episode. However, by the end of the roughly 20 minute podcast I was hooked and listened to the rest of the podcasts right away. This was a fun novella which I recommend to my friends.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geeky graphic novelist earns patronage from an alien species--only to learn that they're planning to conquer Earth using commercial/artistic means. A Heinleinesque novelette that I enjoyed greatly. The titular granny is a particular hoot--a warm, friendly older woman who turns out to be a professional gladiator.

[Kathryn Hoss]

I tend to avoid stories with a sarcastic malcontent white guy as the main character, because that is my least favorite archetype of all time. However, this was a decent story overall with a unique world, vibrant supporting characters, and a satisfying ending. If you like science fiction from the likes of Scott Sigler, I would recommend.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard this story on escape pod(I think). I love Lafferty's take on this story, it is very well written and different from other stories I have read. When you have been reading sci fi for over 30 years, you tend to see it all but this story line really caught my attn. as something completely different!

[Cameron Mathews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it quite a bit. Have to admit the real lament here seems to be a common one : too short. Don't let that stop you. It is a great quick read that left me wondering about some of the additional details and even "what happens next."

[Ryan Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Mur Lafferty's stories. While I haven't read much of it yet, I have listened to her Podcasted novels, and to her readings and occasional stories, on Escape Pod.

This story was enjoyable. I felt like the ending was way to predictable, but some of the ideas getting to that point were good.

[N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An podiobook about a guy and an butt kicking granny. It's been a while since I had listened to this. But it's one of the two books I had read from Ms. Lafferty. I hope to read more from her since I've listened to this a while ago.

I'll get back to you on reading this again.