Paula’s Comments (group member since Oct 28, 2015)

Paula’s comments from the Science Fiction Microstory Contest group.

A great one, Marianne. One of the best you've done, or maybe the best--and that's saying something! I'm so glad it is getting the recognition it well deserves. A beautifully and brilliantly done story.

Good work ,Jon!

Sorry--had no time between edit jobs to write or even critique-read the stories this month; apologies to you each, as I'm sure these were very much worth reading.

Shall do, Justin!!

Jack's novels are very good, and page-turning reads too.

A good and haunting story, Karl. Nice work!
---Btw, people, my apologies for missing the voting; I've been feeling sick since my fun-ski day a few days ago and just couldn't stay at he computer, this weekend (feeling much better today(. For what it's worth, I especially liked Chris's and Tom's and Jot's stories, as well as Karl's and . . . really, a month of good stories.

Truly, the critiques-before/during-voting issue was discussed in the past, C., and this is why the critiques thread is now separate from the comments thread and stories thread. A compromise, yes, but sometimes compromise works.

Thanks, everyone, for the birthday wishes! Shall get to the critiques and voting tomorrow. Still recovering from birthday fun, lol.

Doing birthday things today. Shall do some critiques, vote, over the next 2-3 days. Good stories this month, people!

Tom and Justin, thank you so very much! C.--yes, thank you--and I agree that the characters, and their relationships, need more working out; this was all the time I could give this, this month, though--at least for the next couple of weeks, anyhow. Thank you all again!

nice piece, C.--cool ending.

Congratulations to you on your winning story!

Just put up a story.

A Smidgeon of Salt
Copyright © 2018 by Paula Friedman. All rights reserved.

Because Garmann’s revolt, leading our 20,000 (or fewer) folk against the massive half-metal invaders who, three harsh generations back, had stripped our Earth (except this narrow strip, 90 miles across, where all remaining indigenous persons, creatures, plants now reside), clearly now would fail, I marched through Garmann’s guarded door and said “Now we must cease our lost ‘Ca ira!’ and instead treat, by every means of diplomatic skill, with the invaders.”

He said, “They’ll think you’re asking, would they take away the rest of the water, please? Or, can we be hors d’oeuvres instead of another meat course? Or whatever.”

“I shall explain,” I replied, my eyes on Risha, Garmann’s pretty wife. She looked down, head tilted, and I saw her lips smile.

“Yes, do that.” Garmann’s lips didn’t smile; they laughed. He pushed me toward the small—the other, outer—door.

I knew I’d made a big mistake.

“They’ll judge your offer, doubtless, for what it’s worth,” he added. “By their own lights.”

I tried, though knowing it futile, to grab and hold to doorframe or lintel. Then slid out and down, then further down, and fell.
•

The light here is pale, directionless. The walls are slippery, as of plasticene, completely white. They glow, a sort of bowl. There is no top; only, something moves above.

“When will you treat with me?” I cry, voice struggling toward those who surely listen, somewhere above. “When will you treat with us?” I step, again, around the gleaming inside of this bowl. "You have won. Fair judgment is all we ask."

It moves, above—like a mountain-wide hand. Holding an object, something like a cylinder, from which fall golden flakes, sprinkling down. Smelling like cinnamon, like cloves, parsley, garlic.

“Yes, one of the tiny, two-handed delicacies,” says a voice; "it wishes to be tonight's treat.” The voice comes from ‘outside’, above the bowl. “No pepper, Melisande, just a smidgeon of salt.”

Folks--sorry I won't be voting this month. The whole "Guy Lombardo" idea just turned me off--I hate that '40s style of entertainmnt stuff. If your story didn't have a Lombardo character in it, then I'm being unfair to it; however, . . .

Nice going, Justin! Bravo for this!

Should have come as no surprise, Marianne---this was a wonderful story!

Such a good story, Tom! My congratulations to you!

Traditionally, F&SF used more literary (more or less) science fiction. It is a very hard market.
Justin, congratulations! That is super to hear! And good for you, too, Marianne, doing the audio.
Greg, what a solid and beautiful story! Could well be lengthened , even to a novella!

I think it's still the 22nd, Marianne. Anyone know?
--I'm still too swamped with editing work to get a story in, this month, either way. Hope you've time to!
--Have a good Thanksgiving, everyone.