What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

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SOLVED: Adult Fiction > SOLVED. SCI-FI Short Story, Baba Yaga stealing souls in space [s]

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message 1: by Giovanna (new)

Giovanna Campisi (GMFCampisi91) | 4 comments This story was in a SciFi/ Fantasy anthology that I read, the story was about a young man whose family ran a circus and flew around the Galaxy touring ships and settlements and giving shows. The young man was a juggler but very bad at it, he had a 'slow hand'.
He said he would sell his soul; and so Baba Yaga came flying in on her mortar and pestle, and she flew him to her house. She let him try on a few sets of hands, but in the end, with the knowledge that he gained by trying on the surgeons hands, he knew how to use his own slow hand with full understanding and then didn't take the deal. Baba Yaga was sort of sad and offered more stuff but in the end no deal so she took him
Back to the ship.

I really loved this story, as well as the rest in that anthology, so any help would be extremely welcome!


message 2: by Andy (new)

Andy | 2124 comments I googled "Baba Yaga" and juggling and came up with Jane Yolen's "Boris Chernevsky's Hands" which is in an anthology called "Spellbound" Spellbound: Fantasy Stories


message 3: by Kris (new)

Kris | 54994 comments Mod
Giovanna, I moved your request to the "Unsolved" folder because you're looking for a specific book. Good luck with your search!


message 4: by Lobstergirl, au gratin (new)

Lobstergirl | 44924 comments Mod
Deleting duplicate post, which contained:

In the story, a clumsy juggler of Russian descent, living in a space-age traveling circus-ship, meets Baba Yaga who tries to get him to trade his soul for new hands from her. He tries lovers hands, some others, and eventually a surgeon's hands.
TWIST
the surgeon's hands give him insight into his hand's physical failings and an understanding in how to be an excellent juggler and so on by himself, so he doesn't take the deal and thanks Baba Yaga and goes back home, satisfied and with hope.


Please only post your query once, and bookmark the thread so you don't lose it.


message 5: by Giovanna (new)

Giovanna Campisi (GMFCampisi91) | 4 comments That's it! Thanks for finding it for me :)


message 6: by Andy (new)

Andy | 2124 comments Great! Glad to help.


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