Sweetlings by Lucy Taylor
Published by Tor Books, 2017
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Ah, yes. This hit the exact sweet spot between speculative science-fiction and body horror that I love. This unsettling novella is set in an all too plausible future, where sea levels have risen to swallow much of the Earth, and evolution has taken a frightening turn in response to the changing climate. Strange creatures drag themselves aground, and some of the surviving humans begin to show worrying signs of sickness and mutation. Our heroine must decide whether to stay with her small community by the coast and face a slow decline, or venture into the unknown inlands in search of safer climes.
Things started a little rocky, with some clumsy dialogue and a couple of overdone similes. Taylor soon hit her stride, however, creating a visceral and evocative setting that arrested my attention. There’s a consistently discomforting atmosphere throughout, and a swelling tension that underpins the narrative on its route to a suitably disturbing climax. The vivid imagery is sure to haunt my thoughts for quite some time.
For me, the best kind of horror is always that which combines the physical and the psychological, which this does very well. It’s all the more disturbing when, for all its flirtations with the darkly fantastical, it hits a little too close to home. I hope Taylor has ventured into this genre some more; I would happily reach for her work again when I want to feel my skin crawl.
Sweetlings can be purchased for Kindle from your usual retailer, or read online for free over on Tor’s website.
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Ponies by Kij Johnson
Published by Tor Books, 2010
My rating: ⭐ ⭐
This even slighter offering, also from Tor, won the Nebula award for best short story, and was nominated for a string of other major prizes. Perhaps this set my expectations a little too high. It’s a concept presented as an unsettling tableau, more than it is a developed story. Young girls all have their own magical talking ponies. They must attend a ritual ‘cutting-out’ party, where the girls have to remove two of the three things that make their companions special (their wings, their horn, or their voice).
The whole thing is a very unsubtle metaphor for the cruelty that children are capable of, and the sacrifices we make in order to fit in. I didn’t dislike anything about it, per se, but it was too brief and surface level to make any kind of emotional impact.
As before, Ponies can be purchased for Kindle, or read online for free over on Tor’s website.
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Callum McLaughlin 
Sweetlings sounds great! A touch of The Kraken Wakes? Ugh, not a fan of the theme of ‘the cruelty children are capable of’ (this is only interesting if you believe that children aren’t people, and/or are naturally sweet and innocent) so not surprised to hear that Ponies didn’t work.
There is a touch of Wyndham to Sweetlings now that you mention it.
True. I think the theme only works when the author explores the paradox between society’s assumption that children are wholly innocent beings, and the reality that being part of that same society makes such an existence impossible. Sadly, Ponies was just too brief to get into the meat of things.
I enjoy your reviews. Your writing reminds me of my son’s. That’s a compliment.
That’s very kind – thank you!
Sweetlings sounds intriguing… Ponies sounds a bit gross and what a horrible cover!
It’s certainly not as sweet as ‘magical talking ponies’ would first make you think 😋
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I read often that people go into a book knowing the hype behind it and then are disappointed. It makes me wonder about how bloggers rate books. I don’t use a star rating, but I have a sense of what makes a successful story or novel and consider what the genre standards are. For instance, I scratch my head when people write that the loved a book and then dismiss it as “fluff.” Was the book not engaging, did it not affect them emotionally? Is that not what the genre seeks to do? When a book is really popular or wins a number of awards, I still go into it with the same standards, asking myself what is expected of the genre. Do you feel like you raise your expectations when you review a book if others have said it’s award worthy?
I wouldn’t rate a book higher or lower based on it being praised or not, nor would I reach for a book purely because it was award-winning. I’ve adored books that have generally low ratings, and have hated books that are critically acclaimed. It all just depends on the book and the reader 🤷🏻♂️
If a book appeals to me in themes and narrative, and then I see that it’s been praised by noteworthy writers/prizes, it certainly adds an extra layer of intrigue, if nothing else.
Interesting answer. I love that you read such a variety of books and am thankful that you shared a bit more about where you’re coming from as a reader! I guess assumed that when people say they fell for the hype, or something to that effect, that it’s a negative reaction based on shifting criteria. I should not assume such things.
My pleasure! 😊