Short Story Saturday

Recently, I've been reading books that have centered around the "spirits or souls" left behind after death. This book weaves the feeling of hopelessness, of being stuck and immobile through no fault of your own and the growing desperation to move and be heard.

It reminded me of sleep paralysis, and the feelings of pushing through thick air above me in those movements of confusion and terror at the idea of not waking up.

Beautiful prose, melancholy atmosphere. ( )

Good but creepy short story about a girl who is sacrificed to keep a house (and its master) alive. I'm not really sure I understand this one. It feels dystopian, but kinda fantasy, and definitely borders on horror. None of the actual sacrifice is shown, though, and I think it would be a good quick read for Halloween-time. ( )

Scarce on details but sufficiently creepy.
( )

You do not rest. You cannot forgive. You are not safe—you never were.

This really reminded me of [b:The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|33632660|The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518291620l/33632660._SY75_.jpg|89324]. The overall tone is quite depressing, though the writing was good. It's really, really bleak though. :( ( )

Another mythic tale, from the point of view of a young girl killed as a sacrifice to the power beneath the House, a power which keeps it safe from the depredations that ravage the outside world. Her consciousness lives beneath until, inevitably, another sacrifice in required.



Again, wonderful writing, which is certainly the theme of this collection so far. A story of what we are willing to live with for safety and privilege - bringing to mind [b:The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|92625|The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389866872s/92625.jpg|89324] - but with a denouement that makes it a classic revenge fable. ( )