Dormanna

The Palencar Project #2

by Gene Wolfe

Free online fiction from tor.com.

The Palencar Project

Enjoy “Dormanna,” by Gene Wolfe, a story inspired by an illustration from John Jude Palencar.

“Dormanna” is part of a five-story series curated by senior Tor Books editor David G. Hartwell. All five are based on a singular piece of art by John Jude Palencar and will be released for free on Tor.com every Wednesday in March 2012.

Original Short Story Here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/03/do...

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

10 pages, ebook

First published March 7, 2012

About the author

Gene Wolfe was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith, to which he converted after marrying a Catholic. He was a prolific short story writer and a novelist, and has won many awards in the field.

While attending Texas A&M University Wolfe published his first speculative fiction in The Commentator, a student literary journal. Wolfe dropped out during his junior year, and was drafted to fight in the Korean War. After returning to the United States he earned a degree from the University of Houston and became an industrial engineer. He edited the journal Plant Engineering for many years before retiring to write full-time, but his most famous professional engineering achievement was a contribution to the machine used to make Pringles potato crisps. He lived in Barrington, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

A frequent Hugo nominee without a win, Wolfe nevertheless picked up several Nebula and Locus Awards, among others, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and the 2012 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. He was also a member of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/genewolfe

Reviews

[Yórgos St. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little story. Sweet and melancholic. A story about a little girl who have to leave behind her imaginary friends. It is time for her to grow up. Only sometimes imaginary friends a real.

[Netanella · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in the John Jude Palencar project, where six noted authors in the field develop a short story inspired by one of the artist's paintings. I found this story much more enjoyable, about a young girl with an imaginary friend, almost like a pink mote of dust, hitches a ride with her to school and helps her in her civics class. There's a message about cosmic oneness, the greater good, humanity, and all sorts of feel good stuff that makes you know that the stars are aligned properly. Nicely done, Gene Wolfe!

[Cassi (books.and.shh) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this adorable little story of an ear fuzz from another world that whispered wisdom in Ellie’s little ear, which she shared in civics class. This was a simple story that emphasizes how innocent children can cause big change if someone shares the right message with them.

[Bbrown · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard for me to put my finger on just what makes Wolfe's stories, this one included, so enjoyable. Nevertheless, they are.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet, melancholy story, full of all sorts of things: the innocence and freedom of youth, the loneliness of living, uncertainty, love, happiness, and sorrow for sweet times that have gone. I'd never heard the phrase "Isn't she a caution," before, and I seem to have misinterpreted it (I looked it up after), but I still felt the main gist of the story.

“You didn’t cheat. Answers you get from an imaginary playmate count as yours. You said we needed good laws.”

This story is part of a series in which each author interprets the illustration.

http://www.tor.com/2012/03/07/dormanna/

[Mayumi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Li aqui, marquei lido aqui: Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2012 edition.

[Ruby Tombstone Lives! · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part of a series of short stories commissioned by Tor.com, each one relating to the painting in the picture. It's a sweet story, but not earth shattering. And I have a couple of niggles with it. Nothin worth spending more time writing the review than reading the story though.

[Amy (Other Amy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

See The Palencar Project for my review.

[JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugely different from what I'd read from Gene Wolfe. Very quick and fun. A nice mix of mystery and wonder.

[Marco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dormanna is the story of a little kid that woke up one night with a new "imaginary friend" that turns out to not be imaginary, but not of this world either.

[Willem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, but a bit short, wanted more.

[Malapata · Rating 2 out of 5]

Relato de una niña y un peculiar amigo invisible. No está mal, pero se queda un poco a mitad de camino. No terminó de engancharme, me dejó pendiente de un algo más que no llega a suceder.