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The Words of Dr. L: & Other Stories
National Book Award finalist Karen E. Bender returns with a short story collection that explores the surreal situation of parents and children separating at different ages through a realistic and speculative lens––from adolescence to empty nest to caring for an aging parent
The Words of Dr. L is National Book Award Finalist’s Karen E. Bender’s third story collection. Bender uses both a realistic and a speculative lens to explore a universal situation—the ways parents and children separate at different times of life. Grounded in both contemporary America and a variety of dystopias, the stories look at adolescence, motherhood, the empty nest, and caring for the aging parent. From a young woman who wants to learn secret words to prevent a pregnancy, to a mother who discovers an extra child in her home she has forgotten about, to a couple separated from their son in globes orbiting the Earth, the stories honor the emotional force of these situations by grappling with the themes of freedom, self-definition, youth, aging, control, and power. Bender’s work explores the ordinary in the extraordinary, using settings both familiar and speculative to discover new truths in the lifelong connection between parents and their children.
The Words of Dr. L is National Book Award Finalist’s Karen E. Bender’s third story collection. Bender uses both a realistic and a speculative lens to explore a universal situation—the ways parents and children separate at different times of life. Grounded in both contemporary America and a variety of dystopias, the stories look at adolescence, motherhood, the empty nest, and caring for the aging parent. From a young woman who wants to learn secret words to prevent a pregnancy, to a mother who discovers an extra child in her home she has forgotten about, to a couple separated from their son in globes orbiting the Earth, the stories honor the emotional force of these situations by grappling with the themes of freedom, self-definition, youth, aging, control, and power. Bender’s work explores the ordinary in the extraordinary, using settings both familiar and speculative to discover new truths in the lifelong connection between parents and their children.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 12, 2025
Reminiscent of Margaret Atwood and Lorrie Moore, Karen E. Bender’s stories in The Words of Dr. L navigate a fractured, often post-apocalyptic world where the family unit emerges as the one remaining anchor.
This was my first time reading Bender, and I only recently learned she’s the sister of Aimee Bender (whose The Color Master I loved). With literary siblings, I feel like one writer is typically better than the other, but in this case, both are equal in talent/skill.
I’m not usually drawn to dystopian or speculative fiction, but Bender’s mastery lies in her characters. Even when the world around them is surreal, her characters are grounded and emotionally precise.
Years ago, I attended a reading for Deb Olin Unferth’s Wait Till You See Me Dance, moderated by Ben Fountain. Unferth read “The First Full Thought of Her Life,” and afterward, Fountain called it a masterpiece—one story in a strong collection that managed to stand apart. That idea stuck with me: that a collection could be powerful, but one story could still rise above the rest.
That happened for me here with Bender’s story “Arlene is Dead.” I’m not even sure why. It’s not the subject—a family navigating the final stages of life for two elderly women during the COVID pandemic. Honestly, it’s a topic I’d usually avoid. But this story—Chekhovian in structure and emotional scope—landed hard. If it had been written by Alice Munro or William Trevor, I would have called it one of their finest. It captures both the pain of isolation and those flickers of grace that manage to survive even the darkest seasons.
Not every story struck the same chord, but the collection as a whole is timely, empathetic, and unflinching—a quiet indictment of our world, and a testament to the power of human connection.
Thank you to Goodreads and Counterpoint for review copy.
This was my first time reading Bender, and I only recently learned she’s the sister of Aimee Bender (whose The Color Master I loved). With literary siblings, I feel like one writer is typically better than the other, but in this case, both are equal in talent/skill.
I’m not usually drawn to dystopian or speculative fiction, but Bender’s mastery lies in her characters. Even when the world around them is surreal, her characters are grounded and emotionally precise.
Years ago, I attended a reading for Deb Olin Unferth’s Wait Till You See Me Dance, moderated by Ben Fountain. Unferth read “The First Full Thought of Her Life,” and afterward, Fountain called it a masterpiece—one story in a strong collection that managed to stand apart. That idea stuck with me: that a collection could be powerful, but one story could still rise above the rest.
That happened for me here with Bender’s story “Arlene is Dead.” I’m not even sure why. It’s not the subject—a family navigating the final stages of life for two elderly women during the COVID pandemic. Honestly, it’s a topic I’d usually avoid. But this story—Chekhovian in structure and emotional scope—landed hard. If it had been written by Alice Munro or William Trevor, I would have called it one of their finest. It captures both the pain of isolation and those flickers of grace that manage to survive even the darkest seasons.
Not every story struck the same chord, but the collection as a whole is timely, empathetic, and unflinching—a quiet indictment of our world, and a testament to the power of human connection.
Thank you to Goodreads and Counterpoint for review copy.
April 12, 2025
Some of these stories are so perfect that I cried. Ms. Bender is a fantastic writer. Her stories about generations, family dysfunction, aging and love are beautiful.
I didn’t care for many of the sci-fi, futuristic ones as much. They are all good but just not my taste. The title story for this book - although somewhat futuristic or magical realism, is very well-done however. I was truly affected by it. I can’t say too much more without spoilers but conversations in any way I’ve period about reproductive health can be fraught and this story’s governmental oversight of reproductive healthcare is a little too close to what we are experiencing in the US right now.
I didn’t care for many of the sci-fi, futuristic ones as much. They are all good but just not my taste. The title story for this book - although somewhat futuristic or magical realism, is very well-done however. I was truly affected by it. I can’t say too much more without spoilers but conversations in any way I’ve period about reproductive health can be fraught and this story’s governmental oversight of reproductive healthcare is a little too close to what we are experiencing in the US right now.
October 28, 2025
These short stories feel too grounded in our current reality, which makes the sci-fi elements seem like an afterthought—why frame them as sci-fi at all? Maybe it’s because we’re already living in a dystopia, but these stories lack a sense of agency. They felt too passive, and I was hoping for something more fantastical and extreme to create a sharper contrast between realities, while still capturing the internal human struggles with aging, separation, parenting, friendship, and family.
May 31, 2025
This remarkable collection of speculative fiction demonstrates the genre's unique power to reveal profound truths about our world by reimagining it through a different lens. The author displays exceptional skill in creating scenarios that feel both fantastical and unnervingly plausible—worlds where the troubling aspects of our reality are magnified to brilliant effect. Whether exploring a society with laws "enforcing motherhood" or imagining "noninvasive laser technology" that transfers shame from citizens to government officials, these stories use their speculative elements to illuminate pressing contemporary concerns with startling clarity.
What elevates this collection beyond clever political allegory is the author's deep understanding of human emotion, particularly the complex dynamics of family relationships. The speculative framework becomes a vehicle for exploring universal experiences of love, loss, and connection. The most powerful moments arise when characters confront fundamental truths about mortality and relationships—as in the deeply affecting story where a protagonist watching her ailing father comes to understand that parents and children are "together just temporarily."
The author achieves something truly special here: stories that work both as imaginative explorations of possible futures and as intimate examinations of familial heartache. The collection succeeds brilliantly at using the distance of speculative fiction to bring us closer to essential human experiences. These are stories that will linger in readers' minds long after the book is closed, continuing to reveal new layers of meaning about both the worlds we might inhabit and the one we currently share.
What elevates this collection beyond clever political allegory is the author's deep understanding of human emotion, particularly the complex dynamics of family relationships. The speculative framework becomes a vehicle for exploring universal experiences of love, loss, and connection. The most powerful moments arise when characters confront fundamental truths about mortality and relationships—as in the deeply affecting story where a protagonist watching her ailing father comes to understand that parents and children are "together just temporarily."
The author achieves something truly special here: stories that work both as imaginative explorations of possible futures and as intimate examinations of familial heartache. The collection succeeds brilliantly at using the distance of speculative fiction to bring us closer to essential human experiences. These are stories that will linger in readers' minds long after the book is closed, continuing to reveal new layers of meaning about both the worlds we might inhabit and the one we currently share.
July 9, 2025
This collection had some incredible tales within it, and some were like a gut punch with home timely they were. One of the must ultra-timely ones was The Shame Exchange. If you watched the news last week, you probably get that many politicians in the US have NO SHAME. This concise story was just about 5 pages but it was SPOT ON.
The Words of Dr. L, the title story was one of my favorites. It dealt with female reproductive and it also felt very timely. It reminded me just a tad of the novel, Red Clocks. Unfortunately, speculative stories about limiting family planning options aren’t really that speculative anymore.
Another story that stood out to me was Hypnotist. At first I couldn’t figure out where it was going, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Stories about adult daughters and their older fathers really resonate with me, really for the obvious reasons! I loved the hell out of my dad and we had so much in common.
Finally, The Separation was a great science fiction story. I’m always drawn to stories that deal with human-kind as they’re getting ready to leave the planet for Mars. This one had a very entertaining ending.
Thank you so much to the incredible folks at Counterpoint for sending me this gifted copy. Their generosity is appreciated and their books are always fire!
The Words of Dr. L, the title story was one of my favorites. It dealt with female reproductive and it also felt very timely. It reminded me just a tad of the novel, Red Clocks. Unfortunately, speculative stories about limiting family planning options aren’t really that speculative anymore.
Another story that stood out to me was Hypnotist. At first I couldn’t figure out where it was going, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Stories about adult daughters and their older fathers really resonate with me, really for the obvious reasons! I loved the hell out of my dad and we had so much in common.
Finally, The Separation was a great science fiction story. I’m always drawn to stories that deal with human-kind as they’re getting ready to leave the planet for Mars. This one had a very entertaining ending.
Thank you so much to the incredible folks at Counterpoint for sending me this gifted copy. Their generosity is appreciated and their books are always fire!
June 3, 2025
I was attracted to this book from my love of short stories and my friendship with Karen Bender.
This collection of twelve stories is challenging and relevant to these days we are living. The beautiful cover gives the reader the sense of the unknown familiar. Many of her characters are experiencing life during their middle-to-late ages. We see them contend with grown children and their own maturity. Other characters face their parents’ decline and loss. Each story has a unique landscape and subject which will delight and terrorize you at the same time.
For my reading, a major theme of all the stories is that every person in the universe wants to be seen and recognized for who they are and where they are in their lives. These stories are worth reading for those reminders.
This collection of twelve stories is challenging and relevant to these days we are living. The beautiful cover gives the reader the sense of the unknown familiar. Many of her characters are experiencing life during their middle-to-late ages. We see them contend with grown children and their own maturity. Other characters face their parents’ decline and loss. Each story has a unique landscape and subject which will delight and terrorize you at the same time.
For my reading, a major theme of all the stories is that every person in the universe wants to be seen and recognized for who they are and where they are in their lives. These stories are worth reading for those reminders.
December 9, 2025
I can see why The Words of Dr. L is on the Kirkus best short fiction list of 2025. Although dystopian fiction is not my preferred genre (the Black Mirror-esque nature of Bender's stories is a little too close for comfort), Bender writes the quiet suffering of modern humanity so well that the dystopian aspect of her fiction never took over or felt heavy-handed. Her characters' humanity transcends their speculative milieus. The stories are well-balanced and freighted with surprise. It was a joy to sit with this book over a few afternoons.
September 8, 2025
The Words of Dr. L is the perfect book for our troubled times. Bender captures the off-kilter feel of what it’s like to be alive in a world that feels like it's often hurtling toward apocalypse. Her stories are insanely imaginative and thought-provoking -- literary gems that span the realist, the speculative, and the magical. The final story, “Globes,” is a heartbreaker, the perfect ending to this beautiful collection.
September 20, 2025
This book is such a big Wow – thoroughly original stories that stayed with me long after I finished reading, each one hauntingly evocative of our deepest anxieties, loves and fears. An exceptionally atmospheric and thought provoking read.
June 3, 2025
Solid dark speculative short story collection that I picked up from the library that blends mundane fears (aging, abortion, motherhood) with the surreal.
June 21, 2025
Masterful speculative stories on the order of Black Mirror/Twilight Zone
July 21, 2025
Lyrical, inventive, a kaleidoscopic exploration of parent/child relationships and the power of language.
November 23, 2025
Wonderful collection! Inventive, magical, compelling, and so humane. A must read!
June 10, 2025
WOW, what a treat this collection was. These 12 stories were so inventive, and so mind expanding that I really tried to take my time with each one. Huge thanks to @counterpointpress for the beautiful finished copy!
As soon as I completed a new chapter, I tried to put the book down to really let the story wash over me. As I was reading, my mind kept thinking “I hope these stories remain in the realm of dystopia.” But they never really do, do they? Any future thinking finds its invention in the past and in the current. That’s what makes THE WORDS OF DR. L potentially - and in some ways, probably - prophetic.
As soon as I completed a new chapter, I tried to put the book down to really let the story wash over me. As I was reading, my mind kept thinking “I hope these stories remain in the realm of dystopia.” But they never really do, do they? Any future thinking finds its invention in the past and in the current. That’s what makes THE WORDS OF DR. L potentially - and in some ways, probably - prophetic.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews