Carniepunk: Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea

by Seanan McGuire

From New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire, a haunting urban fantasy short story in the Carniepunk anthology—for fans of all things circus, supernatural, and mysterious…

It’s been seventeen years since the last time Ada’s carnival passed through her father’s hometown in Alabama—and no one is expecting the reception she gets.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Short Stories, Audiobook, Paranormal, Ebooks, Fiction

31 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 2014

About the author

Hi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.

Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).

I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(

Reviews

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good short story, very well written, better that my previous experience with full novels by the same author. Characterization was superb, and it felt like reading something more that a short story. Four stars because the ending was not exactly my favourite but it's a simple case of "it's not you, it's me". I'm sure many other readers will enjoy it far better than me!

[Cendaquenta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huh, my first audiobook! Good short story though I found it a little hard to follow along in parts, I think due to the format.

[J.A. Ironside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this self contained short story about freedom and belonging from one of my favourite authors. With McGuire's trademarked hint of whimsy and darkness, this was a perfect mermaid story.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea was an enjoyable short story about mermaids and traveling carnivals.

It's been seventeen years since the Miller Family Carnival has passed through Alabama. When Ada Miller accompanies another carnie to pass out posters, the pair have an unexpected encounter with some local residents. Raised in the carnival, Ada doesn't recognize the danger after her until it's too late.

This was an interesting take on mermaids that I haven't seen before. In this world, mermaids start out looking mostly human but the more time they spend in the water, the less human they become. In addition, being in the water causes mermaids to forget their memories from their time living on land. I thought it was an interesting twist on mermaids and I liked how the author showcased the two sides of a mermaid's life through Ada and her mother Marti. The ending of the story was unexpected and a bit bittersweet.

Overall Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea was an enjoyable read but I don't think I'll be checking out other stories from the Carniepunk anthology.

[D.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a mermaid nut, so naturally I had to pick up a copy of this story (audiobook). I'm sooooo glad I did. It was a perfect blend of dark, delicious, and left me hungry for more stories about mercreatures hiding in plain sight. The carnival atmosphere, the mystery of the Alabama mermaid, and the bittersweet fate of her daughter make for a dark, enchanting tale!

[Sam (Hissing Potatoes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I WANT MORE. Not because the story wasn't sufficient enough, but because it was developed so well. Ada's voice instantly hooked me, and the depth of the carnival family and her history was shown (rather than told) perfectly.

[W1nglockbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely atmospheric and magical but there was a lot of info dumping and not a lot of plot for such a short story.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully atmospheric bittersweet short tale that kind of made me wish it had more story to it.

[Luc they, them · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good short story.

[Manoek (manoeksbooknook) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just wonderful, dark and beautiful.

[Heather Pesaresi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap on a cracker. How does she do this? It's an hour long story on audible and it is amazing. It also breaks my heart like only a SM/MG story can.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something magical about a circus, isn't there? Besides the magical environment, this short story has kind of a sad ring to it. Not in a bad way, but you often think of the circus as something cheerful and happy. The mermaid theme adds to the magic in a good way.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is so sad... The opening paragraph has such lovely description that it really reeled me in, and I loved the premise of all the carnival workers being one big adopted family, so the ending was really heartbreaking because Ada basically loses her memories of everything. Even though she was born & raised in the carnival her whole life, she no longer has any recollection of her carnival family and all the memories they made together. I feel the worst for Uncle Chester because it seems like he's the one who suffers the most in the end. I mean, Marti & Ada don't even remember who they were or what happened to them anymore, so he's the only one who has to live with the guilt & knowledge that he "failed" both of them. Even though he knew Ada's fate all along (the ominous lines foreshadowing the end of the story: "The look on his face then... I think that was the moment he knew he'd lost her [Marti]. I didn't realize until years later that it was also the moment when he knew he was going to lose me [Ada] too"), I'm sure that didn't make it any less painful for him to see that he was right. I doubt he wanted to be right. In the end, it seems like he & the other carnival workers killed the people who kidnapped Ada, but it was too late... Ada was already gone. Just like he returned with the carnival a few months too late to intervene in whatever tragedy had befallen Marti and completely changed her. It's not his fault, but I'm sure he feels like he was too late to save either of them, and how do you live with that guilt? That's what makes the story so tragic... I guess there's no going back for a mermaid once she goes into the water, because Ada lost all connection to her human self and her memories as soon as she dove into the lake, to the extent that she immediately started shovelling raw fish into her mouth... Even if she's retaught how to work at the carnival, reminded of who she is, and told about her memories, I'm guessing it wouldn't matter because she'll have the irresistable compulsion to go back into the water from now on, and every time she goes back in, she'll lose her sense of self & accumulated memories. So it's pointless. It also makes being a mermaid sound pretty hellish—how can someone exist utterly devoid of a self-identity?! That seems incredibly awful, to have your entire life & identity wiped clean every time you enter the water.

I'm also curious what made Ada's mother willingly go into water for the first time & wipe her own memories. It seems like she endured some horrific trauma; since Uncle Chester said she was already pregnant when she ran away to the carnival, I suspect that she was raped, but the story never fully corroborates or denies my theory. If the townspeople who claim to be Marti & Ada's "real" family (and not even, since they basically kidnapped Marti from the sea and wrongfully raised her as a human, leading to this entire tragedy) were telling the truth—which I highly doubt, considering that they seem both physically & emotionally abusive, as well as somewhat fanatical—well, then it's weird because Ada is never allowed to meet her so-called father, the potential rapist. If he's not a criminal, why keep him from his daughter? The only thing we get of him is the brief description of his physical appearance and the line where he "asks" about Marti, which tells me absolutely nothing, because is he asking sorrowfully? Suspiciously? Angrily? Warily? Hopefully? There's virtually zero characterization of that dude... Then there's the grandpa, and he comes across as highly belligerent & therefore willing to inflict violence upon others, so I immediately suspected that he might be the rapist, but when Ada voices my concerns, he denies fathering her and says, "That would be a sin." He seems so adamant about his denial & disgusted that Ada would even ask that I'm inclined to believe him, but his whole "sin" comment has me scratching my head since I'm pretty convinced Marti was raped... and is THAT not considered a sin by his standards??? Utterly repulsive. So either he's possibly lying about the identity of Ada's father, he's telling the truth but he's a misogynistic asshole because he doesn't consider what the younger man did as "rape," or Marti wasn't raped but just ran away because the family is highly abusive (not "just" as if I'm implying that abuse isn't a valid enough reason in itself to run away, because it is, but I'm so convinced that Marti was raped because of her sudden pregnancy & willingness to wipe her own memory. There's a lot of circumstantial evidence suggesting rape, so I'd have a hard time being convinced otherwise). But in Uncle Chester's recollection of Marti's past to Ada, he claims that Marti's human family did their best to treat her "right" and that she was "happy." If they were the same people who kidnapped Ada, how is that even possible? Unless they drastically changed over the course of 18 years because they resented that Marti ran away to the carnival?? Or unless Chester was only relaying what Marti told him and he can't confirm or deny the truth of what she said...? I don't know, haha. The story left me feeling somewhat confused at the end because I had too many questions & not enough answers. I think the ambiguity may be part of what makes the story so compelling—it draws you in and keeps you turning pages—but it's frustrating that there wasn't as much of a pay-off as I would have liked. I enjoyed this story a lot, but the lack of answers ultimately leaves me feeling like there was underdeveloped potential.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing, oh wow.

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, short story about mermaids and carnivals. Enjoyable via audio.

[Brok3n · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sort-of autobiographical story by a mermaid

To me the most interesting paragraph in Carniepunk: Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea was this, from the Acknowledgments:

SEANAN MCGUIRE comes from good carnival stock and had her first Ferris wheel–related injury when she was seven years old. Both she and the Ferris wheel recovered nicely and are currently in good health. She attended UC Berkeley, where she majored in folklore and mythology. These two things go a long way toward explaining why she now writes urban fantasy.

It will not surprise any of her avid readers that McGuire is a Carnie. This, however, was the first McGuire bio I'd seen that had anything to say about her formal education. I've been curious, because she writes knowledgably about biology and mathematics. (I have a PhD in Math and am a retired professor of Molecular Biology, so my standards are high.) Imaginary Numbers and Calculated Risks are written from the point of view of a mathematician character in a not entirely convincing but also not entirely unrealistic way. All the Incryptid stories are informed by an interest in biology, e.g. Half-Off Ragnarok contains an intelligent discussion of fertility of cross-species hybrids. It is of course not unusual for science fiction authors to be familiar with the sciences, and McGuire writes SF under the pseudonym Mira Grant. However, most SF authors are interested in the physical and space sciences, but have a weak grasp of Biology. As for math -- PFFFT! -- almost nonexistent. The only authors who come to mind as really grasping mathematics are Charles Stross and (surprisingly) fantasy writer Megan Whalen Turner.

Alas, McGuire's bio sheds little light on the question. One would not typically expect a degree in folklore and mythology to come with knowledge of biology and mathematics. Of course, she may have taken courses outside her major, or she may be an autodidact. Also, I don't discount the possibility that she is merely very good at faking it. She is, after all, a carnie, and we know that carnies live to con the townies. (That would be me.) In fact, fiction is in essence a con carried out with the knowledge and consent of the mark. So maybe that's it.

So, what about the story? It is the story of a mermaid girl attached to a carnival. (Is Seanan McGuire also a mermaid? Who knows? Certainly not me.) If you have read McGuire's Incryptid stories, you may know that in that world, being a mermaid is not all that great a gig. McGuire's mermaids lose their minds as they mature. Literally -- they don't go crazy -- they lose their memories and intelligence. So that is the danger and fate that confronts our heroine.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short, Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea, is part of the Carniepunk Anthology. I should read the whole anthology, but for now, I will start with Seanan McGuire's piece.

This is a story for all the mermaid and carnie lovers out in the world. There's no need to deny it – we all love combining themes and tropes, and this one is such a fun idea! That said, Seanan McGuire does add a bit of a haunting twist to it. It's quite perfect as it ensures that the interesting concept will linger...

You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

[Joe Pranaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Seanan McGuire brings us the tale of Ada, the daughter of a mermaid who has lived with a carnival since she was born. Ada and the carnival come to a small Alabama town for their next stop. As Ada and her uncle Chester stop at the local restaurant the waitress recognizes her as they say that there hasn't been a carnival in that area for the last twenty years. Chester sees the danger and they rush back to worn Ada's mom and the rest of the troop but Ada's mom who loses her memory while in the water forces them to stay. Things get out of hand and Ada is kidnapped. I won't spoil the ending but I will say that this is a great short story and I highly recommend it for all fantasy fans.

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a title like this one, I was intrigued instantly.

When Ada’s carnival passes through Alabama the secrets buried in the past rise to the surface...

Wow. What a stunning tale. The melancholy storytelling is as thick as the wonder about Ada's family and the world she lives in. The carnival is all she's ever known, but stopping at this town changes everything.

I especially found her mother's story to be the saddest, but of course that carries forward to her daughter as well. And Ada is such a lovely character that my heart broke.

Loved this. Very moving. And that ending. 😫

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a tragic tale told so eloquently

Ada Miller grew up travelling with the carnival, but carnies don't care if her mum is different and she is special they love her and just want to do what's right for her and protect her from what the future may hold, but you can't escape.your fate.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much to my surprise I quite liked this little book.
I had to read a book with a mythical creature for a reading challenge, and think I have stumbled into a little niche collection I may enjoy

This one is about a girl whose mother in a mermaid and the carnival she lives in. Although maybe what it really is about is being different, hiding the differences (even if that means pretending your scales are glitter), and knowing your differences make you vulnerable.

I thought this a very sweet and moving story which was well structured and the presence of the mermaid was perfectly reasonable as a result thereof.

[Paulette Illmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is far too short! It it probably the best mermaid story I've ever read, and yet it leaves so many questions unanswered. I need to know who Ada's mother really was, what happened to her before the carnival, who the people in Alabama were, why they claimed Ada as their family, what happened to them, and most of all: what happened to Ada after she was rescued?

[Ryane: Ry’s Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no expectations going into this one because I am typically not a fan of short stories. However, I love the way Seanan McGuire writes and the imagery she uses in her stories. This short story did not disappoint in that department. I really enjoyed this one and wish we could have had more. I want to look into other stories that are apart of this anthology.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way that Seanan McGuire writes fantasy characters like she's telling you one event in their lives. While it is always a satisfying conclusion to the specific tale being told, it always feels like the characters live on and have more tales to tell.

[Allie Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, touching, works really well in terms of storytelling and pacing and stuff like that. The type of fantasy I love from Seanan McGuire, sort of urban fairytale. I would like to know what happens yet, but some of the charm is in the format.

[Jules Poet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short but interesting story centering around one carnie in particular. You find out a bit about other carnies, the carnival, the town... but really it's one girl's story. BUT she is the daughter of a mermaid so.... there's that :)

[Arthur L Spain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Seanan McGuire continues to entertain me. Not since Ray Bradbury has anyone written about the magic and mystery of carnies as well and lovingly as Seanan McGuire. This is great story about strange extended family.

[JB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I don’t like to give spoilers on the books that I read. I believe the blurb on the back is enough for you to decide if you will read the book or not. If you choose to read, enjoy!

[Yuuto · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good short story, but I do wish it had been a bit longer. I’d love a bit more meat to this story, it was a neat premise, but it left me wanting it to go a bit more in depth before the action.