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Midway Relics and Dying Breeds
"The trouble with wanting to do the right thing is that frequently the right thing today is the wrong thing for tomorrow, or the wrong thing for the people who are standing between you and your perfect, platonic future. The wild was the wrong place for our elephant, just like the recycler was the wrong place for Billie, and the cities were the wrong place for me."
A tale of bioengineering, a carnival, and the cost of finding one’s right place.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
A tale of bioengineering, a carnival, and the cost of finding one’s right place.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2014
26 people are currently reading
1156 people want to read
About the author
Seanan McGuire
508 books17.1k followersHi! 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. :(
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. :(
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
October 21, 2019
But that’s what family is, isn’t it? It’s traditions and trinkets that only matter when we hold them up against the mirrors of our lives, lending them meaning, lending them weight, until they become heavy enough to endure without us. We create the past in the things that we choose to remember about it. We turn everything into stories, and those stories matter because we say that they do. It’s all a wheel, and ours are the hands that turn it.
i love mira grant. and yet, i've never read anything by her under her seanan mcguire name, except for one story in Carniepunk. and now this. i'd heard that the mcguire stuff wasn't as good, but judging by these two stories, i'm inclined to think that's a big fat lie, because this one is freaking great, and her story in Carniepunk was one of the best in the whole anthology.
this one is longish, for the tor shorts, but it could have gone on for 20 more pages and i wouldn't have complained. her world-building is impeccable, the characters are fleshed-out and subtly shaded, and the tone and atmosphere are killer.
it's social science fiction, centered in an ecologically-minded world where we mustn't hurt the trees, and bioengineering has brought back long-extinct creatures, for better or worse. the devotion to the preservation of nature has its own problems:
…they were being pulled by more traditional draft animals, ponies and mules and one tired old elephant we’d rescued from an animal rights group that had been planning to return the poor gentleman to a “natural habitat” he’d never encountered and wasn’t equipped to survive. I’ve got nothing against Greenies who think that wild animals should be left there. Most of the zoos were closed before my day even dawned. But there’s a big difference between saying “we’re not going to breed any more tigers” and “we’re going to put oversized, temperamental housecats that have never hunted in their lives back in the jungle and figure that instinct can do the rest.” Those jungles have been littered with dead tigers—and dead elephants—since that aspect of the movement started rolling.
and our narrator ansley is is cynically realistic about the world in which she moves
Humans can swear and swear that we’re moving toward a better harmony with the living world, but it’s all a smokescreen. We’ve decided that green is good, that’s all. Give us a few more centuries and we’ll change our minds again. If there’s one thing humans are good at, it’s selfishness. Everything else is temporary, as the earth measures time and change.
ansley works for the last traveling carnival on the west coast, and she is in charge of the billie the indricothere; a gigantic prehistoric rhino, of sorts:
the carnival operates like a large family, and like all families, there's some resentment and infighting. ansley's personal drama involves her cousin davo, who serves as "big man" of the carnival, in charge of decisions for all and overseeing the daily needs of the carnival and the "family." when ansley was sixteen, she refused his hand in marriage, and there has been tension between them ever since. in a move ostensibly to help the carnival's ailing matriarch "grandmamma," davo uses his position in a vengeful way against ansley.
it's great stuff.
the strength of this novel is definitely the character of ansley, but it's also the intricacy of the details wrapped around the bone of the story. that's always been one of my favorite things about mira grant - her attention to detail, and the way she meticulously decorates her worlds so they look good from every angle. the atmosphere of the carnival is perfect - it's melancholy and a little ragged, but there's such life teeming here - the little cousins running around, the majestic plodding of the animals, the history and tradition rubbing against the constraints of the rules of the new utopia - she crams it all into this little bite of a story, and if the ending is a little expected, it doesn't matter because the fullness of the story is so satisfying. i am definitely going to try one of her full-lengthers as mcguire.
read it for yourself here:
http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/09/mi...
come to my blog!
i love mira grant. and yet, i've never read anything by her under her seanan mcguire name, except for one story in Carniepunk. and now this. i'd heard that the mcguire stuff wasn't as good, but judging by these two stories, i'm inclined to think that's a big fat lie, because this one is freaking great, and her story in Carniepunk was one of the best in the whole anthology.
this one is longish, for the tor shorts, but it could have gone on for 20 more pages and i wouldn't have complained. her world-building is impeccable, the characters are fleshed-out and subtly shaded, and the tone and atmosphere are killer.
it's social science fiction, centered in an ecologically-minded world where we mustn't hurt the trees, and bioengineering has brought back long-extinct creatures, for better or worse. the devotion to the preservation of nature has its own problems:
…they were being pulled by more traditional draft animals, ponies and mules and one tired old elephant we’d rescued from an animal rights group that had been planning to return the poor gentleman to a “natural habitat” he’d never encountered and wasn’t equipped to survive. I’ve got nothing against Greenies who think that wild animals should be left there. Most of the zoos were closed before my day even dawned. But there’s a big difference between saying “we’re not going to breed any more tigers” and “we’re going to put oversized, temperamental housecats that have never hunted in their lives back in the jungle and figure that instinct can do the rest.” Those jungles have been littered with dead tigers—and dead elephants—since that aspect of the movement started rolling.
and our narrator ansley is is cynically realistic about the world in which she moves
Humans can swear and swear that we’re moving toward a better harmony with the living world, but it’s all a smokescreen. We’ve decided that green is good, that’s all. Give us a few more centuries and we’ll change our minds again. If there’s one thing humans are good at, it’s selfishness. Everything else is temporary, as the earth measures time and change.
ansley works for the last traveling carnival on the west coast, and she is in charge of the billie the indricothere; a gigantic prehistoric rhino, of sorts:
the carnival operates like a large family, and like all families, there's some resentment and infighting. ansley's personal drama involves her cousin davo, who serves as "big man" of the carnival, in charge of decisions for all and overseeing the daily needs of the carnival and the "family." when ansley was sixteen, she refused his hand in marriage, and there has been tension between them ever since. in a move ostensibly to help the carnival's ailing matriarch "grandmamma," davo uses his position in a vengeful way against ansley.
it's great stuff.
the strength of this novel is definitely the character of ansley, but it's also the intricacy of the details wrapped around the bone of the story. that's always been one of my favorite things about mira grant - her attention to detail, and the way she meticulously decorates her worlds so they look good from every angle. the atmosphere of the carnival is perfect - it's melancholy and a little ragged, but there's such life teeming here - the little cousins running around, the majestic plodding of the animals, the history and tradition rubbing against the constraints of the rules of the new utopia - she crams it all into this little bite of a story, and if the ending is a little expected, it doesn't matter because the fullness of the story is so satisfying. i am definitely going to try one of her full-lengthers as mcguire.
read it for yourself here:
http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/09/mi...
come to my blog!
August 6, 2015
5 Stars
Midway Relics and Dying Breeds is an absolute gem of a short story. McGuire, who is also Mira Grant – apparently – whose stuff I haven’t read but definitely should be reading, is masterful at one of the trickiest elements in short stories. That would be the illusive world-building element; which is a tight-robe *snicker* of show, tell and leave for the reader to surmise. She does this EXTREMELY well. I find that sometimes the MC in such a story will fan-fair over grand differences between our world and his/her world that s/he would not find remarkable (having grown up in that world and not being privy to ours) however, Ainsley NEVER does this.
There is just so much of the doing-it-right to be found in this longish short story. I got to know, and genuinely like, the MC; I found her world believable, heart-breaking and fascinating.
Ainsley grew up in a new age circus, where striving not to leave economical footprints is PARAMOUNT. While the inner-workings of this story are not what I would call original or spectacular the journey there and the way McGuire carried me from the first sentence to the final was both of those things. At its core this is a story about a girl struggling to find her way in a world, and a life, that she’s not sure she really belongs to. And that is a story that damn near every reader can relate to, on some level.
The trouble with wanting to do the right thing is that frequently the right thing today is the wrong thing for tomorrow, or the wrong thing for the people who are standing between you and your perfect, platonic future. The wild was the wrong place for our elephant, just like the recycler was the wrong place for Billie, and the cities were the wrong place for me.
Needless to say I will be checking out other stuff by this Mira Grant lady ;)
Midway Relics and Dying Breeds is an absolute gem of a short story. McGuire, who is also Mira Grant – apparently – whose stuff I haven’t read but definitely should be reading, is masterful at one of the trickiest elements in short stories. That would be the illusive world-building element; which is a tight-robe *snicker* of show, tell and leave for the reader to surmise. She does this EXTREMELY well. I find that sometimes the MC in such a story will fan-fair over grand differences between our world and his/her world that s/he would not find remarkable (having grown up in that world and not being privy to ours) however, Ainsley NEVER does this.
There is just so much of the doing-it-right to be found in this longish short story. I got to know, and genuinely like, the MC; I found her world believable, heart-breaking and fascinating.
Ainsley grew up in a new age circus, where striving not to leave economical footprints is PARAMOUNT. While the inner-workings of this story are not what I would call original or spectacular the journey there and the way McGuire carried me from the first sentence to the final was both of those things. At its core this is a story about a girl struggling to find her way in a world, and a life, that she’s not sure she really belongs to. And that is a story that damn near every reader can relate to, on some level.
The trouble with wanting to do the right thing is that frequently the right thing today is the wrong thing for tomorrow, or the wrong thing for the people who are standing between you and your perfect, platonic future. The wild was the wrong place for our elephant, just like the recycler was the wrong place for Billie, and the cities were the wrong place for me.
Needless to say I will be checking out other stuff by this Mira Grant lady ;)
September 2, 2020
The trouble with wanting to do the right thing is that frequently the right thing today is the wrong thing for tomorrow, or the wrong thing for the people who are standing between you and your perfect, platonic future.
A gorgeously written, but too-heavy-on-worldbuilding exploration of a future in which carnivals wander the country with prehistoric creatures under their wing. I love Seanan McGuire’s short fiction but I admit, this didn’t do as much for me as I wanted. I did appreciate the found family themes and the feminist angle. But while I found the world interesting, there was too much worldbuilding and not enough development within this short story.
You can read this for free here!
January 23, 2015
3.5
Midway Relics and Dying Breeds takes place in a Utopian world where even animals have the right to vote, where forests are being almost aggressively preserved and where they make genetically changed humans. In the middle of it all you have a carnival, a dying breed. They even have a prehistoric animal (Billie) with them.
The narrator is Ansley, a young woman whose job is to try to steer Billie. Ansley's cousin Davo, who is now the carnival's Big Man, proposed to her and she refused him even though she knew he would find a way to punish her.
There are two stories here. The bigger picture shows they live in, the good (people treat environment well) and the bad (human-made bugs that cause various diseases).
The other, more personal part of the story involves Ansley and her problems with the Big Man. The main difference between them is that she is like her loved carnival; she doesn't mind being rootless.
'There’s not much you can sell in today’s world. Too many people are self-sustaining, happy to synthesize everything they could possibly need, willing to swear that fake wine and fake beef and fake potatoes are just as good as the real thing. But you can’t synthesize a carnival.'Seanan McGuire knows how to write a short story.
Midway Relics and Dying Breeds takes place in a Utopian world where even animals have the right to vote, where forests are being almost aggressively preserved and where they make genetically changed humans. In the middle of it all you have a carnival, a dying breed. They even have a prehistoric animal (Billie) with them.
The narrator is Ansley, a young woman whose job is to try to steer Billie. Ansley's cousin Davo, who is now the carnival's Big Man, proposed to her and she refused him even though she knew he would find a way to punish her.
There are two stories here. The bigger picture shows they live in, the good (people treat environment well) and the bad (human-made bugs that cause various diseases).
The other, more personal part of the story involves Ansley and her problems with the Big Man. The main difference between them is that she is like her loved carnival; she doesn't mind being rootless.
March 27, 2022
Midway Relics and Dying Breeds by author Seanan McGuire is a short story you can read for free on the Tor.com site https://www.tor.com/2014/09/24/midway...
A tale of bioengineering, a carnival, and the cost of finding one’s right place.
Humans can swear and swear that we’re moving toward a better harmony with the living world, but it’s all a smokescreen. We’ve decided that green is good, that’s all. Give us a few more centuries and we’ll change our minds again. If there’s one thing humans are good at, it’s selfishness. Everything else is temporary, as the earth measures time and change.
This was a longer short than we usually get with Tor, but I’m not complaining. I’m a sucker for Carnival stories and this was a wonderful one. Only point I want to make is Ansley should have taken cousin Nicole with her is all I’m saying.
Bonus: It pointed me to an anthology of Carniepunk (!) with another one of McGuire's stories in it! Happy days!!
Themes: Billie the Indricothere, the last traveling carnival on the West Coast, a Big Man, The Bone Yard.
5 Stars
A tale of bioengineering, a carnival, and the cost of finding one’s right place.
Humans can swear and swear that we’re moving toward a better harmony with the living world, but it’s all a smokescreen. We’ve decided that green is good, that’s all. Give us a few more centuries and we’ll change our minds again. If there’s one thing humans are good at, it’s selfishness. Everything else is temporary, as the earth measures time and change.
This was a longer short than we usually get with Tor, but I’m not complaining. I’m a sucker for Carnival stories and this was a wonderful one. Only point I want to make is Ansley should have taken cousin Nicole with her is all I’m saying.
Bonus: It pointed me to an anthology of Carniepunk (!) with another one of McGuire's stories in it! Happy days!!
Themes: Billie the Indricothere, the last traveling carnival on the West Coast, a Big Man, The Bone Yard.
5 Stars
August 12, 2015
Rating 4.5
To tell the truth, I didn't expect it to be so good. The rating on GR was 3.6, and I rated the last few tor.com free short stories up to 3.5 max.
Well, I liked it.
The story takes place in a futuristic dystopian (or better Utopian) society where nature comes first and humans second. Everything is set to accommodate the smooth flow of the ecosystem. Finally a dystopian future that isn't cringeworthy. A carnival, a mastodontic mammal (an Indricothere, to be precise), and a kick-ass heroine with some life-changing decisions to make.
The story had a futuristic setting, although a strangely melancholy, nostalgic feel (maybe because of the carnival/vagrant life style).
Link here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/09/mi...
To tell the truth, I didn't expect it to be so good. The rating on GR was 3.6, and I rated the last few tor.com free short stories up to 3.5 max.
Well, I liked it.
The story takes place in a futuristic dystopian (or better Utopian) society where nature comes first and humans second. Everything is set to accommodate the smooth flow of the ecosystem. Finally a dystopian future that isn't cringeworthy. A carnival, a mastodontic mammal (an Indricothere, to be precise), and a kick-ass heroine with some life-changing decisions to make.
“But that’s what family is, isn't it? It’s traditions and trinkets that only matter when we hold them up against the mirrors of our lives, lending them meaning, lending them weight, until they become heavy enough to endure without us. We create the past in the things that we choose to remember about it. We turn everything into stories, and those stories matter because we say that they do. It’s all a wheel, and ours are the hands that turn it.”
The story had a futuristic setting, although a strangely melancholy, nostalgic feel (maybe because of the carnival/vagrant life style).
Link here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/09/mi...
October 6, 2014
This was a really interesting story. It takes place in a utopian future where humans have (mostly) learned to co-exist with the environment, but human nature still prevails and causes issues even within this "self sustaining" system. The main character was interesting- a misfit who has bonded with a once-extinct creature that was brought back to the world through bioengineering. The world building was well done, and the story was thought provoking. I would definitely recommend this story to speculative fiction fans who are looking for a unique reaction to the recent profusion of dystopian novels.
September 29, 2014
A well-executed short story. Mild science fiction. The social criticism is so muted it's merely an undertone. No real surprises and how the plot resolves is well foreshadowed.
A good read.
A good read.
August 17, 2023
Midway Relics and Dying Breeds is one of several Seanan McGuire short stories that are available to read for free (love it). It's a standalone science fiction tale, so anyone can jump right in and enjoy it.
This is the tale of one (large) family and their bio-engineered carnival. More accurately, it is the story of their conflicts, struggles, and determination to hold onto what they love the most. While the setting may not be based in reality, this tale's core will feel very human and resonate with readers.
I enjoyed Midway Relics and Dying Breeds. First, the world and premise are fascinating – I would love more! Second, our protagonist's struggles are very real and human, despite the out-of-this-world setting. Seanan McGuire is so talented at making fantastical yet relatable characters; I love it.
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
This is the tale of one (large) family and their bio-engineered carnival. More accurately, it is the story of their conflicts, struggles, and determination to hold onto what they love the most. While the setting may not be based in reality, this tale's core will feel very human and resonate with readers.
I enjoyed Midway Relics and Dying Breeds. First, the world and premise are fascinating – I would love more! Second, our protagonist's struggles are very real and human, despite the out-of-this-world setting. Seanan McGuire is so talented at making fantastical yet relatable characters; I love it.
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
January 27, 2019
This actually a novella rather than a novel -it’s short but good! It’s a whole new world on Earth after climate change hits hard. Highways are replaced with paths that won’t harm plants and beings of the forests and fields. And one traveling carnival still journeys around the West Coast - carefully so they don’t damage even the grass beneath their tents. Our protagonist handles a giant prehistoric “rhinoceros” and is at odds with the head of the carnival. This novella is about her finding her way in a unique world. I hope it’s the beginning of more stories about her. Only reason I didn’t give it a 5 is that the world-building narrative was hard for me to understand at first. But she’s one of my favorite authors and I definitely recommend this.
October 12, 2018
https://www.tor.com/2014/09/24/midway...
Carnivals are awesome and magical and kind of scary. Mix carnies with future tech, a gigantic&prehistoric animal, a power hungry man and a very strong woman....you get this little story.
Seanan (of Mira) knows how to build a world. She does it so well. Gets a little foreshadowing in while she paints the picture for us.
My only gripe with Seanan (Mira) at this point are het female protagonists. They're all the same; strong-willed, independent, smart and kind of bland. Easy to insert yourself into the story, I guess, but I'd like them a little more fleshed out.
Carnivals are awesome and magical and kind of scary. Mix carnies with future tech, a gigantic&prehistoric animal, a power hungry man and a very strong woman....you get this little story.
Seanan (of Mira) knows how to build a world. She does it so well. Gets a little foreshadowing in while she paints the picture for us.
My only gripe with Seanan (Mira) at this point are het female protagonists. They're all the same; strong-willed, independent, smart and kind of bland. Easy to insert yourself into the story, I guess, but I'd like them a little more fleshed out.
August 23, 2017
A giant dinosaur, a greener earth, nature and tech, a traveling carnival (the last one!), family troubles... There's some interesting things going on in this story!
But it was mostly worldbuilding and info dump and while I love a well crafted world and understand how short stories or novellas are good mediums for stories revolving around this, this one was really missing something more to really be an interesting story. I liked the end though.
trigger warning: suicide mentioned.
But it was mostly worldbuilding and info dump and while I love a well crafted world and understand how short stories or novellas are good mediums for stories revolving around this, this one was really missing something more to really be an interesting story. I liked the end though.
trigger warning: suicide mentioned.
May 18, 2020
We create the past in the things that we choose to remember about it. We turn everything into stories, and those stories matter because we say that they do. It’s all a wheel, and ours are the hands that turn it.
As cliché as it might sound, Seanan truly has a way with words. She has this beautiful and yet simple writing that offers stunning quotes and gets to your core.
A was a bit overwhelmed with the worldbuilding at first, it is a bit annoying when you don't quite get what is going on for more than half of the story. However, Seanan's world and creativity gets to you by the end.
As cliché as it might sound, Seanan truly has a way with words. She has this beautiful and yet simple writing that offers stunning quotes and gets to your core.
A was a bit overwhelmed with the worldbuilding at first, it is a bit annoying when you don't quite get what is going on for more than half of the story. However, Seanan's world and creativity gets to you by the end.
July 6, 2025
A young carnival worker desires something more in life as she strains against a culture that no longer fits.
McGuire's writing is always exciting and she has an ability to design worlds quickly and realistically. I envy her imagination and always look forward to reading her work.
McGuire's writing is always exciting and she has an ability to design worlds quickly and realistically. I envy her imagination and always look forward to reading her work.
March 17, 2019
3.5? This was a bit predictable but I enjoyed it... it's Seanan MCGuire, after all!
February 25, 2020
Had trouble focusing at the start, but after the first third I was better able to. Perhaps too much info-dump at the start? Or perhaps I was the problem.
January 4, 2021
3.5 stars
March 12, 2016
If anyone ever reads my reviews for any length of time (and I don't flatter myself expecting anyone does), they can determine two things about me fairly quickly:
(1). I don't like to write normal reviews. I don't want to re-hash a book I've read that you haven't. I want to intrigue you enough that you hopefully go find a copy and read a book, any book, for yourself. It doesn't have to be the book I've reviewed. I just want people to read. Because I love books. And I really believe if you love to read you will never be (a) bored or (b) truly alone.
(2). I really, really, really love Seanan McGuire. I didn't expect it to happen, but it did. No, I've never met her. She has no idea I exist. But really, except for her perverse tendency to make forays into zombie fiction, she's pretty damn perfect. To me, anyway. And really, the zombie thing is kind of akin to leaving the lid off the toothpaste. I can look past it and get over it. I can screw the lid back on without reading the damn shit. Sorry, Seanan. I'm sure it's 5-star zombie fic. In fact, I KNOW it is. Still - not reading it.
BUT, this is a 32-page novella, and I can't get away with just telling you how great I think Seanan is. Again. Nor do I want to tell you very much about the story. So, let's see what I can do here.
This is a love story about a girl, Ansley, and her Indricothere, Billie. It's a post-apocalyptic, dystopian setting in a world where something similar to Greenpeace. . .
Wait. You asked me something? I'm sorry. . .what's an Indricothere? Seriously? You don't know? Sure you do. Everybody does. You've just forgotten. An Indricothere, is a genetically altered mammalian precursor to the rhinoceros. They weigh about 9 tons, are herbivores and are virtually indestructible.
And there you have one of the big reasons why I love Seanan McGuire. She creates things. Real things. She breathes life into them and they exist in the world right next to us, because she writes it down, the page says so, and so it is.
I want her worlds to be mine, her characters to be my friends, and I want to sit on Billie's snout and kiss her nose.
And I have quotes. Because that's all I'm going to give you here. These quotes will tell you nothing except show you the quality of Seanan's writing. And the truth of the McGuire Gospel. Take from it what you will:
Partial opening sentence: "The trouble began a long time before it finished." (Well now. That just about sums up the entire universe and we haven't even started the 32-page story yet.)
"The trouble with wanting to do the right thing is that frequently the right thing today is the wrong thing for tomorrow, or the wrong thing for the people who are standing between you and your perfect, platonic future." (Just really - mull it over, would you?)
"The pace of the carnival is an old thing, old and tired and slow, speeding up only when it comes time to illuminate the midway and chase down its prey." (They teach stuff like this in college lit classes.)
"You were always going to need to find your own road through the days between here and Heaven."
(Frank Sinatra sang a song about this called "My Way". Same thing. Eloquence is still eloquence in a new time and place.)
So, please. Go look into Seanan McGuire. Buy a book. Read a book. Any book. Even the zombie stuff. I don't care. And then come talk to me. Tell me what you find. What you saw. How you felt. I'll listen. Then we'll pull ourselves up through Billie's long fur, sit on her snout and kiss her nose. And we'll ride that baby into the sunset.
(1). I don't like to write normal reviews. I don't want to re-hash a book I've read that you haven't. I want to intrigue you enough that you hopefully go find a copy and read a book, any book, for yourself. It doesn't have to be the book I've reviewed. I just want people to read. Because I love books. And I really believe if you love to read you will never be (a) bored or (b) truly alone.
(2). I really, really, really love Seanan McGuire. I didn't expect it to happen, but it did. No, I've never met her. She has no idea I exist. But really, except for her perverse tendency to make forays into zombie fiction, she's pretty damn perfect. To me, anyway. And really, the zombie thing is kind of akin to leaving the lid off the toothpaste. I can look past it and get over it. I can screw the lid back on without reading the damn shit. Sorry, Seanan. I'm sure it's 5-star zombie fic. In fact, I KNOW it is. Still - not reading it.
BUT, this is a 32-page novella, and I can't get away with just telling you how great I think Seanan is. Again. Nor do I want to tell you very much about the story. So, let's see what I can do here.
This is a love story about a girl, Ansley, and her Indricothere, Billie. It's a post-apocalyptic, dystopian setting in a world where something similar to Greenpeace. . .
Wait. You asked me something? I'm sorry. . .what's an Indricothere? Seriously? You don't know? Sure you do. Everybody does. You've just forgotten. An Indricothere, is a genetically altered mammalian precursor to the rhinoceros. They weigh about 9 tons, are herbivores and are virtually indestructible.
And there you have one of the big reasons why I love Seanan McGuire. She creates things. Real things. She breathes life into them and they exist in the world right next to us, because she writes it down, the page says so, and so it is.
I want her worlds to be mine, her characters to be my friends, and I want to sit on Billie's snout and kiss her nose.
And I have quotes. Because that's all I'm going to give you here. These quotes will tell you nothing except show you the quality of Seanan's writing. And the truth of the McGuire Gospel. Take from it what you will:
Partial opening sentence: "The trouble began a long time before it finished." (Well now. That just about sums up the entire universe and we haven't even started the 32-page story yet.)
"The trouble with wanting to do the right thing is that frequently the right thing today is the wrong thing for tomorrow, or the wrong thing for the people who are standing between you and your perfect, platonic future." (Just really - mull it over, would you?)
"The pace of the carnival is an old thing, old and tired and slow, speeding up only when it comes time to illuminate the midway and chase down its prey." (They teach stuff like this in college lit classes.)
"You were always going to need to find your own road through the days between here and Heaven."
(Frank Sinatra sang a song about this called "My Way". Same thing. Eloquence is still eloquence in a new time and place.)
So, please. Go look into Seanan McGuire. Buy a book. Read a book. Any book. Even the zombie stuff. I don't care. And then come talk to me. Tell me what you find. What you saw. How you felt. I'll listen. Then we'll pull ourselves up through Billie's long fur, sit on her snout and kiss her nose. And we'll ride that baby into the sunset.
September 29, 2014
Though I'm a huge fan of McGuire, I don't think that all of her short stories work. Some are too truncated, too much a vignette and not enough STORY. This, on the other hand, is a delightfully speculative and bittersweetly sad story that works very well.
Though the story's focus in on a traveling carnival (possibly the LAST traveling carnival), which is generally considered a fringe population, the glimpse it gives us into this ecologically conscious (sometimes literally) future is fascinating and feels like it has real heft, Atwood-like in it's ability to prognosticate a plausible future.
The story's build and ending feel organic and earned, the satisfaction of a story moving into a future that we, the reader, cannot see, but feel confident exists.
Though the story's focus in on a traveling carnival (possibly the LAST traveling carnival), which is generally considered a fringe population, the glimpse it gives us into this ecologically conscious (sometimes literally) future is fascinating and feels like it has real heft, Atwood-like in it's ability to prognosticate a plausible future.
The story's build and ending feel organic and earned, the satisfaction of a story moving into a future that we, the reader, cannot see, but feel confident exists.
July 2, 2016
It's better to go in to short stories like this a bit blind. Or at least I think so.
The first half of this story I was a little confused but as I got acclimated with this world it started to make sense. Because I was confused for the first half of they story a took longer for me to really connect with the main character. The story is pretty simple and honestly I wish this was a short novel instead of a short story. I definitely would've liked more. But as it is it's quite good. The writing is great as always coming from this author.
I recommend this story. I recommend reading any short story really. It's a great way to sample an author if you haven't read from them or to read between books.
The first half of this story I was a little confused but as I got acclimated with this world it started to make sense. Because I was confused for the first half of they story a took longer for me to really connect with the main character. The story is pretty simple and honestly I wish this was a short novel instead of a short story. I definitely would've liked more. But as it is it's quite good. The writing is great as always coming from this author.
I recommend this story. I recommend reading any short story really. It's a great way to sample an author if you haven't read from them or to read between books.
August 11, 2016
It was an interesting dystopian world were humankind decided to be gentle with Nature and less interested in money. The carnival added some strangeness to the atmosphere but wasn't depicted in details, so its contribution was light. I didn't really like the characters and the boss' power was overwhelming, while the events weren't really my cup of tea. Overall, it was maybe too much prone to telling over showing but I enjoyed all the dystopian ideas.
February 14, 2015
Another Tor.com short story.
It was nice to read about a dystopian future that was nice and livable, if that makes sense. A world where it makes sense for people to live in it, dark but normal if you will.
It was nice to read about a dystopian future that was nice and livable, if that makes sense. A world where it makes sense for people to live in it, dark but normal if you will.
Want to read
September 24, 2017Can be read for FREE here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/09/mi...
June 28, 2015
Beautiful. Thoughtful. Loved it.
December 21, 2021
Midway Relics and Dying Breeds (Di sản hội chợ và giống loài đang chết dần): Ansley sống lang bạt với đại gia đình gồm: một con khủng long được tái sinh nhờ kĩ thuật sinh học, một cô em họ được can thiệp gen từ trong bụng mẹ, một ông anh họ luôn hằn học vì bị cô từ chối lời cầu hôn, cùng hàng chục con người khác. Họ kiếm sống nhờ việc gìn giữ và vận hành một hội chợ di động - di sản từ một quá khứ xa xôi. Trên lưng con khủng long yêu quý của mình, Ansley suy ngẫm về chỗ đứng của quá khứ trong hiện tại, cũng như về vị trí của bản thân giữa thế giới.
Thực lực của tác giả Seanan McGuire đã được chứng nhận qua một vài series fantasy khá thành công của cô. Tuy chưa ngó qua mấy series ấy, mình đã đọc và rất thích "Persephone" - một trong 11 truyện ngắn tham gia sự kiện chúc mừng 8/3 của Tor. Còn "Midway Relics and Dying Breeds" thì không có gì để chê về cả văn phong lẫn cốt truyện.
Mình cảm thấy không khí trong "Midway Relics and Dying Breeds" khá là "phản Becky Chambers". Truyện có bối cảnh tương đồng với "A Psalm for the Wild-Built": cư dân của hành tinh quyết định chọn lối sống thân thiện với môi trường. Trong trường hợp của "Midway Relics", đó là vì việc lạm dụng công nghệ sinh học đã sản sinh ra nhiều chủng vi-rút chết người và dẫn đến một thảm họa sinh học. Nếu như người dân trong "A Psalm" khá thoải mái với lối sống mới và nhìn nhận nó một cách tích cực, thì nhân vật chính của "Midway Relics" lại có cái nhìn đầy yếm thế. Ờ thì bảo vệ môi trường cũng tốt đấy, nhưng ai mà biết được rồi con người có đổi ý. Rồi thì mấy tay PETA ngu dốt cộng nhiệt tình chuyên đi thả hổ (sở thú) về rừng, khiến bọn hổ chết trắng xương trong đó. Rồi thì mớ luật môi trường ngặt nghèo y như một bãi mìn mà đại gia đình của Ansley phải rón rén lách qua mỗi khi băng rừng cùng một khu hội chợ cồng kềnh.
Xây dựng thế giới thật sự là thế mạnh của truyện ngắn này. Tác giả đã bỏ công bồi đắp da thịt và sức sống để tạo nên một thế giới trọn vẹn, chân thực mà người đọc có thể chìm đắm vào một cách dễ dàng. Tuy viết về một tương lai xa với những tiến bộ công nghệ giúp cho việc "thân thiện với môi trường" dễ thở hơn, "Midway Relics" vẫn đem lại cảm giác hoài niệm man mác. Bản thân nhân vật chính Ansley sống giữa những di tích của quá khứ mà cô vô cùng yêu quý: một con khủng long và một hội chợ. Nhưng khi những khác biệt trong quan điểm sống tích tụ rồi bùng lên thành xung đột, điều đúng đắn với người này có thể trở thành hành động sai trái đối với người kia.
"Mong muốn làm điều đúng đắn? Rắc rối thay, điều đúng đắn hôm nay thường là sai lầm vào ngày mai, hoặc hành động sai trái đối với những người đang đứng giữa bạn và cái tương lai hoàn hảo kia. Lũ voi không thuộc về nơi hoang dã, cũng như Billie không thuộc về bãi tái chế và tôi không thuộc về chốn thị thành."
December 29, 2020
En un futuro distópico, las modificaciones genéticas no son nada de otro mundo y tanto los humanos como los animales han sido intervenidos por la eugenesia.
Desde personas modificadas antes de nacer hasta animales prehistóricos vueltos a la vida, todos ellos conviven en un mundo que ya no funciona con la tecnología que hoy conocemos, sino que intenta ser autosustentable y dejar la menor huella ambiental posible.Nuestra protagonista forma parte de un carnaval nómada, una de las reliquias del pasado que aún se mantiene, dando espectáculos en diferentes regiones.
Este año decidí leer a Seanan McGuire y me alegra mucho decir que con este relato, ya van siete obras suyas que leí en el año (ocho si contamos Into the Drowning Deep que escribió con seudónimo). A esta altura, ya puedo considerarla como una de las autoras que más disfruto de leer y siempre me llevo alguna sorpresa con las maravillas que escribe.
En este caso, el relato me gustó, pero no me pareció la gran cosa. Como siempre, los conceptos que salen de la mente de Seanan son increíbles y originales, pero mi principal problema fue que no hay una trama propiamente dicha.
Es más bien un vistazo a uno de los tantos posibles futuros, este siendo una distopía casi utópica a pesar de la contradicción que supone. La ambientación de la historia, a pesar de la idea de que la civilización tal como la conocemos se haya convertido en cosa del pasado, es bastante optimista y se muestra una cultura que se encuentra a gusto con un estilo de vida ecológico, a pesar de que el humano nunca deje de ser humano y muchas de las costumbres "negativas" sean difíciles de dejar atrás.
Eso es lo que más me gusta de las historias de Seanan, las tramas siempre son una excusa para hablar sobre algo más, por lo general la condición humana, lo que nos mueve y cómo lo hace.
No llegué a empatizar con nadie porque es dentro de todo un relato más o menos corto, pero la relación entre la protagonista y su mascota me pareció preciosa, y va a ser un gusto de leer para todos aquellos que consideran a sus animales parte de la familia.
Como todos sus escritos, es recomendable pero no lo considero lo mejor que leí de ella. Me gustó pero me dejó gusto a poco, definitivamente podría escribir una novella sobre este mundo y quedaría espectacular.
Desde personas modificadas antes de nacer hasta animales prehistóricos vueltos a la vida, todos ellos conviven en un mundo que ya no funciona con la tecnología que hoy conocemos, sino que intenta ser autosustentable y dejar la menor huella ambiental posible.Nuestra protagonista forma parte de un carnaval nómada, una de las reliquias del pasado que aún se mantiene, dando espectáculos en diferentes regiones.
Este año decidí leer a Seanan McGuire y me alegra mucho decir que con este relato, ya van siete obras suyas que leí en el año (ocho si contamos Into the Drowning Deep que escribió con seudónimo). A esta altura, ya puedo considerarla como una de las autoras que más disfruto de leer y siempre me llevo alguna sorpresa con las maravillas que escribe.
En este caso, el relato me gustó, pero no me pareció la gran cosa. Como siempre, los conceptos que salen de la mente de Seanan son increíbles y originales, pero mi principal problema fue que no hay una trama propiamente dicha.
Es más bien un vistazo a uno de los tantos posibles futuros, este siendo una distopía casi utópica a pesar de la contradicción que supone. La ambientación de la historia, a pesar de la idea de que la civilización tal como la conocemos se haya convertido en cosa del pasado, es bastante optimista y se muestra una cultura que se encuentra a gusto con un estilo de vida ecológico, a pesar de que el humano nunca deje de ser humano y muchas de las costumbres "negativas" sean difíciles de dejar atrás.
Eso es lo que más me gusta de las historias de Seanan, las tramas siempre son una excusa para hablar sobre algo más, por lo general la condición humana, lo que nos mueve y cómo lo hace.
No llegué a empatizar con nadie porque es dentro de todo un relato más o menos corto, pero la relación entre la protagonista y su mascota me pareció preciosa, y va a ser un gusto de leer para todos aquellos que consideran a sus animales parte de la familia.
Como todos sus escritos, es recomendable pero no lo considero lo mejor que leí de ella. Me gustó pero me dejó gusto a poco, definitivamente podría escribir una novella sobre este mundo y quedaría espectacular.
June 23, 2023
Future tech is so fascinating. I especially love the imagining of what tech will look like in 20 or 30 or 100 years.
In this future where Environmentalists (they're dubbed Greenies)run the world, people have adapted technology to basically be earth-friendly or as mindful as possible. But that's just one interesting aspect of Seanan McGuire's future world and its tech. The second is the absolute decimation of the money system and a reversion back to battering. And I guess that is the sum of this book - equal parts futuristic and equal parts traditional.
The story follows a traveling carnival, the Midway, as it moves from town to town performing for apples and eggs and services. Yes, this happens. I dunno, I am am still deeply embedded in a money society, so of course I found that to be unique and quite frankly hilarious. Way to add layers to a future world. The tech used to move through forests and jungles (regrown now that the Greenies rule) is really quite possible in our time, with the exception of the tent. I loved reading about the balloons carrying equipment, the little cubes holding tents, the video streaming calls (which honestly is less future and more present) and countless other wonders. All of that amazing tech and right beside it is a story about patriarchy, misogyny, abuse of power by men and in particular one cantankerous, psychopathic man who was spurnedby the main character and as a result is the major conflict in this book. The man is all kinds of toxic and doesn't deserve to live in such a glorious future (save for the bartering).
My favorite character was Billie. A humungous, ginormous prehistoric rhino who spends her day walking and eating. Living the dream.
In this future where Environmentalists (they're dubbed Greenies)run the world, people have adapted technology to basically be earth-friendly or as mindful as possible. But that's just one interesting aspect of Seanan McGuire's future world and its tech. The second is the absolute decimation of the money system and a reversion back to battering. And I guess that is the sum of this book - equal parts futuristic and equal parts traditional.
The story follows a traveling carnival, the Midway, as it moves from town to town performing for apples and eggs and services. Yes, this happens. I dunno, I am am still deeply embedded in a money society, so of course I found that to be unique and quite frankly hilarious. Way to add layers to a future world. The tech used to move through forests and jungles (regrown now that the Greenies rule) is really quite possible in our time, with the exception of the tent. I loved reading about the balloons carrying equipment, the little cubes holding tents, the video streaming calls (which honestly is less future and more present) and countless other wonders. All of that amazing tech and right beside it is a story about patriarchy, misogyny, abuse of power by men and in particular one cantankerous, psychopathic man who was spurnedby the main character and as a result is the major conflict in this book. The man is all kinds of toxic and doesn't deserve to live in such a glorious future (save for the bartering).
My favorite character was Billie. A humungous, ginormous prehistoric rhino who spends her day walking and eating. Living the dream.
March 24, 2023
Futuristic carnival written by Seanan McGuire? Yes. Sign me up.
“Sometimes I wonder if that was the true crime of the twencen world. Not destroying the environment or overpopulating the planet or anything else like that. But they forgot that every day they lived was filled with magic and with little miracles, and they needed to be punished for what they chose not to know.”
Execution of the idea was not quite as magical as I had envisioned, but the writing was flawless. This was a fascinating family drama. Fans of Jeff Vandermeer’s recent environmentally conscious speculative fiction (think Hummingbird Salamander) will enjoy this novella.
“We create the past in the things that we choose to remember about it. We turn everything into stories, and those stories matter because we say that they do. It’s all a wheel, and ours are the hands that turn it.”
“Sometimes I wonder if that was the true crime of the twencen world. Not destroying the environment or overpopulating the planet or anything else like that. But they forgot that every day they lived was filled with magic and with little miracles, and they needed to be punished for what they chose not to know.”
Execution of the idea was not quite as magical as I had envisioned, but the writing was flawless. This was a fascinating family drama. Fans of Jeff Vandermeer’s recent environmentally conscious speculative fiction (think Hummingbird Salamander) will enjoy this novella.
“We create the past in the things that we choose to remember about it. We turn everything into stories, and those stories matter because we say that they do. It’s all a wheel, and ours are the hands that turn it.”
December 7, 2017
The story, at first glance, is simplistic - a carnival employee who loves her genetically-engineered beast doesn't want to be separated from it, and wants to find a way to keep her. But the world of this short story is the star - McGuire has created a future with intelligent life forms, and advanced tech so much so that the world is very ecologically balanced. A relic of the past, the carnival operates as a amber-encapsulated adventure for most people. But despite living in a progressive future, the ties of family and tradition keep Ansley from doing what she wants.
Ansley's personal problems are a list - the boss is someone she spurned (a distant cousin who would never respect her), the beast she carts around is the only thing she values and to get money to keep the family business running, the aforementioned jerk of a boss wants to sell her beast, she feels beholden to keep up her family traditions, and an ecologically sensitive world with a touch too much 'caring' for 'wildlife'. That forms the main arc of the story, but the narrative built around it is a community of people who care for each other, yet don't know much about each other. Like, the dozens of 'cousins' running around whom she is not even related to, the misogyny pervasive even in an almost-utopic world, and the bonds you form when sentience and intelligence is shared by more than humans. It ends abruptly but also gives a nice resolution to her problems.
Ansley's personal problems are a list - the boss is someone she spurned (a distant cousin who would never respect her), the beast she carts around is the only thing she values and to get money to keep the family business running, the aforementioned jerk of a boss wants to sell her beast, she feels beholden to keep up her family traditions, and an ecologically sensitive world with a touch too much 'caring' for 'wildlife'. That forms the main arc of the story, but the narrative built around it is a community of people who care for each other, yet don't know much about each other. Like, the dozens of 'cousins' running around whom she is not even related to, the misogyny pervasive even in an almost-utopic world, and the bonds you form when sentience and intelligence is shared by more than humans. It ends abruptly but also gives a nice resolution to her problems.
April 21, 2020
Me re gustó el aspecto de distopía social muy centrada en lo ecológico y con este relato, Any way the wind blows y Persephone, Seanan McGuire me deja la impresión de que podría hacer una historia larga, puramente distópica, y le saldría muy bien. No solo eso sino que daría miedo. Pero lamentablemente, si bien el mundo me resultó muy bien construido, la historia del carnaval no me terminó de cerrar del todo.
No creo que sea de las mejores historias cortas de McGuire, aunque creo que es una de las mejores puntuadas 😅 Tal vez soy la opinión no popular o simplemente no era el momento correcto para leer este cuento.
Aun así, le doy tres estrellitas porque ese futuro distópico me dejó con ganas de saber más y por la aparición del indricoterino.
No creo que sea de las mejores historias cortas de McGuire, aunque creo que es una de las mejores puntuadas 😅 Tal vez soy la opinión no popular o simplemente no era el momento correcto para leer este cuento.
Aun así, le doy tres estrellitas porque ese futuro distópico me dejó con ganas de saber más y por la aparición del indricoterino.
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