I Hold My Father's Paws

by David D. Levine

Jason Carmelke's father has decided to make a life-altering change so dramatic that it draws Jason to his father's bedside, their first encounter since his childhood. There, he discovers just how irrevocable a change is coming, and Jason must decide exactly what love and loyalty really mean. Shortlisted for the Aeon Award, "I Hold My Father's Paws" appeared in The Year's Best Science Fiction #24 and has been translated into Russian."I Hold My Father's Paws," a short story, is also available as part of Space Magic, an award-winning collection of science fiction and fantasy stories by David D. Levine.

19 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2012

About the author

David D. Levine is the author of novel Arabella of Mars (Tor 2016) and over fifty SF and fantasy stories. His story "Tk'Tk'Tk" won the Hugo Award, and he has been shortlisted for awards including the Hugo, Nebula, Campbell, and Sturgeon. Stories have appeared in Asimov's, Analog, F&SF, and five Year's Best anthologies as well as award-winning collection Space Magic from Wheatland Press.

David is a contributor to George R. R. Martin's bestselling shared-world series Wild Cards. He is also a member of publishing cooperative Book View Cafe and of nonprofit organization Oregon Science Fiction Conventions Inc. He has narrated podcasts for Escape Pod, PodCastle, and StarShipSofa, and his video "Dr. Talon's Letter to the Editor" was a finalist for the Parsec Award. In 2010 he spent two weeks at a simulated Mars base in the Utah desert.

David lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Kate Yule. His web site is www.daviddlevine.com.

Reviews

[Juushika]

This comes up regularly in alterhuman circles and I can see why, since it's ridiculously on point: protagonist's father physically transitions to dog. The story itself is ... fine; troubled family dynamics are one of the least interesting possible frameworks for this subject, but I appreciate how they complicate the father's psychological motivations--the protagonist holds him both close and at a distance; the father is identifying as but also escaping into dog. So: interesting. Not especially convincing--the "dog with a human head scenes" particularly fail to track; they're not even body horror, they're just comedic. But certainly relevant to my interests.

[Sara]

Ma father
that buterfly catch me
to live in yr pardise love
but y didnt see me
y love yr passion
that music beuty iam not in there
that tree apple far from my grine
ma father
i love y
i love hold my momery with ya
i kept y in worm moon
why bird ask me where yr father
i kept ya
i love ya
i cry and laugh inside me without reason
i care even i didnt smile
my hand still hold y paw
tired wait ya
may father when will y give me holy water
piano music
light dream
i love y my father
i knok
the jasmen till me that one of us will cry
from love and care