Fireside Magazine Issue 52, February 2018

Fireside Magazine

by Julia Rios (Editor), Mary Robinette Kowal, Dominica Phetteplace

In this issue:

— "Dust to Dust," by Mary Robinette Kowal

— "How I Got Published (12 Tips from a Bestselling Author)," by Dominica Phetteplace

— "knick knack, knick, knack," by Holly Lyn Walrath

— "The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington", by Phenderson Djéli Clark, illustrated by Odera Igbokwe

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Hugo Awards, Science Fiction

ebook

First published February 1, 2018

About the author

Julia Rios writes all sorts of things, and edits primarily YA short fiction. Her fiction, articles, interviews, and poetry have appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, Stone Telling, Jabberwocky, and several other places. Books she's edited include Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories, and the Year's Best YA Speculative Fiction series. She's half-Mexican, but her (fairly dreadful) French is better than her Spanish.

Reviews

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://firesidefiction.com/the-secre...
Nebula 2018, Short story

The trouble, librarians with moving around, combining, and deleting entries, is that sometimes you do a really shitty job of it. This short is in a couple of places, at the moment, so it is permanently at:

https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2020/...

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This issue includes the story that just won the Nebula award in 2019: “The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington.” Highly recommended! 4.5 stars for this Nebula award-nominated short story, free online here at Fireside magazine. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:

P. Djeli Clark’s quasi-historical tale of nine slave teeth purchased by George Washington begins with an excerpt from a Mt. Vernon ledger (“By Cash pd Negroes for 9 Teeth on Acct of Dr. Lemoire”) which, I was astonished to find after a little online research, is entirely historical, though it’s not clear whether the nine teeth ended up in the dentures of Washington or someone else in his household. (In any case, none of Washington’s false teeth were the wooden teeth of legend; mostly they were ivory or animal teeth but some were, in fact, human.)

From here Clark spins a magical, imaginative tale of the distinct origins of these nine teeth: the people they originally belonged to, their histories, and the effect of each of the teeth on George Washington. I gave an appreciative shudder at the end of the tale of the fifth tooth, and cheered the grim justice in the tale of the seventh tooth. Clark deftly mixes together the actual facts and circumstances of the slavery trade with mystic mermen, conjure men, magic-wielding cooks and other fantastical elements.

Though this is a series of vignettes (reminiscent of Ken Liu’s 2012 Nebula-nominated short story “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species”), the overarching themes, particularly of slavery and its evils, but also of the indomitable human spirit, unify these nine brief tales into a coherent, compelling whole.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

For once I've read the complete magazine. Hence the 3 star rating, even though I've put this on my favorites shelf*. For the Nebula winner The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by Phenderson Djèlí Clark please scroll down.


Dust to Dust by Mary Robinette Kowal


The story of a magician that is out of work because technology has supplanted magic. After all, an air-conditioner doesn't require a pension while an employee that's casting a cooling spell does.

That's not the gist of the story, though. There are still instances in which Lloyd can use his magic. And the question is, if you had that power, how far would you go with it in the name of love?

Can't say much more, as I would spoil the whole thing. It is quite a short story, so you might as well just give it a try.

Can be read here.

I wasn't impressed, though.


How I Got Published (12 Tips from a Bestselling Author) by Dominica Phetteplace


This is not really a guide to getting a book published. It's not really a short story either. It's basically a joke told in 12 paragraphs.

Did I laugh? No. Did I chuckle a bit. Yes, a little.
How to rate this? Hell if I know! I usually don't review jokes. I mean, does reviewing jokes sound funny? Yeah, but not the funny funny. Goodreads says 2 stars means "it was okay". So 2 stars it is.

Whatever.

Can be read here.


knick knack, knick knack by Holly Lyn Walrath


A pretty short tale about how we lose some of our imagination when we're growing up, how the world loses some of it's magic.

Not bad, actually. But nothing really special either.

Can be read here.


The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by Phenderson Djèlí Clark



Now, this is the story which made me add this issue of Fireside Magazine to my favorites shelf.

One day Phenderson Djèlí Clark, a historian, came across a notary in an account book by George Washington's cousin, which read: "By Cash pd Negroes for 9 Teeth on Acct of Dr. Lemoire".

Clark is not only a historian, but a writer of speculative fiction too. And here he tells the tale of nine slaves and their lives and of how their teeth came into the possession of the Founding Father and how their stories affected him.

While, unsurprisingly, slavery is at the center of this story, Clark cleverly and seamlessly blends fantastical elements with historically accurate (or slightly altered) details, resulting in an highly imaginative work of fiction that repeatedly lets the reader share small and big moments of triumph with its several protagonists.

This story is a winner.

I'm not surprised it is nominated for this year's Nebula and Hugo Award for Best Short Story. I would be quite surprised, though, if it doesn't win at least one of those.

Highly recommended!

You can read it here.

Edit: And it won the Nebula. Yay! :)

_________________

2018 Nebula Award Finalists

Best Novel
• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)
• The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager US; Harper Voyager UK)
• Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller (Ecco; Orbit UK)
• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Del Rey; Macmillan)
• Witchmark by C.L. Polk (Tor.com Publishing)
• Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga)

Best Novella
• Fire Ant by Jonathan P. Brazee (Semper Fi)
• The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)
• The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard (Subterranean)
• Alice Payne Arrives by Kate Heartfield (Tor.com Publishing)
• Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach by Kelly Robson (Tor.com Publishing)
• Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)

Best Novelette
• The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander (Tor.com Publishing)
• The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections by Tina Connolly (Tor.com 7/11/18)
• An Agent of Utopia by Andy Duncan (An Agent of Utopia)
• The Substance of My Lives, the Accidents of Our Births by José Pablo Iriarte (Lightspeed 1/18)
• The Rule of Three by Lawrence M. Schoen (Future Science Fiction Digest 12/18)
• Messenger by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R.R. Virdi (Expanding Universe, Volume 4)

Best Short Story
• Interview for the End of the World by Rhett C. Bruno (Bridge Across the Stars)
• The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by Phenderson Djèlí Clark (Fireside 2/18)
• Going Dark by Richard Fox (Backblast Area Clear)
• And Yet by A.T. Greenblatt (Uncanny 3-4/18)
• A Witch’s Guide To Escape: A Practical Compendium Of Portal Fantasies by Alix E. Harrow (Apex 2/6/18)
• The Court Magician by Sarah Pinsker (Lightspeed 1/18)

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt; Macmillan)
• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi (Rick Riordan Presents)
• A Light in the Dark by A.K. Du Boff (BDL)
• Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman (Random House)
• Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray)
• Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate and Sword by Henry Lien (Henry Holt)

____________________________

2019 Hugo Award Finalists

Best Novel
• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
• Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
• Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee
• Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
• Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Best Novella
• Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
• Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
• Binti: The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor
• The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
• Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach by Kelly Robson
• The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard

Best Novelette
• If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again by Zen Cho (Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog)
• The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections by Tina Connolly (Tor.com)
• Nine Last Days on Planet Earth by Daryl Gregory (Tor.com)
• The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander (Tor.com)
• The Thing About Ghost Stories by Naomi Kritzer (Uncanny Magazine)
• When We Were Starless by Simone Heller (Clarkesworld Magazine)

Best Short Story
• The Court Magician by Sarah Pinsker (Lightspeed Magazine)
• The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society by T. Kingfisher (Uncanny Magazine)
• The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by P. Djèlí Clark (Fireside Magazine)
• STET by Sarah Gailey (Fireside Magazine)
• The Tale of the Three Beautiful Raptor Sisters, and the Prince Who Was Made of Meat by Brooke Bolander (Uncanny Magazine)
• A Witch’s Guide To Escape: A Practical Compendium Of Portal Fantasies by Alix E. Harrow (Apex Magazine)

Best Series
• The Centenal Cycle by Malka Older
• The Laundry Files by Charles Stross
• Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee
• The October Daye Series by Seanan McGuire
• The Universe of Xuya by Aliette de Bodard
• Wayfarers by Becky Chambers

Best Graphic Story
• Abbott, written by Saladin Ahmed, art by Sami Kivelä, colors by Jason Wordie, letters by Jim Campbell
• Black Panther: Long Live the King, written by Nnedi Okorafor and Aaron Covington, art by André Lima Araújo, Mario Del Pennino, and Tana Ford
• Monstress, Volume 3: Haven, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda
• On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
• Paper Girls, Volume 4 , written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Cliff Chiang, colors by Matt Wilson, letters by Jared K. Fletcher
• Saga, Volume 9, written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples

Best Art Book
• The Book of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition illustrated by Charles Vess, written by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Daydreamer’s Journey: The Art of Julie Dillon by Julie Dillon
• Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: A Visual History by Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, and Sam Witwer
• Spectrum 25: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, editor John Fleskes
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – The Art of the Movie by Ramin Zahed
• Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, editor Catherine McIlwaine

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt; Macmillan Children’s Books)
• The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (Freeform / Gollancz)
• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Little, Brown / Hot Key Books)
• Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray)
• The Invasion by Peadar O’Guilin (David Fickling Books / Scholastic)
• Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman (Random House / Penguin Teen)


*2020 addendum: Removed it from the favorites shelf, since the P. Djèlí Clark story has a discrete GR entry now.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very strong and imaginative fantasy contender for the 2019 Hugo noms.

I think I may appreciate the idea behind this and all the clever twists more than anything. :) Hats off to the sharp dentition!

:)

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington is a 2019 Hugo Awards finalist in the Best Short Story category.

“By Cash pd Negroes for 9 Teeth on Acct of Dr. Lemoire”
- Lund Washington, Mount Vernon plantation, Account Book dated 1784.

George Washington, slavery and magic collide in this alternate history. While I will never understand the mentality that makes people think slavery is ever an option I enjoyed reading about the strength and character of the nine slaves included in this story. I particularly loved anticipating the impact each particular tooth would have on George.

For the blacksmith understood what masters had chosen to forget: when you make a man or woman a slave you enslave yourself in turn.

You can read this short story online here. I’ll definitely be rereading this story.

Content warnings include suicide attempts.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by Phenderson Djèlí Clark, 3636 words, ~8 pages, ★★★★★

I love the casual mix of supernatural elements into the story. Imaginative and well written. Not quite a ghost story, not quite historical fiction.

Can be read for free here: https://firesidefiction.com/the-secre...

Beautiful artwork at Fireside Magazine, where the story was originally published:



2018 Nebula Award Winner / Hugo Award Nominee / Short Story — Well worth it.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the mix of historical and fantasy in this short story. That the false teeth in George Washington's dentures could have been from slaves is possible. I liked P. Djéli Clark's speculation about these slaves and who they might have been; each slave felt like a real person to me within the short paragraphs devoted to each of the nine people, and I particularly liked how Washington was haunted by each person when wearing their tooth.

[Jukaschar · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read Fireside #52 for free on the website of Fireside magazine.
I came for P. Djèlí Clark, but like all four stories very much, one of them even has birds! I would probably classify them as magical realism.
They're so short, it's easy to sprinkle them in between chapters of longer books, when you need to get away for a moment.

[Lis Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Washington, hero of the Revolution, our first President and one of our greatest, a major reason we became a democratic republic rather than a monarchy because he refused to become king, was also a slaveowner.

Like many of his time, he lost teeth over the course of his adult life, and being a wealthy man, he was able to have dentures. The replacement teeth in those dentures were not, as I was taught as a child, wooden teeth, but real human teeth from the mouths of slaves.

This is a story of the lives of the slaves whose teeth those were--in an alternate history where magic, including sorcerers, witches, and demons are real.

The teeth affect Washington in real and unexpected ways.

This is a thoughtful, interesting, moving story, well worth your time to read. It is a 2019 Hugo Finalist for Best Short Story, and I received it as part of the Hugo Voters' Packet.

[Silvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review only for "The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington", by Phenderson Djéli Clark:

I love this story alot, fantastic world and fascinating imageries. It definitely will be in my Hugo nominees list and I believe it has a good chance to win the Nebula.

[Carien · Rating 4 out of 5]

very intriguing alternate universe story with interesting characters.

[Crowinator · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington", by Phenderson Djèlí Clark

Another one I want to re-read. I enjoy Clark's writing and this felt a little like a more fantastical, alternate history version of Spoon River Anthology in its presentation of the lives of the nine slaves who supplied teeth to George Washington's dentures.

I received this story as part of the 2019 Hugo Voters Packet.

[peg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner of the 2019 Nebula Award and shortlisted for the upcoming Hugo Awards in Dublin. Nebula awards 2019. https://nebulas.sfwa.org/award-year/2...
Hugo 2019 finalists https://dublin2019.com/hugo-finalists/

This story is very innovative and original in portraying the actual “false teeth” worn by Washington which were taken from his slaves. The author has used fantasy to show the history and personality behind each donor and how each spirit influenced old George!

[Kireja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea about where the teeth in George Washington's dentures actually came from, so for most of this short story I thought it was completely fictitious. In reality it's based on the disturbing truth that the teeth were from slaves at Mount Vernon. Yet we don't know anything about who these people were so Phenderson Djèlí Clark blends the magical/fantastic with the historical to write about the possible lives of the nine people that the teeth belonged to. The short story is comprised of nine vignettes (some better than others), with each giving information about historical events or facts about slavery. Overall I liked how Phenderson Djèlí Clark made it so that each tooth left some form of impact on George Washington; showing that "the souls of those who made thralls of others would never know rest—in this life, or the next". I highly recommend reading the post¹ that the author wrote explaining the inspiration behind the short story. It really gives a lot of insight into the histories behind the vignettes.

¹ https://pdjeliclark.wordpress.com/201...

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

By Cash pd Negroes for 9 Teeth on Acct of Dr. Lemoire” –Lund Washington, Mount Vernon plantation, Account Book dated 1784.

An intriguing blend of history and fantasy, The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington weaves little vignettes of the owners of the nine negro teeth sold to George Washington. Each tooth has its own story of its original owner and gives little glimpses of different kinds of magic and the lives of people who dealt with the abuse and horror of enslavement.

This is the second story I've read by Clark and I really love the way that he incorporates African folklore and magic with United States history. I'd definitely recommend it, particularly since it can be read for free online here!

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

“For the blacksmith understood what masters had chosen to forget: when you make a man or woman a slave you enslave yourself in turn.”

Excellent speculative historical fiction. Since the root--that George Washington bought the teeth of nine slaves as his own rotted away--this might have made an excellent historical fiction. The speculative musings--while fun--are so over-the-top that they dull the edge on what would be righteous indignation over the behavior of our first president.

“… from the ramparts English mages hurled volleys of emerald fireballs that could melt through iron.”

The storytelling is compact and fast moving. Clark makes his point and moves on. Good job.

“When George Washington wore Solomon’s tooth, he dream of a place of golden spires and colorful glass domes …. It both awed and frightened him at once.”

[Alexander Pyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could get more fantasy-esque alt American history that is centered on either the Africans brought over or Native Americans, that would be excellent, until then I think I will be content with this story by Clark.

Loved the prose and the style of this story and while it comes to a rather quiet conclusion, each "account" of each tooth's owner is startling robust in world building and feeling. I couldn't help but keep reading as I went.

I've read Clark's writing before, but this cements that I have to keep my eyes peeled for more.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully-written and fantastic take on a disturbing fact about George Washington's teeth. (No, they were not wooden: https://www.livescience.com/61919-geo...). Clark takes this fact and makes something beautiful out of it (but also still disturbing). So far this is my pick for the top spot in this year's Hugo for short story, and it makes me excited to read Clark's novella, The Black God's Drums, which is also a Hugo finalist this year.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review solely for "The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington", by Phenderson Djéli Clark, which won the Nebula Award for Short Story.

Eh. Well-written and imaginative fantasy, but didn't really work for me. YMMV!

[Jassmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

knick knack, knick knack by Holly Lyn Walrath ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this super short witchy, not really witchy story. I didn't read anything else by this author before, but I'm intrigued now!
Read for free here: https://firesidefiction.com/knick-kna...

The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by P. Djèlí Clark ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was the short-story I picked up this issue for and this is Clark, so obviously this is a good stuff! This short-story has been on my radar for quite a while. I also had it open on a tab for about a month maybe before I read anything else by Clark, but closed it... but it did find its way to me again. Actually, thinking about this again, it's kind of crazy that at the beginning of 2023 I didn't read a single work by Clark and now I went through SO MANY of his stories.
This one hasn't been my favourite by him, but I think it might have been more due to my tiredness than anything else. This story has a certain air of magical realism around it in the same way The Ten Thousand Doors of January has a magical realism air about and I definitely liked that a lot! The most memorable for me was the story of Ulysses, the cook, I... am disturbed. Would absolutely recommend this story!
Read for free here: https://firesidefiction.com/the-secre...

How I Got Published (12 Tips from a Bestselling Author) by Dominica Phetteplace ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a very weird and very funny short-story. I... am not really sure how to talk about it? It was kind of absurd... Also, new to me author.
Read for free here: https://firesidefiction.com/how-i-got...

Dust to Dust by Mary Robinette Kowal ⭐⭐⭐
Mary Robinette Kowal was on my radar for quite a while, but I believe that I didn't read a story by her yet. Unfortunately this one seemed to me... not really thought through? I mean there were some potentially interesting ideas, but the potential was just sort of ignored. I mean, this was fine, but I felt like the story kind of left me hanging...
Read for free here: https://firesidefiction.com/dust-to-dust

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read "Dust to Dust" by Mary Robinette Kowal and the award-winning "The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington" by P. Djeli Clark. Both stories were well crafted, though I enjoyed Kowal's more. (It has more of a story; the Clark story is basically a series of nine vignettes that are only loosely linked together.)

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second Djèlí Clark-story and this is a writer to keep an eye on, because once again he hits the mark for me. I love being taken out of my own perspective as a white male, and this story manages to do so by showing me Washington from the perspective of the slaves. It doesn't shy away from showing what a cruel man he actually was, though our history elevates him as a hero and tries its hardest to ignore the slavery-aspect of his existance.
I don't know if it's going to be my #1 spot, but at the very least, it'll be a close one.

[A.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story: The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington
Read for the 2019 Hugos

Not sure what to say about this one. There's no real plot to speak of. Just a series of really short stories about 9 people. There's a definite feeling of how those people were all mistreated. To George Washington, they were just teeth. But everything and everybody has a story. There's magic here, both in the way the teeth affect Washington, and in the world itself. Very, very weird.

It's well-written, but it just didn't land quite right for me.

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

REVIEW: The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington
An intriguing tale linking history and fantasy together as the author explores the lives of the nine slaves whose teeth George Washington wore in his dentures. Cleverly done with some thoughtful moments, it still didn't truly capture me.

[William Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

For 2019 Hugos.
This was a really well-done tale of where George Washington's teeth came from, with a helpful splash of fantasy. The writing style is engaging and the stories are thought provoking.

[Boydsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very supernatural but fictionally historical account of the makers of G Washington's wooden teeth and their otherworldly qualities. Who knows, maybe those things were actually believed in the 1700s. I'll be looking for more.

[k reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington", by Phenderson Djéli Clark, illustrated by Odera Igbokwe

[Dimitar Dakovski · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington" by Phenderson Djèlí Clark ★★★★

[Zeina · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...#

[Tria · Rating 4 out of 5]

TBR later.