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Lost Places
A new collection from the author of Nebula Award winning A Song for a New Day and Philip K Dick Award winning Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea.
A half-remembered children's TV show. A hotel that shouldn't exist. A mysterious ballad. A living flag. Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author Sarah Pinsker's second collection brings together a seemingly eclectic group of stories that unite behind certain themes: her touchstones of music and memory are joined by stories about secret subversions and hidden messages in art. Her stories span and transcend genre labels, looking for the truth in strange situations from possible futures to impossible pasts.
A half-remembered children's TV show. A hotel that shouldn't exist. A mysterious ballad. A living flag. Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author Sarah Pinsker's second collection brings together a seemingly eclectic group of stories that unite behind certain themes: her touchstones of music and memory are joined by stories about secret subversions and hidden messages in art. Her stories span and transcend genre labels, looking for the truth in strange situations from possible futures to impossible pasts.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2023
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1378 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
July 31, 2023
I love the theme of "Two Truths and A Lie" (the deceptive and unreliable nature of memory), but the treatment is a bit chatty and longwinded for my taste. I can totally see Nick Antosca adapting this for a season of Channel Zero (in fact, the first season is about a creepy kid's TV show).
I also enjoyed "That Our Flag was Still There" and "The Court Magician" (the latter has a different title in the publication history section). "Where Oaken Hearts do Gather", a literary quest/folk horror narrative told through internet forum posts, is probably my favorite.
The rest of the collection is very diverse. While I usually appreciate the ideas (for example, the in the last story), many of the stories seem IMO to be oddly underdeveloped.
[2.5 stars, rounded up generously to 3]
I also enjoyed "That Our Flag was Still There" and "The Court Magician" (the latter has a different title in the publication history section). "Where Oaken Hearts do Gather", a literary quest/folk horror narrative told through internet forum posts, is probably my favorite.
The rest of the collection is very diverse. While I usually appreciate the ideas (for example, the in the last story), many of the stories seem IMO to be oddly underdeveloped.
[2.5 stars, rounded up generously to 3]
February 20, 2023
If you’re not already familiar with Sarah Pinkser’s work, then heave yourself out from under that giant rock, and brace yourself. Lost Places is Pinsker’s latest collection of stories, all of which are beautiful in their own way.
The collection starts with Two Truths and a Lie, Pinsker’s amazing Nebula and Hugo-winning novelette, about a strange, half-remembered TV show. There’s a reason why it’s so popular, it’s a wonderful story. You’ll also find another of Pinsker’s award-winning stories, Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather, an incredibly clever tale about the origins of a folk song.
Pinsker summons an entirely believable New York history in I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise. No spoilers, but I was genuinely shocked to find one of the characters wasn’t real. Pinsker is a real master of creating entirely believable fiction. Another historical story in this collection is A Better Way of Saying, where a young man finds an uncanny ability to change stories while narrating silent movies.
There are two stories especially that stood out as incredibly hopeful, and both revolved around the friendship and empowerment of young women. In Everything is Closed Today, girls unite in a love of skateboarding, and channel that confidence into something bigger. And in Science Facts, a troupe of Girl Scouts find a connection in something strange. As a woman, and a mother, these stories brought me so much joy, and captured the magic of girlhood so beautifully.
If you’re already a fan of Pinsker’s work, and you’re familiar with her heartbreaking story Remembry Day, prepare to have your heartstrings tugged anew with Remember This For Me, a story about an artist with a dementia-like illness, and a very unique muse.
Some of these stories have appeared in publications already, but to read the stories altogether is a reminder of just how talented Pinkser is. No two stories are alike, and they are all magic.
The collection starts with Two Truths and a Lie, Pinsker’s amazing Nebula and Hugo-winning novelette, about a strange, half-remembered TV show. There’s a reason why it’s so popular, it’s a wonderful story. You’ll also find another of Pinsker’s award-winning stories, Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather, an incredibly clever tale about the origins of a folk song.
Pinsker summons an entirely believable New York history in I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise. No spoilers, but I was genuinely shocked to find one of the characters wasn’t real. Pinsker is a real master of creating entirely believable fiction. Another historical story in this collection is A Better Way of Saying, where a young man finds an uncanny ability to change stories while narrating silent movies.
There are two stories especially that stood out as incredibly hopeful, and both revolved around the friendship and empowerment of young women. In Everything is Closed Today, girls unite in a love of skateboarding, and channel that confidence into something bigger. And in Science Facts, a troupe of Girl Scouts find a connection in something strange. As a woman, and a mother, these stories brought me so much joy, and captured the magic of girlhood so beautifully.
If you’re already a fan of Pinsker’s work, and you’re familiar with her heartbreaking story Remembry Day, prepare to have your heartstrings tugged anew with Remember This For Me, a story about an artist with a dementia-like illness, and a very unique muse.
Some of these stories have appeared in publications already, but to read the stories altogether is a reminder of just how talented Pinkser is. No two stories are alike, and they are all magic.
August 21, 2024
we already know i'm a sarah pinsker fiend. this is news to no one. if i had to choose between this book and sooner or later, i wouldn't, because i'm putting both of them in my mouth and chewing up the pages. i think i've lost the ability to say that i enjoyed things in a normal fashion.
anyway, same as last time, some of these stories didn't quite hit for me, but some of them knocked me into next week, and regardless i think the coherent whole is more than the sum of its parts. i love her mind. favorite stories:
1. Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
the standout piece; this one won a nebula AND a hugo and it SHOWS. told in the format of a folk ballad's genius.com annotations page, in which a mystery unfolds. this one is so so delightful all the way through, from the mixture of petty squabbling and literary analysis in the annotations to the beauty of the song itself to. well. you'll have to read it for the mystery won't you >:3 everything about this hits the mark perfectly, the ending is fantastic, 12/10, read it now my final message goodbye. (i always hear the central song vaguely to the tune of Oak & Ash & Thorn, even though the meter doesn't fit.)
2. I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise
okay, of course this is my second-fav, because my friends call me a "new yorkiboo." (in my defense, i was born there, allegedly.) there is so much in here that i specifically love--new york, weird liminal spaces, historical figures, alternate histories, warped chronology, GEORGE GERSHWIN'S RHAPSODY IN BLUE!!! the historical and fictional are combined so seamlessly here and it's delicious. (the title is a real gershwin quote!)
3. A Better Way of Saying
i can't separate this one from the above--not because they're connected (though they are, vaguely; one character appears in each), but because they both play with history and hearsay so beautifully. when i realized what the speculative concept in this was, i started rubbing my hands together like a fly. also the tor.com cover art is fucking gorgeous so you should go look at it and read the piece while you're there
4. Left the Century to Sit Unmoved
if you have never read a pinsker piece before and you want to start with something short, start with this one, because it carries the loveliness and melancholy of so much of pinsker's writing while also packing a CRAZY punch for under 2,500 words. i think you could make a lot of metaphors out of this and i think it also stands perfectly well on its own non-metaphorically. the title (which didn't mean what i expected it to; i think the flexibility of its meaning is another perfect aspect of the piece) is so beautiful that i started muttering it over and over like a madman and haven't quite stopped.
5. Science Facts!
i will be honest--i think this one is paced weirdly, a little top-heavy, a little too long before the central conceit arrives. nevertheless, 1. it is fucking excellent anyway; the tone is balanced perfectly and the first-person plural tense is seamless, and 2. i read it while driving through the rainforest region of seattle where it takes place, right on the heels of leaving something that was not quite summer camp but carried the same mixed joy and grief in its temporality, and i almost started crying at the end. a really strong ending to the collection, and maybe the story that lives up to the title in the fullest way. (allegedly pinsker's editors wanted to title the whole collection Science Facts!, but c'mon, you can't do that, imagine the frustrated amazon reviews from people who can't read summaries and expect a biology textbook.)
honorable mention is two truths and a lie but every pinskerhead knows that one and also it makes me feel bad 💖 anyway pinsker forever god bless
anyway, same as last time, some of these stories didn't quite hit for me, but some of them knocked me into next week, and regardless i think the coherent whole is more than the sum of its parts. i love her mind. favorite stories:
1. Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
the standout piece; this one won a nebula AND a hugo and it SHOWS. told in the format of a folk ballad's genius.com annotations page, in which a mystery unfolds. this one is so so delightful all the way through, from the mixture of petty squabbling and literary analysis in the annotations to the beauty of the song itself to. well. you'll have to read it for the mystery won't you >:3 everything about this hits the mark perfectly, the ending is fantastic, 12/10, read it now my final message goodbye. (i always hear the central song vaguely to the tune of Oak & Ash & Thorn, even though the meter doesn't fit.)
2. I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise
okay, of course this is my second-fav, because my friends call me a "new yorkiboo." (in my defense, i was born there, allegedly.) there is so much in here that i specifically love--new york, weird liminal spaces, historical figures, alternate histories, warped chronology, GEORGE GERSHWIN'S RHAPSODY IN BLUE!!! the historical and fictional are combined so seamlessly here and it's delicious. (the title is a real gershwin quote!)
3. A Better Way of Saying
i can't separate this one from the above--not because they're connected (though they are, vaguely; one character appears in each), but because they both play with history and hearsay so beautifully. when i realized what the speculative concept in this was, i started rubbing my hands together like a fly. also the tor.com cover art is fucking gorgeous so you should go look at it and read the piece while you're there
4. Left the Century to Sit Unmoved
if you have never read a pinsker piece before and you want to start with something short, start with this one, because it carries the loveliness and melancholy of so much of pinsker's writing while also packing a CRAZY punch for under 2,500 words. i think you could make a lot of metaphors out of this and i think it also stands perfectly well on its own non-metaphorically. the title (which didn't mean what i expected it to; i think the flexibility of its meaning is another perfect aspect of the piece) is so beautiful that i started muttering it over and over like a madman and haven't quite stopped.
5. Science Facts!
i will be honest--i think this one is paced weirdly, a little top-heavy, a little too long before the central conceit arrives. nevertheless, 1. it is fucking excellent anyway; the tone is balanced perfectly and the first-person plural tense is seamless, and 2. i read it while driving through the rainforest region of seattle where it takes place, right on the heels of leaving something that was not quite summer camp but carried the same mixed joy and grief in its temporality, and i almost started crying at the end. a really strong ending to the collection, and maybe the story that lives up to the title in the fullest way. (allegedly pinsker's editors wanted to title the whole collection Science Facts!, but c'mon, you can't do that, imagine the frustrated amazon reviews from people who can't read summaries and expect a biology textbook.)
honorable mention is two truths and a lie but every pinskerhead knows that one and also it makes me feel bad 💖 anyway pinsker forever god bless
February 24, 2023
Lost Places by Sarah Pinsker (2023) is a collection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories that take ordinary seeming situations and inject one wrong thing into them to explore various aspects of the human condition.
The stories are:
Two Truths and a Lie
And the Flag Was Still There
I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise
Everything is Closed Today
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved
Escape from Caring Seasons
A Better Way of Saying
Remember This For Me
The Mountains His Crown
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
Science Facts!
These stories have a similar tone to T. Kingfisher's novels. The characters and situations are for the most part ordinary and relatable. But then as the stories progress details are revealed to turn the recognizable into the uncanny.
Normally in these reviews I would talk about my favorite stories. Here, though, I honestly can't pick. They all kept me turning pages. I think this is the first book of short stories that gave me a book hangover when I finished the last page.
The stories are:
Two Truths and a Lie
And the Flag Was Still There
I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise
Everything is Closed Today
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved
Escape from Caring Seasons
A Better Way of Saying
Remember This For Me
The Mountains His Crown
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
Science Facts!
These stories have a similar tone to T. Kingfisher's novels. The characters and situations are for the most part ordinary and relatable. But then as the stories progress details are revealed to turn the recognizable into the uncanny.
Normally in these reviews I would talk about my favorite stories. Here, though, I honestly can't pick. They all kept me turning pages. I think this is the first book of short stories that gave me a book hangover when I finished the last page.
May 10, 2024
JESUS CHRIS THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC READ THIIIIISSSSSS
February 17, 2025
So incisive and poignant and haunting. Sarah Pinsker does short speculative fiction like no one else. “That Our Flag Was Still There,” “Everything is Closed Today,” and “Science Facts!” were particularly good. Only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is because a few stories really dragged or were a bit too experimental or convoluted for my taste. But the vast majority were incredible!
March 24, 2025
It was a real joy to read. There's just one story I didn't like and mist I enjoyed a lot. And she writes such great first sentences. I will love to read more.
September 14, 2024
Not a single miss in this collection. Some of these are going to haunt me. So good.
August 19, 2023
Great collection. Her short stories are some of the best out there. This collection definitely had some more horror-y vibes than her last collection did; I loved it.
September 17, 2023
Every single one of these stories was a. cool b. original c. has that je ne sais quoi.... can't wait to reread these in a few years
May 19, 2025
This is my second time reading a collection of Sarah Pinsker's short fiction, and it did not disappoint! Where her first collection, Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea, focused primarily on topics of art and memory, these stories circle around themes of being lost, forgotten, transformation, and transience. I enjoyed all of them (though found myself wishing that some were a bit longer or perhaps had ended somewhere a bit different from where they ultimately led).
My favorites include:
Two Truths and a Lie
When helping an old friend clean out his brother's home, the protagonist discovers a half-forgotten tv show from her childhood. I loved the strange, disquieting tone of this story and the way it pushes at answers without giving them all to the reader. An excellent opener to the collection!
I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of the Noise
Liminal hotels, New York, artists superimposed in place despite different times. This piece, with its focus on art and music, speaks most to Pinsker's other collection. There's a fullness to this story—the way it brims with history, artists, their music, their painting, their writing, their art, etc.—that makes it feel like a sort of celebration.
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved
The shortest piece in the collection; a story about a body of water which cliff-divers jump into and sometimes do not return from. Quiet, ambiguous, and strange.
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
This story won the Hugo Award, and for good reason! It's a delight of innovative story structure, as it takes the form of an internet forum in which the users attempt to analyze the history and lyrics of a mysterious folk ballad. The structure of this story is impeccably done, carrying a narrative through comments and footnotes, while also engaging with practices of literary analysis and internet forum culture. Excellent!
Science Facts!
A group of middle school girls go on a backcountry camping trip and discover something strange in the woods... This story reminded me a lot of one of my favorite novels, We Ride Upon Sticks, both in its tone, strangeness, and narrative focalization. I loved the way collective narration is used here to characterize the group of girls, allowing the reader to understand them as a collective while also slipping around to focus on some members more directly (I'll refrain from making an analogy to a body and its parts here, but...). The characters shine throughout this story, with distinct personalities and a fun group dynamic (as well as two excellent camp counselors). The speculative elements are also particularly satisfying in the way they fit the story (though I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers). Easily my favorite of the collection!
Absolutely a book to pick up if you're interested in short, speculative fiction. I eagerly look forward to any more collections Sarah Pinsker publishes in the future!
Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea - ★★★★★
Lost Places - ★★★★☆
My favorites include:
Two Truths and a Lie
When helping an old friend clean out his brother's home, the protagonist discovers a half-forgotten tv show from her childhood. I loved the strange, disquieting tone of this story and the way it pushes at answers without giving them all to the reader. An excellent opener to the collection!
I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of the Noise
Liminal hotels, New York, artists superimposed in place despite different times. This piece, with its focus on art and music, speaks most to Pinsker's other collection. There's a fullness to this story—the way it brims with history, artists, their music, their painting, their writing, their art, etc.—that makes it feel like a sort of celebration.
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved
The shortest piece in the collection; a story about a body of water which cliff-divers jump into and sometimes do not return from. Quiet, ambiguous, and strange.
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
This story won the Hugo Award, and for good reason! It's a delight of innovative story structure, as it takes the form of an internet forum in which the users attempt to analyze the history and lyrics of a mysterious folk ballad. The structure of this story is impeccably done, carrying a narrative through comments and footnotes, while also engaging with practices of literary analysis and internet forum culture. Excellent!
Science Facts!
A group of middle school girls go on a backcountry camping trip and discover something strange in the woods... This story reminded me a lot of one of my favorite novels, We Ride Upon Sticks, both in its tone, strangeness, and narrative focalization. I loved the way collective narration is used here to characterize the group of girls, allowing the reader to understand them as a collective while also slipping around to focus on some members more directly (I'll refrain from making an analogy to a body and its parts here, but...). The characters shine throughout this story, with distinct personalities and a fun group dynamic (as well as two excellent camp counselors). The speculative elements are also particularly satisfying in the way they fit the story (though I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers). Easily my favorite of the collection!
Absolutely a book to pick up if you're interested in short, speculative fiction. I eagerly look forward to any more collections Sarah Pinsker publishes in the future!
Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea - ★★★★★
Lost Places - ★★★★☆
February 23, 2024
What a great collection! I feel like this is the best I’ve read by Pinsker, or maybe her style and stories are just really starting to grow on me the more of them I read :) But I do seem to prefer her short fiction to the couple full-length novels I’ve read so far.
All twelve stories here were interesting, and the collection admirably versatile as a whole. There were both fantasy and science fiction / speculative fiction here, even a couple stories clearly on the horror-end of the spectrum. What I liked especially in many of the tales were the endings! They felt clever, surprising even, and somehow pleasingly mysterious and open-ended in many cases. Additionally, the tones and undercurrents were generally warm and kind, and all twelve tales topical, with important messages.
***
Favourites:
- Science Facts! (This especially was bordering on horror/scary! Loved the ending!)
- Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
- Remember This for Me
- Escape from Caring Seasons
Good ones:
- Two Truths and a Lie
- Left the Century to Sit Unmoved
- The Mountains His Crown
- The Court Magician
- Everything is Closed Today
Least favourite of the bunch:
- That Our Flag Was Still There
- A Better Way of Saying
- I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise (I liked the ideation, but reading this (and similarly part of A Better Way of Saying) was kind of tedious because it seemed for the most part like a lot of long lists of names of people and places, and also American/New York City’s/show business’s/…? history, which I’m not familiar with, which in turn probably made me miss points and puns and background to properly enjoy the story.)
***
All in all a very enjoyable read! Would heartily recommend! <3
All twelve stories here were interesting, and the collection admirably versatile as a whole. There were both fantasy and science fiction / speculative fiction here, even a couple stories clearly on the horror-end of the spectrum. What I liked especially in many of the tales were the endings! They felt clever, surprising even, and somehow pleasingly mysterious and open-ended in many cases. Additionally, the tones and undercurrents were generally warm and kind, and all twelve tales topical, with important messages.
***
Favourites:
- Science Facts! (This especially was bordering on horror/scary! Loved the ending!)
- Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
- Remember This for Me
- Escape from Caring Seasons
Good ones:
- Two Truths and a Lie
- Left the Century to Sit Unmoved
- The Mountains His Crown
- The Court Magician
- Everything is Closed Today
Least favourite of the bunch:
- That Our Flag Was Still There
- A Better Way of Saying
- I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise (I liked the ideation, but reading this (and similarly part of A Better Way of Saying) was kind of tedious because it seemed for the most part like a lot of long lists of names of people and places, and also American/New York City’s/show business’s/…? history, which I’m not familiar with, which in turn probably made me miss points and puns and background to properly enjoy the story.)
***
All in all a very enjoyable read! Would heartily recommend! <3
October 23, 2024
Rebuilding this review after Goodreads nuked the first draft is painful (my poor links! Don’t write directly in the Goodreads panel unless you back it up somewhere), but I want to capture my thoughts while these are still at least somewhat fresh in my mind.
As with Sarah Pinsker’s first collection, I like the individual stories but would have loved some introductory material, whether that’s a quick page at the start or end of each story or a longer overarching prologue/ epilogue about how she picked these stories for the collection and how they fit together for her. I think that “Remember This for Me“ might be worth grabbing this from the library on its own, but when many stories are available online, it’s nice to have that extra layer of context that’s unique to the collection.
“Two Truths and a Lie” – The collection opens with an excellent story that I read a few years ago with my Hugo group. The one creates a great atmosphere and makes reality feel fluid around the edges in a captivating way.
Available online: https://reactormag.com/two-truths-and...
“That Our Flag Was Still There” – This story opens the collection’s themes about abuse of power, governmental overreach, and small individual actions. The near-future dystopia featuring a living Flag being on mandatory screens everywhere is strange but compelling: this is the kind of thing where you could do a good remix collection of different authors exploring all the nuances of the world.
“I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise” – This is an eloquent love letter to artistic communities, especially all the rich connections forged in New York, with an appreciation for the way art is all in conversation with other art. I think it will really land for some readers, but for me it was more a collection of vignettes than an engaging story.
Available online: https://www.uncannymagazine.com/artic...
“The Court Magician” – This is perhaps the collection’s darkest story, taking the form of an almost-folktale about the latest court magician sacrificing cherished pieces of himself to perform whatever magic the crown demands. The way it covers the details of what he’s done and how he reckons with what’s been lost (both in himself and because of his actions) is haunting.
Available online: https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fi...
“Everything Is Closed Today” – This encouraging story about a librarian teaching the kids in her area to skateboard when everything suddenly closes down is a cool examination of community-building and the growth of collective action. I’m not sure how memorable it will be down the road, but it feels like another story that could be part of a collection about explicit resistance to troubling government practices.
“Left the Century to Sit Unmoved” – This is perhaps the collection’s quietest story, and one of my favorites. A few friends are gathered around a bottomless-appearing pond that sometimes takes people when they jump in, and there’s a lot of lovely reflection about vanishing and transformation.
Available online: http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/le...
“Escape from Caring Seasons” – This one has more action than Pinsker’s stories tend to, but I love the way she handled it. The story weaves together the logistics of a woman escaping from an assisted living facility that has become a prison and the slowly overreaching power that made it that way. As the story continues, we learn more about broader oppressive systems and how they can easily be turned against individuals. I’d love to see this one expanded into its own novella or collection.
“A Better Way of Saying” – Pinsker loves to explore the way people create and experience art, and this story is no exception. In 1915, the narrator is hired to shout the title cards at the movies, and discovers a strange and subtle gift for changing the words he sees by saying them differently. It’s a tale of small moments around this un-explained gift: I like it, but I found myself wanting a little more clarity or spark from it.
Available online: https://reactormag.com/a-better-way-o...
“Remember This for Me” – This is my favorite story in the collection that I hadn’t previously read. It’s a nuanced story about art, exploitation, and what it means to give parts of yourself to your vocation if you didn’t entirely know what you would eventually give away. This could have been a simple story of loving art, or of having deep regrets about the course of your life, but the way those feelings are entwined is just beautifully done.
“The Mountains His Crown” – This leans towards being a folktale with a moral without quite becoming preachy. There are good moments and strong pieces of imagery here about how the narrator understands power and resistance: it’s a quiet story with a lot simmering under the surface. Not my favorite of the collection, but an interesting examination of careless uses of power.
“Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather” – This was my other reread in the collection, and I think it’s still my favorite. The internet-comment structure framing teases out the suspense beautifully. I think that there’s a little extra-special zing to reading this one on a screen, but it’s great in any format.
Available online: https://www.uncannymagazine.com/artic...
“Science Facts!” – This closing novella has incredible atmosphere as it shifts among the points of view of teenage campers and their counselors in a quiet wilderness preserve. I think I wanted a little more focus or coherence from the ending, but overall, it’s a great piece that I want to reread one day. The teenage voices feel note-perfect, and the background uncanny details just work so well.
Other recommendations:
- If you liked this one, check out Pinsker's first collection, Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea.
- If you're most interested in the character-study elements, check out her new novella, Haunt Sweet Home. It's sort of a coming-of-age story with ghostly happenings, more melancholy than dramatically spooky.
As with Sarah Pinsker’s first collection, I like the individual stories but would have loved some introductory material, whether that’s a quick page at the start or end of each story or a longer overarching prologue/ epilogue about how she picked these stories for the collection and how they fit together for her. I think that “Remember This for Me“ might be worth grabbing this from the library on its own, but when many stories are available online, it’s nice to have that extra layer of context that’s unique to the collection.
“Two Truths and a Lie” – The collection opens with an excellent story that I read a few years ago with my Hugo group. The one creates a great atmosphere and makes reality feel fluid around the edges in a captivating way.
Available online: https://reactormag.com/two-truths-and...
“That Our Flag Was Still There” – This story opens the collection’s themes about abuse of power, governmental overreach, and small individual actions. The near-future dystopia featuring a living Flag being on mandatory screens everywhere is strange but compelling: this is the kind of thing where you could do a good remix collection of different authors exploring all the nuances of the world.
“I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise” – This is an eloquent love letter to artistic communities, especially all the rich connections forged in New York, with an appreciation for the way art is all in conversation with other art. I think it will really land for some readers, but for me it was more a collection of vignettes than an engaging story.
Available online: https://www.uncannymagazine.com/artic...
“The Court Magician” – This is perhaps the collection’s darkest story, taking the form of an almost-folktale about the latest court magician sacrificing cherished pieces of himself to perform whatever magic the crown demands. The way it covers the details of what he’s done and how he reckons with what’s been lost (both in himself and because of his actions) is haunting.
Available online: https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fi...
“Everything Is Closed Today” – This encouraging story about a librarian teaching the kids in her area to skateboard when everything suddenly closes down is a cool examination of community-building and the growth of collective action. I’m not sure how memorable it will be down the road, but it feels like another story that could be part of a collection about explicit resistance to troubling government practices.
“Left the Century to Sit Unmoved” – This is perhaps the collection’s quietest story, and one of my favorites. A few friends are gathered around a bottomless-appearing pond that sometimes takes people when they jump in, and there’s a lot of lovely reflection about vanishing and transformation.
Available online: http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/le...
“Escape from Caring Seasons” – This one has more action than Pinsker’s stories tend to, but I love the way she handled it. The story weaves together the logistics of a woman escaping from an assisted living facility that has become a prison and the slowly overreaching power that made it that way. As the story continues, we learn more about broader oppressive systems and how they can easily be turned against individuals. I’d love to see this one expanded into its own novella or collection.
“A Better Way of Saying” – Pinsker loves to explore the way people create and experience art, and this story is no exception. In 1915, the narrator is hired to shout the title cards at the movies, and discovers a strange and subtle gift for changing the words he sees by saying them differently. It’s a tale of small moments around this un-explained gift: I like it, but I found myself wanting a little more clarity or spark from it.
Available online: https://reactormag.com/a-better-way-o...
“Remember This for Me” – This is my favorite story in the collection that I hadn’t previously read. It’s a nuanced story about art, exploitation, and what it means to give parts of yourself to your vocation if you didn’t entirely know what you would eventually give away. This could have been a simple story of loving art, or of having deep regrets about the course of your life, but the way those feelings are entwined is just beautifully done.
“The Mountains His Crown” – This leans towards being a folktale with a moral without quite becoming preachy. There are good moments and strong pieces of imagery here about how the narrator understands power and resistance: it’s a quiet story with a lot simmering under the surface. Not my favorite of the collection, but an interesting examination of careless uses of power.
“Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather” – This was my other reread in the collection, and I think it’s still my favorite. The internet-comment structure framing teases out the suspense beautifully. I think that there’s a little extra-special zing to reading this one on a screen, but it’s great in any format.
Available online: https://www.uncannymagazine.com/artic...
“Science Facts!” – This closing novella has incredible atmosphere as it shifts among the points of view of teenage campers and their counselors in a quiet wilderness preserve. I think I wanted a little more focus or coherence from the ending, but overall, it’s a great piece that I want to reread one day. The teenage voices feel note-perfect, and the background uncanny details just work so well.
Other recommendations:
- If you liked this one, check out Pinsker's first collection, Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea.
- If you're most interested in the character-study elements, check out her new novella, Haunt Sweet Home. It's sort of a coming-of-age story with ghostly happenings, more melancholy than dramatically spooky.
October 8, 2024
I've been a huge fan of Sarah Pinsker ever since I read her novella "And Then There Were (N-One)" and her collection Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea, and while Lost Places hits some different beats, it's still the same great stuff. "Two Truths and a Lie," "A Better Way of Saying," "Remember This for Me," "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather," and "Science Facts!" were the standouts for me, though it's hard to narrow things down when so many of these are amazing. I haven't read her novels yet (though they're both essentially sequels to earlier short stories of hers), but "A Better Way of Saying" was basically an eye-opener to me that I wanted Pinsker to write a historical SF/F book. "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather" was a simply fantastic way to tell a story to piece together, with great foreshadowing and the ultimate ending just ending in a great revelation. For stories with just "vibes" to them, you can't go wrong with "I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of a Noise," a love letter to New York City, and "Left the Century to Sit Unmoved" just captures that young-person feel (same as "Science Facts!") that I always love when authors can really hit that mark.
December 27, 2023
Rounding up from 4.5 stars
Sarah Pinsker is back with her second story collection and each one is at the very least quite good. She writes with variety in settings and tone and approach and always gets at something in the human condition. I realize none of that makes this sound appealing, but it's late on Dec. 26 and I'm tired. Let's see if I can try again. These stories are about small rebellions, finding oneself, retaining dignity in the face of something overwhelming, and more. She even gets in a story dealing with music a topic which her excellent novel A Song for a New Day is concerned with. If you've never read her, this is as good as place as any to start.
Sarah Pinsker is back with her second story collection and each one is at the very least quite good. She writes with variety in settings and tone and approach and always gets at something in the human condition. I realize none of that makes this sound appealing, but it's late on Dec. 26 and I'm tired. Let's see if I can try again. These stories are about small rebellions, finding oneself, retaining dignity in the face of something overwhelming, and more. She even gets in a story dealing with music a topic which her excellent novel A Song for a New Day is concerned with. If you've never read her, this is as good as place as any to start.
November 4, 2024
"Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather" is such a fantastic story, but there are a lot of gems in this collection.
December 29, 2023
I read Two Truths and A Lie back in 2021, and I really enjoyed the story, so when I saw this short story collection, I was of course interest in reading it.
This collection features twelve short stories, set in different times, some stories are more sci-fi while others are more contemporary or historical. They all have this slightly off/surreal vibe to them, some more than others. The highlight for me is Two Truths and a Lie, although Science Facts! comes very close. Two Truths and a Lie is a surreal horror story about a woman who returns to her hometown where she starts to look into a creepy TV show from her childhood with unexpected results. I love the way the mystery is tension is build up in this one, the first time reading it the ending really caught me by surprise, I loved it. Then there’s Science Facts! which follows a group of six girl scouts and their two leaders on a backpacking trip deep into nature, it explores their sense of self as well as their social dynamics, and the strange event that unites them as a group. Another story that I really enjoyed was Remember This For Me, about an old woman with dementia whose only consistent anchor in life is her Muse, who inspires her to keep painting. Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather was also great, I didn’t expect a bit of folk horror in this collection! In this one, a small group of people discuss the meaning of an English folk song 'Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather' on an online message board, while also talking about the mysterious disappearance of the man who visited the town where the song possibly originated.
There’s also the stories that I didn’t dislike, but also didn’t leave a big impression. I think Left the Century to Sit Unmoved was pretty good, but the character’s reasoning for jumping into a dangerous pool of water felt lacking to me. Everything is Closed Today is a hopeful story, set in a time when everything in America has been closed down (sound familiar?), although we never learn exactly why. I liked it, but it didn’t grab me. The Court Magician is like a cautionary fairy tale, about a young man who learns the truth about magic, and its costs. I liked this one, but I didn’t care too much for the main character.
Then there are the ones I didn’t like. That Our Flag Was Still There is a dystopian story where every day one person is chosen to be the American flag for the day. I found this rather silly, and it’s not very subtle. The ending is also abrupt, cutting off before one character is about to rebel against this tradition. I also didn’t like Escape From Caring Seasons, a story about two women living in some type care community, where their lives are completely controlled by a health-based algorithm and a health/social point system. A large part of the story focuses on one woman’s escape to save her partner, which featured a lot of walking and talking to drones, which wasn’t very interesting to me. Then there’s the last three stories I haven’t talked about and haven’t rated. I honestly just could not get into these stories, maybe I wasn’t focused enough, but in the end I decided to skip them. Maybe I’ll give them another chance another time.
Lost Places is a bit of a mixed bag for me, and I find it hard to rate. There’s four stories I love, but also plenty I didn’t like as much. I’ll definitely keep an eye on her more surreal/creepy stories in the future, and just skip the speculative ones. (Rating: 3.5 stars)
Two Truths and a Lie - ★★★★
That Our Flag Was Still There - ★★
I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise - //
The Court Magician - ★★★
Everything is Closed Today - ★★★
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved - ★★★
Escape From Caring Seasons - ★★
A Better Way of Saying - //
Remember This For Me - ★★★★
The Mountains His Crown - //
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather - ★★★★
Science Facts! - ★★★★
This collection features twelve short stories, set in different times, some stories are more sci-fi while others are more contemporary or historical. They all have this slightly off/surreal vibe to them, some more than others. The highlight for me is Two Truths and a Lie, although Science Facts! comes very close. Two Truths and a Lie is a surreal horror story about a woman who returns to her hometown where she starts to look into a creepy TV show from her childhood with unexpected results. I love the way the mystery is tension is build up in this one, the first time reading it the ending really caught me by surprise, I loved it. Then there’s Science Facts! which follows a group of six girl scouts and their two leaders on a backpacking trip deep into nature, it explores their sense of self as well as their social dynamics, and the strange event that unites them as a group. Another story that I really enjoyed was Remember This For Me, about an old woman with dementia whose only consistent anchor in life is her Muse, who inspires her to keep painting. Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather was also great, I didn’t expect a bit of folk horror in this collection! In this one, a small group of people discuss the meaning of an English folk song 'Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather' on an online message board, while also talking about the mysterious disappearance of the man who visited the town where the song possibly originated.
There’s also the stories that I didn’t dislike, but also didn’t leave a big impression. I think Left the Century to Sit Unmoved was pretty good, but the character’s reasoning for jumping into a dangerous pool of water felt lacking to me. Everything is Closed Today is a hopeful story, set in a time when everything in America has been closed down (sound familiar?), although we never learn exactly why. I liked it, but it didn’t grab me. The Court Magician is like a cautionary fairy tale, about a young man who learns the truth about magic, and its costs. I liked this one, but I didn’t care too much for the main character.
Then there are the ones I didn’t like. That Our Flag Was Still There is a dystopian story where every day one person is chosen to be the American flag for the day. I found this rather silly, and it’s not very subtle. The ending is also abrupt, cutting off before one character is about to rebel against this tradition. I also didn’t like Escape From Caring Seasons, a story about two women living in some type care community, where their lives are completely controlled by a health-based algorithm and a health/social point system. A large part of the story focuses on one woman’s escape to save her partner, which featured a lot of walking and talking to drones, which wasn’t very interesting to me. Then there’s the last three stories I haven’t talked about and haven’t rated. I honestly just could not get into these stories, maybe I wasn’t focused enough, but in the end I decided to skip them. Maybe I’ll give them another chance another time.
Lost Places is a bit of a mixed bag for me, and I find it hard to rate. There’s four stories I love, but also plenty I didn’t like as much. I’ll definitely keep an eye on her more surreal/creepy stories in the future, and just skip the speculative ones. (Rating: 3.5 stars)
Two Truths and a Lie - ★★★★
That Our Flag Was Still There - ★★
I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise - //
The Court Magician - ★★★
Everything is Closed Today - ★★★
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved - ★★★
Escape From Caring Seasons - ★★
A Better Way of Saying - //
Remember This For Me - ★★★★
The Mountains His Crown - //
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather - ★★★★
Science Facts! - ★★★★
May 30, 2023
Small Beer Press must solicit, or there's a mutual attraction with, writers like this--people with an idiosyncratic vision and an intrinsic generosity and warmth of worldview. There are a couple of Trump-/pandemic-era stories whose allegories seem pat and the hopeful resolution nice to dream with, but not surprising--though the queer-positive skater-girl rebellion, the dystopian public-spectacle patriotism, and terrors of the horrifically optimized eldercare facility all move with an energy and gusto that makes them worthwhile. Otherwise, there are two parables about art as possession, including an optimistic(?) crypto-Lovecraftian(??) literalization of the metaphor of the muse, and a fab couple of stories set in Yiddish NYC a century or so ago, one of which leans genially magic-realist. (Would read a novel set here. Just saying.) Oh, and the folk horror through the debates on Genius annotations of a trad folk song, and a couple of others. Which leaves the award-winning opening, which fully lives up to the multiple honors bestowed on it, and the equally impressive closer, which I don't want to spoil, so think maybe "Yellowjackets, but not as dark, and also druids." Highly recommended, and glad I ordered her first book at the same time I ordered this one.
June 21, 2023
Another great selection of stories by Sarah Pinsker! I had read a few of these already, and most of them were previously published elsewhere, but there is one completely new story, “Science Facts,” which was one of my favorites from the collection. The ones I liked the most were:
“Two Truths and a Lie” - I had read this one before, and it is good but very creepy / disturbing
“Everything is Closed Today” - hopeful choices made during a lockdown
“Escape from Caring Seasons” - I seem to have a soft spot lately for stories with spunky old woman protagonists :-)
“Science Facts” - summer camp trip becomes complicated
“Two Truths and a Lie” - I had read this one before, and it is good but very creepy / disturbing
“Everything is Closed Today” - hopeful choices made during a lockdown
“Escape from Caring Seasons” - I seem to have a soft spot lately for stories with spunky old woman protagonists :-)
“Science Facts” - summer camp trip becomes complicated
August 3, 2023
3.75 rounded up. What an imagination Sarah Pinsker has!!!
December 23, 2025
Like all collections of stories, this one contains some that have more appeal than others. I will go so far as to say that two of them did not work for me at all. But on the other hand, each is unique, they're very original, and the author has an interesting way of pointing stories toward possible conclusions without actually wrapping things up. In that, they feel perhaps more realistic.
This is to summarize my favorites, because otherwise, sadly, the memory will fade.
The first story, "Two Truths and a Lie," is told from the perspective of Stella, a woman who is visiting her parents in the town where she grew up. It so happens that the weird older brother of a friend from her youth has just died. She volunteers to help her friend clear out some of the accumulated clutter in his house, and all that is told interestingly enough. (The older brother had been a hoarder, "the kind they made documentaries about," and the challenge of dealing with all his stuff is massive. "Clutter" does not begin to describe what awaits them there.) But then comes the plot twist. As small children they'd all appeared on a very strange local television show, one in which the host ("Uncle Bob") made bizarre predictions about their lives. Stella had completely forgotten about it, but there's an episode in the house on VHS tape, and viewing it, Stella says, is enough to give her nightmares. That's partly because it's now evident that those predictions cut pretty close to the reality that has since unfolded.
"The Court Magician" is so different from the above story that you'd think it was written by a different person. It's set in an unknown time and place, and the principal characters are street magicians who entertain the public with their tricks—illusions, sleights of hand—not real magic. The main character is a boy who masters all that stuff and wants to do more. And in time he does acquire the ability to work magic. The magic serves to solve someone else's problems. Unfortunately, doing that imposes a significant cost on him.
"Everything Is Closed Today" brings to mind the worst days of the covid pandemic. Some unspecified threat has caused most of society to shut down. Mae, a low-level employee at the library, finds herself suddenly unable to earn money and therefore at risk of not paying the rent. With time on her hands, she becomes acquainted with a bunch of neighborhood kids (all girls; in fact, almost every character of any importance in these stories is female). The kids are as disturbed by the situation as she is, because their parents too can no longer work. So does Mae find a way to solve everyone's problem? We don't know. Things might be heading that way. At least her life has a new purpose.
"Escape from Caring Seasons" is perhaps my favorite, not only because the main character, Zora, is elderly like myself but because her problem is closer to reality in far too many countries than any of us want to admit. At some time in the past Zora and her partner bought into a retirement community that seemed to offer all the convenience and support they would need. But now the place has new management, and what used to be support has morphed into control. The residents are essentially living in a police state. Again, there is a glimmer of hope that she may be able to change it, but the story concludes before that happens. Or as the last paragraph of another of these narratives has it, "that's a story for another day."
The last tale, also extremely good, is "Science Facts," which concerns a bunch of adolescent girls on a camping trip with two counselors, one of whom has a rotten attitude. The point of view shifts around oddly. Usually there's an omniscient narrator, telling what happens from the perspective of first one character and then another, but occasionally there's a jolting switch to first-person plural. Throughout, I felt a pervasive sense of dread and just knew something very bad was going to happen. This in spite of the opening lines: "We all made it down the mountain. That's the first thing to tell, because otherwise you'll jump to certain conclusions."
That's five stories. There are 12 altogether. I couldn't see the point of two of them, but that leaves ten that were fairly, or very, captivating.
This is to summarize my favorites, because otherwise, sadly, the memory will fade.
The first story, "Two Truths and a Lie," is told from the perspective of Stella, a woman who is visiting her parents in the town where she grew up. It so happens that the weird older brother of a friend from her youth has just died. She volunteers to help her friend clear out some of the accumulated clutter in his house, and all that is told interestingly enough. (The older brother had been a hoarder, "the kind they made documentaries about," and the challenge of dealing with all his stuff is massive. "Clutter" does not begin to describe what awaits them there.) But then comes the plot twist. As small children they'd all appeared on a very strange local television show, one in which the host ("Uncle Bob") made bizarre predictions about their lives. Stella had completely forgotten about it, but there's an episode in the house on VHS tape, and viewing it, Stella says, is enough to give her nightmares. That's partly because it's now evident that those predictions cut pretty close to the reality that has since unfolded.
"The Court Magician" is so different from the above story that you'd think it was written by a different person. It's set in an unknown time and place, and the principal characters are street magicians who entertain the public with their tricks—illusions, sleights of hand—not real magic. The main character is a boy who masters all that stuff and wants to do more. And in time he does acquire the ability to work magic. The magic serves to solve someone else's problems. Unfortunately, doing that imposes a significant cost on him.
"Everything Is Closed Today" brings to mind the worst days of the covid pandemic. Some unspecified threat has caused most of society to shut down. Mae, a low-level employee at the library, finds herself suddenly unable to earn money and therefore at risk of not paying the rent. With time on her hands, she becomes acquainted with a bunch of neighborhood kids (all girls; in fact, almost every character of any importance in these stories is female). The kids are as disturbed by the situation as she is, because their parents too can no longer work. So does Mae find a way to solve everyone's problem? We don't know. Things might be heading that way. At least her life has a new purpose.
"Escape from Caring Seasons" is perhaps my favorite, not only because the main character, Zora, is elderly like myself but because her problem is closer to reality in far too many countries than any of us want to admit. At some time in the past Zora and her partner bought into a retirement community that seemed to offer all the convenience and support they would need. But now the place has new management, and what used to be support has morphed into control. The residents are essentially living in a police state. Again, there is a glimmer of hope that she may be able to change it, but the story concludes before that happens. Or as the last paragraph of another of these narratives has it, "that's a story for another day."
The last tale, also extremely good, is "Science Facts," which concerns a bunch of adolescent girls on a camping trip with two counselors, one of whom has a rotten attitude. The point of view shifts around oddly. Usually there's an omniscient narrator, telling what happens from the perspective of first one character and then another, but occasionally there's a jolting switch to first-person plural. Throughout, I felt a pervasive sense of dread and just knew something very bad was going to happen. This in spite of the opening lines: "We all made it down the mountain. That's the first thing to tell, because otherwise you'll jump to certain conclusions."
That's five stories. There are 12 altogether. I couldn't see the point of two of them, but that leaves ten that were fairly, or very, captivating.
July 17, 2023
Two Truths and a Lie. Read a few years ago — I didn’t reread, but I remember liking it a lot.
That Our Flag Was Still There. ⭐️⭐️. Dystopian short story where a drugged person represents the US flag for a day on a pole at the Capitol. Lots of the detail feel unconvincing, and seems predictably lazy that one brave soul dares to speak truth to the system.
I Frequently Hear Music… ⭐️. Travel guide for New York hotels focusing on 1920s cultural figures, with lots of invented detail. A deeply nostalgic piece that requires an in-depth knowledge of the period to appreciate. I did not finish it — not only does this kind of nostalgia rub me personally the wrong way, it also seems pretty antithetical to the New York spirit. New York is about now, not has-beens.
The Court Magician. ⭐️⭐️⭐️. A magician learns true magic, and in so doing gives up more than he expected to fulfill his master’s orders. This story was better — the central experience of the protagonist speaks to what we give up to get what we want in systems not of our choosing.
Everything is closed today. ⭐️. Our protagonist, a brave part-time library aide, fights unjust and irrational society-wide closures by organizing a protest with teenagers she teaches to skateboard. Pretty tedious after the setup in the first few pages. I only skimmed the last half, where the teenagers are predictably won over by our protagonist’s secret coolness.
The piece feels just like the initial Covid shutdowns, so it’s pretty surprising that it was initially published in 2019. It’s interesting to see how differently these closures are politically coded now. Pinsker’s liberal politics come through very clearly— a library branch “did everything for its neighborhood that the community didn’t have,” and we even get the old mantra “think globally, act locally” when one character complains that “there’s something seriously wrong on a national level… But I think the answers will probably be local.” But the shutdowns are represented as authoritarian overreach in the story (completely unjustified, just edicts from above), and so her good liberal stand-in vigorously fights them. It’s all very different from the actual Covid shutdowns, which tended to be supported by good liberals.
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2. Very short. People sometimes disappear when they jump into a pond; our protagonist and her friends jump anyway. Stronger piece, with convincing psychological exploration of the reckless and apparently pointless behavior. I wouldn’t jump.
Skipped Escape from Caring Seasons
I previously read A Better Way of Saying and didn’t like it.
Remember this for me. ⭐️⭐️. Elderly artist with dementia paints and attends a retrospective; dementia here treated as a Muse, who gives images and takes away memories. I didn’t get much from the verbal descriptions of the art, but the sympathetic treatment of dementia is kinda interesting.
The Mountains His Crown. ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Rural peasants suffer from the arbitrary edicts of a distant monarch. A lot of the details are fun here, as well as the gradual revelation of the larger picture.
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather. ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Crowdsourced annotations on a folk ballad. Fun gimmick, good horror, still feels in the end a bit anticlimactic.
Science Facts! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. A group of teens go on a hiking trip with a substitute chaperone; they experience more than they expected. This one was pretty fun; I liked the inset stories of what might happen to this trip more than the final denouement, to be honest.
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I prefer her stories that play more with storytelling; they're a little more unpredictable. The dystopic & nostalgic ones seem a bit paint by numbers.
That Our Flag Was Still There. ⭐️⭐️. Dystopian short story where a drugged person represents the US flag for a day on a pole at the Capitol. Lots of the detail feel unconvincing, and seems predictably lazy that one brave soul dares to speak truth to the system.
I Frequently Hear Music… ⭐️. Travel guide for New York hotels focusing on 1920s cultural figures, with lots of invented detail. A deeply nostalgic piece that requires an in-depth knowledge of the period to appreciate. I did not finish it — not only does this kind of nostalgia rub me personally the wrong way, it also seems pretty antithetical to the New York spirit. New York is about now, not has-beens.
The Court Magician. ⭐️⭐️⭐️. A magician learns true magic, and in so doing gives up more than he expected to fulfill his master’s orders. This story was better — the central experience of the protagonist speaks to what we give up to get what we want in systems not of our choosing.
Everything is closed today. ⭐️. Our protagonist, a brave part-time library aide, fights unjust and irrational society-wide closures by organizing a protest with teenagers she teaches to skateboard. Pretty tedious after the setup in the first few pages. I only skimmed the last half, where the teenagers are predictably won over by our protagonist’s secret coolness.
The piece feels just like the initial Covid shutdowns, so it’s pretty surprising that it was initially published in 2019. It’s interesting to see how differently these closures are politically coded now. Pinsker’s liberal politics come through very clearly— a library branch “did everything for its neighborhood that the community didn’t have,” and we even get the old mantra “think globally, act locally” when one character complains that “there’s something seriously wrong on a national level… But I think the answers will probably be local.” But the shutdowns are represented as authoritarian overreach in the story (completely unjustified, just edicts from above), and so her good liberal stand-in vigorously fights them. It’s all very different from the actual Covid shutdowns, which tended to be supported by good liberals.
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2. Very short. People sometimes disappear when they jump into a pond; our protagonist and her friends jump anyway. Stronger piece, with convincing psychological exploration of the reckless and apparently pointless behavior. I wouldn’t jump.
Skipped Escape from Caring Seasons
I previously read A Better Way of Saying and didn’t like it.
Remember this for me. ⭐️⭐️. Elderly artist with dementia paints and attends a retrospective; dementia here treated as a Muse, who gives images and takes away memories. I didn’t get much from the verbal descriptions of the art, but the sympathetic treatment of dementia is kinda interesting.
The Mountains His Crown. ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Rural peasants suffer from the arbitrary edicts of a distant monarch. A lot of the details are fun here, as well as the gradual revelation of the larger picture.
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather. ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Crowdsourced annotations on a folk ballad. Fun gimmick, good horror, still feels in the end a bit anticlimactic.
Science Facts! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. A group of teens go on a hiking trip with a substitute chaperone; they experience more than they expected. This one was pretty fun; I liked the inset stories of what might happen to this trip more than the final denouement, to be honest.
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I prefer her stories that play more with storytelling; they're a little more unpredictable. The dystopic & nostalgic ones seem a bit paint by numbers.
January 8, 2023
Disclaimer: I received an ARC via a Librarything giveaway.
Can I just say, I love the fact that Pinkser has older women as heroines in some of her short stories?
I am also very disappointed that I cannot find anything about a composer called Bess Morris and I know think that Pinsker just made her up and I am so disappointed. But Pinsker made her up well enough that I didn’t think she was made up so that is really writing talent right there. You know what I mean?
Of this collection, I had only read one story before. That was “Everything is Closed Today”. When I first read it, it was before the pandemic, so it hits a little bit differently now. It is still good.
My favorite story in the collection is “Escape from Caring Seasons,” and in some ways I kept thinking of Sophia and Shady Pines from the Golden Girls. But what Pinsker does is address the idea of control that AI and devices can have over us. The ending is quite good. Zora is a particularly believable character, and it really does feel like you are right there with her.
It was also strange to read “That Our Flag was Still There” while the multiple votes for Speaker of the House occurred. Pinsker short story is about real values versus the fake patriotism that so many politicians and other people claim as their own. The use of opiates for the masses also appears in this story, and it works because it could happen. You can see it happening.
The collection kicks off with “Two Truths and a Lie” which relies mostly on atmosphere to gets creep level on, but it works extremely well. That sense of menace is slightly present in “Left the Century to Sit Unmoved”.
A few of the stories in the collection, for instance ‘Escape from Caring Seasons” mentioned above deal with the issue of technology and the potential damage and sapping of free will that it can cause. It makes some of the stories in the collection to be particularly cautionary tales, it not outright fables. But Pinsker also experiments with style. For instance, “I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise” is in part a love letter to New York, a love letter to music, and a mediation on hotel culture. “Where Oaken Hearts do Gather” is a rather interesting look/take on a famous ballad told in an interesting way.
The one that is the most moving but least magical in terms of what defines fantasy and sci-fi for many people is “Remember This for Me” which is beautifully told with a mixture of humor and grace.
Can I just say, I love the fact that Pinkser has older women as heroines in some of her short stories?
I am also very disappointed that I cannot find anything about a composer called Bess Morris and I know think that Pinsker just made her up and I am so disappointed. But Pinsker made her up well enough that I didn’t think she was made up so that is really writing talent right there. You know what I mean?
Of this collection, I had only read one story before. That was “Everything is Closed Today”. When I first read it, it was before the pandemic, so it hits a little bit differently now. It is still good.
My favorite story in the collection is “Escape from Caring Seasons,” and in some ways I kept thinking of Sophia and Shady Pines from the Golden Girls. But what Pinsker does is address the idea of control that AI and devices can have over us. The ending is quite good. Zora is a particularly believable character, and it really does feel like you are right there with her.
It was also strange to read “That Our Flag was Still There” while the multiple votes for Speaker of the House occurred. Pinsker short story is about real values versus the fake patriotism that so many politicians and other people claim as their own. The use of opiates for the masses also appears in this story, and it works because it could happen. You can see it happening.
The collection kicks off with “Two Truths and a Lie” which relies mostly on atmosphere to gets creep level on, but it works extremely well. That sense of menace is slightly present in “Left the Century to Sit Unmoved”.
A few of the stories in the collection, for instance ‘Escape from Caring Seasons” mentioned above deal with the issue of technology and the potential damage and sapping of free will that it can cause. It makes some of the stories in the collection to be particularly cautionary tales, it not outright fables. But Pinsker also experiments with style. For instance, “I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise” is in part a love letter to New York, a love letter to music, and a mediation on hotel culture. “Where Oaken Hearts do Gather” is a rather interesting look/take on a famous ballad told in an interesting way.
The one that is the most moving but least magical in terms of what defines fantasy and sci-fi for many people is “Remember This for Me” which is beautifully told with a mixture of humor and grace.
May 12, 2023
Sarah Pinsker writes wonderfully strange but affecting stories. Some of the stories remind me of Kelly Link (but not as ambiguous), Howard Waldrop, Elizabeth Hand, or Ursula Le Guin. I'm not saying she's emulating them, but I get the same feeling from her stories as I do from some of theirs. For instance...
'Two Truths and a Lie' is about an old children's show on the local public television station, which is creepy as hell to the protagonist but others (including her parents) don't remember it that way. She's not the only one in the story who becomes mesmerized (possibly even obsessed) by her memories of the show. Very Waldropian.
'The Mountains His Crown' is about two women who suffer the whims of the emperor to dictate their (non-edible) crops to help form a picture of him that can be viewed by airship. Their family faces starvation unless they can get him to change his mind. They have to be subtle about it, though, and crafty. Throughout, they are aware that they are putting their family at risk. Very LeGuinian.
'Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather' is an epistolary story of sorts, with folk song aficionados exchanging online commentary about the origins of the titular folk song. The unsettling factor creeps up on you slowly through the exposition of the song's verses and variants. Reminds me of Hand's 'Wylding Hall' in subject and in narrative technique.
'Science Facts!' has a Girl Scout group on a weeklong hike, encountering strange things in the woods that perhaps change their collective lives forever. Very Linkian.
'That Our Flag Was Still There' is a dystopian story about patriotism run wild, with a certain amount of body horror that any number of current horror writers would be proud of.
And finally, I had to look up the publishing history of 'Everything is Closed Today'. Published in May 2019, it anticipates the closure of society (due to possible terrorism in this story), and the isolation and difficulty of paying for food and rent when you can't work. A story about resilience. A similar theme to her novel, 'A Song for a New Day', published September 2019. Science fiction writers aren't really supposed to predict the future, but this comes eerily close.
A very strong and varied collection, and I expect it will be up for some awards, as many of the stories herein were, with at least a couple of award winners (''Two Truths' and 'Oaken Hearts'). Her previous collection won the Philip K. Dick award for best original paperback book of the year, and I can see this one being in contention again.
'Two Truths and a Lie' is about an old children's show on the local public television station, which is creepy as hell to the protagonist but others (including her parents) don't remember it that way. She's not the only one in the story who becomes mesmerized (possibly even obsessed) by her memories of the show. Very Waldropian.
'The Mountains His Crown' is about two women who suffer the whims of the emperor to dictate their (non-edible) crops to help form a picture of him that can be viewed by airship. Their family faces starvation unless they can get him to change his mind. They have to be subtle about it, though, and crafty. Throughout, they are aware that they are putting their family at risk. Very LeGuinian.
'Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather' is an epistolary story of sorts, with folk song aficionados exchanging online commentary about the origins of the titular folk song. The unsettling factor creeps up on you slowly through the exposition of the song's verses and variants. Reminds me of Hand's 'Wylding Hall' in subject and in narrative technique.
'Science Facts!' has a Girl Scout group on a weeklong hike, encountering strange things in the woods that perhaps change their collective lives forever. Very Linkian.
'That Our Flag Was Still There' is a dystopian story about patriotism run wild, with a certain amount of body horror that any number of current horror writers would be proud of.
And finally, I had to look up the publishing history of 'Everything is Closed Today'. Published in May 2019, it anticipates the closure of society (due to possible terrorism in this story), and the isolation and difficulty of paying for food and rent when you can't work. A story about resilience. A similar theme to her novel, 'A Song for a New Day', published September 2019. Science fiction writers aren't really supposed to predict the future, but this comes eerily close.
A very strong and varied collection, and I expect it will be up for some awards, as many of the stories herein were, with at least a couple of award winners (''Two Truths' and 'Oaken Hearts'). Her previous collection won the Philip K. Dick award for best original paperback book of the year, and I can see this one being in contention again.
July 21, 2023
There are a couple stories that didn’t do it for me, but the majority are really good and the best ones are honestly some of the best short stories I have ever read. A few ones I loved to death:
Two truths and a lie: this was actually my introduction to Pinsker and remains a standout in her work. It’s both creepy and believable and the ending is really fantastic.
That our flag was still there: where the US has people be a placeholder for the flag instead of an actual flag. This one felt like a George Saunders short in all the best ways. So unnerving, but the thought process behind the human flags (that the flag representing the people has to in turn be represented by a person) is terrifying but fascinating.
The Court Magician: kind of fairy tale adjacent story where a street magician is selected to be the court magician, where he is taught actual magic words. While he has no clue how, The magic itself works, but at a cost to the magician. The themes of search for truth are explored really well in such a short story.
Remember this for me: an aging artist who is plagued/blessed with a muse that takes away memories as payment for inspiration. The use of a “dementia” patient as the protagonist works really well and the ideas about how the muse is a collaborator not a puppeteer was cool. Sacrificing all things for art is a common theme, but it’s done really really well here.
Where Oaken Hearts do Gather: probably my favorite of the bunch! It reads like a message board for a site explaining lyrics/mythology behind songs. The song in question is a terrifying old mythical folk song about a lovers tryst that takes some wild turns. This story has everything I love about short fiction: interesting format (but still a coherent story and characters), a subtle backstory happening between the lines, and some really really creepy imagery. The way they commenters go back and forth breaking this song to pieces and analyzing it to the most minute detail provides for some amazing thoughts. The song in question itself is so perfect for this kind of analysis. Seriously this story was flawless! Like some modern day Borges or something!
Two truths and a lie: this was actually my introduction to Pinsker and remains a standout in her work. It’s both creepy and believable and the ending is really fantastic.
That our flag was still there: where the US has people be a placeholder for the flag instead of an actual flag. This one felt like a George Saunders short in all the best ways. So unnerving, but the thought process behind the human flags (that the flag representing the people has to in turn be represented by a person) is terrifying but fascinating.
The Court Magician: kind of fairy tale adjacent story where a street magician is selected to be the court magician, where he is taught actual magic words. While he has no clue how, The magic itself works, but at a cost to the magician. The themes of search for truth are explored really well in such a short story.
Remember this for me: an aging artist who is plagued/blessed with a muse that takes away memories as payment for inspiration. The use of a “dementia” patient as the protagonist works really well and the ideas about how the muse is a collaborator not a puppeteer was cool. Sacrificing all things for art is a common theme, but it’s done really really well here.
Where Oaken Hearts do Gather: probably my favorite of the bunch! It reads like a message board for a site explaining lyrics/mythology behind songs. The song in question is a terrifying old mythical folk song about a lovers tryst that takes some wild turns. This story has everything I love about short fiction: interesting format (but still a coherent story and characters), a subtle backstory happening between the lines, and some really really creepy imagery. The way they commenters go back and forth breaking this song to pieces and analyzing it to the most minute detail provides for some amazing thoughts. The song in question itself is so perfect for this kind of analysis. Seriously this story was flawless! Like some modern day Borges or something!
July 30, 2023
Having read about a third of these stories before, I was a little disappointed that none of the remaining two-thirds exceeded what I’d already read.
That said, Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather gets better every single time I read it, and this collection has basically zero weak spot. I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise is a bit meh from a story perspective (it’s mostly just a vaguely fantastical rundown of all the great artists who have lived in New York City), but it’s beautifully written.
The rest of the collection is pretty much a 4.25-star machine. And I say that as a compliment.
A Better Way of Saying? Lovely period piece with a nice ending.
Escape from Caring Seasons? A medical dystopia that goes a couple layers deeper than I expect from dystopian short fiction.
Science Facts!? Atmospheric and creepy.
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved? Gorgeous title, interesting take on urban legends and the uncanny.
Everything is Closed Today? Fascinating pre-pandemic take on finding something to do (and organizing for good!) during a lockdown.
Remember This For Me? Fantastical take on dementia, really compelling.
The others that I haven’t mentioned? Solid four-star stories (except Two Truths and a Lie, which is one of the ones I’d already read and is a well-deserved award-winner).
If a quarter of the collection is great, more than half of it is very good, and all but one story is a solid four-stars, that’s a five-star collection for me, even before you talk about the thematic resonance between so many stories that explore the uncanny—not in outright horror, but perhaps a little Twilight Zone vibes. We see that four or five times, and they hang together quite nicely.
First impression: 18/20. Full review to come at www.tarvolon.com
That said, Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather gets better every single time I read it, and this collection has basically zero weak spot. I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise is a bit meh from a story perspective (it’s mostly just a vaguely fantastical rundown of all the great artists who have lived in New York City), but it’s beautifully written.
The rest of the collection is pretty much a 4.25-star machine. And I say that as a compliment.
A Better Way of Saying? Lovely period piece with a nice ending.
Escape from Caring Seasons? A medical dystopia that goes a couple layers deeper than I expect from dystopian short fiction.
Science Facts!? Atmospheric and creepy.
Left the Century to Sit Unmoved? Gorgeous title, interesting take on urban legends and the uncanny.
Everything is Closed Today? Fascinating pre-pandemic take on finding something to do (and organizing for good!) during a lockdown.
Remember This For Me? Fantastical take on dementia, really compelling.
The others that I haven’t mentioned? Solid four-star stories (except Two Truths and a Lie, which is one of the ones I’d already read and is a well-deserved award-winner).
If a quarter of the collection is great, more than half of it is very good, and all but one story is a solid four-stars, that’s a five-star collection for me, even before you talk about the thematic resonance between so many stories that explore the uncanny—not in outright horror, but perhaps a little Twilight Zone vibes. We see that four or five times, and they hang together quite nicely.
First impression: 18/20. Full review to come at www.tarvolon.com
November 18, 2023
I love a short story collection like one that Sarah Pinsker delivers -- when it is sci-fi/fantasy/speculative, these stories can go anywhere, do anything, limited by nothing. Usually, the only problem I end up with some of these stories is that they aren't long enough to reward me with the full, rich detail that I wish for as a greedy reader. The ideas are so good, but the stories are sometimes a few pages, so you are really only getting the idea. Again, this could be a perfect story for the WRITER, with the intent of planting that idea in the reader's head, but yep, greedy reader here. Most of these actually seem complete to me, but also so compelling that I wish there were more to them! At the same time, it's why I love speculative short stories - that they can contain unique ideas without needing to be an entire novel. The stories here are immediately engaging and immersive, chock full of great out-there scenarios. On a sentence level, very rich and detailed. For example, Douglas Fairbanks shooting a man with an arrow from atop a building in NYC (really happened) -- but Pinsker giving this real event a spin of her own. One story reads like it's a website with comments of fans analyzing the lyrics of a mysterious old ballad. I'm a huge fan of Pinsker's first collection 'Sooner Or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea', and with this collection, I can add a few more favorite stories to the pile. I think both of these collections aren't to be missed if you like speculative and weird short stories. I know I will be reading whatever words Sarah Pinsker throws out into the world and I will also definitely check out her music soon.
December 3, 2025
wow!!!! fantastic collection. eerie and fantastic and hopeful and queer
excited to revisit these in years to come. so glad aurora bought this book on a whim 🧡
-two truths and a lie: just alright! loved the concept, wasn’t obsessed with the ending. Creepy television shows always hit tho
-that our flag was still there: wooooooof…. Living flag…… go off Maggie wake up the nation
-I frequently hear music in the very heart of noise: teared up at HL Mencken writing about overhearing Bess Morris’ piano playing in the cafeteria of the Hotel Ekphrastic “Play on, mystery man. Make me forget the briny lobster.” just got struck by how beautiful it is that people in the past were just like us
-the court magician: slay. it was like a wonderful parable that could’ve existed for a long time. after u lose a pinkie it’s curtains my dude get out of there
-everything is closed today: skateboard girl gang rise up!!! I knew the author was queer but at this point i was like oh hell yeah we’re making every main character gay let’s go
-escape from caring seasons: so fun, reminded me of that one black mirror episode with the social media stats. Grim because we’re not far away from this..
-a better way of saying: I was like 🫵😮 at Bess Morris and Judy Selig appearing again!
-where oaken hearts do gather: GOD TIER!! I fucking love epistolary stories and folklore and people sniping at each other in forums lol. this was fantastic and I knew what was gonna happen to mr henry quite early on but I was still giddy when it happened. Jenny…….. 🌳🫀
-Science Facts!: i love when weird little girls get weirder! what a delightful story
excited to revisit these in years to come. so glad aurora bought this book on a whim 🧡
-two truths and a lie: just alright! loved the concept, wasn’t obsessed with the ending. Creepy television shows always hit tho
-that our flag was still there: wooooooof…. Living flag…… go off Maggie wake up the nation
-I frequently hear music in the very heart of noise: teared up at HL Mencken writing about overhearing Bess Morris’ piano playing in the cafeteria of the Hotel Ekphrastic “Play on, mystery man. Make me forget the briny lobster.” just got struck by how beautiful it is that people in the past were just like us
-the court magician: slay. it was like a wonderful parable that could’ve existed for a long time. after u lose a pinkie it’s curtains my dude get out of there
-everything is closed today: skateboard girl gang rise up!!! I knew the author was queer but at this point i was like oh hell yeah we’re making every main character gay let’s go
-escape from caring seasons: so fun, reminded me of that one black mirror episode with the social media stats. Grim because we’re not far away from this..
-a better way of saying: I was like 🫵😮 at Bess Morris and Judy Selig appearing again!
-where oaken hearts do gather: GOD TIER!! I fucking love epistolary stories and folklore and people sniping at each other in forums lol. this was fantastic and I knew what was gonna happen to mr henry quite early on but I was still giddy when it happened. Jenny…….. 🌳🫀
-Science Facts!: i love when weird little girls get weirder! what a delightful story
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February 28, 2024her contagious enthusiasm for story in all its forms – not just short stories, fables, and fairy tales, but tacky old kids’ TV shows, improvised campfire tales, urban legends, mysterious ancient ballads, fading memories, even compulsive lying. In fact, it’s almost misleading to claim there are only twelve stories here, since the lead story alone, the Hugo and Nebula winner “Two Truths and a Lie”, embeds whole shards of other tales: the habitual fabrications of the protagonist Stella, the shadowy backstory of the hoarder whose massively cluttered house she agrees to help clean out, most of all the cryptic tales told by the creepy Stella appeared on as a child. While the story joins the small but interesting tradition of fiction about what we might call crypto-TV – other examples come to mind from Elizabeth Hand, Kelly Link, and Daniel Pinkwater – it opens up in unexpected ways that have nothing to do with nostalgia. Another story with a classic Twilight Zone vibe concerns a group of campers who return from a hike to find they’ve been gone for years and long considered missing – only this one is told by a character in another story, “Science Facts!” (original to this collection), which is about – well, a group of campers, who are unnerved by such tales told by the clueless drama teacher recruited at the last minute to be one of their counselors. Both “Two Truths and a Lie” and “Science Facts!” also feature characters more or less literally taking root, suggesting that stories, like the rhizomes that Pinsker alludes to in both tales, may be connected in hidden ways.
March 10, 2023
These lovely, slightly speculative stories cover a wide range of themes, topics, and even genres. The stories in this collection were uniformly strong, but my favorites were:
"Two Truths and A Lie" about a woman who finds old VHS copies of a local TV show from her childhood. This one was menacing and foreboding.
"Escape from Caring Seasons" a technologically advanced housing complex for seniors, a resident who escapes, and a drone she encounters This one was creepy but realistic with an unexpected ending.
"A Better Way of Saying" a boy hired to speak the cards in silent movies discovers an ability to alter the stories slightly--which also bleeds into real life
"That Our Flag Was Still There" a disturbingly (enforced) patriotic futuristic society where the flags are human symbols
"Remember This For Me" an artist with dementia, her career retrospective, and her artistic muse
"Where Oaken Heartes Do Gather" a folk song ballad told through its Wiki
"Science Facts" a group of campers on a hike encounter something mysterious
and my favorite story in the collection was "Everything is Closed Today" . After a mysterious threat closes everything down, including communication, a librarian starts teaching the young girls in the neighborhood into skateboarders -- and activists.
"Two Truths and A Lie" about a woman who finds old VHS copies of a local TV show from her childhood. This one was menacing and foreboding.
"Escape from Caring Seasons" a technologically advanced housing complex for seniors, a resident who escapes, and a drone she encounters This one was creepy but realistic with an unexpected ending.
"A Better Way of Saying" a boy hired to speak the cards in silent movies discovers an ability to alter the stories slightly--which also bleeds into real life
"That Our Flag Was Still There" a disturbingly (enforced) patriotic futuristic society where the flags are human symbols
"Remember This For Me" an artist with dementia, her career retrospective, and her artistic muse
"Where Oaken Heartes Do Gather" a folk song ballad told through its Wiki
"Science Facts" a group of campers on a hike encounter something mysterious
and my favorite story in the collection was "Everything is Closed Today" . After a mysterious threat closes everything down, including communication, a librarian starts teaching the young girls in the neighborhood into skateboarders -- and activists.
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