Fire in the Void

Stories of the Jokka

by M.C.A. Hogarth

Keshul makes his money cloaking his common sense as fortune-telling for the Jokka of het Narel, and he would be the first to tell you it's all a sham. Or so he thinks, until a patron shows up asking for the wisdom of the Void...

16 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2010

About the author

Daughter of two Cuban political exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things—-web database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage therapist—-but is currently a full-time parent, artist, writer and anthropologist to aliens, both human and otherwise.

Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.

Reviews

[Karen A. Wyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final volume in a trilogy. The series explores difficult questions having to do with apparently irreconcilable conflicts between personal feeling, ethics, and the necessities biology and environment can impose. All the novels feature compelling narrators and other primary characters. The first book is in some ways the most difficult one to make it through. I recommend reading all three (as well as the collection of related stories).

[Elizabeth McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my Amazon review:
A return to tragedy, if perhaps second-hand, and a charlatan fortune-teller whose usual good business sense (and other good sense) deserts him -- to his disquiet, as his predictions are more accurate than he expects.

I quite like how there's a mix of his "reading the client" *and* whispers of something More. No, really, coincidence. (Keep telling yourself that, Keshul. Maybe you're right. Honest.)

This is a very short story, and relatively little happens. The narrator, Keshul, carries it strongly, though. I know there are more Keshul stories, and I anticipate them with, er, anticipation. Lots of it.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short piece is part of the author's Jokka universe. For those not familiar with the world, some of the alien terminology may be confusing, but they're clear enough that I think a newcomer could follow the story. The story itself stands alone as a tale of a self-described "false seer" who makes a practice of dispensing common sense as prophecy, and of the consequence when the seer starts getting real messages.
As bonus, the story has a gorgeous cover illustration by the author.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful tale that drew me into the author's world effortlessly. Through the protagonist's engaging virtues and flaws, the story unfolds, leaving me surprised and wondering at every turn. A beautiful piece of fantasy that makes the world seem real in its mundane and fantastic aspects, and left me thinking about the deeper implications of the story.

[Rita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I keep hoping one of these will end happy...