This post-apocalyptic horror story by Nalo Hopkinson redefines the concept of puberty. A virus has swept the world, causing all who achieve adulthood to “sprout” into ravenous, werewolf-like beasts. To escape them, children hide in small groups. The story is told from the perspective of twin sisters, one of whom naively believes she caused the virus by inventing the word easthound. Their group are closely monitoring an older boy who is about to undergo the change and will soon have to leave them, when the unexpected occurs. Themes include violence, camaraderie, survival, childhood innocence, adult predation. More…
Monkeyman
W. D. Myers’s Monkeyman is a quiet, bookish senior high-school student who steps in to prevent two “lady” members of a street gang from slashing the face of a girl he knows. The rest of the gang is honour-bound to extract payback. Instead of hiding, he challenges one of them to meet in a park. As a large crowd gathers to watch, Monkeyman does something that surprises everyone. Three weeks later, he is fighting for his life in hospital. At the time, the narrator thinks Monkeyman’s actions in the park were stupid. Years later, he/she thinks differently. More…
Henne Fire
Set in pre-World War 1 Poland, this story by Isaac Bashevis Singer explores how a small Jewish community interacts with a seemingly deranged woman who the narrator describes as not a human being but a fire from Gehenna [hell]. Her abusive behaviour forces her family to flee their home and, in keeping with the biblical analogy, small fires tend to pop up around her wherever she lives. A major theme of the story is community, reflected in the support she receives despite her offensive behaviour and the fire risk to neighbors. Other themes include madness, fear, alcohol abuse, the supernatural. More…
Animal Stories
In this story by Jason Brown, a melancholic young man struggles to deal with his mother’s looming death from a brain tumor. Spanning a brief period from her initial diagnosis in hospital to her refusal of treatment and car ride home, the story is interspersed with memories of the past and diversions involving animal videos playing on the TV in her room. The memories have as much to do with the young man coming to terms with his failures in life as they do with his mother’s deteriorating state of mind. Themes: memories, dysfunctionality, mental instability, devotion, acceptance, nature. More…
Interpreter of Maladies
Interpreter of Maladies is the titular tale in Jhumpa Lahiri’s award-winning debut short story collection. The stories deal with different aspects of the cultural and relationship issues facing people of Indian heritage in the modern world. This story contrasts two empty marriages. The Indian protagonist (a doctor’s translator who moonlights as a tour guide) fantasizes that the wife in an Indian-American family he takes sightseeing has a romantic interest in him. Rather than love, she wants his help to find a “cure” for a foolish mistake she once made. Themes include marriage, communication, poor parenting, loss, guilt, loneliness, self-esteem. More…