"I am horrified; I am delighted."

December 23, 2021 8:26 AM

Two speculative stories about women whose adventures don't go the way they think they will. “So I’m your only hope,” Sabeena presses, “which means there’s bonus pay, ain’t it? "The Prince and the Pirate" by Andrea Tang (previously) is a fast-paced science fiction story of a sarcastic, galaxy-weary contractor rescuing an old acquaintance. She said we were only going to ask for a minor demon, one who could help us with our homework and harangue our exes. "The Exorcism of Lily Quinn" by Claire Schultz (published this year) is a spooky fantasy/horror story involving a not-great friendship and a student who doesn't know whether she's possessed.

From "The Prince and the Pirate":

Like most trouble in the universe, Sabeena’s starts with a boy. Well, technically a man now – and heir to an entire planetary throne, so there’s that – but the princely designation doesn’t stop the guy from being a pain in her ass. If anything, that just makes it worse. The point is, the prince gets himself kidnapped, in that way that idiot boys do. Three days later, Sabeena gets a call from a woman designated a terrorist by Imperial-controlled space, a check authorizing a coin transfer, and a job offer.

From "The Exorcism of Lily Quinn":

Her apartment wouldn't do, she said, because the atmosphere wasn't right and, besides, everyone broke into the music building at least once, so it really wasn't a big deal. I still lived in the dorms, and accidentally getting your RA possessed was probably outside the bounds of the housing contract. She very proudly showed me the Ouija board she'd picked up at a thrift shop downtown. Which meant it was definitely pre-cursed, but it also only cost eight dollars.

Tomorrow will be my last short sf/f story post for a while, FYI.

posted by brainwane (4 comments total)

Thanks for a terrific series of posts, brainwane!

"The Exorcism of Lily Quinn" reminds me of Sara Gran's short 2003 novel Come Closer, just about the most effective and meanest possession story I've read.
posted by nicwolff at 9:18 AM on December 23, 2021 [1 favorite]

I love the prince and the pirate story. Was mostly enjoying the demon one until....????
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:09 PM on December 23, 2021 [1 favorite]

Thanks so much for all the posts!
posted by warriorqueen at 5:39 AM on December 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Thanks so much for all these posts, brainwane! I didn't know I needed regular doses of excellent SF/F short fiction in my life, but turns out I do--and you've set me up to be self-sufficient for a good while.
posted by col_pogo at 1:48 PM on December 24, 2021 [1 favorite]