Someone You Can Build a Nest In, by John Wiswell

I really like what I've read of John Wiswell so looked forward to this one. And it was intriguing enough to read all the way to the end. But I gotta agree with the reviewers who found Shesheshen's therapizing and take on humanity both unreal in a way that's hard to handle (I mean it's fiction, it's not supposed to be real) and in some ways patronizing. You could sort of imagine how Shesheshen would acquire a take on humanity by way of ingestion, and what she does with ingested parts. But since she only seems to eat bad people (at least during the events of the book) I would think she'd have a pretty evil orientation if she's literally absorbing their attitudes. And she is basically good. Unlike her mother that somehow got more instruction and knowledge about how to be a monster (Shesheshen often laments her lack of ethnology on how to be a monster, as though in other circumstances she could have done better). Homily and Shesheshen make a very human pair, in the end. Now I know what cozy horror is.

My Goodreads Review

The Coward Who Stole God's Name, by John Wiswell

The privilege of omnipotence is explored in The Coward Who Stole God's Name.  Pretty good twist on the topic, giving social media a role.  This was at least as good as D.I.Y., his other highly nominated story this year.  I liked it.

D.I.Y. by John Wiswell

D.I.Y. is a story where justice is served.  The magical metaphor is really pretty thin, it would be fine if the protagonist was an amateur scientist fighting science patents instead of magical ones.  It is an enlightening and enjoyable read.

For Lack of a Bed, by John Wiswell

For Lack of a Bed was nominated for Locus and Nebula awards in 2022.  Wiswell brings his own acquaintance with chronic pain to the story.  And it's very inventive and fun--the world is familiar in that we have people struggling to make it, just barely getting by on their clerk jobs.  Our protagonist is scraping by on what she makes from a pet shop job, and can't afford basics like a bed to allow her to manage her pain better.  The clerk jobs are in a more fantastic place with pets from hell (hellhounds).  She gets an offer of a sofa from a friend, which is really comfy, but the sofa isn't a sofa and it's hungry.  Had a good time reading this one.

That Story Isn’t the Story, by John Wiswell

Short stories by default have to be more direct about their topic, and That Story Isn't the Story is. It’s a kind of magical realism story where the protagonist is trying to get out of an abusive living arrangement and does so with the help of a friend. The author does a good job of showing how difficult that can be—the friend is indeed a good one but the living arrangements are late stage capitalism precarious. What I liked here was the way the title of this story is used.  The characters use it to keep focus on the lesson being conveyed and not go down pity rabbit holes. Read it for that. The rest is ok and potentially moving to someone in that situation.

My Goodreads Review 

Open House on Haunted Hill, by John Wiswell

This is a fun take on haunted house stories. Houses don't have ghosts. Houses do their own haunting. The author got a lot of good character development into a very small space, too. A very nice Christmas read.

My Goodreads Review