Walking Boots

One day, you may discover walking boots on your porch.  Walking boots are weather-beaten.  They are just your size.  You may have vague memories of buying them, but this is a lie.

The walking boots never tire and never slip.  They always take you where you need to be.  There may be magic; there will be wonder.

But walking boots never go home.  The walking boots do not sip tea and only grudgingly tolerate campfires.  The walking boots emphatically do not sit in comfortable chairs.

Whether you put the walking boots on is up to you. 

Keep an eye out.

Theory of Relativism

“I have a solution,” said Pigh.  “The Valiri Gem requires the sacrifice of the most powerful love in the universe in order to destroy it for good, right?

“Right.”

“Okay.  First, renounce all principles, beliefs, and personal ideals.”

“What?”

“Just do it.” 

“Uh, okay, sure.”

“Okay, now give me your shirt.  That one’s your favorite, right?”

“Pretty much.”

Pigh ripped it in two.

“Hey!”

The Valiri Gem sparked, flared, and cracked in half.

“As I suspected,” said Pigh smugly.  “In the presence of a moral vacuum, the gravity of the situation acts equally on each burden, regardless of relative weight.” 

Welcome Back

The mask had cut most of the smell since they’d left the ship.  Jev’s eyes started watering the moment she removed it.  Tral kept his on, the wheezing of his recycler the only sound, other than the distant hum of the roving swarms.  They weren’t a threat yet, but they moved fast.  Jev was wary.

From atop the rise, the brown and arid earth spread down and away, dipping into soupy dells and occasional tangles of hard and thorny weeds.

“What is this place?” Tral wanted to know.

Jev blinked, feeling the sting.  “It’s home, Tral.  We’ve made it home.”

"What We're Having" at Strange Horizons

My story "What We're Having" is up at Strange Horizons this week.

It's a quiet and (hopefully) charming little relationship story, centered on a time-traveling skillet.  Enjoy!

"Sticks and Stones" at PodCastle

My story "Sticks and Stones," originally published at Crossed Genres, is now up at PodCastle!  All hail the new overlords, Rachael and Graeme!

"The Sea of Wives" at PodCastle

My dark little selkie story is up now at PodCastle!  (First new publication to actually hit in like forever.)

Basically, I'm relatively fond of selkies as a concept anyway, and then I read an article about the culture and conditions surrounding Alaskan fishing trawlers and went "Hmm."

Dave Thompson had specifically requested I send it to him, and then I found out he was planning to leave the editorship of PodCastle, so this is sort of a farewell on several levels.  Best of luck, Dave!  We love you, man.

I hope everyone enjoys the story regardless.

- Nathan

Malfunctions

Timothy turned on the tap.

“The water isn’t working right,” said Betty.

And it wasn’t.  It flowed out of the tap and down to the sink, clear and cold to the touch, but it wouldn’t get anything wet.  He added coffee grounds to the filter holder and they just hovered in the middle of the fluid, undampened.

He glared at Betty, sipping blithely from her mug as she sat at the table.  “How did you get yours, then?”

Betty shrugged, then indicated the dark gouge in the wall behind her.  It dripped, glistening wet.  “The bricks aren’t working right, either.”