FF Friday

A while back, I was introduced to Sarah Pinsker's writing when rachelmanija reviewed the fantastic "And Then There Were (N-One.)" When I learned that Pinsker had a story collection out, I was ecstatic, and it did not disappoint!

It's extremely rare that I read a collection of short stories and like every one, but Pinsker's prose and eye for detail got me every time. Her worldbuilding is evocative, and most importantly, every single character she writes is brimming with heart, soul, and humanity. She writes with a stunning amount of empathy. Her stories feature a vast array of people from different walks of life, but I can't think of a single one with a traditional villain. The stories are united by speculative element, and a bittersweet feeling, where no easy answers are in reach, but humanity keeps going, keeps loving, keeps making music regardless.

Considering I'm reviewing the collection for this community, it should come as no surprise that many of Pinsker's stories feature queer women. What I really love how not-a-big-deal their queerness is. In And We Were Left Darkling, Jo's relationship with her wife, Taya, is strained when Jo starts having recurring dreams of a child they don't have. In the titular Sooner Or Later, Everything Falls Into the Sea, Bay hopes to reunite with her wife, Debra, in a post-apocalyptic landscape. In The Sewell Home for the Temporally Displaced, Marguerite and Judy find love and solace in a stifling institution out of space and time. In Wind Will Rove, Rose mentions a (female) ex who still brings her fresh mint from the greenhouse. In Our Lady of the Open Road, Luce finds herself attracted to a younger musician she meets on tour. And of course we have Sarah, the protagonist of And Then There Were (N-One,) her wife, Mabel, and the many other Sarahs, who may or may not have a Mabel of their own. Even when the relationships aren't central, they always feel warm and believable. Pinsker has a gift for portraying a strong, multifaceted bond in very few words, a skill many romance writers could honestly take a lesson in.

ETA: This is what happens when I post early in the morning. I meant to list some of my favorite stories in this collection, and totally forgot.

In Remembery Day, Kima, a little girl, watches her mother, a war veteran, attend a memorial parade. There's a slow revelation of just what's going on regarding the war which I won't reveal, but it's an emotional gutpunch.

In The Low Hum of Her, Tanya's father builds a golem/automaton of her recently-deceased Bubbe, whose existence then helps the family escape a Europe on the brink of the Holocaust/WWII. Despite the setting, the story isn't depressing, and largely focuses on Tanya's growing bond with this 'New Bubbe.'

(Looking at the last two stories makes me realize I really enjoy how Pinsker writes children. They are neither cutsey nor small adults, but rather understandable if emotionally immature human beings in their own right, and I wish more writers would take note.)

The Sewell Home for the Temporally Displaced may be the shortest story in the collection, but it's impressively evocative for its length.

In Joy, Knowing the Abyss Behind is told from the point of view of Millie, the now-aging wife of an architect who got broken pretty badly by a military project he had to work on in the Cold War era. Every single appearing member of Millie's family is rendered with empathy and nuance, no matter how short their appearance, and the story of just what George, Millie's husband, had to do, as well as her trying and failing to reach out to him, is quietly heartwrenching.

Wind Will Rove takes place on a generation starship, exploring history, transformative works, and how generations develop their identity through the eyes of Rose, a history teacher and musician. I don't normally look at a story themes-first, but the themes in this one were so well-developed and portrayed with so much nuance, I was impressed.

I talked about And Then There Were (N-One) in greater detail in a previous review, so all I'm going to say is I still loved it on re-read. Knowing just what had really happened gave a very different flavor to some scenes, and created a different yet equally satisfying reading experience.

I loved this collection, and highly encourage everyone to check it out!