100 words

The following comments are made by Associate Editors here at Haven Spec. Associate Editor is the name we give to our first-tier readers, and, in many cases, they serve as champions for those stories recommended to the Assistant Editors, and finally, to the Editor-in-Chief. Below, we gave those Associate Editors some space in our pages to speak a little about those stories, which were recommended out of hundreds of others received by Haven Spec over the past few months.

We here at Haven Spec firmly believe in the awesome joy of discovering new voices— and not just those that come in through the submissions portal. Our Associate Editors are all relatively recently introduced to their positions, and each bring their own experiences and tastes to the fore when they choose from the gamut of submissions received. We thought our readers might like to hear from those voices, and to get a glimpse at how they felt when moved by a particular piece enough to recommend it be published at Haven Spec.

TJ Price, Fiction Editor

Tring-A-Ling
Dafydd McKimm

Dafydd McKimm's "Tring-A-Ling" was an obsessive read for me, right from its distinctive opening hook of The Monster pedaling into the village. The visuals are strong—the bright yellow bicycle with red tassels, the cobbles, the bell. From the off, I suspected that this story would be sneaky and tricksy, and it didn't disappoint. I followed the Monster as he rode through the village talking to adults, and it is very clear that something is wrong here. But with each new scene, the story could still tilt in a variety of directions from that sense of wrongness. The story is short and crisp, and the imagery of it will remain with me for a long time.

Review by Faith Allington

Before I even read "Tring-A-Ling," I had a feeling it was a story that would stick with me. The onomatopoeia title carries through the story a sense of foreboding using a sound that one would typically equate to joy, making Dafydd McKimm’s story stand out. And there is a sense of joy woven through this piece as the Monster, on his tasseled bike, navigates the neighborhood. Though it’s the constant current of dread, of wondering what its goal is, running beneath that keeps you reading. What will this nice, polite Monster do? The neighborhood adults seem to think he’s the perfect specimen. But the kids? Well, maybe they can be persuaded.

Review by KA Roy

Fragments of Sky in Quantum Grief
Lex Chamberlin

Quantum grief is a beautifully explored concept in this sharp, bright flash story. The effects of this grief are unknown because those who succumb to it aren't able to explain anymore—a chilling idea that feels all too real and urgent. It begins with a woman whose sky is falling in sheets and exposing a starless abyss waiting for her. The shared task for her and her partner to deal with the effects of quantum grief is both touching and heart-rending. It manages to capture the pragmatic sense of having to function in the face of overwhelming grief but it also fits exactly into the speculative side of the story, hitting both notes at the same time. The ending is lovely and sad, drenched in the same duality that you can feel through the entire piece.

Review by Faith Allington

She Will Help You The Only Way She Knows How
Janel Comeau

I knew on the first page of Janel Comeau’s work that I’d be a big fan of Sophie’s Maman and I was not disappointed. This is a story about the quiet ways in which generations of women pass down knowledge and protect each other, even when they’re stuck in situations they either can’t get out of or make excuses for. It’s a story about a mother’s love and a mother’s sacrifice, and the secrets she keeps, as well as deciding when to pass them on. I loved the beauty and the horror of this piece, the woven relationship of Sophie and her Maman. I also appreciate a story where some things are left unsaid, and in the case of "She Will Help You The Only Way She Knows How," the inferred parts are handled with beauty and care for subjects that are brutal and heartbreaking.

Review by KA Roy