Welcome, book club readers! I’m sorry for being so late this month! We have two short stories left, and these are actually quite short at 14 pages and 24 pages respectively.
The first is titled “Or All The Seas With Oysters”, by Avram Davidson 14p. Avram Davidson is another multi-award-winning SF & Fantasy author. He wrote prolifically, publishing a few series, several stand-alone novels, and over a dozen collections of short stories, none of which I’ve read or even heard of. I look forward to this interestingly titled story as an introduction to an untried fantasy novelist!
The second, and final in our reading series, is “Come Lady Death”, an ominous sounding tale by Peter S. Beagle. Beagle also has numerous writing credits to his name, only one of which I’m familiar with, which is his screenplay for an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (“Sarek”).
Happy reading!! Perhaps as part of this month’s comments, you could include your most and least favourite stories from the entire collection? Just for fun, don’t overthink it 
I have been on vacation since I read these stories, so bear with me.
Or All The Seas is a cleverly written story that loops back on itself in a way that I generally really enjoy. It was a bit of a strange stretch to use the mysterious appearance and disappearance of every items like safety pins and coat hangers. Although, now that I think about it, I have always wondered what becomes of all my missing pens ….
Come Lady Death started out like a story about … what’s the word for people who are so entitled they think they can have or do whatever they want without consequences? A story about that! I was pretty sure Lady Neville was going to become Death, but against her will as a punishment for whatever that word is. I did not expect it to be her desire to become death, although ultimately I suppose that’s just another path to immortality that all those [insert missing word here] people seem to seek.
To wrap up, my favourite(s) are competing between “Ozioma the Wicked” about the woman who is treated like a repellant witch until the townspeople suddenly need her help, “The Flight of the Horse”, a realistic look at how entitlement might play out in a future dystopia, and “The Smile on the Face”, a message for young women that men don’t define your beauty or your potential. Least favourite was definitely “Prismatica” which had too much damsel-in-distress nonsense for me.
Ack! I read the October stories right after the September ones and then totally forgot to post…Let’s see if I can remember anything!
Or All the Seas With Oysters – I do actually believe that inanimate objects in my house are sometimes out to get me. They particularly like to jump off counters and move themselves around. I’ve never suspected them of regeneration or procreation though. Might be a useful way to get around planned obsolescence! This was a weird one, but the mythology held up consistently!
Come Lady Death – The dark side of Downton Abbey? They have everything but they are either miserable or horrible. I’m not sure I want the new Death to forget what she is doing penance for!
Thanks for the readalong Risa! Happy December reading!