Short Story Sunday 19: Ashok Banker, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson

I’m making a serious effort to return to blogging this year. I’ve shared a couple of projects designed to help me work through my pile of unread books and encourage me to write more at SUR. I have no specific projects outside of those which is a good thing since they’re plenty ambitious as they are. Year’s Best Fantasy 2 is included on my Currently Reading list at Goodreads which ties into one of my 2020 blogging projects. I figured a good way to break that down into bite size pieces is to revive Short Story Sunday. This originally started with a Science Fiction anthology by David G. Hartwell and I thought it would be a nice little call back to revive the series by reading a couple stories in another Hartwell anthology.

“In the Shadow of Her Wings” by Ashok Banker

Read in Year’s Best Fantasy 2 (2002), edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer (uncredited)

Originally published in Interzone (April 2001), edited by David Pringle

I’ve never heard of Banker until I read this story. According to the author introduction in this book he’s a prolific screenwriter in India and uses his success in the field to support his career as a novelist. Hartwell and Cramer describe the story as a near-future fantasy which is an odd concept I hadn’t encountered before. I was looking forward to discovering what that description means.

Turns out it means that the story is set in the near future where a feminist separatist cult declares a portion of India as an independent nation. Facing national and international pressure, the government hires an assassin to kill the cult leader in order to put an end to the territory disputes. The story is focused on the assassin’s journey into Kali, the separatist territory populated entirely with women, as he undergoes his mission. By the story’s end you uncover the fantasy elements, though the overall effect of the story is that it feels more near-future than fantastic to me.

Ranking: 2 stars

There’s nothing overtly bad about “In the Shadow of Her Wings”, but it doesn’t deliver a whole lot that is worthwhile either. I’m avoiding any specific on the assassination because the story has a narrow focus and there isn’t much beyond the main plot point. Also, because there are a couple of reveals. There’s certainly a noticeable absence of the fantastic for a story included in a book titled Year’s Best Fantasy, but there isn’t a significant amount of science fiction either. Simply put, it’s the kind of story that is a little difficult to label. Overall I’m a little let down, in parts because of my expectations for the fantastic, in part because it feels pretty familiar (I anticipated both reveals as I’m sure many genre readers would), and I’m much more interested in the socio-political aspects of Kali and the cult which truly only serve as set dressing.

“The Heart of the Hill” by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson

Read in Year’s Best Fantasy 2 (2002), edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer (uncredited)

Originally published in Out of Avalon: An Anthology of Old Magic and New Myths (2001), edited by Jennifer Roberson

Marion Zimmer Bradley is an author I know by reputation, same goes for her most famous work The Mists of Avalon. I have never heard of Diane L. Paxson, though the author introduction tells me she’s a frequent collaborator of Bradley’s. This story was originally published in an anthology that tied into Arthurian myths. I would say that based on the title of the anthology and this particular story, other stories published in Out of Avalon were concerned with connecting the Arthurian legends with older myths as well.  

“The Heart of the Hill” is pretty straightforward on the surface, but I suspect that some of the characters mentioned might have a more direct link with the Avalon series than I am aware of, having never read the book which might add some complexity. It begins with a journal entry written by Morgaine which leads her to recount an event of her earlier days when she was studying as a priestess in Avalon. The story itself is almost a dungeon crawl into self-discovery and forgotten history, all the while making it resonant with importance for the main character.

Ranking: 3.5 stars

Another straightforward tale, though it might have a little more depth for readers that are familiar with The Mists of Avalon. It’s hard for me to tell. I particularly enjoyed how well Bradley and Paxson efficiently sketch the character of Morgaine. She’s layered and interesting which surprised me in so short a story. I like what they did to connect a specific aspect of Arthurian legend with a much older legend (I won’t spoil which) and how echoes of that are felt throughout the ages.

What’s the last short story you read? Was it speculative fiction or something else? Share in the comments!