Oliver Toddle is story of the week over at The Science of Fiction. Go say hello to Andrew. Here’s his flattering capsule review.
Story of the Week: A Gnome Affair
There are many variations of the Grimm’s fairy tale The Elves and the Shoemaker. Most notably to my mind is Charles de Lint’s Pixel Pixies published in a collection by Tor years ago. I love these updates. “Video game store has a real dragon in the basement,” is not only fun to read but is a perfect vehicle for asking questions about what we do with our myths in a world of bytes and bits.
For the story of the week I offer another such story. The Love Song of Oliver Toddle is sweet and erudite where the poetry described in the narrative grows in complexity and relevance as the relationship between protagonists grows in complexity. It is also a discussion between the modern and the ancient and how the two, made one, are better. It was published in The Absent Willow Review, a zine that I have been reading non-stop for a couple of days now. It is really accessible and fiction-forward so go there and enjoy!
I was feeling kinda down yesterday, so this is a nice way to thaw out and feel warmer.
Catherine
