A quick test. Herewith, four opening lines from four different stories. Two have been published, two will be shortly. Can you guess who they’re by?
- When I was a small a steel monkey would come into my room.
“The Dust Assassin”, Ian McDonald (The Starry Rift) - Kyle was the first to see the exploding cat
“Kyle Meets the River”, Ian McDonald (Forbidden Planets) - Once there was a woman in Delhi who married a djinn.
“The Djinn’s Wife”, Ian McDonald (Asimov’s) - I remember the night I became a goddess.
“The Little Goddess”, Ian McDonald (Asimov’s)
4. Ian McDonald – The Little Goddess
I thought I recognized a couple of the others too, but I’m not sure.
Oh that’s right, you want us to guess ;) But it’s too difficult. Here goes:
No 1 is one of Jay Lake’s bione fictions.
No 2 is a prose adaptation of a South Park episode by Harlan Ellison.
No 3 is a new fantasy parable by Bruce Sterling.
So there.
I don’t know any of them, but I want to read them all, especially the last one!
Peter’s right about #4. Liz, you can read it here (http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0604_5/littlegoddess.shtml).
Oh, and I’m going to wait a little while to reveal the first three. I’m interested to see what people come up with. I can say that all of Peter’s guesses are some distance off the mark.
Sheesh, just wild guesses here:
1. Jeffrey Ford
2. Margo Lanagan
3. Bruce Holland Rogers
No. 1 is an origin story about, and by, Jeff VanderMeer’s alter-ego, “Evil Monkey.”
Well, I must say I am shocqued. I was sure I was right with at least one of them!
*raises eyebrow*
I look forward to finding out! :)
Well, #3 is the first sentence from Ian McDonald’s just-published new story “The Djinn’s Wife.” I just received my copy of the July Asimov’s today, so that’s how I know.
Heh heh. I’ve added the specifics to the relevant post, but basically the four quotes are the opening lines from Ian McDonald’s four ‘River of Gods’ stories.
Aww, I don’t have my July Asimov’s yet :( Lucky Justin, presumably in the States…
Well for that matter I don’t have my March/April/May/June ones yet either. They seem to take forever. My F&SFs are backlogged to buggery, somewhere on this planet I can only hope.
Anyway, nice one, Jonathan!