Two Fic Tuesday for Jan 20th

Hi, hello, and welcome!

This week I'm doing something a little different and sharing two stories by the same author. In my defense, I thought they paired so well together, what with the themes of nature going weird on us/that vague almost apocalyptic feel, mixing with strained relationships. Maybe that's what I get for going with a single author though. Not that I have any complaints. Quite the opposite, really.

These two stories were just so very "my thing" that I couldn't resist sharing them, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Recs

The Earth Inside Us - Abigail Kemske - The Dark
This is exactly the kind of thing I love. Weird plant stuff, a bittersweet ending, and some general strangeness that was fascinating to watch unfold. This story is beautiful, and a little bit soft, but also sat with me in this quiet, mourning way. I felt for the characters in this, and their loss of each other, especially because it was something that didn't need to happen the way it does.

Dear/Deer - Abigail Kemske - Gavagai
I'm going to be honest, I love some fucked up deer. It's one of my favorite things to read, and this was perfect for that. Some scary nature and deer? Yes, good. Give me so much more of this. On top of that though, the relationship here is great. That yearning for connection that turns into something not quite what you were wanting, mixed with the distance in the father/daughter relationship. All of it comes together with scary deer works so well for me.

I wish all of you many good stories,

• Vale

PS: If you want to find me elsewhere, I'm on Bluesky at @howsweetthewords and I have a Ko-fi and Patreon where I post prompts, more personal/writing updates, micro-fiction, and miscellany. Tiers start at $1, but there is the occasional free post as well.