Two Fic Tuesday for May 26th

Hi, hello and welcome!

This week you get something a little extra! I don't always recommend poetry here, but I think when I do, they'll be additions to the regular two stories. Well, unless I run into at least two poems I want to shout about in the same week.

Anyway, this week I brought you a couple of stories I found myself really digging into. I love the way both unfolded and how you were able to go along for the ride and experience curiosity or trepidation as you read. Very much had a good time this week.

Recs

The Stars Look Away From This Vessel - dave ring - Lightspeed
Oh, I really enjoyed this one a lot. The way the narrative goes back and forth, and how things unfold. It was exciting to watch, even as it carried a sense of something ominous too. I really, really love how this builds and where we get to at the end.

Excrescence - R.F. Daniels - Foofaraw
This was so short but so wonderful. I loved how you learned enough about the world to get a brief idea of what might be going on without having to go into overexplaining. I love how this ends too, how it has an inevitable feeling to it.

And an extra poem!

When Death Comes, Look to The Tower - Ali Trotta - Small Wonders
I was immediately drawn to this. People who know me know that I'm into divination, and I read both tarot/oracle and do bone casting. So yeah, I was immediately into this. Then though, I fell in love with the whole thing on its own merits and I found myself absolutely swept up in this one. Such a wonderful thing to stumble across.

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, microfiction, and miscellany. Tiers start at $1, but there is the occasional free post as well.