Matthew's Journal

Time to vote for the short stories...

1. Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather, Sarah Pinsker. A fun, creepy story, excellent use of unusual form.
2. Mr. Death, Alix E. Harrow. A nicely told tale, good twist, plenty of heart without getting mushy.
3. Unknown Number, Blue Neustifter. I read this when it appeared on twitter, and it obviously spoke to a number of people; nicely executed.
4. Proof by Induction, José Pablo Iriarte. There's a lot going on in this, but somehow it didn't quite land for me.
5. Tangles, Seanan McGuire. A lot less bleak than much of what I've read by McGuire, but I think I wasn't invested enough in the world for this to appeal.
6. The Sin of America, Catherynne M. Valente. An angry, and necessarily horrible tale.

Given my desire not to sign up to an entire subscription service just to watch a film, I only managed to watch 3 of the nominees in this category. Which I think is just about enough to vote anyway...

1. The Green Knight. [previously reviewed]
2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This is fun; it felt fresh whilst still ticking the MCU boxes; not sure where it fits on the representation/orientalism axis
3. Encanto. [previously reviewed]