Books:

**** Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory by Peter Barry


Stories:

**** "The Private Eye" by Albert E. Cowdrey
***** "Snowfall" by Jessie Thompson
** "A Fowl Tale" by Eoin Colfer
**** "Singing of Mount Abora" by Theodora Goss
**** "Esoteric City" by Bruce Sterling
***** "Evergreen" by Shane Tourtellotte
*** "Deermouse" by K. D. Wentworth
*** "From the Ground Up" by Marie DesJardin
*** "Attitude Adjustment" by Eric James Stone
**** "Slipping Sideways through Eternity" by Jane Yolen
***** "Last Contact" by Stephen Baxter
** "The Last Resort" by Alec Nevala-Lee
**** "Away from Here" by Lisa Goldstein
*** "Camera Obscured" by Ferrett Steinmetz
**** "Soulmates" by Mike Resnick and Lezli Robyn
*** "Blood Moon" by Catherine Mintz
*** "In Their Garden" by Brenda Cooper
*** "The Day Before the Day Before" by Steve Rasnic Tem
*** "Jesus Christ, Reanimator" by Ken McLeod
**** "The Stranger's Hands" by Tad Williams
*** "Tear-Down" by Benjamin Crowell
**** "Her Heart's Desire" by Jerry Oltion
*** "Stolen Ghosts" by Jonathan Moeller
*** "Broken Windchimes" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
*** "Flower Fairies" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
*** "Naming Day" by Patricia A. McKillip
***** "Sorrel's Heart" by Susan Palwick
**** "Tío Gilberto and the Twenty-Seven Ghosts" by Ben Francisco
**** "Nell and the Devil" by S. E. Ward


Quick Takes:

Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory by Peter Barry: As an innocent product of an education in the physical sciences, I am accustomed to using the word "theory" to mean a system of concepts and principles that can be applied systematic to explain how something works. Hence it was a little disorienting to find that in the world of literary studies, "theory" refers to any number of stances or attitudes that people may assume toward the subject of literature,most of which appear to be already out of fashion. Nevertheless, this book is a very readable survey of the subject, with many welcome examples and summaries.

"Snowfall" by Jessie Thompson (F&SF reprint): powerful and moving vignette of a young girl's retreat from abuse and violence; strangely beautiful

"Evergreen" by Shane Tourtellotte (Analog): Very real, character-driven story about a near futures where some people have been genetically modified to stop aging while still children.

"Away from Here" by Lisa Goldstein (Asimov's): an engaging parable about moments of magic and the trap of living waiting for them to return.

"Soulmates" by Mike Resnick and Lezli Robyn (Asimov's): a bit of an homage to classic robot stories, nicely done.

"Broken Windchimes" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Asimov's): a castrato opera singer working for an alien species who demand perfection returns to human space and encounters the blues. The idea seemed to be exhausted long before the story ended.

"Sorrel's Heart" by Susan Palwick (Best SF and Fantasy of the Year, vol. 2): dark and strange, but intense in power and meaning


My ratings:
***** excellent: memorable, satisfying, a pleasure to read
**** very good: well written, good read
*** good: readable, engaging, but not very memorable or exciting for me
** sub-par: a rough read, I found it flawed or just uninteresting to me
* huh? someone published this?

My ratings are part objective appraisal of the writing, part unapologetic personal preference (certain subjects and subgenres just don't appeal to me as much as others)