"Held Close in Syllables of Light," by Rose Lemberg

[Scott H. Andrews]

This thread is to discuss "Held Close in Syllables of Light," (http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/story.php?s=168) by Rose Lemberg, which appears in BCS #80 (http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/toc.php?s=80) from October 20, 2011.

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[csecooney]

This is a beautiful, tricksy, occasionally terrifying story! It smelled of far off places, but when you went to taste it, tasted like home. This is like the fantasy version of the "It Gets Better" project. Another way of talking about our world, so full of rage and joy, brokenness and power. Thank you.

[lemberg]

Thank you so much for this. It's a story very close to my heart, both because it is queer and because I am now working on a novel set in the same world and featuring these characters.

I might steal "This is like the fantasy version of the "It Gets Better" project." It is such a gift to receive comments. Thank you again!

Rose

[Atsiko Ureni]

This was a fantastic story. I loved the idea of deep names, and how the very weakness Taem's names being what defeated the Shahniyaz is a common ending device, but so well-executed here.

There was definitely the sense of a longer story beneath this one, and I look forward to a novel-length work set in this world.