Short Stories by Diemer & West

One of the joys of blogging is that you get to make up the rules. 

 . . . and go nanny nanny boo-boo to yourself, every now and then.

I write book reviews - I read a book, make notes, sit around staring at a wall for a while, then end up with something that eventually becomes a post on The Rainbow Reader.

It’s scientifically unscientific, kind of like making pudding, only with words and no whip cream.

Back in August, the lovely and talented Sarah Diemer of The Dark Wife fame asked if I’d crack open my rulebook to review a short story of hers.  I kind of wanted to say ‘no’ because I only review books, but she’s just so darn nice and her writing is so lyrically edgy, I found myself saying, “Of course I will.”

Then a month later, the lovely and talented Gabriella West of The Leaving fame reminded me that I had asked her to keep me up to date on her work, which includes the release of a new short story.  I kind of wanted to say ‘no short story review’ because I only do books, but she’s just so darn nice and her writing is so lyrically edgy, I found myself saying, “Of course I will.”

Hmmm.  See the trend here?

Pat yourself on the back, because it took me a few days to realize that these two writers, while so very different, have compatible styles, and the subject matter for their short stories could combine for a really cool and different type of review.

So, I blew the dust off my finest nanny nanny boo-boo, and this post was born.

Short Story:  Far

Author:  Sarah Diemer

Publisher:  Self-Published

Far is the dystopian tale of Mana, who is the best Runner for the dark, oppressed, city without a name.  As a Runner, she uses magic to steal the souls of the recently departed from the purgatory of After, and its sketchy machine known as the Recycler.  Once the souls are returned to the city, she repatriates them with their lifeless bodies.  All is well, until she meets Far, a beautiful woman that makes her feel alive.  But Far is seemingly unimpressed by the love and devotion of Mana, and takes her own life in an attempt to be free.  A completely devastated Mana returns to After to retrieve Far’s soul, so they can be together again.  Far is furious with Mana for making her a Reanima, and refuses her attempts at love.  Mana takes one more job to get money to make a better life for Far, but is consumed by The Prehend.  Far realizes her love for Mana, and follows her into After, but what she finds challenges every notion of life, death, love, and forever.

Ah, I love a good dystopian zombie love story.

Far is available for purchase as a short story at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords, but it will also be included in Ms. Diemer’s Love Devours:  Tales of Monstrous Adoration, a speculative/science fiction lesbian anthology scheduled for release in November 2011.

While deprivation, terror, and oppression are not part of my ‘feel good’ vibe, Far is an amazing little story that makes the dark journey worth while.  The story is beautifully written, and amazingly detailed.  The characters are surprisingly complex for such a short tale, and their relationship has a delicate hint of O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi.  But, it is so very much more. 

The more I read of Sarah Diemer, the more I’m mesmerized by her vision and writing style.  I’m giving the short story Far a 5.1 out of 6 on the Rainbow Scale – it’s dark but it’s a gorgeous piece of prose.

Short Story:  The Doge’s Daughter

Author:  Gabriella West

Publisher:  Self-Published

The Doge’s Daughter non-too-politely grabs the reader by the hand and drags us into the heart of 17^th Century Vienna. Piero is a young boy from a poor family who is chosen by the priests of the Doge’s court to become a castrato singer in their choir.  For years he toils as a singer, maturing into a serious young man.  Because of the castration, he remains almost girlish in appearance.  One day, Elisabetta, the teenage daughter of the Doge, singles him out for special games.  Piero is surprised, but knows his place when summoned.  Elisabetta marries the handsome young Prince Michele, who embraces an open relationship with his new wife as a way to sustain their passion.  Of course, Prince Michele is as taken by the young Piero as Elisabetta.

As someone who reviews Lesbian Literature, I was so not prepared for a piece of erotic historical fiction that included castration, pedophilia, oral and anal sex, and a lusty bisexual menage-a-trois.  Nope, totally not prepared.

But, you know what?  This is a well written sort-of love story.  The kind of well written story that deposits the reader into the very heart of it.  Ms. West told a dark and gritty tale that addressed several taboo topics and a handful of others that aren’t mentioned in polite company, but she did it in a beautiful, lyrical style.  Ms. West is masterful at strong first-person narrative, and the reader is easily able to step into the shoes of Piero, and embrace his moments of joy, beauty, and discovery. 

One of the fun elements of this story is figuring out the roles.  Piero and Prince Michele are men, and Elisabetta is a woman.  Yet, Piero is a eunuch, and so many elements of attraction for Michele and Elisabetta are tied to his more girlish aspects.  Many, but not all. 

My tastes run strongly toward lesbian literature, so this short story wasn’t really in my wheelhouse.  Still, as a reviewer, I can’t deny that it is a brilliant piece of writing that deserves to be embraced by it’s intended audience.  I’m giving The Doge’s Daughter a 5.0 out of 6 on the Rainbow Scale – as a lesfic reviewer, it’s not every day I get to use the words “eunuch” and “castrato”.

The Doge’s Daughter is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

Book:  The Dark Wife

Author:  Sarah Diemer

Publisher:  Self-Published

There’s no other way to say this than to be perfectly blunt:  Zeus is a super-size male member, Demeter is a textbook enabler, Hades could use some lessons in more effective personal communications, Pallas is a netherworld stalker, Charon is stuck in a job that he hates, and Persephone has underlying anger management issues.

In other words, the Gods and Goddesses aren’t crazy; they’re just like our own messed up extended families . . .

In Sarah Diemer’s self-published, YA novel, The Dark Wife, we follow the dawning of Persephone, first into teen angst, then first love, disillusionment, bitter hatred, self-imposed emotional exile, awareness, awakening, adult love, and finally into an unavoidable yet mature compromise between those that love and hurt her so much. 

While the book generally follows the outline of the classic Greek myth, it is a very different story altogether.  Persephone is a teenage lesbian, Hades is a woman of quiet power, and Cerberus is an adorable, three-headed, floppy-eared, big-pawed puppy.  Zeus is an absent father until he wants something from his daughter; and Demeter is a loving mother, but one that doesn’t want to rock the boat called Mount Olympus. 

The only thing missing is the tough and chewy Gorgon with a gun.

Sarah Diemer writes some truly beautiful and lyrical prose, and at moments seemed to show flashes of a much older soul.  She captured the confusion, loneliness, and torment of a teen in a seriously dysfunctional family that is saddled with high parental expectations; as well as Persephone’s struggle to understand who she really is and what she really wants in and from her life.  At times, Persephone seems almost like a petulant child throwing a tantrum, and at others she is remarkably mature and perceptive.  She shows outward distain toward one parent, and skirts the fringe of passive aggressive behavior with the other.

How very much like a typical teenager . . .

I have to admit, though, the relationship between Persephone and Hades is a bit of a mystery to me.  While I understand that there is a mutual fascination from the moment they first meet, I can’t say I really picked up on the heat between the two of them.  Persephone melts every time Hades speaks to her, but Hades is a woman of few words.  In fact, it appears for a bit that Pallas might be the one making the move on Persephone instead of Hades.  But, of course, Hades is mysterious, has the cute puppy, the cool horses, and those smoldering good looks. 

Ah, but the whole sexy Lord of the Underworld vibe is the cherry on top . . .

The Dark Wife is a fairly short book, roughly 100 pages.  It starts off a bit slow, has a few too many gratuitous ‘cavorting with Nymph’ scenes, and could use a little more emotional and physical foreplay between Persephone and Hades to firm up their deep and abiding love.  However, it recovers nicely and packs a bit of a punch towards the end.  I’ll even admit that it gets a little hot and steamy.   

Pun intended . . .

But, of course, this is a book intended for the Young Adult audience, and it is meant to reflect a very different flavor of thoughts, fears, issues, conflicts, hopes, emotions, and feelings.  In that, it succeeded, because there are some truly wonderful moments in this book.  And, while the storyline and the writing style of The Dark Wife won’t capture all young adult readers, it will speak strongly and clearly to others. 

Those are the ones this book was written for, and that’s why books like this are worth their weight in gold.

As an author, Ms. Diemer has chosen a path that suits her by self-publishing, and offering the book free to the audience that it was written for.  Of course, it’s also available at Amazon, Barns and Noble, and Smashwords for $2.99, or you can donate whatever you believe the book is worth to you via her website: http://oceanid.org

Make no mistake, Sarah Diemer is not quite like any other author in the Lesbian Collective, and that’s most definitely not a bad thing.  In fact, it’s something special.  She lives the message she’s been given: be true to yourself, don’t be afraid to love, things will get better.  Her next book, a YA paranormal yarn called Ragged:  A Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tale, is scheduled for release later this summer. 

I’m giving The Dark Wife a 4.5 out of 6 on the Rainbow Scale.  It’s not easy taking a Homeric Hymn, adding in a dose of teenage angst, a little good, old-fashion lesbian lust, and a grumpy Ferryman who would rather be an Accountant, and still have it be palatable.