STORY INFO
Soso
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Author
Russell Mickler
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Categories
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Danh mục
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Update
1 year ago
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Part Chapter
1/??
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Reads
84
Content
The Toymaker. Thomas. The Prodigy. Taking the River Trail.The dragonfly ornithopter remained still on the craftsman’s workbench. Inside its balsawood frame were scaled clockwork machinations - guts of miniaturized pistons, cranks, servos, and gears - that lay exposed in its abdomen. Four paper-thin metallic wings were secured to its thorax, and it had round eyes of polished purple kunzite.The tiny marvel was surrounded by an assortment of fine, delicate tools, a visor of sliding loupe mag...
Outstanding reviews
Great worldbuilding here. Love the cautionary tale, sort of a fantastical Prometheus legend in a Tolkein-esque world.
Rock on - thank you, Laurel - very kind of you to say :) R
Congrats on yet another shortlist. 👏👏
Thank you, Viga - :)R
Wonderful, Russell! If they - whoever they is - didn't always say 'nothing's perfect.' I'd say this is perfect. The prose that alone would keep a reader reading; the characters, fully formed and engaging; the imaginative new world, not just toys but something entirely new (I want one); and the storyline, fully realized and a joy - I'm sorry but it's perfect!
Hi Susan!Extremely kind of you to say - I'm very glad you enjoyed it! I'm working on a novella-length story involving Artemis for release in the summer - it was fun to write a piece of his origin story :) Again, thank you :)R
I told you it was perfect! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Who says there's no such thing as perfection - how gratifying to see reward well deserved. Perfection is when things align and your story and the short list did just that (though I would have given it top prize, of course) Ah well, nothing's . . .
Giggle - if it perfectly delighted you and brought you and others joy, Susan, then it did its work. :) And you're too kind to say so. As there are so many good submissions to Reedsy every week - hundreds of folks with new and exciting voices - I don't envy the judges, but I'm grateful this one resonated. Thank you :)R
This piece, with all the vivid descriptions, engaging dialogue, and conceivable characters truly make Soso such a legendary read! To be able to paint a magical picture as detailed as such within a short story is a talent. Loved following Soso's story. Great job!
Hi Shaivi -Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for the time to read and comment! :) R
Hi Shaivi -Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for the time to read and comment! :) R
Hi Jack -Wow that’s so wonderful for you to say :) his work started out as bedtime stories for his children, and I’ve always loved that idea when I write my stuff. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment - glad it resonated :)R
This is a magical well-crafted story filled with delightful characters and hidden depths. It immersed me in another world. A great response to the prompt.
Hi there, Helen!Thank you so very much for reading and taking the time to comment. I truly appreciate it. I was a little concerned that the story didn't give enough texture and depth - as compared to my other stories - as I was pressed with the word constraint. I'm so very glad you found it immersive :) All the best -R
Hi there, Helen!Thank you so very much for reading and taking the time to comment. I truly appreciate it. I was a little concerned that the story didn't give enough texture and depth - as compared to my other stories - as I was pressed with the word constraint. I'm so very glad you found it immersive :) All the best -R
I loved this story (see my comment below), and appreciate the insights on your writing process. That makes it even more special.
Fantastic! I’ll be including this kind of thing on all of my stories now :)Thanks again -R
Fantastic! I’ll be including this kind of thing on all of my stories now :)Thanks again -R
Fantastic! I’ll be including this kind of thing on all of my stories now :)Thanks again -R
Thank for the follow, and I'm a fan already, so I'll be reading more in the Black Anvil world. My stuff on StoryBUZZ.com is not a cohesive world, it's a potpourri of different inspirations and exploration.And, yes, I offer a free course, nothing paid (yet) at www.storybuzz.com/faster
That is a beautiful and touching story — it reminded me of the wonder I found in Ray Bradbury’s work. I’m old enough to remember the great, magical wonder of the toy store tucked into the lower level of the ‘60s shopping plaza near my grandparents. It was packed with EVERYTHING cool, and next to the library branch (the plaza had an escalator — so futuristic for the time!). Thanks not only for another wonderful tale, but for also spurring lovely memories.
That is a beautiful and touching story — it reminded me of the wonder I found in Ray Bradbury’s work. I’m old enough to remember the great, magical wonder of the toy store tucked into the lower level of the ‘60s shopping plaza near my grandparents. It was packed with EVERYTHING cool, and next to the library branch (the plaza had an escalator — so futuristic for the time!). Thanks not only for another wonderful tale, but for also spurring lovely memories.
That’s a great idea — so many riches in Soso’s story!
My landing page for this work can be found at:https://www.black-anvil-books.com/sosoAs always, thanks for reading, and thanks for sticking around.R
aww. this was a sweet story, Russel. at first I had kind of thought Thomas wasn't alive, but as the story went on I started thinking he was alive... until the end. :Dthanks for sharing!! :)
Grin - thank you, Lilah!I was just reading it aloud to someone, and she's like, "OMG You _killed_ Thomas!"I'm like, "I didn't _kill_ Thomas. He's a toy. I _reset_ Thomas so he wouldn't be so annoying."Grin - did you think I _killed_ Thomas, when you read the last part? grin ... My beta reader here is saying, "You wiped out its memory, you killed who he was, etc..." heheheR
hehe really? that's hysterical. :Dno I didn't really think he was killed. I mean, Thomas never died... he just basically had his memory wiped. although, to be honest, which is worse?
Well, I'm glad you didn't have that initial reaction! Sure, we erased the _enlightened_ consciousness of a toy, but A., it is just a toy no matter how advanced, B., Thomas has an opportunity to learn again, and C., be a better travel companion :) I mean, how tedious would it be to be road-tripping with a Koan-spouting crow? giggle...Thank you so much for reading :)R
Well, I'm glad you didn't have that initial reaction! Sure, we erased the _enlightened_ consciousness of a toy, but A., it is just a toy no matter how advanced, B., Thomas has an opportunity to learn again, and C., be a better travel companion :) I mean, how tedious would it be to be road-tripping with a Koan-spouting crow? giggle...Thank you so much for reading :)R
Hi Kevin!Thanks so much for reading and commenting!YES! Same world, different place, new people :) Thomas was, in fact, one of Soso's toys, just a sophisticated toy, which was the big reveal at the end. I saw him as like a 200 year old robot who achieved near enlightenment and just spoke in Zen koans. I wrote a little diddy about it here in the comments ...Anyhow, thank you for reading and commenting on my crap, always greatly appreciated!R
Hi Kevin!Thanks so much for reading and commenting!YES! Same world, different place, new people :) Thomas was, in fact, one of Soso's toys, just a sophisticated toy, which was the big reveal at the end. I saw him as like a 200 year old robot who achieved near enlightenment and just spoke in Zen koans. I wrote a little diddy about it here in the comments ...Anyhow, thank you for reading and commenting on my crap, always greatly appreciated!R
Hehe Conan was my first comic book! And I grew up reading scifi and fantasy as well.And gosh, it's as if you know me! One highly detailed map and setting write-ups:https://www.black-anvil-books.com/settingI'm glad you liked the Library of the Dead ... thank you - it's wonderful for you to say that stuck with you. :)R
I guess I expected the map to be handwritten. Pretty impressive Russell. Took me a minute to realize the whole site is yours. You self publish under Black Anvil?
Yes! Black Anvil is my author platform/self-publishing imprint :) And yeah, I'm a bit of a techie, so I leverage my tech background in creating content like the Inkarnate map ...
Updated 2023.03.27.
I loved this story and found your character breakdowns on your website. I hope to find more stories about these characters in the future!
I loved this story and found your character breakdowns on your website. I hope to find more stories about these characters in the future!
The worldbuilding reminded me of a Brandon Sanderson book and Thomas of a character in a Neil Gaiman book! Two of my favorite authors in one story! I really enjoyed it.
Wow, Laarni, tremendously high praise -I love them both, too! It’s so wonderful for you to say - thank you so much for reading - and taking the time to comment :) R
Wow, Laarni, tremendously high praise -I love them both, too! It’s so wonderful for you to say - thank you so much for reading - and taking the time to comment :) R
Laugh - we seem to be in a reciprocal "let's read each other's stuff" moment :)Thank you so much for commenting and noticing these differences between the characters - I'm really glad it resonated for you :)R
Yep, I am on holidays looking for escapism and your stories resonate with me. I really want to have the time to sit down and formulate a response to your work, which I don’t seem to get the time for in the middle of the work week. These holidays seem the perfect opportunity to devote my whole attention to your work and respond in a manner they deserve.
Congrats on being shortlisted 👍
Thank you, Helen! :)R
This was a fantastic story. I very quickly found myself immersed in the worldbuilding and the characters. Thomas the koan-ing automaton crow was my favorite character, but of course Artemis and Soso are also great. I don't think I have ever read a story set in a world that feels both fantasy Tolkien-esque and steampunk at the same time. Love it!
Hey Geir!Wow that’s a ton of complements, thank you! Im really glad you liked the piece, and heck, you’ve proven to me the character concepts work! Amazeballs! I Super-appreciate your time and kind words :) thank you -R
Russell, congratulations on the shortlist! Well deserved. This is such a great story, characters, and worldbuilding.
Grin - thank you, Geir! :)R
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