★★★☆☆ Two not-bad Hugo finalists

How to raise a Kraken in your bathtub

P. Djèlí Clark

One Man's Treasure

Sarah Pinsker.

In this issue of Uncanny Magazine I read only two stories: "How to raise a Kraken in your bathtub". by P. Djèlí Clark and "One Man's Treasure" by Sarah Pinsker. These are 2024 Hugo finalists: "Kraken" for Best Short Story and "Treasure" for Best Novelette. They were just OK, not great, and neither would receive my vote for the award. (My votes would be "The Sound of Children Screaming" by Rachael K. Jones for Short Story and "On the Fox Roads" by Nghi Vo for novelette.)

"Kraken" was a disappointment. From the title alone you will guess at the subject and plot of the story. This didn't bother me, because sometimes the best stories in speculative fiction are those that start out obvious, but then break. Well, "Kraken" doesn't break. It was pretty much exactly the story I imagined when I read the title.

"Treasure" was better. It's a story about trash collectors in a world where rich folks have access to magic and magical devices. If you're thinking, "Collecting magical trash sounds hazardous," have yourself a lollipop. It's a fun and imaginative little story, not, in my opinion, Hugo-worthy, but worth the little time to read it.

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