★★★★☆ A techno Wild Hunt

The Mausoleum's Children

Aliette de Bodard

In this issue of Uncanny I read and am reviewing only "The Mausoleum's Children" by Aliette de Bodard. It is a finalist for the 2024 Best Short Story Hugo Award. It's a good story, and although it wouldn't receive my vote (IMO Rachael K. Jones's "The Sound of Children Screaming" is a better story), I would not feel robbed if "The Mausoleum's Children" won.

The Wild Hunt is an element of the folklore of northern Europe (mostly) that has found its way into a lot of modern fantasy. The story is vague and Protean enough that it takes different forms in the hands of different authors. De Bodard's take on it is fresh and exciting. (I must confess, however, that de Bodard doesn't specifically reference the Wild Hunt, so that connection may exist only in my imagination.)

Like many versions of the Wild Hunt, this is a dark story in which children are made to suffer, so know that going in.

I note that de Bodard has another Hugo finalist this year -- her Xuya Universe is nominated for best series. I had never read de Bodard before this story, and I now look forward with anticipation to tackling Xuya.

Amazon review

Goodreads review

Comments

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