Two more stories from the New Zealand pile, which I’ll deal with quickly.

Second sentence of third section of Ventiforms:

Pilot’s seat was a misnomer, really. Tailé just sat. Surprise flew herself. There was a bit of shaking, but Tailé was still able to eat her wrap as they descended. It was good, the eggplant tasted fresh, and the sauce was divine. She complimented the ship on it.

Very short piece about a mother looking for her lost son, and some memorably unusual aliens. Decent world-building for the length. You can get Ventiforms here.

Was my shortest unread book acquired in 2020 (and turned out to be even shorter than I thought). Next on that pile is We All Fall by Helen Vivienne Fletcher.

Second paragraph of third chapter of The Blacksmith:

“Ah, hell, Granny, what’d I do now?”

Third in a fantasy trilogy. I found it very clunky; a world with placenames partly borrowed from Britain and partly made up, with apparently normal Christianity and magic coexisting, and leaden exposition. You can get The Blacksmith here.

Was the SF book that had lingered longest unread on my shelves. Next on that pile is Tyrelia, by S R Manssen.