Writing News: Short Story "Memory's Rule" Published in Abyss & Apex Issue #83
Today, my short story "Memory's Rule" was published in Abyss & Apex, a Hugo-nominated science fiction and fantasy magazine. I’m thrilled to share this story with the world: it’s been years in the making.
“Memory’s Rule” is the story of a little girl, Clementine, her stern French grandmother, and the dangerous temptations inherent in their family business: recording stories into music boxes that transport customers into dream sequences. The piece explores the power of dreams and fantasies, the fickle nature of memory, and the impact of loss on our perceptions of reality.
This short story is near and dear to my heart for many reasons. There are influences from my own childhood in a French-American family, to hearing stories of World War II from my grandparents, to navigating differences of culture between settings, and more.
“To make a dream from memory is no dream at all—it is reality. And reality is a very dangerous thing, indeed.”
It’s also a story that’s lived in my mind—and on the page in one form or another—for a very long time. Long, meaning nearly a decade. The earliest inkling of this story began in 2013 during a short story class at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education in Boston. Over the years, this little tale of dreams and memories, past and present, has been through countless revisions. It has benefited from the time, attention, and feedback of many people in my community, including writing groups, friends, family, instructors and fellow attendees at the Viable Paradise Workshop, and others.
To everyone who helped shape this story: thank you.
And, of course, a big thanks to Wendy S. Delmater and the team at Abyss & Apex—I’m so happy to be a part of the magazine’s community of authors.
Seeing Clementine’s story out in the world has made me reflect on what I’ve learned about revision, persistence, and craft from this piece. I’ll be sharing a separate behind-the-scenes blog post with thoughts on the writing process for this story. Stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, visit Abyss & Apex’s website to read “Memory’s Rule” today! Clementine’s Bonne Maman warns her: “To make a dream from memory is no dream at all—it is reality. And reality is a very dangerous thing, indeed.” Will Clementine heed her grandmother’s advice, or will she take the risk to see her mother one more time?
Let me know what you think of the piece on social media or in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.