I have been wanting to include reviews here for a while. My thought is that when I find someone whose work moves me, inspires me, or excites me, I should take the time to share it with you.
Especially when it is something that hits my own muse’s happy buttons. There’s a difference between stories that entertain and satisfy on a reader level, and stories that make the muse poke you in the ribs with her elbow, saying, “I wish I’d written that.”
Author Rabia Gale, in my experience, writes the rib-bruising kind of stories.
I’ve been aware of her writing for some time because we are both members of Holly Lisle’s incredible site, How To Think Sideways (affiliate link). But while we have both learned about the writer’s craft from the same guru, I don’t think we have ever had more than the briefest of direct interactions on a personal level. In other words, I’m not posting about her writing because we’re friends. I’m posting because I find her writing beautiful and inspiring. I hope, someday, to grow up to write like her. 😉
I’m calling this a review, so I definitely need to comment on the story. But I really can’t say much about it. She Walks In Beauty is a flash fiction published on her website. With such a short work of fiction, saying very much about the story itself might give too much away.
What I can say, though, is that She Walks In Beauty is one in a series of flash fiction stories that Ms. Gale is writing based on the planets; in this case, Venus. In this particular story, she was trying to capture the juxtaposition between the goddess Venus, known for her beauty, and the harsh realities existing on the planet itself. I think she captured the dichotomy brilliantly. I was captivated by this briefest of tales, and will continue to ponder its facets, both the bright and shadowed, for far longer than it took me to read.
I highly recommend visiting her site and reading this mesmerizing-but-brief story. And while you’re there, check out her serialized novel, Quartz (also free), as well as the commercial fiction she has available. I haven’t read all of her books yet, but I did read Rainbird and was thoroughly enchanted. I’ll definitely be reading more of Rabia Gale in the future, and I hope you find her writing as enthralling as I have.