IMAGINARIUM 4: THE BEST CANADIAN SPECULATIVE WRITING
Notes: HOLLYWOOD NORTH, my WFC-nominated novella, appeared here, after its debut in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (November/December 2014). See below for details! And, of course, see above for details on the novel version—HOLLYWOOD NORTH: A NOVEL IN SIX REELS.
HOLLYWOOD NORTH
Notes: A nominee for the World Fantasy Award 2015 (novella), it’s based (as they say) on a true story—the offbeat history of my hometown, Trenton, Ontario. Be sure to check out the novel version, available now wherever books are sold under the title, HOLLYWOOD NORTH: A NOVEL IN SIX REELS. Most importantly (and personally), the diner featured in the story was modeled after the small restaurant/candy shop my parents used to run in the town. The original Bert and Mollie, courtesy Trenton’s Heritage Café:
Opening line: Jack Levin was the boy who found things.
Reviews:
“It’s classic suspense from the archetypical point of view of a twelve year old boy… RECOMMENDED.” – Lois Tilton, LOCUS ONLINE, locusmag.com
“This was a great story and will be on my short list for Best Novella Hugo next year.” – Sam Tomaino, SFRevu.com
“The voice is natural and authentic, and the story itself skirts the border of reality so closely that you could almost believe something like this really could happen. It’s horrific not in what specifically transpires in the story, but that the ring of truth in it makes the reader question how much of this story is true and how much is fiction.” — N.J. Magas, Diary of an Aspiring Writer (online)
“…there’s plenty to bend your noodle…. If you like dark, horrible puzzles Hollywood North may be what you’re seeking.” – C.D. Lewis, TangentOnline
THE GROCER’S WIFE (ENHANCED TRANSCRIPTION)
Notes: My first appearance in Asimov’s. In the words of Asimov’s Editor Sheila Williams, this is “a bittersweet portrait”, a “compassionate, yet terrifying story.” Sheila’s words also aptly describe my memory of the day the story originally came to mind. I’d just returned home from accompanying my mother to a hospital for a geriatric assessment.
Opening line: “Any damn fool can draw a damn clock,” Tom says.
Reviews:
“The best story this issue comes from Michael Libling. “The Grocer’s Wife (Enhanced Transcription”) tells of an aging grocer with what seems like Alzheimer’s, and of the young man in a sort of call-center environment who has the job of monitoring the downloading of the old man’s memories for a mysterious governmental agency. We eventually cotton to what’s really going on — which is pretty terrifying, and pretty sad.“ —Rich Horton, Locus Magazine
“…puts together two common fears, government surveillance and mental deterioration into a tightly written story… well worth the read.” —Robert L. Turner III, Tangent Online
“This one was a real chiller with a nice build-up to the conclusion. Another great story from Libling!” – Sam Tomaino, SFRevu.com
DRAFT 31
![DRAFT 31: "Lovely horror story...I say lovely partly because it's one of those stories where you have no idea it's a horror story until you are well on your way to the end. [plot synopsis] ...but then the story, rather subtly, turns quite naturally in a different direction. Excellent stuff." – Rich Horton, Locus](https://i0.wp.com/www.michaellibling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2014-Draft-31-March.jpg?ssl=1)
Notes: The day after Halloween has always struck me as spookier than Halloween itself. There’s just something about discarded or vandalized jack-o-lanterns shattered and scattered about the streets that doesn’t sit right with me.
Opening line: Doc Caplan was more up on broken bones and runny noses than what you might call the head stuff, but when Allie Prager asked him to take a look at her Joshy, he didn’t have it in him to refuse.
Reviews:
“Lovely horror story…I say lovely partly because it’s one of those stories where you have no idea it’s a horror story until you are well on your way to the end … but then the story, rather subtly, turns quite naturally in a different direction. Excellent stuff.” – Rich Horton, Locus Magazine
“Deceptively clever story from Libling – you have to pay attention from the offset to pick up clues as to what is actually happening.” —BestSF.net
“Tense psychological horror here. Everything seems at first so normal, but the strain builds slowly, assumptions that once appeared sound begin to show cracks, then rapidly disintegrate. Well done and intriguing.” — Lois Tilton, LOCUS ONLINE, locusmag.com
WHY THAT CRAZY OLD LADY GOES UP THE MOUNTAIN
Notes: The more I think about this one, the more I realize how twisted I am. My apologies. Anyhow, this was my first story to earn a cover illustration (thank you, Gordon Van Gelder and F&SF). The artwork is by Kent Bash, deftly setting the mood for the grim tale that follows.
Opening line: She’s Jimmy Alvin’s cousin from Connecticut and she’s come to Gideon for a spell because her dad got caught dipping into somebody else’s money and somebody else’s wife, and went home and put a bullet through his head.
Reviews:
“An opening story with an audacious conceit bang slap in the middle of it… an unsettling story that lodges itself in the mind.” —BestSF.net
“A strange and provocative dark fantasy.” — Lois Tilton, LOCUS ONLINE, locusmag.com
“Libling puts together a story like you’ve never read before but are glad you read here.” — Sam Tomaino, SFRevu.com
“Libling does a lovely job of striking up a smooth, folksy tone right from the start, never descending into parody. He has a subtle grasp of character, and nails down key details with a few well-chosen words… Best of all, he perfectly captures the teenaged mix of startlingly sophisticated understanding and appalling naiveté … Libling paints a sparse but compelling picture of the town of Gideon’s normalcy, including that of tragedy: ‘Tragedy provides a nice break from the routine.’ … I kept hearing the Tragically Hip’s song 38 Years Old as the background music.” — Geoff Hart, geoff-hart.com
IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN A LADY
Notes: Harlan Ellison supplied the kernel of the concept to editor Gordon Van Gelder and I was one of three writers invited to develop the story. Both an honor and a fun exercise. As far as I’m concerned, IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN A LADY has the best damn ending to any story I’ve written.
Opening line: Gayle is puttering about in the kitchen when Denny wriggles under their bed to wait.
Reviews:
“It’s humorous and sad at the same time, and while the hero is eye-rollingly dim, his pure oblivious persistence achieves a sort of distinction of its own. I had to root for him by the end, and the ending twist definitely brought a smile.” — Russ Allbery of eyrie.org
“This was the most reminiscent in tonal styling to Mr. Ellison’s distinctive voice with its richly intimate characterization and wry humor, packaged in an earthy, straightforward delivery that yet manages to provide some surprisingly brilliant turns of phrase.” — Eugie Foster, Tangent
THE GOSPEL OF NATE
Notes: Tanning salons, diners, and reincarnation. The ideal combination, right?
Opening lines: It was one of those nights. I’m on shift maybe ten minutes when this twisted preppy, guts more pickled than a jar of dills, gets it going.
Reviews:
“Technology now allows people to regress—to access the lives they lived in previous incarnations. Nathan Stark works in a down-market salon, running the night shift… Hoping to impress a waitress he has fallen for in his local café, he offers her a free dive for her birthday and all is looking good for Nate, until she returns and claims to be the reincarnation of Jesus, Buddha, Moses and just about every other significant religious figure from history… There’s plenty of good stuff in the story—Nate and Sam, the waitress, are great characters, and there is plenty of texture in the believable setting—and Libling pulls it together well at the end.” — Patrick Samphire, Tangent
CHRISTMAS IN THE CATSKILLS
Notes: My wife and I are suckers for highway markers that promote small-town bakeries and chocolate shops. No matter how far off the beaten track, we feel it our duty to check out the local fare. While it wasn’t exactly the inspiration for this story, Krause’s Chocolates in Saugerties, NY was definitely the starting point.
Opening lines: Some Christmas this was shaping up to be. All because of a little chocolate shop in Sturvis. And then, to top it off, something started eating their car.
Reviews:
“Good language, a plot worthy of a horror movie, a completely unexpected twist at the end, and a hint of a moral dilemma the main character is facing. The story ends in mid-air, making the reader think about it for days and wonder where the events might go from there. Highly recommended.” —Curious Goldie Blogspot
“… a classic ‘couple gets lost in the snow’ story, but takes a turn that you don’t expect. The end will send chills down your spine.” — Sam Tomaino, SFRevu.com
“While this starts out as a tale of a couple getting lost in a snowstorm in the Catskills, it quickly changes and doesn’t have the holiday charm the title would suggest. Libling does a good job of recreating the feeling of the television show The Twilight Zone in print and his explanations for the strangeness that abounds are timed perfectly.” — Steven H. Silver, Tangent