Challenge 624

Sweet Tales of Terror

1. In Dana Beehr’s “Ambry Silverstrings and the Soldiers”:

   1. Ambry’s legendary skill as a muscian makes her welcome aboard any riverboat. In what way does her sudden inability to hitch a ride to Stonewater constitute a dramatic foreshadowing?

   2. The story accurately depicts a cultural phenomenon that occurred in the U.S. after 1865. In what way? Why might it be appropriate that the ending refers to “another story”?

2. In Artie Knapp’s “Frani and the Little Red Fox”:

   1. In a fable, animals talk and think like people but otherwise act like animals. Is there any hint before the conclusion that the animals’ situation is other than normal for a fable? What mythology or conspiracy theories might the animals conceive to explain their plight?

   2. In what way does the story’s radical shift in viewpoint recall ironically the conclusion to the explication of La Fontaine’s La Cigale et la fourmi (“The Cricket and the Ant”)? What conclusions might children draw from “Frani and the Little Red Fox”? How might adults see it?

3. In Amy Fontaine’s “The Tale of John Marker”:

   1. How old do you think John Marker is? How old does he sound like?

   2. Does the story overstep Bewildering Stories’ “dead narrator” guideline?

   3. How does the story bear out one of Bewildering Stories’ mottoes: “If you have a good character, for pity’s sake, don’t kill him!”?

4. In Lisa Pais’ “The Discarded,” what is Aiko’s ultimate fate?

5. In Bruce Costello’s “Me and Heather McGee,” does the Sergeant have a name? Is he likeable? If not, how might he be made more so?

6. In Jessica Marie Baumgartner’s “The Waking Waves,” in what way are the waves human? What do they object to?

7. In Oonah V. Joslin’s “And She Shall Have Music,” does the poem lament the evolution of music or of its media or both?

Responses welcome!

Copyright © June 15, 2015 by Bewildering Stories
What is a Bewildering Stories Challenge?