Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Perfect Egg in Nature

I'm delighted to have a short story in the Futures section of the venerable science magazine Nature this week - it's just gone online today and is in the print issue which I believe comes out tomorrow. It's called The Perfect Egg,  and it was sort of my first real attempt to write science fiction. Yes, some of the short stories in my book might be kind of SF-ish, but that wasn't my aim when I was writing them. Nature Futures is "a forum for the best new science-fiction writing, exploring some of the themes that might challenge us as the future unfold" and I never expected to get my first submission to them accepted. This story seems a bit different from the other Futures stories I have read, so I am delighted to have made it - and rather thrilled that in their email to me they addressed me as "Dr Hershman"! (Don't worry, I put them straight on that...) Anyway, comments can be left on the online version, should you feel moved to! (No pressure). Read it here.

10 comments:

Vanessa Gebbie said...

oooh is that spooky or what? My goodness. Congrats, T - I feel Ive been to the Moon and back. Watch out for understairs cupboards...

Tania Hershman said...

Ooh, thanks, V! It's been described variously as "creepy" and "sinister" by Twitter friends, and now "spooky"! I like that, I think that's a new one for me. Always good to swim in uncharted waters... Is it really Sci Fi? Not for me to say, but absolutely delighted to be in Nature! (Even if I'm not Dr Hershman...)

Tania Hershman said...

Ps We've now got an understairs cupboard but I'd never had one at the time of writing this story. I'd never had stairs! I shall keep the door firmly shut.

Sue Guiney said...

Dear Doc, off to read it now...well done! And sorry, but this nickname will definitely stick! xo

Sue Guiney said...

I went to register on Nature so I could leave a comment but the link to the page is broken and it led me to an email so I can alert the powers that be...which I did. Sorry. If I get the chance to, I'll say:
"This is truly eery but captivating. Hershman's work is so assured you find yourself believing anything, going with anything and saying to yourself 'yes, yes, I see.' Just wonderful." Just in case not, I've said it here. :-)

Tania Hershman said...

Dear Dr Guiney, thank you SO much, glad you liked it!

Sarah Hilary said...

It's definitely sci-fi, in the grand tradition of the old masters. It made me think - tangentially - of Muriel Spark's story about the flying saucer (literally, a china saucer, manned by a tiny spaceman), but yours is better because it's darker. Congratulations on the publication, and I shall try to remember to give you your full title in future!

richard ocallaghan said...

perfect egg is interesting.......

Tania Hershman said...

Thanks, Richard... inspiring??

Rachel Fenton said...

Makes me glad I don't like eggs!

I like the psychological aspects to your story very much.

Congratulations!