Synopsis
A small village is terrorized by a bear-like creature that is killing the town's inhabitants.
History
First publication: Clarkesworld, April 2007
Review
Very reminiscent of Beowulf, but with a witch thrown in. That statement doesn’t do this story justice, but I did get Beowulf vibes from this. This is the first story I have read by VanderMeer, but I know his reputation and I did see the movie. That's why I had to read this fairly early story of his. It is an excellent and very imaginative story from an author who has proven to be one of the best imaginative authors of our time. I have a friend that doesn’t like VanderMeer, but I still don’t understand why. His style is sort of fairy-tale like, where things are related in a simpler manner and seem less “personal” if you get what I mean by that. The story and characters are at a distance from you. That style doesn’t bother me. Recommended.
