Dear beloved weird fiction fans, we will be continuing our exploration of birds for the next week. In typical Weird Fiction Review fashion though, these aren’t be normal, run-of-the-mill sparrows, bluejays, and robins. No sir/madame! These are very curious creatures from ghost birds with bizarre calls to legends of spirits that have taken the form of birds.
Weird Bird Fortnight is our second special this year after weird seas/voyages week. Originally, we had intended to do a week of birds as well but we ended up with a total of six stories – five of which are new to WFR and most of which have not been published online. This week, we’ll be wrapping up with three more stories. They include:
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“Bird Walks in New England” by Michael Blumlein
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“The Hide” by Liz Williams
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“The Din of Celestial Birds” by Brian Evenson
Birds have occupied a rather interesting role in weird fiction which in part mirrors their place in real life. They tend to be nonthreatening, although sometimes this is only by appearance; so they aren’t the monsters like we find in certain strange stories. Despite this, they tend to be strange and perhaps even a bit unsettling: they are descended from dinosaurs, have a odd presentation compared to other animals, and are one of the few creatures that can fly. Thus, it’s not surprising to find them frequently in dark fiction starting as far back as Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.”
We’re very excited to bring you these stories. Each is unique and original. We hope you join us as we continue our journey into strange ornithology and as we explore the uncanny feathered fliers of the Weird!