Can you hear the bells?: seanan

Can you hear the bells?

They hold my trial in absentia; an empty gesture intended only to placate the screaming public. The growing silence outside the courthouse walls only serves to illustrate the pointlessness of the proceedings. It takes three days to present the evidence: the charts, the lab results, the videos. It would take longer, but after the fourth prosecutor fails to return from recess, the court decides to pass judgment on the case as it stands. There is enough—more than enough—to convict.

—from "The Tolling of Pavlov's Bells," available to read now at Apex Magazine.

The January issue of Apex is now available for all to read! (Prior to this, you had to actually buy the issue. A worthy investment. Seriously.) And in the spirit of this availability, have a few reviews of my story:

Carl at The Portal says "Alternating between moments before and after the key event in her story, McGuire tells a tale of biological terrorism and cold, calculating vengeance that is frightening in its reality." Also: "'The Tolling of Pavlov's Bells' brought to mind films like 28 Days Later and the various incarnations of Resident Evil, stripped of all their implausibilities so that all that remains is the sheer horror of a very real threat to mankind." Dude. I win at creepy.

Terry at Fantasy Literature says, "Those who have read Seanan McGuire’s tasty urban fantasies starring October Daye will be surprised at the dark science fiction she serves up in 'The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells.'" That was the goal! She goes on to say that she didn't realize I was Mira Grant, and will now be reading Feed.

If you haven't heard the bells, this is your chance.

You've been warned.

beckyh2112

February 8 2011, 14:50:11 UTC 6 years ago

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I read this just before going to bed about two nights ago.

This was a slightly better idea than the time I read Stephen King short stories just before going to bed. Slightly.

seanan_mcguire

February 8 2011, 15:44:14 UTC 6 years ago

I'll work harder next time.

kengr

February 9 2011, 00:04:03 UTC 6 years ago

Try finishing a collection of Cthulhu Mythos stories only to realize that:

A. You are alone in the house.
B. It is an old house.
C. There are odd noises.
D. it is the proverbial "dark & stormy night".

*not* the brightest thing I ever did.

February 9 2011, 00:08:23 UTC 6 years ago

Heh. I have actually never been frightened by Lovecraft's writing but once. I enjoy it, but it doesn't actually scare me.

*makes Brooke hot chocolate*

February 9 2011, 00:36:56 UTC 6 years ago

It normally doesn't bother me either, but I was only 209, not that mature for my age in some ways and the setting and circumstances just sort of reinforced each other.

I will note one nice thing about sleep apnea. Due to the CPAP mask, I *always* sleep with my head under the covers.

Nice for cold nights, also nice if "the monsters'll get me" feelings pop up.

February 9 2011, 00:39:43 UTC 6 years ago

It took me forever to deal with the "if the monsters'll get me" feelings. Eventually, my mom explained to me that if any monsters tried to get into the house, they'd have to fill out forms in triplicate with no discrepencies and we'd deal with them before they got done with the forms.

It's amazing what works. <3

February 9 2011, 02:02:02 UTC 6 years ago

Back when I was a kid, Men Into Space was one of *the* shows on TV. And I had a astronaut helmet.

I decided that the monsters couldn't get thru the helmet, so if I kept the covers tucked around it...

So *my* using "silly" reasoning goes *way* back. :-)

February 10 2011, 04:56:09 UTC 6 years ago

...I kinda love your mother right now.

February 10 2011, 13:35:36 UTC 6 years ago

Other things my mom has done: one night when a horror movie left me unable to sleep without nightmares, she sat up with me and explained to me in detail how GPS works. Not only do I now know how GPS works, it let me fall asleep without nightmares. <3

fayanora

February 10 2011, 12:28:21 UTC 6 years ago

I *wanted* the monsters to come. I was the weird kid who got really excited about monsters. I was so unafraid of the dark, I would even use other people's fear of the dark against them by walking around effortlessly in the dark and sneaking up on them.

February 10 2011, 13:34:04 UTC 6 years ago

I was never afraid of the dark. I have really good night vision, so darkness is just a particularly bad and fuzzy (due to lack of glasses/contacts while trying to sleep) light. Have always had problems with monsters, though.

February 10 2011, 05:01:01 UTC 6 years ago

WIN.

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