Justice–ABeginning/Grace Paley: Rather introspective of a woman who takes things very seriously. Not a grand opening, but interesting enough and there is some nice imagery though it doesn’t really go anywhere within the story. I’m not sure the whole thing meant anything at all.
That Could Have Been You/Jim Heynen: Another play on our childhood traumas regarding dangers in our world. An essay rather than a story here, though interesting and well written.
How to End Up/Jennifer A. Howard: Another snappy yuppie rant.
The Orange/Benjamin Rosenbaum: How can you resist it, the opening line: "An orange ruled the world." Perfection. The story follows the fact, wonderfully answering your question and mine by the second line: "It was an unexpected thing, the temporary abdication of Heavenly Providence, entrusting the whole matter to a simple orange." It’s got a story arc as the orange takes over, things change, and eventually its time must come to an end. Neat idea, nicely done.
21/Jim Crace: A story with a message. Nice futuristic vision of computer technology taking over our lives Big Brother style. Nice opening: A youngish man, a trifle overweight, too anxious for his age, completed his circuit of the supermarket shelves and cabinets and stood in line, ashamed as usual. Crace gives us character, place, and the tension of questions: Why is the man anxious and ashamed? Could see this as a longer story, fleshing out more detail of this character’s life against this new world he inhabits.
To Reduce Your Likelihood of Murder/Ander Monson: Blegh. This has been done a million times and in much better form.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology