A short story about clockwork dolls, physical limitations, family and living one's life to its fullest.

This short story is short listed for Hugo Awards. For me this is the winner. The genre is hard to define, for me it is neither SF nor fantasy but weird. A great poignant story set in a strange universe, inhabitants of which are wind-up toys. The world-building is awesome for such a short story.

2018 Hugo Finalist for Best Short Story“Carnival Nine,” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)Audio edition: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...Listened to this short story on the commute home today. Definitely liked it. 4 stars.

4 to 4 1/2 stars “You can’t do everything, always [...].” Short Story: Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...Excerpt: I’ve heard it said that every hundred days passes faster than the previous hundred. In childhood, the days stretch out seemingly forever, and we spend our time and turns freely on any whim that catches our fancy. But at the end of our lives, each day becomes an increasingly greater fraction of the time we have remaining, and the momen...

Nominated to ‘18 Hugo for Best Short Story.A very touching short story about special needs children.

***Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim***Oh what a beautiful and sad story that is.A tale of getting older. Of how our time is limited and sometimes life doesn’t play out the way we envisioned for ourselves.Sometimes we have to give up on our hopes and dreams. For the better of our loved ones.But isn’t it the greatest hope and dream of ‘em all? To love and be loved in return.2018 Hugo and 2017 Nebula Award finalist Best Short StoryYou can read it here.____________________________ 2018 Hugo Aw...

"Carnival Nine" by Caroline M. YoachimHugo, Nebula and Locus nomineeA windup creature portions life by the turns. Ultimately, one of those reflections on life that's done in a unique way.http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...Cross posted mostly permanently at https://wordpress.com/post/clsiewert....

Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim is lyrical and softly, sweetly sad. CW or a hook, depending on how you look at it: this is a story that is going to speak much more powerfully to those who have been parents (or close to the parents) of a child whose life does not match what was envisioned for them (whether through disability or neurodiversity/divergence) and all the worries and considerations that go along with that.

This was nommed for '18 Hugo for short stories.Clockwork dolls as a metaphor for special needs, a bittersweet and actually rather heartbreaking little tale of living one's days as best as you can.I like it well enough but it doesn't come with much of a punch. More of a watery reflection.

I’ve heard it said that every hundred days passes faster than the previous hundred. In childhood, the days stretch out seemingly forever, and we spend our time and turns freely on any whim that catches our fancy. But at the end of our lives, each day becomes an increasingly greater fraction of the time we have remaining, and the moments grow ever more precious. A hundred days, a hundred more, time flits away as we make our slow circuit on the train.I am going to have to stop reading short storie...

This short story by Caroline M. Yoachim was nominated for the 2018 Hugo award for short stories and can be read for free here. A young girl named Zee lives with her father in Closet City, working on whatever tasks her Papa needs help with. Zee and her father are clockwork figures with a set amount of "turns" per day before must go to sleep. They live in the more boring section of the room while the local carnival train that runs around the room provides occasional entertainment and adventure. Wh...

5 out of 5 - Original, touching, and beautiful.This is one of two 2017 Nebula Short Story finalists that I've read, the other being Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience by Rebecca Roanhorse. Both are beautifully written stories that I loved for somewhat different reasons.Carnival Nine is set in a very unique toy world. The reader meets Zee, her family, and a cast of characters who are powered by wind-up springs. Yes, wind-up springs. Everyone has only so many turns each day before they ru...

GoodReads Librarians strike again. This story is for?? Your guess is as good as mine. I give up. Not broken, but definitely beaten. Sigh.Thank you carol.! The below review is for Carnival Nine. I’m not crying, you’re crying! 5, punches you in the feels, stars.

A Nebula and Hugo award nomined short story from the 2017/18 crop, free to read online here at Beneath Ceaseless Skies magazine. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:Zee lives in a world inhabited entirely by doll-like wind-up people and animals. They have a mysterious, unseen maker who winds their mainspring each night using the key attached to their backs, giving them energy for the next day. Everyone gets approximately a thousand days of life before their mainspring can’t be wound anymor...

This review is for the short story Carnival Nine by Caroline M. YoachimZee is a young doll at the beginning of this story. She lives with her Papa and her grandparents in Closet City but dreams of the adventure that is the carnival. One day, she decides not to use the turns of her key for chores but to go explore, thus ending up at Carnival Nine (the numbers come from the train cars the carnival is housed in).There, she meets Vale and decides that a life as a carnie is more her thing. What then

It took one reread for me to appreciate this sad but beautiful story.

WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!boilerplate mission statement intro:for the past two years, i’ve set december’s project aside to do my own version of a short story advent calendar. it’s not a true advent calendar since i choose all the stories myself, but what it lacks in the ‘element of surprise’ department it more than makes up for in hassle, as i try to cram even MORE reading into a life already overcrammed with impossible personal goals (live up to your potential! find meaningful work! learn to

Review for Carnival Nine by Caroline M. YoachimI’ve heard it said that every hundred days passes faster than the previous hundred. In childhood, the days stretch out seemingly forever, and we spend our time and turns freely on any whim that catches our fancy. But at the end of our lives, each day becomes an increasingly greater fraction of the time we have remaining, and the moments grow ever more precious.Bittersweet story. First I was sad that Matts got so few turns. But really it’s not about

4.25ish stars.

This story has been shortlisted for the 2018 Hugo Awards according to https://www.tor.com/2018/03/31/2018-h...It is available to read and listen to online at http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co... ashramblings verdict 5* A heart wrenching story of a mother's love for her son, the sacrifices she makes. But there is a twist. No spoiler alerts but from the begining you realise this is no ordinary woman, there is talk of a maker, or springs and turns, each person having so many per day. What I lov...