Diabolical Plots #64, June 2020
“Open House on Haunted Hill” by John Wiswell
“The Automatic Ballerina” by Michael Milne
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
There are two new and enjoyable short stories in the 64th issue of Diabolical Plots.
“Open House on Haunted Hill” by John Wiswell
Ulisses is looking for a new house to start life over with Ana, his four-year-old daughter, in this short fantasy. After the recent death of her mother, the little girl is open to the existence of ghosts and is convinced the haunted house has some. But this house is not malignant and is desperate for some tenants.
But when the house reveals a secret room in its basement for the little girl to play in, things go wrong. Ana hurts herself and loses the most precious thing in her life, a locket with her mother’s picture. Father and daughter leave, and the house laments what might have been. If only it could get another chance.
This was a warm and engaging summer breeze of a read that took a different approach to a tale of a haunted house.
“The Automatic Ballerina” by Michael Milne
In this SF short, Cassia is performing its last ballet. After decades of faultless appearances, the movement to eliminate robots from the ballet world has won out. Cassia is the last of its kind to go.
Like any other professional, the androgynous Cassia will make sure its last night is not only perfect but also memorable. If only it could get some empathy from the human members of the troop. But that may be asking too much. Still they will remember its last dance.
This was an engaging morsel of a story with pathos and mystery, leaving the reader guessing until the end.