Nightmare #160, January 2026“The Tailors” by Kurt Fawver
“Dregs” by R. Diego Martinez
“Jennifer’s Daughter” by Sara S. Messenger
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
In “The Tailors” by Kurt Fawver the soldiers of a warlord force the children of a village to join their army or be killed. After this disaster, two mysterious people wearing cloth bands over their eyes show up and preach in strange ways that involve metaphors of cutting cloth. When the weird pair reveals the extraordinary power they can offer, the villagers set out to rescue their children.
The story is most notable for its contrast between a realistic depiction of modern warfare, in which children are often forced to become soldiers, and the surreal nature of the visitors. What is seen when the pair remove the bands over their eyes is a striking image, which I have deliberately not revealed here. The author explores the theme of using violent means to deal with violent oppressors, a paradox with no easy answers. What occurs after the children are rescued is the most powerful part of the story, in a deceptively quiet way.
“Dregs” by R. Diego Martinez is a brief tale in which what seems to be a rain of living human infants of many different sizes falls from the sky. The middle section of this tiny story offers a rather silly science fiction explanation for this bizarre happening. This part of the story is ludicrously out of place in an otherwise moody, surrealistic work.
The narrator of “Jennifer’s Daughter” by Sara S. Messenger is an adolescent girl kept away from the world by her adoptive mother. She sneaks out to meet a boy who is equally isolated by a reclusive father. Their secret friendship ends with a confrontation between the two parents.
I have deliberately omitted the supernatural aspect of this story, although it is evident throughout the text, because this is essentially a tale of two lonely young people. The story makes frequent reference to the films Juno and Jennifer’s Body, particularly the latter. (Note the title, which is metaphoric rather than literal.) Readers who have not seen these movies, such as the present reviewer, will probably not get as much out of the story as those who are familiar with them.
Victoria Silverwolf wishes the recycling center had been open today.