[On May 10, 2021 Strange Horizons officially expressed its political support for Palestinian solidarity. The views of Tangent Online reviewers are not necessarily those of Strange Horizons. Fiction critiqued at Tangent Online is, as much as is humanly possible, without prejudice and based solely on artistic merit.]

Strange Horizons/Samovar, April 22, 2024

“Oh, Fangèd Night!” by Hijab Imtiaz Ali

“The Little Monster” by Léopold Chauveau

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

Under its occasional alternate name Samovar, the magazine offers two newly translated stories from authors long deceased.

“Oh, Fangèd Night!” by Hijab Imtiaz Ali (1908-1999) is translated from Urdu by Daisy Rockwell. The narrator and two friends seek shelter from a terrible storm. They arrive at a house full of ghosts.

This synopsis does not give away too much, because the fantasy content is obvious very quickly. The story begins leisurely, and retains a calm mood even when the characters encounter the ghosts. It is probably best appreciated as an example of a traditional tale of the supernatural from a rich literary culture unfamiliar to many Western readers.

“The Little Monster” by Léopold Chauveau (1870-1940) is translated from French by Nat Paterson. Sculptures of strange creatures come to life when their creator is present. When the sculptor is greatly depressed by the way others mock his works, one of the beings acts to end his sorrow.

A lengthy biography that accompanies the story reveals that the author made such sculptures himself. This adds further poignancy to what is already a simple, very sad fable.

Victoria Silverwolf went to used bookstores in three small towns in northeastern Tennessee recently.