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October Daye / Inheritance - Essay Series Part Five: Long Series and How to Read Them

Hello Patrons and general audience members! Welcome to another Books That Burn essay by Robin. Thank you to Case Aiken, who receives a monthly Patron shoutout. [Full Audio Available Here] This is the fifth and final entry in a five-part essay series discussing two long-running book series by queer authors: October Daye by Seanan McGuire, and Inheritance by A.K. Faulkner. I chose these series because I love them both, they were intended from the start to be long series, neither of them are finished yet, and the authors have different structural approaches to developing each series across so many volumes. Purely coincidentally, they are both long-running contemporary fantasy series mainly set in California in or near the 2010's, with major characters named Quentin, and whose fast-healing protagonists have a tendency to quasi-adopt a gaggle of magical teenagers. After a brief moment in the 1990's, October Daye begins in earnest in 2009 and has reached 2015 as of the eighteenth boo...
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“Today I Am Paul” by Martin L. Shoemaker

“Today I Am Paul” is a poignant and thought-provoking portrayal of a robotic future for elder care and cognitive dissonance caused by trying to be everything to everyone. Medical Care Android BRKCX-01932-217JH-98662 ponders interactions of programming and identity.

I like the strange specificity of the android's attention to details, the layers of consciousness as it checks in with its medical logs but also performs the social niceties, particularly when it already knows what Mildred ate but still asks her how her breakfast was. I appreciate the dynamic with Anna, how they trade off and Anna interacts as if she was the one who visited when she speaks to Mildred about the garden.

The commentary about the inverse journeys of Mildred and Millie is very subtle but poignant, the characterization is very complex for such a short story.

This story deals with death, memory loss, and cognitive decline. It does so in a very conscientious and tender way, but it doesn't shy away from the implications of these topics. It's a very quick read, and well worth it if you have the 15-20 minutes to spare.

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