Mary Robinette Kowal: For Solo Cello, op.12

His keys dropped, rattling on the parquet floor. Julius stared at them, unwilling to look at the bandaged stump where two weeks ago his left hand had been. He should be used to it by now. He should not still be trying to pass things from his right hand to his left. But it still felt as if his hand were there.

~ "For Solo Cello, op.12", Mary Robinette Kowal

Puppeteer and writer Mary Robinette Kowal is a nominee for this year's John W. Campbell Best New Writer Award. Several of her short stories have biological themes:

• "For Solo Cello, op. 12" is about how far a professional cellist is willing to go through to regrow his lost hand.
  
• "Cerbo en Vitra ujo" is the horrific story of a smart but naive girl searching for her boyfriend in a future where "excess" children can be taken for their body parts.
• "Death Comes But Twice" is a Victorianesque tale of reanimation.
  

The all touch on the horrific side of the biological, and I enjoyed reading them all.

• Read "For Solo Cello, op.12" @ COSMOS
  
• More free fiction from Mary Robinette Kowal
• Jon Armstrong's interview with Mary Robinette Kowal (via SF Signal)
  

Image: MoM by |spoon| on Flickr
Tags:science fiction, biology, Mary Robinette Kowal