‘Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies’
— Reneé Bibby
I told myself: you can’t choose Brooke Bolander’s short story to feature because science fiction is outside the purview of the Wilds. On the heels of that self-imposed and needless assumption came another more important consideration—in the wilds where everything grows, everything goes, and isn’t our job as contributing editors hunting for the greatest, darkest, and most succulent wonders for you to read no matter what field they are from? Yes. And so here you go: even though it fits loosely in the field of science fiction/fantasy, this Nebula-award nominated story about curious and powerful creatures interacting with our mundane world is meant for all readers. Don’t let something as simple story as classification turn you away: Bolander’s story is lyrical, lush, playful with structure and convention. Oh, it’s righteous and biblical in scale. It’s everything I love in a story. It’s one of the greatest fruits I could bring from the wilds.