Let It Snow

A couple of months ago my son returned to the US after living for two years in Melbourne, Australia. He loved it there.

But he never got used to Christmas in the summertime. Barbecues in the back yard instead of hot cocoa by the fire. Decorations that consist of flowers rather than Christmas lights. No carols about how cold it is outside, or dreaming about snow, or jingle bells on one horse open sleighs.

There was still food. Plenty of food. ‘Heaps’ of food, as they say, Down Under. Especially when your host for the day is a Samoan family. Or better, 3 or 4 Samoan families, one after the next. No wonder he gained 30 pounds while he was there.

As for myself, I’m no lover of winter, but Christmas just isn’t the same without snow. And should we be lucky enough to have snow fall on Christmas Day it’s magical.

But snow isn’t so magical for the characters in our first story this month: “The Snow Globe” by Kate Hall.

And another Christmas offering, “To the Havens” by Ariel Bolton. If your kids still believe in Santa and his elves, I’d think twice before reading this one to them. Maybe three times.

Next, up we have a lovely sci-fi offering from Eleanor R. Wood, “Fibonacci.”

Finally, this month’s reprint, “Hoarfrost,” by Michelle Muenzler. This fantasy story originally appeared in Three-lobed Burning Eye in October 2012, then as a Podcast at Toasted Cake in December 2014.