Tamara Sellman’s Literature of Ideas
Pull up a chair: The Pacific Northwest buzzes with speculation
There is a sharp intelligence at work in Cul de Sac Stories by Tamara Sellman. Ideas that might seem outlandish, like a human war against trees, in her hands become a startling reality. Other stories take a more magical realism approach, treating the miraculous, such as a house infested with thousands of spiders who seemingly reproduce in amplified battalions, or a doll who can bring people and animals back to life, as part of the main character’s routine.
Were the themes of the stories presented baldly, this might be another routine sci-fi/speculative adventure in world-building. What makes this collection exceptional is not only an active imagination, but a shrewd ability to translate the social zeitgeist into vivid language and believable characters that bring the reader deeply into the realm of possibilities. So, for example, in the stories “Blood Tunnel” and “The Third Way,” our own concerns about government collapse or evil cabals of citizens become startlingly realized, yet somehow expelled by our realization that certain feared developments haven’t happened—yet.
The folklore-like “April 9” recounts “a war of blood for sap,” only the women of the village questioning the wisdom of tearing down all shade, all cover for the animals and plants they’ve long harvested, banishing raw materials needed for basic human necessities. The women range from skeptical to downright rebellious against this madness, and they struggle to keep their male children from running along with the violence. But questioning, as in all evil kingdoms, is not allowed. Instead, thinking folks let questions fester, while the fire of future disasters burns underground with the massive head tree’s roots.
Yes, Sellman has mastered atmosphere, that reach beyond setting and tone that accompanies all unforgettable writing. Her intimations of human overreach become, inevitably, our musings about the endgame of our present crimes against the Earth.
But there’s far more here than atmospheric folk tales, or political musings, in this collection of eight stories. There was so much pleasure for me in the compilations of crisp sentences, apt descriptions, and intriguing characters, that I did not even balk at “The Spinster, “ a tale of a woman writer whose house is beset by an abnormal number of spiders. Consider this sentence describing Ludmilla’s attempt to clean up the house in order to host her agent: “She makes an unexpected mess of things when the first bag she picks up from the porch breaks open from the bottom, spilling masses of dead spider bodies at her feet. They bounce crisply like bits of cereal from a box to the tiled floor.” That sentence made me chortle with pleasure. Me, a confirmed arachnophobe. Sellman does not spare us from knowing exactly how such a dilemma might feel. Not squirming at all at the thought of brushing spiders from my cheek, so rapt was I that I lapped up this story and its surprise ending.
One viscerally enjoys each story, some rather stellar examples of magical realism, science fiction, and the newest member of the speculative club, clifi—or science fiction with a climate change edge. You won’t be able to look away from the writhing, agonized scenes of underground roots torn from their shared earth base, or the dilemma of a mother whose house is inhabited by an evil witch that her husband can’t see.
Each story has a twist and each twist brings us to an idea. Indeed, it’s this “literature of ideas,” as Sellman describes speculative fiction, that makes this collection shine so brightly. Sellman is experienced and discerning about the differences among the various types of speculative fiction. (We discussed the subject at length in an interview, which I’ll post on my YouTube channel the following week.) Sellman is an active gardener and guardian of nature, and her own brand-new Substack invites us into her tantalizing mix of essays. gardening, and recipes. Find that here: Rhymes with Camera Substack.
I should issue the caveat that I’ve known Tamara Sellman for many years, since she attended a continuing writing workshop that I hosted at a local Barnes & Noble’s, where she let us all read an early draft of her short story, “The Rosaries of Raggedy Ann,” about a doll with a penchant for healing. Eventually, I knew this story was published, and it was a joy to encounter it in this collection, polished to perfection with a main character who exudes the sense of wonder and the awareness of guilt that I dare say many, if not most, children experience. Over the years, I’ve tried to keep up with her many accomplishments, which you can read about in her bio, also below.
Do you like the grit of soil under your nails? Do you speculate about what is to become of us all? Would you like to meet a very active imagination that explores the world with vigor and bristles with ideas? You can have it all in Tamara Sellman’s sparkling new collection, Cul De Sac Stories, from Aqueduct Press. Check the links below for ways to order this lively volume.
Biography: Tamara Kaye Sellman is author of Cul de Sac Stories (2024; Aqueduct Press), the experimental novelette, Trust Fall (2024; MCR Media), and Intention Tremor: A Hybrid Collection (2021; MoonPath Press); co-host for the BENEATH THE RAIN SHADOW podcast; and producer of "Look Up" (2024; MCR Media). She lives in Kitsap County, WA.
Her main page/blog: rhymeswithcamera.com
Her Amazon page: Author Tamara Kaye Sellman
Cul de Sac Stories main page: culdesacstories.com includes buy links for autographed copies direct from the author.
Cul de Sac Stories Amazon preorder page (ebook only): https://www.amazon.com/Cul-Stories-Conversation-Pieces-Book-ebook/dp/B0D54N99L9
Lurking Amazon preorder page (ebook only): https://www.amazon.com/Lurking-Bones-Decades-Anthology-Collection-ebook/dp/B0D4KYQ91B
Intention Tremor main page: https://tksellman.com/intention-tremor/ includes buy links for autographed copies direct from the author.
Beneath the Rain Shadow podcast page:
Join the chat to tell us what you’re reading this summer. And, please, share, comment, like and recommend us to your friends.
I appreciate all my readers and subscribers. Thank you so much for being here!
If possible, consider becoming a paid subscriber. It costs a bit to afford the books, software, and social media accounts that make this Substack possible, and to take time away from other pursuits that augment my fixed income. Also, you will become eligible as a subscriber to join events such as the Book Mavens critique group, in-person author interviews, workshops, and curated readings.
What are we eating now?
A terrific and fairly easy summer meal is a light charcuterie board. Left to right, from top left, above: Goat cheese (or your favorite light cheese); Kalamata olives, pitted; broiled asparagus with blueberries; canned salmon; boiled eggs; red potatoes broiled with sliced red onion; more boiled egg slices. To make the potatoes, asparagus, and red onion, slice all the vegetables, then toss them with olive oil, coarse sea salt, and coarse-ground black pepper. Broil them in a 400 degree over for about 30-40 minutes, to your preference. Then assemble this charcuterie, or whatever you have in the fridge. Your own collection can be some version of vegetarian or vegan, if you like. Be creative! Pairs really well with dry, white wine, like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or with any seltzer mixed with fruit juices, like peach or apricot. Or try a limoncello!