Myrrha (short story)

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"Myrrha" is a fantasy short story by Gary Jennings. It was first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction , in September 1962.

Contents

Synopsis

As Shirley Spencer lies catatonic, entries from her diary describe how a visit by an old school friend from Greece gradually destroyed her life — and indicate parallels with classical mythology.

Reception

"Myrrha" was a finalist for the 1963 Hugo Award for Short Fiction. [1]

At Galactic Journey , Gideon Marcus found it to be "dreamy, humorless, (and) unpleasant", while conceding that he "might have liked it more had (he) understood it." [2] Piers Anthony considered it "an utterly savage story of revenge for a personal slight." [3]

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References

  1. 1963 Hugo Awards, at TheHugoAwards.org; retrieved October 1, 2021
  2. Aug. 17, 1962: The 90% rule (September 1962 Fantasy and Science Fiction), by Gideon Marcus, at Galactic Journey , published August 17, 2017; retrieved October 1, 2021
  3. Introduction to Myrrha, in One and Wonder: Piers Anthony's Remembered Stories, published 2013 by Fantastic Planet Books