Sequoia Nagamatsu’s “Pig Son” opens with a strong hook and is off and running with an original and emotional premise. The prose style is sharp, clear, and confident, with just the right touches of humor. In writing with fabulist or speculative elements, readers must be grounded in the story’s rules (see the wonderful author’s note for more on this). Nagamatsu integrates the speculative elements immediately and effectively, with seamless management of necessary backstory, handled with clarity and concision—memories of the past do not outshine present action, which is refreshing in a grief story.
Despite the potential outlandishness of the premise, the characters all feel very human and real. Look for generous character development, organic dialogue, and the parallels between Peter and Snortorious that work to build emotional weight and foreshadow the arc of the story. The present-tense narration drives the dual engine of tension and pace toward a lovely ending well-balanced in bitter and sweet. This story concerns ethics, grief, and agency, and yet does not moralize. This story made us want to sit down and talk about it, a strong sign it will stay with us. We hope it does the same for you. —CRAFT

Short story available to read online at website of literary magazine CRAFT.

Also included in Nagamatsu's How High We Go in the Dark.