“Birdwatcher” is a 2008 science fiction short story by Garth Upshaw. It is about a teenaged boy who witnesses the arrival of aliens bearing gifts.
Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:
“Birdwatcher” is a little slice in the life of Doyle, a boy who is singularly intent on wiping out the crows in his back yard. On one particularly hot summer day as he watches the crows ponder his peanut-butter-and-poison concoction he sees the sky flash brilliant colors. Suddenly the power is out and his mother is calling for his help. As he investigates he discovers “somebody” who offers him an amazing artifact.
The sky flashed orange and purple, like a years’ worth of sunsets had been dumped catywampus and stirred with a big stick. I looked up, surprised and mystified. Purple and orange. My high school colors. It was afternoon, four o’clock at the absolute latest.
“Doyle? Doyle, are you outside?” Mom’s high voice cut through the backyard like a mosquito’s whine. “What was that flash of light? I know you’re there.” Crows flew back to the tree, their flapping wings sounding like half-hearted applause.
My Two Cents:
• The good:
- This story is full of several very imaginative descriptions - some of which made me laugh out loud!
- An interesting story idea (especially the use of the crows) which leaves you to ponder what really happened.
• The bad:
- If you don’t like stories that let you imagine how things ended then you may want to skip this one.
- Watch out for one instance of strong language - and one indirect yet mild reference to sexual fantasy!
Fact Sheet:
• Page Count: 3
• Word Count: 1,575
Where you can find “Birdwatcher”:
- This short story first appeared in the May 2008 issue of Clarkesworld.
- You can read a free online version at Clarkesworld Magazine.
Some Interesting Links:
- I initially heard about this story by way of the writer’s workshop that I belong to - Critters. If you are a budding and hopeful author of science fiction short stories then be sure to check out the Critters website. (Being a member sure helped Garth Upshaw!)
Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like Stories of the Alien Invasion, about throngs of aliens that invade Earth, then don’t do much more than annoy people, by Manek Mistry.
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For budding authors, there is a great essay from C L Moore; I’ll be posting ToC of “The Best of C L Moore” sometime next week along with some story posts from it.
This book’s “Afterward” is a bit unusual. She talks about how her first published story, “Shambleau” (1933) came about - dissects in some detail the evolution of story, how various characters came into play & got personalities, etc. This is not the greatest story by her, particularly compared to her superlative later works with Kuttner, but a darn decent first piece from a 22 year old. And one of the better vampire stories I’ve seen yet - it’s a twist on the story of Medusa in Homer’s Odyssey.
And here is her first explicit advise to aspiring story tellers: “First, you have to read a great deal of the works you enjoy most. Much of it will be useless. But the trusty unconscious can be relied on to make lots of unseen notes, just in case. Mine did not fail me.”
Thanks Tinkoo,
That is a really interesting story. I’ll have to look for that book.
I think its true that reading lots of stories helps one become a better author. I’ve seen it in my own work as well as that of others. It is easy to tell when you read a piece by someone who is not well read in the genre.
I look forward to your article.
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