Sunday Short: John Chu's The Water That Falls on You From Nowhere.

UPDATE: This short story won the Hugo Award for Short Story, 2014.

This week, I am wrapping up my review of the Hugo nominees for short story with John Chu's The Water That Falls on You From Nowhere.

In this story, water falls on you when you lie, and the air gets warm and dry when you tell a truth. It is a simple (although unexplained) concept that works well in the short story format.

But the focus and the beauty of this story is not in this weird phenomenon. It is a wonderful, meaningful story of the family dynamics of a man coming out to his family. I liked how complex and realistic the family relationships were. And the ending is loving and sweet.

Overall, I think it is a great story to end the Hugo nominations on!

Favorite line: "His skin transforms from cold and clammy to warm and dry. He uses declarative sentences. The truth of each one is obvious. No weasel words or qualifiers. Instead of being soaked in water though, Gus is soaked in disappointment. Normally, his smile glows and I melt in its heat. Right now, he’s wearing a cheap copy. He’s about as likely to admit that I’ve hurt him as he is to use anesthesia."

Rating 4.5/5. 

Next week I will review Mary Robinette Kowal’s novelette The Lady Astronaut of Mars. Have a recommendation for another short story online to feature? Leave it in the comments!