Aaron's Story Recommendation of the Week :: Mister Oak by Leah Bobet

My story recommendation of the week is "Mister Oak" by Leah Bobet, a short story from the February 2010 issue of the recently revived Realms of Fantasy. Leah Bobet becomes only the fourth author to receive two different story recommendations on this blog, joining Paolo Bacigalupi, Catherynne M. Valente, and Aliette de Bodard.

"Mister Oak" is the whimsical yet bittersweet story of a tree who falls in love with a woman. It is certainly the best story told from the point of view of a tree I have read since "Direction of the Road" by Ursula K. LeGuin. Actually, it's the only story from the point of view of a tree I have read since "Direction of the Road," but I just put Bobet's name in a sentence with Ursula LeGuin -- is she likely to complain?

It's nice to see Realms of Fantasy has come back strong under its new ownership. In addition to "Mister Oak," the February 2010 issue features a new Harlan Ellison story and tales by several up-and-coming authors including Bobet and de Bodard.