airyfairy

Primary tabs

I have 134 stories published in 11 collections on the site.
My stories have been read 534568 times and 198 of my stories have been cherry picked.
1044 of my 4,560 comments have been voted Great Feedback with a total of 1135 votes

Trusted critic
airyfairy's picture

Hello! I am an old crone who very much enjoys reading SF, urban fantasy and horror. I write all sorts, some of it SF, urban fantasy and horror, a lot of it not. Sometimes I can even be funny, so I'm told. My short stories have appeared in the anthologies 'Cold Iron: Ghost Stories from the 21st Century' (Iron Press) and 'Science Fiction For Survival: An Archive For Mars' (Valley Press), as well as in magazines ranging from the literary magazine 'Dreamcatcher' to 'Writing Magazine' and 'The People's Friend' (the latter definitely not SF, urban fantasy or horror). I do regular local spoken word events, and needless to say there is a novel on the go. My new website is currently under construction, and you are cordially invited to come and have a peep at the blogs and free stories there. You can even go mad and sign up for my newsletter! Plus the usual social media stuff. All details below. Thanks for dropping in! (Oh, the picture is of my highly critical personal editor.)

https://bsky.app/profile/janeayrie.bsky.social
https://www.facebook.com/janeayrie.writer

1044 of my comments have received 1135 Great Feedback votes

1 Vote

Lovely stuff.  The bit where

Posted on Fri, 18 Aug 2017

Lovely stuff.  The bit where they come in and you want to hear all about it and they just say 'OK' because they're starving  - that really made me smile.  Always in their own time.  The reassurance of everything being as it should be, after a day...

Read full comment

Posted in first day in senior school

1 Vote

Really like the way the

Posted on Sun, 13 Aug 2017

Really like the way the relationship between Jack and his dad is so complex - Jack is happy his dad is happier - and more likeable -  but sad that he doesn't see him so much.  The dad is a very interesting character.  Some of the dialogue in the...

Read full comment

Posted in Jack Mutant - Which Way is Down (part 6)

1 Vote

I am so sorry to hear about

Posted on Mon, 01 May 2017

I am so sorry to hear about your Dad, Elsie.  This is such a lovely piece, I'm so glad we had the chance to share his memories.  Love to you and your family. x

Read full comment

Posted in Shlamek

1 Vote

So much truth in this.  The

Posted on Fri, 28 Jul 2017

So much truth in this.  The incomplete ending is often the hardest to accept - as you say, not knowing the crime, not getting any answers.  The last stanza really hits home, recognizable to anyone who has been in a similar situation.  Thank you...

Read full comment

Posted in Enough

1 Vote

You capture the odd, surreal

Posted on Thu, 27 Jul 2017

You capture the odd, surreal nature of a dream very well in the first part of this story.  I like the flashes of humour as well.  Personally I'm not a fan of 'it was all a dream' endings - although, again, there are some nice touches of humour...

Read full comment

Posted in Marblebay- Chapter One

1 Vote

Hi, good to see you back on

Posted on Sun, 23 Jul 2017

Hi, good to see you back on the site!  I have lots of sympathy with this.  I have not yet reached the level of resisting all upgrades, but I do tend only to replace if it breaks.  Perhaps indeed it is an age and experience thing - the only thing...

Read full comment

Posted in I’m not upgrading

1 Vote

Hello!  Welcome to ABC Tales

Posted on Fri, 21 Jul 2017

Hello!  Welcome to ABC Tales - lovely to have you here.

I like reworkings of fairy tales.  They always lend themselves to reinterpretation and I enjoyed your poem.  I'm no poetry critic either, so I can only offer a personal point of view...

Read full comment

Posted in The Brave Little Tailor

1 Vote

Fascinating, Jean.  I was

Posted on Tue, 18 Jul 2017

Fascinating, Jean.  I was watching the Proms the other night, Daniel Barenboim conducting a programme of English music, and they played both 'Nimrod' (always reduces me to tears) and 'Pomp and Circumstance'.  The detail in this is wonderful -...

Read full comment

Posted in Beth Tree and the Elgars 7

1 Vote

What a lovely story!  Glad

Posted on Sun, 16 Jul 2017

What a lovely story!  Glad that it all worked out in the end.  I love the idea of having that chant as a ring tone.  Currently I have The Beatles' 'Don't Bother Me', which has always seemed appropriate, but you've given me something to think...

Read full comment

Posted in The Kindness of Kevin

1 Vote

Hello, welcome to ABC Tales. 

Posted on Mon, 17 Jul 2017

Hello, welcome to ABC Tales.  I enjoyed reading this.  The way you follow the year through is very effective, and I very much liked the last three lines.  I agree with Ewan that the word Ivy sits a little oddly at the end.  Although I'd have got...

Read full comment

Posted in a sort of green

Pages