Amal El-Mohtar’s “Seasons of Glass and Iron” tells the tale of Tabitha, who must walk through seven pairs of iron shoes, and Amira, who sits on a throne atop a glass hill, which she cannot move from. Each woman lives in her own personal prison, but life gets a little brighter when they happen to meet and find friendship.
This short story was originally published in the anthology The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales, which is fitting for this feminist fairy tale, finding a new role for women that doesn’t involve a prince or handsome woodsman. It won both the 2016 Nebula Award for Best Short Story and the 2017 Hugo in the same category.
Read it here, through Uncanny.
Neptune Your Dial 