“Karen Russell’s Orange World, taken in its entirety, sets itself, as the Times alluded to, between wild and tame; between safety and danger. Or, as the title story explains the distinction, these stories are “where most of us live,” between “Green World, a fantasy realm of soft corners” and the bleak, infant decapitation dangers of Red World. This collection explores that middle space most of us live in of the Orange World with magical realism adding the salt of uniqueness into every story.

“Shit Face” by Amy Lynne McKenzie, and published online at The Kenyon Review, is a maximalist dervish hellbent on whirling you towards it’s clever emotional twist and what remains after the dust settles is a story that gobsmacks and wounds, leaving you blindsided by the unexpected but well-earned turn of events. Devil’s Night is a Daiquiri of sorts that uses a compound syrup made from Daily’s Strawberry Daiquiri, and a Habanero Tincture brings some sweet heat to mix

“A Duck Walks into a Bar”, written by Joshua Bohnsack and published at AGNI, is a feel-good story about a mom, her autistic son, and a classic joke that defies the literary story’s all too common interest in the darker side of people. The cocktail inspired by it, Quackers & Juice, is also light in nature. A riff on a Garibaldi, this cocktail uses Apple Juice, Vermouth, and Goldfish-Infused Gin.