A story from a while back, but not so long ago, eclipsed my post by chance: “Regarding the Robot Raccoons Attached to the Hull of My Ship” by Rachel K. Jones & Khaalidah Muhammad Ali. This was published in The Best Sci-Fi of the Year, vol. 3.

Obviously, I had to read it since I am a raccoon at heart (not quite as exotic as a red panda, aka a trash panda).

Diverting and heartfelt, this epistolary exchange between two brilliant sisters spoke of the triumphs of human endurance and human relationships both on a macro and micro level with humor and sparkling shards of optimism (beautiful and sharp through their pain).

The two raccoons on the moon are just the delightful sprinkles interspersed through the story.

Here’s the link, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did: https://www.diabolicalplots.com/dp-fiction-28b-regarding-the-robot-raccoons-attached-to-the-hull-of-my-ship-by-rachael-k-jones-and-khaalidah-muhammad-ali/https://www.diabolicalplots.com/dp-fiction-28b-regarding-the-robot-raccoons-attached-to-the-hull-of-my-ship-by-rachael-k-jones-and-khaalidah-muhammad-ali/