April 14 - "Tomorrow's Bird"

“Tomorrow’s Bird”
by Ian Frazier
New Sudden Fiction (2007)

* * * (Good) Fable

A man working for the crows of the world helps to spread their desire to become “Your Only Bird.”

Another only average story – this one with a cute premise: the rebranding and mass marketing of crows as the world’s new, and only, bird. One possible underlying message – evil or darkness (you pick the big bad) is permeating the world – stands, rather obviously, right behind the words on the page. It’s easy to see the author’s point, but it’s all a little too neat. Too pat. There are, however, some nice little details that shine through, such as the descriptions of the crows’ movements and actions (so real and easily pictured), or the insane power grabs (crows owning the Tombstone Frozen Pizza company, and other ventures). It’s a nice balance of the real and the asinine. I actually wish this could be developed into something more – there’s some unexplored potential here.