What’s in the Hole?

Dear Fellow Wyrms,

We’ve almost made it! This is the final installment of the HOLE for 2025! Which makes this the most cursed edition of the year, the holiday special. Just kidding! (Unless?)

Currently, I am sitting here procrastinating on other tasks that need my attention. My last editorial was about niche anime, my editorial today is going to be my hot take about tracking reading given that 2026 is coming and I bet some of you wyrms are going to be making reading goals next year.

I don't use Goodreads. I have a Storygraph I update a few times a year that I'm sure is missing a bunch of things I’ve read. I don't actually know how many books I read a year or ever, and when I read books, if I'm not vibing with what I'm reading, I just drop it. I know all of this is heretical, but to me keeping track of everything I read with Goodreads/Storygraph/something else would take the fun out of it. I like to read for fun, okay? (Yes I know I’m weird.) For me, rating everything and keeping close track of everything I start/drop/want to read is not fun. Sometimes I do like looking up salty reviews on Goodreads because they’re entertaining and then I get impressed by how carefully some people do track everything. I guess I try to carve out time regularly in my life to read. Some weeks that might be zero, some weeks it’s a lot.

For 2026, it’s still early, but I’m thinking about trying to read more outside the genres I read a lot of. Not sure how much I’m going to force myself to read things I don’t enjoy against my will, but we’ll figure it out!

I’m currently playing Pokémon Legends Z-A. My take is that it’s fun if you were once a Pokémon kid and then left because life got busy etc. and now you’re looking for something fun and chill. Once I emerge from my Pokémon HOLE I will have more thoughts. I chose Tepig because Fire-type starters are almost always the best, and I will fight you on this.

This month's recs are a selection of my fave Kelly Link stories. Kelly Link has inspired me loads, and I hope some of you will check out her work! They're all short stories because short stories are great and need more people reading them. This month’s wildcard is a holiday survival guide for an average wyrm.

(Also, if you like this issue— share the HOLE!)

Tina S. Zhu / November 2025 Editor in Chief / New York, USA

Recs & Reviews

Tina recs Kelly Link

Who is Kelly Link? Kelly Link has written a lot of short stories in a number of collections over the years, plus The Book of Love, a novel that came out last year. There is a sense of whimsy and strangeness in her work that has inspired me. Plus, her stories are just overall fun to read. There’s a Kelly Link story for everyone! Here are five that live rent-free in my head, in no real order.

I Can See Right Through You

McSweeney’s Quarterly Tendency and Get in Trouble (2015). 10k words.

Pathetic meow meow of a narrator pining over his ex? Check. Fucked up tragic past? Check. Nudist colony in Florida? Check. Paranormal investigation TV show? Check.

The Specialist’s Hat

Stranger Things Happen (2001). 5k words.

This story is just awesome, and I could probably do a whole PowerPoint presentation on everything going on here and why I’m obsessed with it. You have two twins who play games with a babysitter who may or may not be a ghost because their deadbeat dad is too busy doing research. They’re in this weird house with a ton of attics and chimneys. Spooky and kind of Gothic vibes going on.

Prince Hat Underground

White Cat, Black Dog (2024). (Not available to read online.)

Another story with the word ‘hat’ in it. This is a retelling of the fairytale “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” (read the Wikipedia article at your own risk of spoiling things). Okay genuinely this story is heartwarming and hilarious. There's this old couple and one of them gets kidnapped over brunch by his former fiancee from when they were young and is spirited away into Hell. The other guy learns that his husband is a Prince of Hell (how's that for a secret to keep during a long marriage) and goes down to rescue him from Agnes.

Skinder’s Veil

White Cat, Black Dog (2024). (Not available to read online.)

A retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ story “Snow White and Rose Red.” There's some housesitting in this one and weird lists of rules that you get while housesitting. Plus MC is a PhD student struggling and Death is just some guy with a dog. 

The Faery Handbag

Magic for Beginners (2005). 8k words.

There’s something magical about this story about a mysterious handbag the narrator has been waiting to turn up in a thrift store somewhere. I won’t spoil more of the plot, but this is a story about the weird things we inherit from our family.

Pak recs…

From the Lost Diary of TreeFrog7

Nnedi Okrafor, Clarkesworld. 2009. 5.4k words.

A unique epistolary story told through the voice recordings of two researchers exploring a techno-fusion jungle. This story features immersive taxonomic entries that appear when hovering over definitions, bringing the datafied narrative into reality. If that weren't impressive enough, the heavily-pregnant narrator brings a grounded tone that fleshes out the world building into a tangible experience, generously shared until the teeth-shaking ending.

Iz recs…

FAQ: The “Snake Fight” Portion of Your Thesis Defense

Luke Burns, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. 2010. 500 words.

I may be stretching the definition of "science fiction" and "fiction" but if you haven't read this, it's very funny, and we're now firmly in The Midst Of The Fall Semester, so this felt appropriate.

Tia recs…

Like a River Loves the Sky

Emma Törzs, Uncanny. 2018. 3.9k words.

Lyrical writing + an acerbic main character with a surplus of personal honesty + mysterious dead (?) dogs in basements and what they say about friendship. That’s it that’s the story. It’s weird, thought-provoking, and vivid in a way that sticks with you when it’s over.

Carolyn recs…

Heron of Earth

Vajra Chandrasekera, Clarkesworld. 2018. 2.1k words.

Written with Chandrasekera’s characteristically beautiful, lush prose, this story tells of a bird-being (or are they?) left behind on a posthuman planet, dreaming of past teammates and godlike extraterrestrial, formerly earthlike beings swimming among the stars. In only 2000 or so words, the author paints a vivid picture of a life simultaneously filled with longing and loneliness, and yet also very unlike our own.

The Best of November Cover Art

November Riddle of the Month

Good Moomin of the Month

WILDCARD

THE WYRM’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS

by Tina S. Zhu

It is almost that time of year again. Yes, the time of year where all the wyrms emerge from their holes to gather and celebrate wyrm holidays. There are lots of pitfalls that can come up this time of year that could make your next year suck, so let’s make sure we don’t collectively mess this up.

What to Buy a Not-so-Easily Impressed Wyrm

Most wyrms have too many scented candles and incense already, as these are common gifts in WYRMLAND. This holiday season, treat the wyrm in your life with something different and not something they’ll end up regifting. Here's the problem—the average wyrm has too many books already, plus if you mess up their reading taste, you're in deep trouble. Same thing with video games or any other type of media. Unless you know the recipient well, your wyrm recipient is going to judge you hard when you mess up their preferences. Plus the average wyrm already is already further along that new video game than you are, so you're also screwed if you try to get them a video game. Home decor, too, is tough because the average residential hole size in WYRMLAND is very small. If you end up giving a wyrm something they don't have the room for, you've wasted your time.

So what makes a good gift?

• Fancy cooking tools (note: must be small)

These are always a winner, and not just because the author of this WILDCARD is a sucker for fancy cooking tools (hint hint cough cough for anyone looking to give your humble editor a gift this holiday season). The average worm needs to be able to roast and simmer bugs, leaves, and whatever other food they've found today. Plus, a lot of cool cooking gizmos don't take up that much space. making them the perfect gift.

• Gift cards

This can be a good gift depending on the wyrm, but this can also be a dangerous proposition. If you get a wyrm a gift card for, say, Olive Garden, what are they supposed to do if they don't like Olive Garden? Some wyrms might also consider this a lazy gift. But for the right person, a strategic gift card can be the best present.

• Something handmade

Most wyrms appreciate unique things, and something handmade, no matter how small, will usually make a great gift. The exception is baby wyrms, of course, for whom toys are the best presents.

• Proceed with Caution: Weird Gadgets/Tech toys

This is another category that makes for popular presents. Instead of getting the wyrm in your life a new pair of earbuds/a tablet/speakers like everyone else, may I interest you in some more unique gifts? Trust me, few things are funnier than seeing that cousin you don’t like walking around wearing those Dyson air-purifying headphones in the linked article.

Surviving the Potluck

The next difficult choice to navigate is what kind of food to bring to any potluck during this time of year. Do you buy something? Do you make something? If you make something, should you bring something sweet? Savory? Spicy?

If you're bringing takeout: Make sure it's from somewhere that most people attending your event like and can eat! It would be a shame if only two wyms at the party who enjoyed the food you brought and everyone else isn't a fan of that restaurant and/or have dietary restrictions that mean they can’t partake.

When in doubt, if you can bring two things, I'd go with one dessert and one non-dessert. If you can only bring one thing, bring something that is non-dessert. If you can't cook and don't have time to pick up any food, bring napkins, paper towels, and utensils, and cups. Nobody ever remembers you need to be able to eat off plates. Trust me, your fellow wyrms will thank you.

Songs to pick during YouTube Karaoke when you have a food coma after a big holiday meal

Sorry, buddy, I can't help you here. But I usually pick something popular that's easy to sing. Not going to name names, but I'm sure you can think of someone.

A parting song from the Editors…

Over and Over - Trousdale

Catch you later! We’ll see you in the new year :)