Dangerous Women vol. 3 "Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell" by Brandon Sanderson

"Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell" by Brandon Sanderson is the keynote novella of Dangerous Women vol. 3 (ed. George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois).


I've read Brandon Sanderson's collaboration with Robert Jordan in completing the Wheel of Time series, but otherwise have not previously read any of his work.


"Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell" is very well done as a short story.  It introduces a world (I'm not sure whether this is a world seen in Mr. Sanderson's other series, but it needed no additional background for me to follow it), introduces the magic and spirits and culture, all without info dumps or uneasy exposition and gets to telling the story.


It's fascinating how well it's done and how professionally it's done.  It reminds me a bit of seeing Bon Jovi in concert a number of years ago, and they followed Hedley as their opening act.  Hedley was good, enjoyable, but when Bon Jovi took the stage I just had an immediate appreciation for the difference between someone who is just starting out, and someone who is a professional and has been doing it for years and years and years.  I can't really point to particular aspects of what they were doing, but you see it and know that's how it's supposed to be done.


That's how I felt reading this novella.  I was immersed in the story immediately, internalized all the rules and customs of the place and was driven to learn more while being intensely engaged in the plot.  Like the other stories in volume 3 of this collection, I found it a bit dark for my tastes, but that can't detract from the appreciation I have for how the story was told.  It concerns a forest with ghost spirits and bounty hunters who turn criminals into prey to feed their own survival.


I understand Mr. Sanderson provides seminars and advice on how to write fantasy or science fiction novels, and from this I can see why.  I imagine he goes beyond writing technique to describe character development and plot development.  I think this story would provide some of that education (particularly in a short story context) and more, that it will inspire prospective writers to try to write short stories like this.