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The Privilege of the Happy Ending

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The Privilege of the Happy Ending is a 2018 metafictional dark fantasy story by Kij Johnson. It was first published in Clarkesworld Magazine.

Synopsis

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In medieval England, 6-year-old Ada and her talking chicken Blanche defeat a plague of reptilian wastoures, as the author provides commentary on the backstory and future of minor characters.

Reception

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The Privilege of the Happy Ending won the 2019 World Fantasy Award—Novella.[1]

Tangent Online praised it as "darkly delightful" and "beautifully written", with Johnson's frequent authorial interjections initially being "jarring", but eventually "eagerly anticipated".[2]

References

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  1. ^ World Fantasy Awards 2019, at World Fantasy Convention; retrieved January 16, 2022
  2. ^ Clarkesworld #143, August 2018, reviewed by Jeffrey Steven Abrams, at Tangent Online; published August 8, 2018; retrieved January 16, 2022