So, that “piece for a Codex contest” I mentioned? I managed to win the contest! (See “2015 Codexian Idol” here.) I mean, there were only 4 completed stories in my section, but allow me my moment of pride nevertheless.
I’m very excited about this story. “The Empty Throne” centers around the Jewish experience in the aftermath of the 1848 Hungarian Revolution: about faith, progress, and (naturally) revolution. A few months ago I’d been digging into Jewish mythology in search of ideas, and a few stories really captured my interest, but I could never get a solid narrative out of those images. But with the help of the contest’s constraints, seeds, and deadlines, I have a beauty here (if I may be so modest). I’ve already given it a major round of revisions past the contest-winning version, and it’s out for some last critiques before I send it forth into the wild.