John Chu

In the near future water falls from the sky whenever someone lies (either a mist or a torrential flood depending on the intensity of the lie). This makes life difficult for Matt as he maneuvers the marriage question with his lover and how best to "come out" to his traditional Chinese parents. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A Tor.Com Original

The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere

Lia Yuliana

Update 02/12/2021

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    The water that falls on you from nowhere when you lie is perfectly ordinary, but perfectly pure.
  


The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere is a queer contemporary fiction with elements of magical realism about Matt a closeted gay man from a Chinese family that is mustering enough courage to come out to his family. He brings along his long time partner Gus as well to introduce him to the family. Being the only son Matt is pressured every time during his yearly visits for marriage, in the pas this has made him distance himself from his family especially his overbearing sister. There is a unique aspect that is passed down in Matt's family that every time he lies or if he contradicts his true feeling about something, his body would react by pouring him with cold bone chilling rain. If his statements stays true to his feelings his body is enveloped in warmth. This reaction negates his ability to lie to people. 
I found that this ability or hereditary quirk of Matt's is quite interesting, kind of like Pinocchio when he lies his nose grows a few inches. Though the story is pretty simple and the premise can be found in many stories but the sudden summoning of thunder clouds and the themes of being queer as an Asian is what makes this story so relatable. Not the summoning of thunder clouds part. Coming out isn't an easy thing for Asians especially if they have siblings that are as strict and judgmental as Matt's sister that shrouds her cruel words with her own twisted version of 'love'. To wrap things up I highly recommend you check this short story especially if you're looking for something that is more contemporary than full on fantasy. 


  
    Uttering “this sentence is false” or some other paradox leaves you with such a sense of angst, so filled with the sense of an impending doom, that most people don’t last five seconds before blurting something unequivocal.

This was a really great exploration of truth and lies, the way we talk to ourselves and our loved ones. Chu really deftly uses the concept of water that falls on you from nowhere to convey a lot of meaning in few words. This was very impressively written and moving and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.

Nadine 

Quick short story - enjoyable & nice resolution on the “coming out to Asian parents” trope

Athena Eloy

A fascinating short story, in which lies compel rain to fall in varying degrees based on the size of the lie. The story follows a gay couple, a Chinese biotech engineer (Matt), and his boyfriend (Gus), an elite martial artist. The main action of the story revolves around going to Matt's family's home for Thanksgiving, this time with Gus in tow. Matt plans to tell his parents of his plans to marry Gus, knowing that his traditional Chinese family will likely react poorly, as Matt's impression is that his parents' true desire is for him to carry the family name by birthing a grandson. Funny, quirky, and a new queer story, I was pleased to see a queer character of color in an award winning science fiction short (albeit, magic realism would probably be a more fitting categorization). A well-spent half hour.

Sahi K

This love story is just so pure and heartwarming, I didn’t want it to get over. Gus is a sweetheart and Matt maybe a bit scared but his heart is true. I liked everyone except Matt’s sister and I don’t care if she loves him, but she is a bully. 

I also liked how fascinating this world was, and how everyone had to maneuver the way they spoke, hedging between truth and lies, so that they don’t get drenched in water. It’s a real dilemma and makes us realize how difficult it is to be truthful 100% of the time. I’m just amazed at how much the author was able to convey in such a small story and can totally understand why this won the Hugo.

The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere A Tor.Com Original

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