Baby Teeth

Baby Teeth by Daniel Polansky (Tor.com)

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The last story of 2021 was a good one.

This is a Tor.com short story. Normally, Tor short stories are mediocre. They are basically previews of forthcoming novels that assume you already know the backstory, character and setting. Short stories require greater writing story because, while novels can be leisurely developed over time, a short story has to deliver character, background, conflict and a punch at the ending, if it is going to be memorable, all within the space of a dozen pages.

Baby Teeth by Daniel Polansky lives up to these requirements. The protagonist is a middle-school nerd who plays D&D with his nerdy friends, who are just on the cusp of growing up. One of those friends - Jessica - rejects his invitation for a date to the dance because she “doesn't like him in that way.”

While he's growing up, he meets a, well, vampire killer, who saves him from a dead friend. He helps the vampire killer through what should be a life-changing adventure, transforming him into a hero.

But it doesn't.

This is a well-written and thoughtful story that should leave you thinking about your dreams as a child.