We want preface this review with the fact that, for us, the thing with time travel is that we can’t think too hard about it. If we do, our brains will tie themselves in knots and shut down. We just have to enjoy the story and let it take us for a ride. A ride where there are no roads...
Just kidding, Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont is a time travel story that is more about the past and present than the future. Written by Frivolous Author P.A. Cornell, this short story was nominated for a 2023 Nebula award, and we can see why. We would characterize it as a “cozy” fantasy, but it still brings up some important issues. This story is the best of both worlds, the literary equivalent to being able to end a war while snuggled under your favorite blanket, on the couch, with a cup of tea.
When a reader sees, “Once upon a time” in a title they are going to expect some fairy tale elements. In this story the omniscient narration dovetails first person narration invoking a fairy tale atmosphere. You can imagine a kindly grandmother with a big book of fairy tales in her lap, telling you the story of The Oakmont, but you also get an eyewitness account of one character’s time as a tenant.
What we liked:
- The idea of a house that you only find when you need is lovely. We love a magical house.
- Comparison and contrast of different periods of history. How trends come and go. Good and bad things, quality versus ease and speed. Some of it is like a meditation. You see food, entertainment, clothing styles come and go and you don’t label it as good or bad, you just observe.
Some things that were challenging:
- We didn’t like that you could break the house rules without consequence. We like when fantasy rules are enforced. While we can understand that this was not the focus of the story, we kept expecting there to be a consequence, and not seeing one threw us a bit.
- The fact that the tenants forgot most of their time living in The Oakmont. It's an interesting choice, and one we think helps keep the narrative strings together; but perhaps it was a bit too neat to have this be part of the magic.
So grab a cozy spot and explore the little corner of the world known as The Oakmont. While you read, be prepared to ask yourself a few questions: Would you pay more attention to history if you were able to interact directly with people living in other time periods? And would that history be less like something from a musty old book and more like good advice from a wise friend?