"How to Die in Krakun Space" is a short story by Phox Sillanpaa. It is the eleventh story in a collection called "Tales of Hayven Celestia," which was published in 2020. As I have already stated, this is a universe created by author Rick Griffin, in which he allowed many other people to write stories in.
This one felt similar in vibe to "Friend for a Day" but with a sharper edge. It was about a really bratty krakun named Huk who was forced into military service by his beast of a dad. Nobody likes him. His commanding officer officer hates him. There is also this interesting rule that on krakun spaceships, if you cause too much trouble, the officer can just eject your living quarters from the ship where you will simply die over time.
But through all this, there is a tiny voice inside Huk's head that is trying to convince him to be a good person. It sounds a little like he may have a conscience, but this story is a bit more nuanced than that. Throughout this story, Huk battles with his bratty anger while at the same time trying to become a more compassionate krakun, something they are not known for at all. The crazy thing is that he doesn't seem the type to actually try to be better, but to explain this would go into spoiler territory.
The sharp edge of this story sinks deep. It's extremely well told, but you have to go all the way to the end to find out why Huk struggles the way he does. The author plays no favorites. He tells a story as if it just happened the way it did, flaws included. I was stunned by how the story got weaved together here.
I very greatly recommend this story. It surprised me, and I was left with a lot to think about. Cleverly written and at times painful in all the right ways. Give this one a look.
This blog was written on December 27, 2025.
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The MORAL DILEMMA is the deciding moment in our lives. All our other choices are with our morality as the foundation. This story explores that aspect of reality, making the fiction relevant.
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