Review of Liam Hogan, “Bath Bomb,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 178-203 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a light-hearted little story which, in another guise (possibly rhyming?), could make a good illustrated children’s book.
REVIEW: “A Game of Go” by P.A. Cornell
Review of P.A. Cornell, “A Game of Go,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 12-43 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
The main character in this story is Ava, the SmartHome who has been raising Christopher since his mothers both disappeared. As a sentient AI character, Ava has been programmed to abide by certain rules; while with the rapid growth of gen-AI, LLM-driven models we tend to think that rules are important for keeping AIs from doing the wrong thing, the crux of this story is how Ava’s constraints prevent her from doing the right thing, and how she fights back against this. It was a curiously optimistic view of AI agents.
REVIEW: “The Unnamed City, As Seen at Three Points” by Adrian Ward
Review of Adrian Ward, “The Unnamed City, As Seen at Three Points,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 221-226 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
There was something elusively beautiful about this story; it reminded me of the visceral feeling I got when I first visited Tiryns, in Greece. I’m not sure what really happened in it; I mostly just spent my reading time soaking it up. Which turn out, in the end, to be what the story itself was all about.
REVIEW: “Saul & Noah’s Hot Bouleutophagy Summer” by Elijah J. Mears
Review of Elijah J. Mears, “Saul & Noah’s Hot Bouleutophagy Summer,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 117-134 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
In case you’re like me and weren’t 100% sure what bouleutophagy, I’m not spoiling anything about this extremely hilarious — while simultaneously almost too real for comfort — story by glossing it as “eat the rich”. The word may not yet show up in my go-to dictionary, Wiktionary, but I certainly hope it will be there in years to come! (I also did a double-take, and enjoyed, seeing the city I lived in for the first 10 years of my life get name-checked — its one of those that usually only people who’ve been there know of it!)
REVIEW: “All Aboard” by Hannya Kay
Review of Hannya Kay, “All Aboard,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 214-220 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
There was something wildly, surprisingly creepy about this story.
REVIEW: “HELLO” by Jeanna Cammarano
Review of Jeanna Cammarano, “Hello,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 205-213 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
It’s hard to know what to make of a story like this, whether I should take it as it seems to be, or to read it as a metaphor for some contemporary events. Either way, it’s not a very happy story.
REVIEW: “Life Imitates” by Rio Lombana and Kaitlin Schmidt
Review of Rio Lombana and Kaitlin Schmidt, “Life Imitates,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 82-104 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was an exceptionally creepy piece. The horror in this story is that even when Mari does everything right, it still isn’t enough to save Karley.
REVIEW: “Mother’s Mother’s Daughter” by Audrey Zhou
Review of Audrey Zhou, “Mother’s Mother’s Daughter,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 62-80 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Body harm, death of a parent.
Weird and a little bit creepy, and sad and fierce, but ultimately hopeful: This was a roller coaster of a witchy story!
(First appeared in Silk and Sinew 2025).
REVIEW: “The Spacefarer’s Guide to Connecting With Your Daughter’s Descendants” by Stewart C. Baker
Review of Stewart C. Baker, “The Spacefarer’s Guide to Connecting With Your Daughter’s Descendants,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 168-177 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Oh, this was a glorious story — full of love over generations and forgiveness and parenting mistakes and recoveries. I nearly cried while reading it, and was so delighted by the ending.
REVIEW: “A Hole in My Heart the Shape of the Multiverse” by Ruth Joffre
Review of Ruth Joffre, “A Hole in My Heart the Shape of the Multiverse,” Adventitious no. 4 (Aug 2026): 147-166 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
The looping back and forth through time and space and character in this story is effortless in a way that can only have taken Joffre considerable effort and attention and care. I loved this story in the way that I loved Natasha Pulley’s The Kingdoms (which I utterly adored).
