Review of Angela Liu, “Fernie,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 32-43 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
With time travel, dinosaurs, and sentient plants, this fun little story didn’t bother taking itself too seriously.
REVIEW: “Madam Strzyga’s Pagan Pest Control” by Katharine Tyndall
Review of Katharine Tyndall, “Madam Strzyga’s Pagan Pest Control,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 27-31 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
“Catholic solutions won’t work for pagan problems,” Madam Strzyga tells an anxious client (p. 29), in this funny little story that’s almost noteworthy for how mundane it is considering how fantastical it is. Pests are pests, whether they are natural or supernatural, I guess!
REVIEW: “The Place of Oblation” by Deborah L. Davitt
Review of Deborah L. Davitt, “The Place of Oblation,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 146-150 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This is a lovely little story, recommended for anyone who likes stories about aliens or stories about archaeology, or, even better, stories about both.
REVIEW: “Raze My Brain, Open My Eyes” by Faith Allington
Review of Faith Allington, “Raze My Brain, Open My Eyes,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 135-136 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
If this story hadn’t been so short, it could perhaps have been more than simply a “bad-break-up-story,” but as an example of this genre, it at least involves someone choosing to turn their wallowing pain into a positive outcome.
REVIEW: “End of the World” by Nick Ekkizogloy
Review of Nick Ekkizogloy, “End of the World,” Flash Fiction Online 152 (July 2026): 29-31 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This story was this close to being a horror story, and yet somehow just fell short. Instead, it was merely a bad-break-up story, and not one that made me lean particularly sympathetically to the MC.
REVIEW: “Seastrand Beyond” by Anna Clark
Review of Anna Clark, “Seastrand Beyond,” Flash Fiction Online 152 (July 2026): 24-27 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Parental death.
This was an absolutely beautiful story of grief and loss and the memory of abiding love.
REVIEW: “Fragments Recovered From the Wreck of the Seaglass” by E. M. Linden
Review of E. M. Linden, “Fragments Recovered From the Wreck of the Seaglass,” Flash Fiction Online 152 (July 2026): 17-23 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Speculative historical botany! Who wouldn’t love a story about speculative historical botany — I definitely did. And this story nailed the ending: the final sentence was an absolute chiller.
REVIEW: “A Perfect Light” by Laura Duerr
Review of Laura Duerr, “A Perfect Light,” Flash Fiction Online 152 (July 2026): 12-15 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
It’s amazing how claustrophobic the deep sea can seem — which is why it makes such a great setting for insidious, unsettling horror. I found that part of this story perfectly tuned, just right to send a shiver down my spine. The ending, I found, didn’t quite match up to the rest of the story, taking this from potentially excellent to merely “a good read”.
REVIEW: “Kingdom of Steve” by Nick Badot
Review of Nick Badot, “Kingdom of Steve,” Flash Fiction Online 152 (July 2026): 8-11 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Awww, this story was really sweet. At the started I wasn’t sure where/how it would go, or if I would like where/how it did, but I found the ending really heartwarming.
REVIEW: “For the Birds” by Sarah Gane Burton
Review of Sarah Gane Burton, “For the Birds,” Flash Fiction Online 151 (June 2026): 26-28 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
What an odd little story. I honestly have no idea what I was supposed to take away from it.
SFF Reviews 