Short Reviews of Short SFF
Review of Thoraiya Dyer, “You Are Invited to Our SPRING CELEBRATION”, Clarkesworld Issue 234, March (2026): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A story that’s beautifully wild and familiar at the same time.
One of those stories where you know the worldbuilding has been done so thoughtfully, yet the plot itself was not ignored in service of it.
I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice and personality; in my opinion it was the cherry on top that made the story what it is.
Such a pleasure to read.
Review of Bendix Ross, “Stevie,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 103-129 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Far more than being a story of marine astrobiology, this is a story of a great bond of love between siblings. That was the hook that kept tugging me through to the very end.
Review of Jane Campbell, “Private Cabin, Ocean View,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 55-76 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Infertility.
Stories often give off certain signs, usually signalling their genre, early on. Campbell’s story is long enough that she keeps her cards quite close to her chest for quite a while (comparatively, for a short story) — my first guess was that this was going to be a ghost story, then it took a turn that felt like it was heading towards horror. It took a further turn some time after that, while keeping the earlier elements, all woven together. It was intriguing and unsettling!
Review of K.M. Reed, “Heart’s Desire,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 161-182 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Infanticide
This was a story of pacts and bargains and exchanges, — and of the difficulty of being a governess to dead children. It had a nice gothic feel to it, but overall it didn’t really catch my interest.
Review of Sylvie Althoff, “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 131-152 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Those who really like jazz will appreciate Althoff’s ability to pull more than twenty pages out of one improv session at a small bar on a far-flung planet. For those who could take jazz or leave it, this story is rather…long.
Review of Ashley Burnett, “Eva,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 185-203 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Enslavement, prison, forced adoption, forced pregnancy.
I find that I am beginning to tire to stories where misogyny is baked into the core of the narrative — even if the narrative is one of release, and freedom, and vengeance, and retribution, of escape for the woman/women involved, I am increasingly longing for stories that imagine an entirely different way of existence.
Still, I understand the value in ones that take our world as it is, and show that we can resist, so I don’t want to speak too negatively of Burnett’s story; it’s just not the story for me, I guess.
Review of Tiffany Tang, “The Sleeper in the Crypt,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 213-238 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
There was something wretchedly beautiful about this story.
Review of Emmie Christie, “The Disparity of Confidence,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 155-159 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Sometimes experiences give people confidence; sometimes it stifles them. Robin has the ability to see the disparity between the two for each person — and also knows what to do to fix it. This was a short, sweet, beautifully empowering story!
Review of Sadie Leewood, “Dance It Trippingly,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 271-280 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Drug use.
For the right audience, this could be a fun story. For me, though, it was a drug-dealing/drug-use story — whether it’s fae drugs or human drugs, I’m not seeing much of a difference.
Review of J. Nathan, “Brighton,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 241-245 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Who doesn’t love a story about enchanted books? Nathan’s tiny little gem delivers a beautiful dollop of happiness.
SFF Reviews