Review of Sarah Grace Tuttle, “A Place to Grow,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 121. — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Short and sweet and strangely hopeful, this story was a perfect little dose of a pick-me-up!
REVIEW: “To Devour Your Own Name” by Katlina Sommerberg
Review of Katlina Sommerberg, “To Devour Your Own Name,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 110-113 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
I found the central metaphor in this story a bit too strong, a bit too overt. But there are probably other people out there, still struggling to come to terms with how their identity clashes with what people say their identity should be, who would appreciate the power of the message of this story.
REVIEW: “The Soundtrack of My Afterlife” by P. A. Cornell
Review of P. A. Cornell, “The Soundtrack of My Afterlife,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 26-47 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: attempted rape.
“Then I died and became a car” (p. 26).
Sometimes, all it takes is one sentence in the opening page to make me know I’m going to love a story. That was this sentence for this story!
And I did love it. I’m of an age where the soundtrack of the narrator’s afterlife was also the soundtrack of my childhood, and of the songs I’m sharing with my own kid. Nothing like a good dose of nostalgia! But I also loved Cornell’s delicate touch in this coming-of-age story, and how realistic it felt. Honestly, this should be a movie!
REVIEW: “This is Why Magical Realism and Family Tree School Projects Shouldn’t Mix” by Abigail Guerrero
Review of Abigail Guerrero, “This is Why Magical Realism
and Family Tree School Projects Shouldn’t Mix,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 19-25 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
I’m not sure if this was a ghost story, a fantasy story, a slipstream story, a magical realism story, or something else altogether, but I am sure it was A LOT of fun to read! And I loved the thread of something deeper and more serious that ran through it all: That we are not bound by our pasts and we are free to decide what our futures will be.
REVIEW: “The Profitable Sentience of Household Goods” by Louis Inglis Hall
Review of Louis Inglis Hall, “The Profitable Sentience of Household Goods”, Clarkesworld Issue 236, May (2026): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A story that started off quite cute (if somewhat suspicious) and turned into something deeply unsettling that made me quite emotional by the end. A rollercoaster of emotions (in the best way) in under 4000 words!
REVIEW: “Macaroni Art in the Age of Filtration” by Ryan Cole
Review of Ryan Cole, “Macaroni Art in the Age of Filtration”, Clarkesworld Issue 235, April (2026): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
It is difficult to breathe. In this story set in the indeterminate future.
But also in many places around the world even today.
Reading this story about gritty air and noxious gases and particulate matter will likely make you want to take deep breaths of gratitude.
More than once I was sharply reminded of this setting already being a reality for many. Many things in our world today reflect dystopian stories in various ways.. but the power of love and humanity is always what makes these stories so impactful.
Humans can do many curious, difficult, strong things – all for a sliver of hope.
REVIEW: “Recording of Professor Elizabeth Boucher’s Opening Lecture on Death Ages Novels, University of Presque Isle, March 32, 2667.” by Stacie Turner
Review of Stacie Turner, “Recording of Professor Elizabeth Boucher’s Opening Lecture on Death Ages Novels, University of Presque Isle, March 32, 2667,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 10-18 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: References to rape.
This is the story of every archivist’s worst nightmare: Late 20th/early 21st C literature and culture lost for ever because we thought electronic storage was stable and accessible. It’s also the story of at least one archivist’s best dream: That centuries from now, what our ancestors will remember of our society is fanfiction. I adored this story, and want to attend all of Dr. Boucher’s lectures.
REVIEW: “Teapot” by Ben Williams
Review of Ben Williams, “Teapot,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 7-9 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This tiny little story featuring a tiny little teapot and a delicious (and deliciously tiny) little mystery at the heart of it also featured a kick of laughter at the very end. I love little gems like this.
REVIEW: “A Húlíjīng Always Keeps One Tail Hidden” by Melissa Ren
Review of Melissa Ren, “A Húlíjīng Always Keeps One Tail Hidden,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 51-54 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Death of a sibling.
I adore stories that introduce me to the mythos of another culture, and that’s what I got from Ren’s story, which was rich and sumptuous and felt like it contained far more than its mere 4 pages. It was marvelous and unexpected.
(First published in Triangulation: Hospitium 2024.)
REVIEW: “The Furthest Point” by Alethea Paul
Review of Alethea Paul, “The Furthest Point” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 49-50 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a gossamer confection of a story — short, ephemeral, delightful while it lasted but not leaving a lasting impression.
SFF Reviews 