Review of Myna Chang, “Let Us Dream,” Small Wonders no. 3 (September 2023): 25 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This beautiful piece straddling the boundaries of prose and poetry is full of sorrow and loss and regret.
REVIEW: “How My Sister Talked Me Into Necromancy During Quarantine” by Rachael K. Jones
Review of Rachael K. Jones, “How My Sister Talked Me Into Necromancy During Quarantine,” Small Wonders no. 3 (September 2023): 22-23 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Everyone has at least one pandemic bad decision in their closet, whether it’s sourdough starter gone green or ordering jellybeans by the kilo from amazon. This is the perfect story for anyone who wants to feel a bit better about their own bad decision, which probably pales in comparison’s to Becca’s decision to let her sister Lila live with her during lockdown. Short, sweet, funny — a great antidote to plague blues.
REVIEW: “A Gardener Teaches His Son to Enrich the Soil and Plan for the Future” by Jennifer Hudak
Review of Jennifer Hudak, “A Gardener Teaches His Son to Enrich the Soil and Plan for the Future,” Small Wonders no. 3 (September 2023): 20 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Every avid gardener is familiar with the scourge that are caterpillars and slugs; but the titular gardener here teaches his son not only how to deal a far greater pest: zombies! The advice is equal parts gross and heartwarming, and makes for a sweet little story.
(First published in Triangulation: Habitats, 2021.)
REVIEW: “Shears” by Devan Barlow
Review of Devan Barlow, “Shears,” Small Wonders no. 3 (September 2023): 17-18 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was the most hilarious retelling of Sleeping Beauty I’ve ever come across, and I loved it. Top marks, two thumbs up, and a chef’s kiss.
REVIEW: “Once In As Many Lifetimes” by Luc Diamant
Review of Luc Diamant, “Once In As Many Lifetimes,” Small Wonders no. 3 (September 2023): 14-15 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This story was one of those rare gems: A second-person POV which I didn’t dislike! This is in large part due to the fact that it’s also first-person POV, which makes it much easier for me to believe that the “you” is not addressed at me. Instead, what I, as the reader, get from this story is a glimpse into a private conversation (or rather, directed monologue), which is both heart-warming and utterly heart-breaking. I nearly ended up crying on the train at the ending.
SFF Reviews 