REVIEW: “A Throne Fit for Two Kings” by K. J. Chien

Review of K. J. Chien, “A Throne Fit for Two Kings,” Luna Station Quarterly 60 (2024): 57-68 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Sun Wukong is 15, so he is small and therefore suited for the most dangerous jobs on the railway, usually those involving tight spaces and dynamite. One day a job goes awry and he ends up trapped — only to meet the most curious little character, whose sole purpose at first seems to be to tease and taunt him, but who eventually makes him an offer he can’t refuse.

This is a queer little story (in the sense of strange rather than straight). I’m not entirely sure what to make of it.

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REVIEW: “Seven Days of Bleeding” by Chloe-Lynn Russo

Review of Chloe-Lynn Russo, “Seven Days of Bleeding,” Luna Station Quarterly 60 (2024): 270-273 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This story traces one woman’s week of bleeding, and the effect of her blood upon the world each day. It’s quite short, and quite remote, in the sense that we only ever see the woman and her actions, never anything else. And yet, we never learn anything about the woman, who she is, where her power comes from, why she is doing all of this. So in the end, I felt I was wanting rather more than I got.

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REVIEW: “Real People” by Fija Callaghan

Review of Fija Callaghan, “Real People,” Luna Station Quarterly 60 (2024): 70-78 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Before the story starts there is a note about the author’s inspiration, a note which definitely made me nervous about what would be coming. But, I shouldn’t have been: This story took the best part of its inspiration, rather than the worst parts, and turned it into something new and magical. It’s a story about the things we love as children and what comes after we’ve grown up. It made me think of my own baby girl doll, Catherine, who when she was inherited by my daughter remained Catherine but somehow ended up a he instead, and wonder who she might be if she’s inherited by a grandchild.

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REVIEW: “Clean and Godly in Denmark” by Diana Deverell

Review of Diana Deverell, “Clean and Godly in Denmark,” Luna Station Quarterly 60 (2024): 184-200 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

I picked this story to start the issue with because it has just the best title — full of humor and giving nothing at all about the story away. I don’t want to spoil the fun for the reader of discovering for themself what kind of a story it is, which makes reviewing it difficult! I’ll only say that the relationship portrayed in it is beautiful, and the story itself was both fun and sobering to read.

(First published in Fiction River – Hard Choices, 2018).

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REVIEW: “Plastic-Eating Fungus Caused Doomsday [2][3]” by Emma Burnett

Review of Emma Burnett, “Plastic-Eating Fungus Caused Doomsday [2][3],” Flash Fiction Online 135 (December 2024): 12-15 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This is the first time I’ve encountered a story written in the form of the talk page of a wikipedia article. Burnett constructed this brilliantly, right up to the ending that made me laugh Two thumbs up, recommended reading even if you don’t like fungus!

(First published in Nature: Futures June 2024).

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REVIEW: “A Year in the Life of the Drowned Wastewater Plant East of Bellmarsh Village” by D. A. Straith

Review of D. A. Straith, “A Year in the Life of the Drowned Wastewater Plant East of Bellmarsh Village,” Flash Fiction Online 135 (December 2024): 27-29 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

For a story set in a post-apocalyptic setting, this was surprisingly peaceful and serene, and even almost hopeful. A lovely little gem in this issue!

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REVIEW: “Why I Quit Teaching at the Villain Academy” by Tina S. Zhu

Review of Tina S. Zhu, “Why I Quit Teaching at the Villain Academy,” Flash Fiction Online 135 (December 2024): 17-19 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Maybe it’s just because I’m an academic at the end of term, but you can totally read the first page of this story replacing “villain academy” with “university” and “villain” with “academic” and it is so, so, depressingly true. Doesn’t get much better on the second page, even if the substitutions no longer really work, because it’s full on climate depression.

Basically, don’t read unless you’re in a mood to get really bummed out!

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REVIEW: “Bone Birds Fly” by Malda Marlys

Review of Malda Marlys, “Bone Birds Fly,” Flash Fiction Online 135 (December 2024): 20-22 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This is a story about living after the end of the world, when everything else is dead and dry and gone, and yet just because we’ve killed the world doesn’t mean that we ourselves aren’t still struggling along in the aftermath. Pretty bleak.

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REVIEW: “A Soft and Silent Glow” by Liz J. Bradley

Review of Liz J. Bradley, “A Soft and Silent Glow,” Flash Fiction Online 135 (December 2024): 23-25 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

I love it when I get to read an author’s debut story! Bradley’s dystopian future has more than a hint of magic about it — a lovely contrast carefully blended. There’s nothing especially hopeful or happy about the story, but there is something beautiful about it.

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