REVIEW: “First to Go” by Jenny Perry Carr

Review of Jenny Perry Carr, “First to Go,” Luna Station Quarterly 61 (2025): 49-54 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was a sparse, spare little story about space-travel on the very personal, individual level. Its tight prose reflects the tension of the situation that the main character is in, giving us an intimate glimpse into her mind, and it meant that all it took was a single, perfect, line for it to send chills down my spine:

Maybe my only chance to be first to go.

If you need a win, a victory, then definitely read this story!

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REVIEW: “Sister Death” by Erin Kissick

Review of Erin Kissick, “Sister Death,” Luna Station Quarterly 61 (2025): 121-125 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

While reading this story, I had a sense of being held at arm’s length, of never being given quite enough detail. We learn a lot of dragons and those who feed on their corpses, but very, very little about the woman who is traveling so far away from her home city just to visit the corpse. I felt a little bit cheated, by the end, because I think she was someone I’d like to know better.

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REVIEW: “Progress, Incorporated,” by S. Thomas Drake

Review of S. Thomas Drake, “Progress, Incorporated,” Radon Journal 9 (2025): 48-54. — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was an eerie, creepy story. It starts off with a premise that is well-suited for futuristic SF: Progress, Inc., provides sleeping pods for marginalized people who wish to take some time out until the world has progressed enough to accept them for who they are.

Spoilers below:

Then we find out that the story is set in 2030.

Then we find out that Progress, Inc., asks for people to sign away their voting rights for while they are in the pods. And at this point, I had just about as many misgivings about the whole endeavor as Simon, the MC, had.

This is only the start of things, and let’s just say: They don’t end any better!

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REVIEW: “Canis” by Wugee Kelly

Review of Wugee Kelly, “Canis,” Radon Journal 9 (2025): 37-49. — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

While at 12 pages this story is longer than many in Radon Journal, it still felt like it took an especially long time to get going. At no point did we actually meet any humans (at least, not living!) — the only creatures we encounter are a menagerie of animals, and then the robot who becomes the central focus of the story. But no matter how much you anthropomorphise a robot, it’s still not a person; and without a character to latch on to, I found this a difficult story to get invested in.

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REVIEW: “The Cerebral Pitch Experiment” by MD Harrold

Review of MD Harrold, “The Cerebral Pitch Experiment” Radon Journal 9 (2025): 7-11. — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This is the sort of SF yarn that doesn’t care very much about reality — it is built out of tropes and stereotypes (scientists go straight to grad school out of high school, don’t require any post-docs before getting jobs, always wear lab coats and work in labs) and pretty much from the start you have an idea of where it is going, what kind of story it is. But I use the word “yarn” precisely because it is that: Even though it is trope-y and full of stereotypes, it was a good fun read!

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REVIEW: “The Ten Declarations of Bozo, Supreme Jongleur of Planet Clown” by Dafydd McKimm

Review of Dafydd McKimm, “The Ten Declarations of Bozo, Supreme Jongleur of Planet Clown” Radon Journal 9 (2025): 1-5. — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

In 5 short pages, McKimm takes us from the enforced off-world immigration of a persecuted people through populism all the way to straight up fascism. Every step seems natural and appropriate and right, which is part of what makes the story all the more terrifying.

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