Short Reviews of Short SFF
Review of Aggie Novak, “Little Bird,” Flash Fiction Online 134 (November 2024): 22-25 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Hunger drives Adnela to thievery, and in doing so she encounters a spirit. In the course of this tight, quiet little story, Adnela and Živinica move from enemies to friends, not in any sort of trope-y way, but in the real, believable way of women who are outcast and scorned banding together to support each other.
Review of Gregory Marlow, “An Acre a Year,” Flash Fiction Online 134 (November 2024): 18-20 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This almost could have been a tale out of Grimm; it had all the classic fairy tale elements — a sad and desperate young woman, a magical resolution, a fae-bargain gone wrong — but with an added layer of modernity that deepened and enriched it all. What a pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon, reading this story.
Review of Angus McIntyre, “The Inside of the Outside,” Flash Fiction Online 134 (November 2024): 14-17 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This curious little story took a turn towards horror that I was not expecting. I like a good effective use of a twist!
(First published in Factor Four Magazine October 2022).
Review of Fiona Moore, “The Children of Flame”, Clarkesworld Issue 217, October (2024): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
Set in a post apocalyptic society where modern infrastructure has mostly collapsed, including the concept of billionaires. People are cooperative and have started rebuilding some parts of society, one of them being Morag, our main protagonist. People are part of different groups with different lifestyles, but most are in agreement about being strongly against capitalism.
A lot of elements in this story illustrate so many things that are wrong with the world today – and how much resilience humans have, and always will have. A lovely look at what may happen if capitalism does continue unbridled to the point of implosion.
It’s a great story on its own merit, and works well as a standalone. Happily, it is part of a larger universe, which I hoped it would be when I read the previous story set there. You can read them (four so far) in any order, they’re all at Clarkesworld!
Review of Emmie Christie, “Hazards of Being Related to the Chosen One,” Flash Fiction Online 134 (November 2024): 11-13 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was as surprisingly cheerful (as well was emotionally wrenching) story given its title, and it fit the “rural” theme of the issue perfectly: narrowly-focused without being small-minded.
Review of Vijayalaxmi Samal, “To Curse With Needle and Thread,” Flash Fiction Online 134 (November 2024): 8-10 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
The stories in this issue of FFO are all bundled together under the header of “rural fantasy”, but don’t be deceived: These are not quiet pastoral stories. Samal’s story opens the issue, and in the very first lines it is visceral, it is angry, it is full of power. It is sharp and blunt when it comes to criticizing colonialism, and the forced conversion that comes with it. A strong and powerful opener!
Review of Christine Lucas, “Final Harvest,” Flash Fiction Online 133 (October 2024): 35-37 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: death of a parent.
This was a strangely delicate indictment of the ways in which parenting can go wrong, with a good dose of world-building in the background that really helped support and carry the story. I really enjoyed this.
Review of Damián Neri, “To Serve the Emperor,” Flash Fiction Online 133 (October 2024): 31-34 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Child harm, flesh eating.
Neri’s story is the sort that rests on the border of gross horror and psychological horror which sits very uncomfortably with me — I like the latter but not so much the former, but here it is the former that makes it the latter. It was entirely compelling and even if I wasn’t entirely happy reading it, I couldn’t look away.
Review of Abby Nicole Yee, “A Space O/pera”, Clarkesworld Issue 217, October (2024): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
This one starts off strong, with an open letter to a young heiress on her lavish wedding, set in the near future amidst severe climate change. There’s a lot packed into this short story, and the stakes are raised pretty quick too. It’s also quite thoughtfully laid out, with the epistolary type blog posts providing a different perspective and broader context to this space tale. Packed with futuristic tech and sci-fi action, there’s not a single dull moment!
Review of Meg Elison, “The Tub,” Flash Fiction Online 133 (October 2024): 27-29 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a tremendously powerful story, a kick in the gut, an honest glimpse at the consequences of motherhood — the sort of story you get to the end of and go “oooof!”
SFF Reviews