REVIEW: “Too Little, Too Little, Too Much” by John Wiswell

Review of John Wiswell, “Too Little, Too Little, Too Much,” Cossmass Infinities 8 (2022): 37-44 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Towards the end of the review.

This story made me wary from its opening lines, concerned that I was going to get something uncomfortable or horrific or depressing about children and the families that fail them.

Bad news: I was right to have been worried. Avoid this story if you don’t want to read about abuse (sexual, mental, physical, of children, of animals…).

I almost couldn’t finish it. I think I’m glad I did, that it was worth sticking it out to the end.

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REVIEW: “A Fall Backward Through the Hourglass” by P.A. Cornell

Review of P.A. Cornell, “A Fall Backward Through the Hourglass,” Cossmass Infinities 8 (2022): 22-23 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

They always say that pregnancy changes you — but usually it’s not in the way that it changed the narrator of this story! The premise of the story wavers on the edge between fun/light-hearted and deeply, deeply sad. I thought it balanced on that line beautifully, and it was short and effective.

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REVIEW: “Sombra” by Julio Angel Ortiz

Review of Julio Angel Ortiz, “Sombra,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 58-81 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Modern-day slavery and human trafficking; nonconsensual prostitution.

One part good time-travel story, another part pointed social commentary on the early 21st century, “Sombra” more than rewarded the effort of getting through its length, absolutely nailing its gut-wrenching ending.

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REVIEW: “The Last Good Day” by JL George

Review of JL George, “The Last Good Day,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 94-103 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This is the story of a slow, vague apocalypse. Grocery deliveries disappearing. Dust everywhere. One more day, and another day after that, with a partner who cannot bear to be with you. It’s hard, heavy reading; not particularly fun, but nevertheless rewarding. One gets the feeling that the author exorcised a lot of Covid-pandemic demons in the writing of the story, even if it is not a pandemic story, strictly speaking. There’s a lot to relate to in this.

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REVIEW: “The Blackbirds in My Sister’s Chest” by Katherine Westermann

Review of Katherine Westermann, “The Blackbirds in My Sister’s Chest,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 82-93 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was a very sad, middle-child story, of Alma Ruiz, the daughter who was never the favorite, who was not the son her parents hoped for, the one who is afraid when her sisters never are. There are a lot of complicated emotions re: family and familial relationships, and a sharp undertone of body horror in the animals that inhabit Alma and her family’s chests instead of hearts. Weirdly creepy, and really gripping.

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REVIEW: “Salt and Flowers” by Jessica Lévai

Review of Jessica Lévai, “Salt and Flowers,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 49-57 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Child abuse, violence, kidnapping.

I was so excited to start this story, because I thought I was going to get good disabled rep (the MC wears braces on her legs); but all hopes were dashed when the story turned out to be one of those “but magic can cure you of the need to wear leg braces!” So this story is a “no” from me.

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REVIEW: “Opening Doors” by Juliet Kemp

Review of Juliet Kemp, “Opening Doors,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 41-48 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Cancer, death.

Dysfunctional relationships are still dysfunctional, even if they are set on Mars! Despite the setting, the story Kemp gives us is in some respects quite mundane, ordinary. The juxtaposition of the ordinary, every-day against the Martian backdrop made for an intriguing contrast. Don’t get me wrong, “ordinary” and “mundane” are good descriptions here.

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REVIEW: “Normalization” by Xauri’EL Zwaan

Review of Xauri’EL Zwaan, “Normalization,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 33-39 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This story opens immediately upon a violent death, so if that’s not for you, avoid this one.

Richter, the narrator, is part of a collective, where everyone is a “we”, no one is an “I”, until something catastrophic happens and the narrator is separated from the others and becomes an “I” again. After the violent opening, the next few paragraphs are a rather labored info-dump. All in all, the pitch of this story wasn’t right for me, but I did appreciate the meta-commentary on how all too often people have a very narrow view about what (or who!) gets to count as “humanity”.

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REVIEW: “Shadows of the Hungry, the Broken, the Transformed” by Izzy Wasserstein

Review of Izzy Wasserstein, “Shadows of the Hungry, the Broken, the Transformed,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 16-32 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This story is written with a real ring of authenticity and understanding of the experiences of graduate student life in neoliberal higher education. Which is quite amazing, since the setting is entirely fantastical, and the research Justine is doing is nothing like the research that goes on in ordinary, real-world universities. This juxtaposition of a beautifully built fantasy world and all the grimy truths of reality made this story a really engaging read. Highly recommend, especially for weavers.

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