REVIEW: “The Old Moon” by John McNeil

Review of John McNeil, “The Old Moon”, Clarkesworld Issue 185, February (2022): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

A robot who believes in spirituality meets a sentient plant that has faith in physics above all. An interesting concept, for sure.

The robot’s backstory gave quite a bit of depth to the story, and as a reader, I could understand their internal struggle to try and reconcile this new information with their existing belief system. Beliefs that had so far been taken for granted.

But knowledge brings power and sometimes the necessity of unfortunate choices. An unexpectedly emotional story.

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REVIEW: “Champion of the People” by Henry McFarland

Review of Henry McFarland, “Champion of the People,” Tree and Stone 2 (2022): 21-24 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

I was of two minds about this story. On the one hand, it’s basically about a boy who is bullied but the experience is the catalyst for making him a hero. On the other hand, it’s basically about a boy who is bullied and the experience is the catalyst for making him a hero.

I don’t really like “abuse is okay because it makes you stronger” stories, but I do like “you don’t have to let other people define you stories.” So I’m very much on the fence with this one.

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REVIEW: “Madder and Woad” by Deborah L. Davitt

Review of Deborah L. Davitt, “Madder and Woad,” Tree and Stone 2 (2022): 14-18 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

God, the way in which some stories cut straight to the chase without any prevarication: This is one of those. The fight between survival and death, the ways in which this strips away all parts of our humanity.

Read this story and weep. What else can you do?

Recommended especially for weavers and dyers. So much power in the work of women, the work that is so often discarded as meaningless.

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REVIEW: “Hykena” by Naomi Eselojor

Review of Naomi Eselojor, “Hykena,” Tree and Stone 2 (2022): 4-6 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

The village Isoko is destroyed by a monster, burned to the ground overnight. Only the trapper’s boy, who tried to warn the village of Hykena’s approach, and his family survived. But the reasons why the villagers wouldn’t listen to him are the same as the reasons why the monster was there in the first place, which made for a satisfying resolution to this story.

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REVIEW: “Informed Consent Logs from the Soul Swap Clinic” by Sarah Pauling

Review of Sarah Pauling, “Informed Consent Logs from the Soul Swap Clinic”, Clarkesworld Issue 185, February (2022): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

With an interesting concept of swapping your souls into other bodies, I was hooked from the beginning.

It was fun getting into the mindset of the technician, and the two swappers, RED and BLUE. While it was a good look into how people prioritize certain qualities and attributes, I ultimately felt it was an unjust and unfair conclusion, and I felt it could have been executed in a way that didn’t lead to one person getting misled into a disappointing existence.

Essentially, I liked the concept and prose, but not the unsatisfying conclusion that disregards the wishes of another human being on purpose, with no empathy shown towards their vision or goal.

** At the risk of a spoiler, I can only hope I misunderstood what happens to RED.

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REVIEW: “You’re Not the Only One” by Octavia Cade

Review of Octavia Cade, “You’re Not the Only One”, Clarkesworld Issue 185, February (2022): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

A very emotionally resonant story, and one that deserves to be read slowly and savored.

Set in the nebulous future, the story revolves around an astronaut and his friend, both dealing with their own disappointments. What I loved about this story was their sympathy for each other, and how they provided each other with space and dignity to handle grief in their own way.

I liked how the author portrayed in the children in this story as people capable of feelings, empathy, and curiosity. I genuinely believe that children are capable of a lot, and sometimes as adults we forget what it was like to be a child with questions and the burning desire for knowledge and understanding. I have rarely seen this level of respect for emotion and dignity in writing. For this alone, I want to read more of Cade’s work.

More than anything else, however, what I loved was how community-minded all the characters in the story were. For me, it was a dazzling display of humanity, and it felt both sad and natural that it would take a massive catastrophic event on a global scale for people to develop compassion towards each other. The people in this story truly understood that we’re all in this together. In this life, on this planet, in the decisions we take.

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REVIEW: “The Paleoneirologist’s Dreams” by Marc A. Criley

Review of Marc A. Criley, “The Paleoneirologist’s Dreams,” Tree and Stone 1 (2022): 29-31 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

If you don’t know what a paleoneirologist is (and are frustrated that no dictionary seems to know either), that’s okay, because Criley deftly tells you everything you need to know in this weird, waspish, biting little story. I really enjoyed it!

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