Review of Rebecca Harrison, “The Little Husky,” Luna Station Quarterly 53 (2023): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Eliza’s father is on trial. His crime? He has stolen the Artic Circle, to ensure that he, and not his rival Mennor, would be the first man to reach the North Pole.
This was an interesting story, with some very beautifully-used language, but I felt like I had to wait too long to find out what was actually happening.
Review of Shannon Roberts, “How to be Caffeine-Free,” Luna Station Quarterly 53 (2023): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This story won “best title of the issue” in my book, and thus was an easy first choice to read and review.
For Greyce, being caffeine-free matters. She’s living in Cosmos, where nothing matters more than chasing your dreams; but if she drinks too much coffee, her sleep gets screwed up, and if her sleep gets screwed up then she doesn’t dream any dreams. I found this to be an odd story, oddly written, and — for me — not quite living up to the potential of its name.
Review of Louis Evans, “Surgical Strike,” Radon Journal 3 (January 2023): 20-28 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Sexually explicit material.
This story was prefaced by one of the most intriguing content notes that I’ve ever come across. [It does not highlight the same issue I have highlighted in my content note.] It identifies the key piece of fantasy that the story relies on, and explicitly says that such a fantasy should not be engaged with. The paradox is that we cannot help but engage with the fantasy while we are reading it.
There are some stories that I come away from reading thinking, “of all the stories that could have been told, why this one?” I was worried that I would have the same reaction here: Given the problematic fantasy upon which it is premised, why tell this story, instead of the innumerable other stories that could be told instead?
Sadly, I think I was right to be worried. By the time I reached the end, all I could think of was the other stories I could have read instead. There was a lack of finesse that made the entire story feel a bit clumsy; and definitely not for me.
Review of Shana Ross, “What To Do With a Gift,” Radon Journal 3 (January 2023): 47-50 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a sweet little love story, between a star ship and her human partner, with an ambiguous ending.
Review of Mikaela Kesigner, “Ste·nog·ra·phy,” Radon Journal 3 (January 2023): 60 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This poem illustrated the fact that Radon Journal isn’t all about spec fic (or spec poetry) — there’s nothing at all speculative about this critique on the justice system, it’s unfortunately rather prosaically ordinary. Perhaps that’s why it didn’t hit me as strongly as some of the other poems in the issue; it’s just a bit too depressing without any imaginative relief.
Review of James Ph. Kotsybar, “Epitaph for the Monarch Butterfly,” Radon Journal 3 (January 2023): 63 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This poem about extinction treads a fine line, balancing ambiguously between pessimism and optimism.
Review of Emmie Christie, “Splendor,” Radon Journal 3 (January 2023): 62 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
I’d never considered the question of what our galaxy would be like if not only our human society but also the stars were trapped under the confines of late-stage capitalism, until I read this poem. I liked the way it made me question; but I found the resolution in the final stanza unsatisfying, because it’s not a solution that can be translated into humanity. Sometimes, knowing your worth isn’t enough to be able to do anything about it.
Review of T. Dallas Saylor, “The Dream of a Teleportation Helmet,” Radon Journal 3 (January 2023): 59 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
I didn’t expect this poem to be as romantic as it was, on the basis of its title.
Review of Shawn Goodman, “Under the Satin Gunmetal Sky,” Radon Journal 3 (January 2023): 40-45 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Schneider is a detective on the case of a double murder with a twist — two synths who’ve had their arms removed. (Another twist: he’s a synth himself.) Apparently, the best way to solve a complicated case, if you’re a synth detective, is to get high and fight it out at a fight club.
At least, that’s what I got out of Goodman’s story, and all I got. It was one of those weird stories where it feels like it all hangs together while you read it, but at the end you realise none of it made any sense.
Review of Nick Greenleaf, “The Flyswatter,” Radon Journal 3 (January 2023): 34-39 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Tomo and Tommy fix electronics, but it’s not enough to make a living out of, so occasionally Tomo brings back other jobs for them. It’s a dangerous mission, involving Tomo hooking herself into a neural interface to try to hack her way in through a back door, but will bring in a lot of money.
There’s a fine line between explaining too much and explaining too little, but unfortunately this story fell on the latter side for me. I was never quite sure what Tomo was targetting — a person or a corporation? And the technicians who showed up at the end, their connection to the whole process also wasn’t clear to me. A lot of potential in this story, just not quite realised.
SFF Reviews