REVIEW: “Timothy: An Oral History” by Michael Swanwick

Review of Michael Swanwick, “Timothy: An Oral History”, Clarkesworld Issue 205, October (2023): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

A layered piece with a great format; it explores an all-female, utopian society, and what happens when a biological man comes into existence in such a society. An intriguing idea, elevated by the oral history narrative format that was able to incorporate so many different points of view into a short story.

Gender norms and expectations, of course, look different in this society. When a biological male upends the status quo in this utopia, the cracks start to show. An interesting examination of societal norms, and a great way to wrap up this issue.

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REVIEW: “Rafi” by Amal Singh

Review of Amal Singh, “Rafi”, Clarkesworld Issue 205, October (2023): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

I’ve read this author before, and have always enjoyed his work. Happily, this story is no different. He really does write grief and anguish very well. Whenever music plays a part in an uprising, it always brings me joy. Here, in the thought-policed dystopia of the story, singing itself is as an act of rebellion. A story with depth and great prose, particularly in these aforementioned moments of pain.

And of course, my personal heritage bias means I will always be appreciative of a story set in India or by a writer of Indian origin. It’s so lovely to see people of your culture represented in media.

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REVIEW: “Post Hacking for the Uninitiated” by Grace Chan

Review of Grace Chan, “Post Hacking for the Uninitiated”, Clarkesworld Issue 205, October (2023): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

Straight into the action with this one! A sharp yet soft tale of things lost or taken away, and what it takes to take the power back. With hints of a much larger space opera world-building going on in the background, I’d love to see more stories set in this universe. The story stands very well on its own, of course. The parts that focus on Orin’s thoughts and memories are particularly poignant.

A bittersweet story that left me wanting more!

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REVIEW: “How to Safely Store Your Dragons” by Marisca Pichette

Review of Marisca Pichette, “How to Safely Store Your Dragons,” Flash Fiction Online 123 (December 2023): 21-23 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

The “tl;dr” of this story is: Dragons are flammable buggers, don’t forget it; but the story itself is so much more than this, it’s cute, fluffy fun, something that you can read and feel happier about life afterwards.

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REVIEW: “Seven Ways to Find Yourself at the Transdimensional Multifandom Convention” by Rachael K. Jones

Review of Rachael K. Jones, “Seven Ways to Find Yourself at the Transdimensional Multifandom Convention,” Flash Fiction Online 123 (December 2023): 11-14 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was a fun, funny, and touching story, which I liked quite a bit even if it is in 2nd person (my least favorite way of telling a story).

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REVIEW: “De Profundis, a Space Love Letter” by Bella Han

Review of Bella Han, “De Profundis, a Space Love Letter”, Clarkesworld Issue 205, October (2023): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

“Dear Yuwen,

This is the last night of your existence.”

When a story starts like this, you can’t help but continue. Can I call it a space opera about stories? I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this one. As long as feelings exist, there will always remain a very real need for good storytelling. The flood of AI-generated stories aren’t cutting it, as it turns out. A human tries to change that.

An enchantingly grand novelette.

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