Review of Casey Lucas, “Lekythos,” Small Wonders no. 7 (January 2024): 20 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
There’s a lot of mythological allusions in this poem, but for me they didn’t quite all seem to hang together in a coherent way. I was a bit underwhelmed by the poem until the final two lines, which are brilliant.
Review of Wendy Nikel, “Whispers of Ascension,” Small Wonders no. 7 (January 2024): 17-19 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a gripping little modern ghost story. I was particularly taken by the way in which the setting was both very vivid and yet only slowly revealed, something that’s difficult to do within the limitations of flash fic.
Review of Amy Johnson, “The Mummy Gets Adopted,” Small Wonders no. 7 (January 2024): 10-12 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This lovely little poem features a cat, and is therefore an entirely excellent poem which everyone should read.
Review of Morgan Welch, “Hikari,” Small Wonders no. 7 (January 2024): 7-9 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Death of a parent.
It’s not often that I read a story where so little happens and yet by the end of it, I feel satisfied. “Hikari” is one of those stories, so quiet and still and calm that you feel better for having read it.
Review of Lyndsie Manusos, “Wood, Amber, Smoke,” Flash Fiction Online 124 (January 2024): 21-24 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This story started off strong, but in the end I felt it promised more than it delivered. The most intriguing character, the one I wanted to know more about, to know his story, was the one who wasn’t there at all.
Review of Lora Gray, “The Pieces of Her,” Flash Fiction Online 124 (January 2024): 12-15 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Death of a partner.
Gray shows excellently well how to combine quite a lot into quite a little. We got a full dose of SF via the building of human-robot hybrid pilots, and a full dose of personal relationships gone wrong via Denise, Miranda, and Lilith. The story operates well at both levels, which is a difficult thing to pull off!
Review of Josh Pearce, “Imago Dei,” Flash Fiction Online 124 (January 2024): 8-10 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Cults, forced insemination.
Creepy and disturbing, this story took mundane things that are already horrible, and combined them with the horrible fantastical, to make something even worse. Not the sort of story I normally seek out, but I thought it was pretty brilliantly done.
SFF Reviews