Review of Louis Inglis Hall, “The Profitable Sentience of Household Goods”, Clarkesworld Issue 236, May (2026): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A story that started off quite cute (if somewhat suspicious) and turned into something deeply unsettling that made me quite emotional by the end. A rollercoaster of emotions (in the best way) in under 4000 words!
REVIEW: “A Húlíjīng Always Keeps One Tail Hidden” by Melissa Ren
Review of Melissa Ren, “A Húlíjīng Always Keeps One Tail Hidden,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 51-54 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Death of a sibling.
I adore stories that introduce me to the mythos of another culture, and that’s what I got from Ren’s story, which was rich and sumptuous and felt like it contained far more than its mere 4 pages. It was marvelous and unexpected.
(First published in Triangulation: Hospitium 2024.)
REVIEW: “She Said Yes and a City Died” by Liz Levin
Review of Liz Levin, “She Said Yes and a City Died,” Flash Fiction Online 152 (May 2026): 16-18 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a strong little piece, with a lot of beauty and strangeness in it.
(First published in MetaStellar July 2024)
REVIEW: “Remembering Dodem Ansibar” by Sam E. Sutin
Review of Sam E. Sutin, “Remembering Dodem Ansibar,” Flash Fiction Online 151 (April 2026): 13-16 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
I adored reading Ansibar’s obituary — and then reading it again, and then again for the third time! This was delightfully fun.
(P.S. SM, if you’re reading this, I’m a logic professor who ALSO enjoys the Axiom of Choice, and would be happy to chat about the job market.)
REVIEW: “The Bride and Her Thief” by Safiya Cherfi
Review of Safiya Cherfi, “The Bride and Her Thief,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 247-262 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a wonderfully enjoyable fairy tale, woven through in every thread with Arabic Muslim mythology.
REVIEW: “You Are Invited to Our SPRING CELEBRATION” by Thoraiya Dyer
Review of Thoraiya Dyer, “You Are Invited to Our SPRING CELEBRATION”, Clarkesworld Issue 234, March (2026): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A story that’s beautifully wild and familiar at the same time.
One of those stories where you know the worldbuilding has been done so thoughtfully, yet the plot itself was not ignored in service of it.
I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice and personality; in my opinion it was the cherry on top that made the story what it is.
Such a pleasure to read.
REVIEW: “Private Cabin, Ocean View” by Jane Campbell
Review of Jane Campbell, “Private Cabin, Ocean View,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 55-76 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Infertility.
Stories often give off certain signs, usually signalling their genre, early on. Campbell’s story is long enough that she keeps her cards quite close to her chest for quite a while (comparatively, for a short story) — my first guess was that this was going to be a ghost story, then it took a turn that felt like it was heading towards horror. It took a further turn some time after that, while keeping the earlier elements, all woven together. It was intriguing and unsettling!
REVIEW: “Heart’s Desire” by K.M. Reed
Review of K.M. Reed, “Heart’s Desire,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 161-182 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Infanticide
This was a story of pacts and bargains and exchanges, — and of the difficulty of being a governess to dead children. It had a nice gothic feel to it, but overall it didn’t really catch my interest.
REVIEW: “The Sleeper in the Crypt” by Tiffany Tang
Review of Tiffany Tang, “The Sleeper in the Crypt,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 213-238 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
There was something wretchedly beautiful about this story.
REVIEW: “The Disparity of Confidence” by Emmie Christie
Review of Emmie Christie, “The Disparity of Confidence,” Luna Station Quarterly 65 (January 2026): 155-159 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Sometimes experiences give people confidence; sometimes it stifles them. Robin has the ability to see the disparity between the two for each person — and also knows what to do to fix it. This was a short, sweet, beautifully empowering story!
SFF Reviews 