Review of Alyssa C. Greene, “Silk,” Luna Station Quarterly 54 (2023): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Considering the subject of this story was weaving, it feels appropriate to describe it as “intricately woven,” threads being fed to the reader a bit at a time so that we don’t get the whole pattern at once, but have to wait for it to be built, all the while, horror deepening in the background.
Review of Alyson Tait, “Mother of the Sea” Tree and Stone 1 (2022): 16-17 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This brief, sparse story relies on the reader being familiar with selkie mythology. I like how the ambiguous ending leaves me uncertain whom I’m supposed to be happy for and whom I’m supposed to mourn.
Review of R. S. A. Garcia, “Bishop’s Opening”, Clarkesworld Issue 184, January (2022): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A 2022 Nebula Finalist novella with detailed world building and many characters – not an easy read, but an engaging one if you manage to get into the action. It took me a while to get invested in the story, but once I did it was a much quicker read.
I liked the parts with the starship crew more, probably because the Valencians seemed like a much greater, detailed world that we only got glimpses of. I still don’t fully understand the rules and technology of the world, which is probably just as well – it was part of the plot, but not the sole focus.
The characters were well defined and interesting. I also appreciated the diversity and queer representation. More than all that, I really enjoyed the prose. The author has a way of conveying emotion in just a few words, and I found myself re-reading particularly striking sentences and passages.
Review of Celeste Rita Baker, “Mango Fire” Tree and Stone 1 (2022): 12-15 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a beautifully told story of self-acceptance and familial support. Even dragons struggle with this sometimes!
Review of Koji A. Dae, “Where True Power Lies” Tree and Stone 1 (2022): 4-5 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This is a short, slight little story, with not much space for much to happen. Nevertheless, it manages to pack a strong message about power and the ways women can obtain it in its two pages.
Review of Geoffrey W. Cole, “The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro”, Clarkesworld Issue 184, January (2022): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A story about a pair of “surfer dudes” who enjoy surfing supernovas. The supernovas have been exploding too soon, which we later find out is due to the heat death of the universe, and they are supposed to set up a simulation. Why they were selected is beyond me and not really explained in the story.
Indeed, I don’t see why they were chosen to do something so important and **spoiler alert** they don’t even actually set up the simulation they were supposed to. They choose to get high and surf together instead.
They do manage to set up something eventually, but it was an unsatisfying end to the plot.
Review of Brian U. Garrison, “Domestic Tranquility,” Radon Journal 2 (2022): 75 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This poem was a clever retelling of the fairy tale of the Elves and the Shoemaker, turned into a cutting commentary on modern capitalism.
Review of A. M. Young, “What They Do Not Tell you,” Luna Station Quarterly 53 (2023): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: An abusive relationship.
This was a powerful retelling of the story of Pygmalion — or rather, a first telling of Galatea‘s story.
Review of Anna Martino, “A Memory is Like a Talon,” Luna Station Quarterly 53 (2023): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Oh, this was a wonderful story — beautiful, visceral, raw, powerful. It’s about a shapeshifter and the one who loves them during WWI, and of their descendants, and it was just gorgeous.
I am now going out to seek out everything else Martino has written, because if they are half as good as this, they will be amazing.
Review of E. M. Gaucher, “Alone,” Luna Station Quarterly 53 (2023): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Parental abuse; death.
The bulk of this story is conversation between a woman and a girl. Mother and child? Sisters? Friends? As the reader I have to piece together their relationship through their words, and Gaucher does an excellent job at pacing things so that each exchange builds a picture of who they are and what they’re doing, and why.
SFF Reviews