REVIEW: “You Are Born Exploding” by Rich Larson

Review of Rich Larson, “You Are Born Exploding”, Clarkesworld Issue 183, December (2021): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

Set in an indeterminate time in the future, this story focuses on the dichotomy of the life of the narrator versus the general public. She is rich and can afford security and expensive inoculations. Much of the general population cannot, and some become Shamblers.

She is intrigued by them, especially the ones who voluntarily become Shamblers, and leave the land to dive into the sea. Nobody knows where they go, but she is disillusioned with her existing life and doesn’t seem to mind the unknown. Especially since her life on land isn’t shaping up to be too great.

I loved the beautiful prose, and the pacing. It is a novelette, so a bit longer than your usual short story, but it never drags and is absolutely worth the read. The world-building and hints of how the world functions has so much depth that I’m sure the author has even more detail in his notes than we see in the story. The character development is strong, and the emotional resonance is powerful and heartbreaking. One of my favorite stories of the year!

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REVIEW: “Vegvísir” by David Goodman

Review of David Goodman, “Vegvísir”, Clarkesworld Issue 183, December (2021): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

This story is set on a Mars that has been inhabited for generations now. There are very few Earthborn left – many of the humans here are locals, born and raised on Mars. An interesting concept to begin with, and this is just the background!

Loved the prose here. The author does a great job of creating atmosphere, be it the wilds and winds of Mars, or of the Iceland of Gunnar’s family history. A place his grandmother was from. She may have migrated to Mars, but she still loves her skyr and her mythology. Many of the inhabitants, like Gunnar, can trace their origin to Iceland. And with people and their personalities, there also comes a bit of history, story, and old magic.

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REVIEW: “A Fall Backward Through the Hourglass” by P.A. Cornell

Review of P.A. Cornell, “A Fall Backward Through the Hourglass,” Cossmass Infinities 8 (2022): 22-23 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

They always say that pregnancy changes you — but usually it’s not in the way that it changed the narrator of this story! The premise of the story wavers on the edge between fun/light-hearted and deeply, deeply sad. I thought it balanced on that line beautifully, and it was short and effective.

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REVIEW: “The Blackbirds in My Sister’s Chest” by Katherine Westermann

Review of Katherine Westermann, “The Blackbirds in My Sister’s Chest,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 82-93 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was a very sad, middle-child story, of Alma Ruiz, the daughter who was never the favorite, who was not the son her parents hoped for, the one who is afraid when her sisters never are. There are a lot of complicated emotions re: family and familial relationships, and a sharp undertone of body horror in the animals that inhabit Alma and her family’s chests instead of hearts. Weirdly creepy, and really gripping.

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REVIEW: “The Cold Calculations” by Aimee Ogden

Review of Aimee Ogden, “The Cold Calculations”, Clarkesworld Issue 183, December (2021): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

I don’t know where to begin with this story. So beautiful, so heartbreaking, so powerful. I don’t think any review can do justice. Some parts made me emotional, and near the conclusion I had goosebumps the entire time.

It’s about hopefulness in the midst of adversity and difficulty. But hope is not enough – there must be action, and action can start with just one person. Nobody is too small to make a difference. The titular cold calculations that are ever-present in the world, from years past to the present day, where technical difficulties and paperwork sometimes overlook the fact that each number is an actual, living person. And a person is not an expendable resource.

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REVIEW: “Salt and Flowers” by Jessica Lévai

Review of Jessica Lévai, “Salt and Flowers,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 49-57 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Child abuse, violence, kidnapping.

I was so excited to start this story, because I thought I was going to get good disabled rep (the MC wears braces on her legs); but all hopes were dashed when the story turned out to be one of those “but magic can cure you of the need to wear leg braces!” So this story is a “no” from me.

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REVIEW: “The Language Birds Speak” by Rebecca Campbell

Review of Rebecca Campbell, “The Language Birds Speak”, Clarkesworld Issue 182, November (2021): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

A hauntingly lovely novelette. We, readers and writers, love words. Words can do so much, but there is another layer of deeper feeling where words do not entirely suffice. This story beautifully explores that.

There’s also a nice slow build up of dread from almost the start, though we may not know what we’re dreading. But it escalates quite nicely to a satisfying conclusion. There’s also a lovely hopeful ending.

We can do a lot with words, but there’s so much more to emotion, feeling and desire than words can do justice to.

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REVIEW: “Shadows of the Hungry, the Broken, the Transformed” by Izzy Wasserstein

Review of Izzy Wasserstein, “Shadows of the Hungry, the Broken, the Transformed,” Cossmass Infinities 7 (2022): 16-32 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This story is written with a real ring of authenticity and understanding of the experiences of graduate student life in neoliberal higher education. Which is quite amazing, since the setting is entirely fantastical, and the research Justine is doing is nothing like the research that goes on in ordinary, real-world universities. This juxtaposition of a beautifully built fantasy world and all the grimy truths of reality made this story a really engaging read. Highly recommend, especially for weavers.

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REVIEW: “The Last Wake” by Kathryn Keane

Review of Kathryn Keane, “The Last Wake,” Luna Station Quarterly 51 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Death of a parent.

Paul’s mother has died and he has returned to the house that now belongs to his sister Margaret, and every intimate scene that the reader sees is one filled with all the love and dysfunctionality of a small-town Irish family — right up until the point that Paul gets talking with a self-described “bit of a blow-in” and the bit of me that always reads stories waiting for the speculative twist perks up. And I was right: Bridie McCafferty is everything this story needs to turn it from mundane to fantastical. It was a slow, subtle twist, but fine and bittersweet and just a little bit happy.

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