Review of Matt Tighe, “A Tomorrow With You In It” Cossmass Infinities 9 (2022): 9-12 — Read or purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Death of a child.
A quiet, sad, reflective piece, economic with words and yet nevertheless extremely effective in wringing out all the emotions. A great way to kick off this issue.
Review of M.J. Garland, “Chokeleaf,” Luna Station Quarterly 50 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Depression and suicidal ideation.
Chokeleaf — or Ficus effusio, to give it its Latin name — is an invasive species, and the Trailblazers are there to do their part in eradicating it. The Trailblazers themselves are a motley group of do-gooders, college drop outs, and know-it-alls, the only thing united them is a desire to help rid the park of this plant, which is threatening not only the local wildlife, but the human visitors as well. Through the eight weeks they spend at the park, we learn about Steph, and her past, the people she’s left behind and the life she would like to get back do. Despite the fantasy elements, there is something that feels very real about this story.
Review of Tisha Marie Reichle-Aguilera, “Seven Strands,” Luna Station Quarterly 50 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
When Cristian’s aunt tells him that something has happened and his mother needs him, he is in agony of worry until he can make the trek back home, bringing his girlfriend Norma along with. But Norma isn’t there just to support Cristian; she has her own designs afoot!
Though short, and perhaps a bit underdeveloped, this story is filled with all the little bits of verisimilitude that make me as a reader feel like I am in capable hands.
Review of Jennifer Lee Rossman, “Maiasaura Deifaeria,” Luna Station Quarterly 50 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Even dinosaurs deserve to have a fairy godmother (or so Rossman easily makes the reader believe); but what happens to the fairy godmother when all her species go extinct? Well, after sixty-five million years of grieving, she finds someone else to godmother.
With a lot of extremely dubious and humorous fantasy and just enough real history throne in to make me jump over to wikipedia, this is a story that feels like it shouldn’t have worked; and yet I’m not convinced it didn’t.
Review of Elizabeth Guilt, “Other Lives,” Luna Station Quarterly 50 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Oh, I loved this story.
Have you ever wondered how your life might have gone, if only one thing, one moment in your past had changed? Well, Rob, Emily, and their friend (the narrator) all find this out one trip the May Day Fair when they visit the seer who can see other lives. It’s fun and sad and poignant and wonderful, and the perfect premise for a quick bite of a story.
Review of Hannah Hulbert, “Daemonium Ex,” Luna Station Quarterly 50 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Everelda, demon hunter, is on a mission from Lord Fortescue. Lord Fortescue hasn’t told her, however, which demon to expect to find in the lair at the end of the sewer tunnel; and she probably would have refused the commission had she known.
Full of florid writing and purple prose (so full it’s even rubbed off on me!), this story felt in the beginning like it was trying to be Gothic without quite succeeding. But when it finally left off its self-conscious officiousness and started poking fun at itself, I began to enjoy it a lot.
Review of Altaire Gural, “State vs. Hades,” Luna Station Quarterly 50 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Best title in the issue, so of course this is the story I started with! And the story totally lived up to it: A myth of a love story all wrapped up in notes from a proper Greek legal trial, with Demosthenes arguing for the prosecution and Aeschines for the defense (and a witness list that includes a therapist!). Maybe I’m just a sucker for Persephone/Hades tales, but I really enjoyed this, and the way it gave us a unique insight into Persephone’s motivations and her relationship with her mother. A gold star tale!
Review of Maureen Bowden, “Amphitrite,” Luna Station Quarterly 20 (2014): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Amphitrite, the sea embodied, decides she wants to be a human, at least for a little while. Jealous Poseidon makes it clear that if she reincarnates, she’d better stay away from him or he will steal her back. But Amphitrite can’t avoid the sea forever.
This was a sweet little story, a quick and easy read.
Review of JC Hoskins, “The Nymph,” Luna Station Quarterly 20 (2014): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
I dove into this story with a good deal of trepidation, because second-person, present-tense narration without any purpose always puts me off. So I was greatly, greatly relieved to find out it wasn’t purposeless, and in fact Hoskins uses the different voices to great effect.
A good story for anyone who loves books!
Review of Stephanie A. Craig, “The Girl Who Can’t Say No,” Luna Station Quarterly 20 (2014): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
If you, like me, read the title and thought “horror story”, you would not be wrong. What you might not have counted on (as I did not) was that this story would be straight of genie-in-the-bottle fairy tale, except set in space. A fun clash of genres and tropes!
SFF Reviews