REVIEW: “War Makes Flowers” by Caroline Hung

Review of Caroline Hung, “War Makes Flowers,” Flash Fiction Online 129 (June 2024): 8-10 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: body horror, gore, war.

Normally I’m happy to classify “horror” under the broad speculative fiction umbrella; but this story’s horror draws very much upon the horror of real life — what is most horrible about the story is how real it is. So while I think it’s effective horror, I think it’s also a rare example of a story that’s horror but not speculative.

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REVIEW: “Imago Dei” by Josh Pearce

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.

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