Review of Rine Karr, “Rhyme and Reason,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a lovely little story of the friendship between a pilot, Rhyme, and her spaceship, the Raison d’Être — heartwarming, delightful, bittersweet, and sad. A really beautiful and engaging read.
Review of Erin Macnair, “Thin Crust,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was an extremely fun, extremely perceptive story, full of humor and an interesting narrative structure, moving from one viewpoint character to another in a way that is both random and connected, and an excellent twist at the end.
(First published in The Walrus Magazine 2017).
Review of Lisa Fox, “The Important Things,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Melanie is back in her childhood home, grappling with grief at the death of her last parent, sorting out the remains into the memories, the useless, and the rest. But it isn’t just relicts of her parents that she fines, but of generations that have gone before, including one very particular memento of her grandmother’s, whose discovery changes the way she looks at her grief.
Review of Amy Mills Klipstine, “Face,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
After intriguing opening paragraphs (which made me wonder if the story was intended to be a metaphor for plastic surgery), I found this story slow to get started and actually go anywhere. There was a lot of description and repetition; and overall, I think this just wasn’t the story for me.
Review of Sarah Dropek, “Swallow It Down,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a vivid, powerful story of a woman caring for her mother as she watches her die. I have not yet had to shepherd a parent through their final days yet, but I have watched friends do it and there is a ring of truth in the way Dropek takes this and turns it into something bleakly horrorful. A tough, but good, read.
Review of Sarah Salcedo, “Experiment Ninety-Four,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Caspian lives “decommissioned space station which orbited a nebula in a remote quadrant of space”, abandoned or forgotten by his parents, he doesn’t know which. During years of trying to stave off boredom and loneliness, Caspian has taken apart almost every instrument on the station, learning how they were made, and how to make his own things, continually experimenting.
Experiment Ninety-Four was the most experiment of all, and neither Caspian nor the reader could ever have imagined the outcome of it. Took me by surprise and resulted in a very satisfying — if slightly horrific and unsettling — story, with the added bonus of the lovely accompanying artwork, courtesy of the author.
(First published in Collective Realms Magazine, January 2021)
Review of Cindy Phan, “Alistair Catfish,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
“You grant small wishes and complain” is an absolute stunner of a line, said by Colin Abrams, the narrator, to the titular Alistair Catfish, whom he rescued from a hurricane and rehabilitated in his bathtub, and who now owes Colin wishes. Small wishes only, and only granted with complaint.
This was was an ordinary twist on the traditional “fisherman catches a glamorous fish and is well rewarded” tale until it was slowly overcome by a creeping horror. I was not expecting the story to go where it did, from how it started. Kept me on my toes!
Review of Erin Keating, “Sleeping Giants,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Annie Warren only speaks in tongues, and so she learned from an early age not to speak at all — until the day comes when tragedy hits her family and she cries out for revenge, waking the sleeping giants below.
This was a well-crafted story — well paced and engaging, and keeping my interest the entire time.
Review of Virginia M. Mohlere, “Small Offerings for a Small God,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Small gods always put me in mind of Pratchett, and I have to wonder if the allusion was intentional here, as Danit befriends a small god who becomes a bigger god as she invests her energy in him, confessing sins that she has never admitted to anyone before.
Quite possibly my favorite part of the story was Danit’s autonomous armor.
Review of Glenna Turnbull, “Clouds in Her Eyes,” Luna Station Quarterly 49 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This story reads like a fever-dream, so blurred are the lines between fantasy and reality, a taut narration of a woman imprisoned by her life for one moment becoming free. This is the sort of story I’d love to see fanart for!
SFF Reviews