REVIEW: “Reflexive Benevolence Imperative” by Matt Dovey

Review of Matt Dovey, “Reflexive Benevolence Imperative,” Flash Fiction Online 147 (December 2025): 19-22 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This is a good story for anyone currently suffering from burnout in the face of everything overwhelming going on in the world right now. The line “THERE IS ALWAYS NEED SOMEWHERE/WE CANNOT SEE TO IT ALL” (p. 21) really spoke to me: No matter how much we do, how much we care, it’ll never be enough. It’s a line that could’ve taken the story into a hopeless place of giving up, but then we are reminded “IT IS NOT IMMORAL TO REST” (p. 21) — a reminder probably many of us read.

So, rest. And maybe read this story while you do.

Sara L. Uckelman1 Comment

REVIEW: “Hope is the Thing With Circuits and Steel” by Elitsa Dermendzhiyska

Review of Elitsa Dermendzhiyska, “Hope is the Thing With Circuits and Steel,” Flash Fiction Online 146 (November 2025): 44-47 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

I felt like there was something lurking at the edge of this story that was really quite fascinating and worthy, but for some reason, I never quite grasped it. Partly it was that I was never quite sure who the “we” of the narrators were, or what their relationship was to the grandmothers; part of it was that I wasn’t sure if the grandmothers’ continued exhortation to “just google it” was sincere or sarcastic — a sad commentary on how what used to be one of the best parts of the internet has become polluted by its AI-generated results. Whatever the reason(s), sadly this story just wasn’t quite the one for me.

Sara L. UckelmanLeave a comment

REVIEW: “Unfinished Conversations Package” by Chris Baker

Review of Chris Baker, “Unfinished Conversations Package,” Flash Fiction Online 146 (November 2025): 20-28 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

As Dan Kalder tries to find closure with the death of his father, we as the reader get taken on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster — laughter, annoyance, tears, and a bit of shock. On the one hand, I appreciated the dexterity with which this story was constructed. On the other hand, the central conceit of that construction rests upon technology whose use in any form I struggle to get behind, so as a story that uses it uncritically, it ended up not sitting very well with me. (This isn’t to say that I think Baker used genAI to write the story, not the least; just that its use in the story meant the story didn’t work for me.)

Sara L. UckelmanLeave a comment

REVIEW: “Terra” by Laura Stone

Review of Laura Stone, “Terra,” Luna Station Quarterly 63 (September 2025): 265-285 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was a long, reflective story, centered around the musings of a single, solitary character — Cass’s shipmate Simms died before we, the reader, ever met her — which is a narrative structure that I think is difficult to pull off: It’s hard to keep the pace from dragging. It took more than half the story for events to begin, and even then, they seemed to take forever. As a consequence, when the horror elements kicked in, I ended up more bored than scared. This one just wasn’t for me.

Sara L. UckelmanLeave a comment

REVIEW: “HeartsEase” by Brittany Hague

Review of Brittany Hague, “HeartsEase,” Luna Station Quarterly 63 (September 2025): 203-221 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

There was a lot of info-dumping in order to get us up to speed on all the necessary background, which rather dragged the pace of the story down. On the other hand, it’s fun to see a ghost story which is closer to the SF family than the F family.

Sara L. UckelmanLeave a comment

REVIEW: “Crabs Don’t Scream” by H.H. Pak

Review of H.H. Pak, “Crabs Don’t Scream”, Clarkesworld Issue 229, October (2025): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

Exceedingly well written; this novelette was an experience. One worth having.
The vast complexity of everything it covers, the perspectives, choices, feelings, being different in some sort of way. Love. All kinds of love. Simply love. Oh yeah, and science fiction.  

Everything about this piece is simply beautiful. The kind of stories that remind me why reading is such a rewarding hobby.

myra naikLeave a comment

REVIEW: “Women of Nowhere” by Lyra Bird

Review of Lyra Bird, “Women of Nowhere,” Luna Station Quarterly 63 (September 2025): 171-184 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

100% absolutely and utterly gripping — that’s what this story was. It has one of the most distinctive narrative voices that I’ve come across in a very long time, drawing me straight in so that by the third sentence I was enthralled, not so much by the story as I was by wondering what slant path Bird would take me down next.

Sara L. UckelmanLeave a comment

REVIEW: “To the Moon, Not Back” by Emma Francois

Review of Emma Francois, “To the Moon, Not Back,” Luna Station Quarterly 63 (September 2025): 105-126 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was a beautifully heart-wrenching story of deep love and betrayal. I felt sympathy for Beatrix, the narrator, every step of the way, even when I could tell, right from the start, that The Boy was never going to be The One for her. Didn’t make her pain any less real, didn’t make it hurt any less, didn’t make her anger any less righteous, or her desire for revenge any less justified.

Sara L. UckelmanLeave a comment

REVIEW: “Wire Mother” by Isabel J. Kim

Review of Isabel J. Kim, “Wire Mother”, Clarkesworld Issue 229, October (2025): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

Dystopian stories set in an indeterminate future are, quite truly, my jam. A great story about perspectives and how societal expectations shape what’s “normal” and what isn’t. I also liked the connection to neurodiverse experiences – there’s nothing wrong about being different. The context for this connection was exceedingly lovely, and makes it one of those stories that become an immediate must-share.

myra naikLeave a comment