Review of Angel Leal, “The Machines Had Accepted Me For So Long,” Radon Journal 2 (2022): 62-64 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was an absolutely gorgeous poem about both masking and transitioning.
REVIEW: “A Robot Would Never Kiss You With Its Tongue” by Bobby Parrott
Review of Bobby Parrott, “A Robot Would Never Kiss You With Its Tongue,” Radon Journal 2 (2022): 58 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This sort of felt like a case of “how many SF terms can I throw into this poem?” People who prefer poetry that is more about words than about story may like this poem; for me, I’m a bit more on the “story” side of things for this to really be my type of thing.
REVIEW: “To Sleep, Perchance” by Doug Lane
Review of Doug Lane, “To Sleep, Perchance,” Radon Journal 2 (2022): 26-32 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
The premise of this story is “what will the legal system look like once it’s been entirely overtaken by cloud-based technologies?” It’s equal parts funny and cautionary, making for a nice enjoyable little story.
REVIEW: “Aqua Vitae” by Deborah L. Davitt
Review of Deborah L. Davitt, “Aqua Vitae,” Radon Journal 2 (2022): 76 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
If water is the source of our life, what kind of life would water on another planet be the source of? It’s the sort of question that is apt for turning into poetry, as Davitt does — though maybe those who haven’t studied 20th C analtyic philosophy and the question of whether water is H2O or not will appreciate the poem more than I did!
REVIEW: “Run Run Renegade” by Lisa Timpf
Review of Lisa Timpf, “Run Run Renegade,” Radon Journal 2 (2022): 69 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
I liked the story that this poem told, but I think I would have preferred it as a story, rather than as a poem.
REVIEW: “In the Dose” by Darius Jones
Review of Darius Jones, “In the Dose,” Radon Journal 2 (2022): 67 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This poem was a lovely little commentary on the ways in which one and the same thing can both kill us and give us life.
REVIEW: “They Came In Tiny Ships” by Rachel Ayers
Review of Rachel Ayers, “They Came In Tiny Ships,” Radon Journal 2 (2022): 59 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a sparse, spare little poem, giving away very little — including who “they” are, which I found a bit frustrating. But this verse was gorgeous:
They tried to fix us but we
liked the parts they thought broken.
REVIEW: “The Lion and the Virgin” by Megan J. Kerr
Review of Megan J. Kerr, “The Lion and the Virgin ”, Clarkesworld Issue 184, January (2022): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A solitary woman in a one-person ship travels alone for many many days, with some company. It’s an interesting study on how real someone can become to you, irrespective of what they really are. It’s also a pretty realistic representation of how humans might react to prolonged space travel in isolation.
Loneliness is real and biting. Lovely prose, too.
REVIEW: “The Twin’s Paradox” by P. L. Watts
Review of P. L. Watts, “The Twin’s Paradox,” Luna Station Quarterly 53 (2023): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a simple story: One of a pair of identical twins goes on a journey to Alpha Centauri, the other stays at home, and when the former returns they are no longer identical because the latter has aged. A good premise, but there wasn’t much more than that, no twist, no unexpected move, no deeper insight. Just a simple story.
REVIEW: “The Governess” by Chloe Smith
Review of Chloe Smith, “The Governess,” Luna Station Quarterly 53 (2023): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
I love it when a sci fi story takes a binary and turns it on its head, in unexpected — and yet totally realistic — ways. This story nailed that. Utterly breathtaking.
SFF Reviews 