REVIEW: “Mom Heart” by Will McIntosh

Review of Will McIntosh, “Mom Heart”, Clarkesworld Issue 182, November (2021): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

A lovely, touching story about a mom, a dad, two sweet kids, and a mom heart that is so important. Family-oriented sci-fi is not a common choice, but I’m glad this author made that choice.

This has gone on my list of favorites, and with good reason. It has all the story elements that a story must ideally have to be good in theory, but it also has such feeling and depth that makes it so much more. This story focuses on will and choice, which manifests in different ways through the story, but the outcome of choices – and the timeliness of those choices – is what makes all the difference.

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REVIEW: “A Well-Worn Path” by Anamaria Curtis

Review of Anamaria Curtis, “A Well-Worn Path”, Clarkesworld Issue 181, October (2021): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

An exceedingly well written story. Emotional and poignant, it is the kind of story that will stay with you. I enjoyed the deft handling of the characters and their personalities & motivations.

Norami is such a layered & well developed character, as is Leona. The detail of this world, and the scifi background are both very well done. This review, in fact, is starting to feel like a list of compliments! But I really did enjoy this story. The plot, prose and attention to detail were all perfect. A wonderful read.

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REVIEW: “The Filigreed Cage” by Krystal Claxton

Review of Krystal Claxton, “The Filigreed Cage,” Luna Station Quarterly 19 (2014): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Underage marriage, forced marriage

The overwhelming misogyny and patriarchal structures in this story, imposed upon humans by the Overseers that are (of course!) only doing their best to keep the humans safe and unharmed, made for quite an unpleasant read. While I’m glad that some of the characters managed to escape in the end, I wasn’t so keen on the fact that Valerie only did so in pursuit of her man; there was nothing reflective in the story which indicated a realisation of how wrong the situation set up by the Overseers was.

(First published in Fireside Magazine 2013).
~

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REVIEW: “Seraph in Ruins” by Mere Rain

Review of Mere Rain, “Seraph in Ruins” Cossmass Infinities 9 (2022): 98-109 — Read or purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Seraph is a monster, and a loaner; whatever the vampires are hunting isn’t her problem. It’s only boredom, boredom that sees her rescue the woman and ensure she makes her way safely out of the zone that has “more monsters than spare parts” (p. 100). Of course, that’s what Seraph tells herself: we, the reader, know it is far more than that.

There’s nothing more enjoyable than smugly watching two characters convince themselves they are not falling for each other until they give up. This story provides all that enjoyment and more, that I read with a smile that just kept getting bigger and bigger.

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REVIEW: “Victorian Resistance & the Lords Insectile” by M. Legree

Review of M. Legree, “Victorian Resistance & the Lords Insectile” Cossmass Infinities 9 (2022): 93-97 — Read or purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This story has an excellent title. It’s the one I most looked forward to reading after surveying the table of contents. The story lived up to its title, reminding me, in the bones of its essence, of a cross between Kafka’s Metamorphosis and a Dutch Master’s painting, backed up with a mass of science. Overall, extremely satisfying.

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REVIEW: “Through” by Eric Fomley and Rich Larson

Review of Eric Fomley and Rich Larson, “Through”, Clarkesworld Issue 181, October (2021): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

Fast paced and full of twists, this was a one-sitting read. I don’t always read short stories in one sitting, despite their size and the possibility of doing so. But this one made me ignore everything else because I just had to find out what exactly was going on.

From the very beginning, there is intrigue and a build up of expectation. The authors very cleverly reveal a little at a time, sometimes raising more questions while simultaneously giving us readers tidbits of information. It felt like a much larger story skillfully condensed into short fiction. Extremely engaging read.

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REVIEW: “Rain Falling in the Pines” by Lavie Tidhar

Review of Lavie Tidhar, “Rain Falling in the Pines”, Clarkesworld Issue 181, October (2021): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.

Really well-defined world-building, with delicious hints of a broader world in the background. I’ve love to read a longer story set in this world. Multiple stories, even.

Geshem is a layered, interesting character, a First Human who lives in a world full of Sapis and genetically modified creatures. It’s a cyberpunk dystopia, and it’s been a while since I’ve read a good cyberpunk story, so this was even more appreciated.

Lovely concept and plot. Multiple characters, and even the minor ones were given strong personalities. I always love when an author pays that kind of attention to detail.

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REVIEW: “In the Grip of Yesterday” by P.A. Cornell

Review of P. A. Cornell, “In the Grip of Yesterday” Cossmass Infinities 9 (2022): 90-92 — Read or purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Knife and other physical violence, drugs, stalking.

This is SF tinged with horror: Science has advanced enough to synthesize many emotions, and the drug of choice for the narrator is Nostalgia, and it doesn’t take more than one or two kicks of it for it to become addictive.

It’s quite a remarkable story: There’s basically nothing in it that is redeeming, nothing in the narrator to make him sympathetic, not even the ending!

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REVIEW: “Adjectives of Annihilation” by B. Morris Allen

Review of B. Morris Allen, “Adjectives of Annihilation” Cossmass Infinities 9 (2022): 81-89 — Read or purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

A ship of Romanian immigrants escape earth’s destruction due to climate change, and end up on the semi-habitable planet of Doilea, and a poet and a particle physicist end up farmers in their new lives. But they brought an infant child with them, as many others brought their children, and now the kids are all grown up. I loved watching the way the narrator interacted with her parents, and the contrast with how she interacted with her peers. I’m a big fan of multi-generational stories, because they don’t get told often enough. The tensions between families that get along and those that don’t, between those who want to forge a new live on Doilea and those who think there may still be something to go back to, someday, all of these were woven together into this interesting and satisfying story.

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