Review of Sarah Grace Tuttle, “A Place to Grow,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 121. — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Short and sweet and strangely hopeful, this story was a perfect little dose of a pick-me-up!
REVIEW: “Macaroni Art in the Age of Filtration” by Ryan Cole
Review of Ryan Cole, “Macaroni Art in the Age of Filtration”, Clarkesworld Issue 235, April (2026): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
It is difficult to breathe. In this story set in the indeterminate future.
But also in many places around the world even today.
Reading this story about gritty air and noxious gases and particulate matter will likely make you want to take deep breaths of gratitude.
More than once I was sharply reminded of this setting already being a reality for many. Many things in our world today reflect dystopian stories in various ways.. but the power of love and humanity is always what makes these stories so impactful.
Humans can do many curious, difficult, strong things – all for a sliver of hope.
REVIEW: “Recording of Professor Elizabeth Boucher’s Opening Lecture on Death Ages Novels, University of Presque Isle, March 32, 2667.” by Stacie Turner
Review of Stacie Turner, “Recording of Professor Elizabeth Boucher’s Opening Lecture on Death Ages Novels, University of Presque Isle, March 32, 2667,” Adventitious no. 1 (Feb/Mar 2026): 10-18 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: References to rape.
This is the story of every archivist’s worst nightmare: Late 20th/early 21st C literature and culture lost for ever because we thought electronic storage was stable and accessible. It’s also the story of at least one archivist’s best dream: That centuries from now, what our ancestors will remember of our society is fanfiction. I adored this story, and want to attend all of Dr. Boucher’s lectures.
REVIEW: “Citizens!” by Sasha Brown
Review of Sasha Brown, “Citizens!” Flash Fiction Online 152 (May 2026): 28-31 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
There was something both very real and very surreal about this story. I really enjoyed it!
REVIEW: “Soon It Would See Eyelessly, Turn Corners On Its Own” by John K. Peck
Review of John K. Peck, “Soon It Would See Eyelessly, Turn Corners On Its Own,” Flash Fiction Online 152 (May 2026): 11-14 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
The FFO editors categorized this story as horror, but while it definitely had a delicious Gothic feel to it, I found it too serene to be truly horrific.
REVIEW: “Bend Like the Palm” by David D. Levine
Review of David D. Levine, “Bend Like the Palm”, Clarkesworld Issue 234, March (2026): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
This story is about a lot of things, and many of those are quite timely.
The worldbuilding was great. I find that a lot of times when the worldbuilding is good and you can tell the writer has spent quite some time on it, the plot suffers for it. As a reader, it makes me appreciate the world, but not the plot progression or the storyline. This story does not have these issues.
A thoughtful story with many good elements – a human story in a sci-fi setting, as good sci-fi stories tend to be.
REVIEW: “In This Exchange of Names, I Say Please,” by Wen Wen Yang
Review of Wen Wen Yang, “In This Exchange of Names, I Say Please,” Flash Fiction Online 148 (January 2026): 32-34 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a beautiful and powerful story of immigration, integration, and intercultural heritage. It feels both autobiographical, but also curiously universal, at least for anyone who has ever had to bridge a divide between countries, languages, cultures, heritages, anyone who has ever been the foreigner, the displaced, the out of place.
REVIEW: “Disinternment” by Shane Inman
Review of Shane Inman, “Disinternment,” Flash Fiction Online 148 (January 2026): 26-27 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Death of a parent.
Ooof. It’s quite incredible how hard a punch Inman can pack in just two pages.
REVIEW: “Death is a Black Door in the Ghetto” by Caspian Drake
Review of Caspian Drake, “Death is a Black Door in the Ghetto,” Flash Fiction Online 148 (January 2026): 14-17 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Drug use and abuse.
For all that this story is labelled by the editor as “horror,” I found it actually to be a redemptive story, full of love and forgiveness.
REVIEW: “Swampland” by Erin Brandt Filliter
Review of Erin Brandt Filliter, “Swampland,” Flash Fiction Online 148 (January 2026): 19-20 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This story was classed as “literary,” but in fact it is quite speculative — the first page left me a bit worried that it would just be an ordinary, descriptive, literary story, but the second page takes that step away from reality and mere descriptive and dives into consequences: Why any of it matters. Definitely enjoyed the second half much more than the first!
SFF Reviews 