Review of Srilatha Rajagopal, “Salt” Tree and Stone 1 (2022): 6-9 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Death, the pandemic, abuse.
There is great depth in this quite short story, which is full of the complexities of familial relationships and how to navigate the death of a parent.
Review of Geoffrey W. Cole, “The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro”, Clarkesworld Issue 184, January (2022): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A story about a pair of “surfer dudes” who enjoy surfing supernovas. The supernovas have been exploding too soon, which we later find out is due to the heat death of the universe, and they are supposed to set up a simulation. Why they were selected is beyond me and not really explained in the story.
Indeed, I don’t see why they were chosen to do something so important and **spoiler alert** they don’t even actually set up the simulation they were supposed to. They choose to get high and surf together instead.
They do manage to set up something eventually, but it was an unsatisfying end to the plot.
Review of Aeryn Rudel, “Hunting Snowmen,” Radon Journal 2 (2022): 16-18 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Domestic violence.
This was a funny [in the strange rather than humoristic, although there is definitely humor in it] little post-apocalyptic story about zombies who head north and then freeze in the bitter cold. It’s full of vindictive justice, and even though I could see the ending coming from a mile away, it was so satisfying.
Review of Sam Lesek, “The Final Kiss,” Luna Station Quarterly 53 (2023): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a short, sweet, sad post-apocalyptic story, of the last man, the last dog, and the last kiss the Angel of Death will ever give.
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 of Koji A. Dae, “The Uncurling of Samsara”, Clarkesworld Issue 184, January (2022): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A lovely story about grief and growth, set in a generation ship. A well structured story about dealing with the loss of a loved one, and how everyone processes grief in different ways.
For our protagonist Annessa, it takes the form of her Gram’s cherry pie, and how their attempt to perfect it has been mostly elusive. But losing her Gram teaches her something. About how the essence of something can take many different forms, but always, always towards growth.
A wrenchingly real portrayal.
Review of Amal Singh, “A Series of Endings”, Clarkesworld Issue 183, December (2021): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
If you’re immortal for long enough, you realize that nothing really matters, and certainly doesn’t matter more than the present. Or at least Roopchand Rathore does. And he would know, having had many lives – maybe with different endings but always the same hazy sort of beginning.
A story where spaceships and aliens, backwater boat races and Ghalib, all feel right at home.
Review of Lorraine Alden, “Ceres 7”, Analog Science Fiction and Fact January/February (2023): 118–123 (Kindle) – Purchase Here. Reviewed by John Atom.
This review may contain spoilers.
Ceres 7 is on its way to the planet Esperance with a mission to preserve the human race after Earth has presumably suffered nuclear Armageddon. Ruth and Jill, the youngest members of the all-female crew, are uncertain about their chances to survive the whole trip. With the cryogenic module half broken, only some of the members are destined to survive.
Alden’s story reminded me of Tom Godwin’s “The cold equation,” presenting yet another variation on the classic unwinnable scenario in science fiction (albeit far more plausible than Godwin’s version). I appreciated the tight economy of the prose, revealing just enough about the story’s background without drowning it in exposition. The final twist is genuinely surprising, but somewhat Deus-ex-machina for the protagonist. All in all, a great story.
Review of Allison King, “Breath of the Dragon King,” Fantasy Magazine 72 (October 2021): 9-10 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Drea King’s life began in tragedy, when she was born in the wrong year in a culture that values dragons far beyond rabbits. But the bigger tragedy is the life of an immigrant child, “scared to be separated from their old country and to be freaks in their new one” (p. 10). Drea turns her own personal tragedy into a way of helping all the other Dragons of ’88 in this lovely, hopefully little story.
Review of Kiersten Gonzalez, “End of the World, Beginning of Everything,” Luna Station Quarterly 52 (2022): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Sudden death.
After the narrator’s husband leaves her, she takes advantage of the opportunity to move to California and try to become an actress. Instead, she ends up in Colorado, landing a job as a ghost tour guide. There are many ways you might think the story would go, from this premise — but I can guarantee you that none of them are what happens! This was a novel story told in a fresh, distinctive voice. Good stuff!
SFF Reviews