Review of D. A. Straith, “A Year in the Life of the Drowned Wastewater Plant East of Bellmarsh Village,” Flash Fiction Online 135 (December 2024): 27-29 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
For a story set in a post-apocalyptic setting, this was surprisingly peaceful and serene, and even almost hopeful. A lovely little gem in this issue!
Review of D.A. Xiaolin Spires, “Luminous Glass, Vibrant Seeds”, Clarkesworld Issue 218, November (2024): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
Yet another beautiful story of hope! Clarkesworld is really spoiling us readers lately, each and every story making me feel a certain type of way. This one is a beautiful combination of food, agriculture, and glassblowing, amongst other things.
Set sometime in the future, where people have gotten more in touch with their roots and nature. Decentralization and independence is the focus for many humans here, allusions to a past occurrence that created a sort of dystopia. But humans are resilient. And humans have also always appreciated beauty, right from cave drawing times. Beauty in the craggiest mountain and smallest seed. Oh, and a little green-thumbed robot feels the same way, too. Just lovely.
Review of Monica Joyce Evans, “Katya’s Microscope,” Small Wonders no. 4 (October 2023): 6-8 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
It’s lovely to see a story that showcases a child with chronic illness; it’s not representation that I see very often!
It’s a tough story to categorize, because even though we’re given quite an intimate view of Katya and her best friend (the narrator), it’s all channelled through the narrator’s experiences; so we are just as ignorant as she is. But it’s fragile and chilling and speculative in just the right way to make for a very satisfying read.
Review of Claire Jia-Wen, “Mirror Stages”, Clarkesworld Issue 218, November (2024): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A haunting story about the intersection of tech and the female body, with a focus on an immersive VR mukbang experience. If that sounds intense, then you’re right – so is the story.
I absolutely loved the depth and feeling and detail in this story. I couldn’t put it down at any point – it draws you in immediately. Something I have to say I’ve noticed about many Clarkesworld stories is the attention to world-building. This one was fantastic – I want to read a novella or even a full length novel set in this world. There are hints of greater background and setting throughout, so I hope this means it’s a world the author continues to write in.
A fascinating tale of tech, greed, how the male gaze can affect so much, and self-preservation, amongst many more themes. A sharp reminder that there are real people on the other side of your screen. People with feelings and hopes and dreams. Real people.
Review of Resa Nelson, “LuvHomeTM”, Clarkesworld Issue 218, November (2024): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
A beautiful story. Just lovely. One of those stories that really go straight to the heart. Where I just want to sit with it for a while, re-read it, savor it.
This story follows Dyna and her LuvHomeTM – it’s supposed to love her. And it does – but not in the way Dyna wants. She wants to stay in bed all day. Her home, which is programmed to love her (she signed the contract when she bought the house!), doesn’t want her to stay in bed all day. And that’s where it all begins.
This is a sweet, poignant story. I want to read more about Dyna and this world! I will be exploring more of this writer’s work for sure.
Review of Fiona Moore, “The Children of Flame”, Clarkesworld Issue 217, October (2024): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
Set in a post apocalyptic society where modern infrastructure has mostly collapsed, including the concept of billionaires. People are cooperative and have started rebuilding some parts of society, one of them being Morag, our main protagonist. People are part of different groups with different lifestyles, but most are in agreement about being strongly against capitalism.
A lot of elements in this story illustrate so many things that are wrong with the world today – and how much resilience humans have, and always will have. A lovely look at what may happen if capitalism does continue unbridled to the point of implosion.
It’s a great story on its own merit, and works well as a standalone. Happily, it is part of a larger universe, which I hoped it would be when I read the previous story set there. You can read them (four so far) in any order, they’re all at Clarkesworld!
Review of Abby Nicole Yee, “A Space O/pera”, Clarkesworld Issue 217, October (2024): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
This one starts off strong, with an open letter to a young heiress on her lavish wedding, set in the near future amidst severe climate change. There’s a lot packed into this short story, and the stakes are raised pretty quick too. It’s also quite thoughtfully laid out, with the epistolary type blog posts providing a different perspective and broader context to this space tale. Packed with futuristic tech and sci-fi action, there’s not a single dull moment!
Review of Erin MacNair, “The Trade,” Flash Fiction Online 133 (October 2024): 19-22 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
Content note: Death of pets, references to infertility, natural disaster.
I found this story more sad than horrific; but there was an eerie quality threading through it that meant I was never quite sure what was going on, just enough for the story to warrant its speculative label.
(First printed in Orca, Winter 2022.)
Review of K. J. Khan, “Our Father”, Clarkesworld Issue 212, May (2024): Read Online. Reviewed by Myra Naik.
This is deeply engaging, especially so for it being a fairly short story. The story slowly peels back the layers of this story, with deeply emotional moments as well. Such a beautifully paced story that really shows the bittersweet nature of parenthood. Recommend!
Review of Rebecca McKee, “Overlap,” Luna Station Quarterly 59 (2024): 187-207 — Purchase online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This story was eerie in its hints of apocalypse; the feeling I got while reading it reminded me, sometimes uncomfortably, of what life during lockdown was like. Perhaps it was the uncertainty about how it all would end, which lasted right up until the final, harrowing end.
SFF Reviews