SFF Reviews - Science Fiction and Fantasy

Review of Claire Weinraub’s Top Five Sea Monster Stories (For Allie) by Evan Berkow (991 words) Flash Fiction Online, October 2017 : Purchase or Read Online Oh my. A very unique conceptual piece. Not just because list stories are hard to get right, but also because it's as much a work of fiction as it is an ode to other SFF stories. A story with a lot of heart and messy reality. Like life, but made better by dint of being fiction.   Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks

Review of James Brown Is Alive And Doing Laundry In South Lake Tahoe by Stefanie Freele (968 words) Flash Fiction Online, August 2018 : Purchase or Read Online This story gave me so many feels. Flash continues to pleasantly surprise me. It features multiple POVs, a rarity in short stories and certainly in flash. It is beautifully executed and the voices are apt for each person too. We do get to see their internal thoughts and feelings. Things are precarious, and something unexpected turns into a moment of respite. Bringing a bit of joy and hope that things might just be okay after all.     Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks

  Review of The Birthday by Mike McCormick (771 words) Flash Fiction Online, December 2021 : Purchase or Read Online Skilled language and quick action make this a fast paced story. Creating a fast paced story in flash is challenging in itself because it goes so fast anyway, being limited to under a 1000 words. The concept itself is executed well and the ambiguous ending raises interesting questions. I also enjoyed the uncle's explanations.   Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks

Review of A Defiance of Violins by Ana Gardner (4728 words) Planet Scumm, Issue #11, Summer 2021 : Purchase   Beautiful! A heartwarming story of hope, quiet strength and of course, defiance. Nina is the protagonist of this story and stays strong throughout the tale. Even in dire situations, she may not be optimistic, but she's still strong. I appreciate the author's skill in accomplishing that. Plus the slow transition to cautious hope by the end is not just wonderful writing, but also a fantastic arc. There's external conflict and internal growth and I can find zero fault with this piece. The emotional aspect of her relationship with May and the memories brought on by the chips elevated this story beyond your usual Sci-fi tale. I'm now a fan of Gardner's work and can't wait to read more! This issue of Planet Scumm starts out super strong! Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks

Review of Irma Splinkbottom’s Recipe For Cold Fusion by Janene Murphy (996 words) Flash Fiction Online, February 2015 : Purchase or Read Online A fun and funny story with great internal dialogue. Irma is confident, maybe overconfident, that she can solve cold fusion. But make it warm fusion! She eventually does figure something out, but what a price she pays for it! I really enjoyed the prose, both in terms of tone as well as word choices.   Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks