SFF Reviews - Science Fiction and Fantasy

Review of Nine Lives by P.A. Cornell (799 words) If There's Anyone Left, Issue 2, January 2022 : Purchase or Read Online A very endearing bit of flash fiction. We hear that cats have nine lives, but this particular cat very literally has nine lives, and he keeps coming back as a cute little kitten every time. And his very lucky human gets to experience his cat's affection over the course of many lifetimes. Beautiful. Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks    

Review of Five Tips for Sealing Away an Ancient Evil by Ann LeBlanc (936 words) If There's Anyone Left, Issue 1, November 2020 : Purchase or Read Online A fun, fantasy laden read about the important of sticking to your contracts and having SOME ethics. Plus anyone who has ever worked as a freelancer or in a client-facing role will definitely relate to most of this - but hopefully not the part about dragons and powerful ancient amulets! A quick, fun read. Send it to your friends if they have clients they don't like! Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks    

Review of The Best Latkes on the Moon by Lauren Ring (996 words) If There's Anyone Left, Issue 1, November 2020 : Purchase or Read Online Second person narratives are difficult to pull off, but it was done so beautifully here. It was a new (or at least new-to-me) concept of personal growth happening simultaneously with growth in cooking a recipe. Sounds so simple now, but it is one of those things that's hard to do well. Even apart from that, it's a lovely combination of ideas that seems to go together so well, and I love the quiet strength and perseverance throughout the story. Our protagonist grows with the recipe, and it helps her become more of herself. All while cooking latkes on the moon. Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks    

Review of It Is a Beautiful Day on the Internet, and You Are a Horrible Bot by Aimee Ogden (975 words) If There's Anyone Left, Issue 1, November 2020 : Purchase or Read Online A bot gone wild, and it has a sense of humor. And hot dogs are funny. So is deleting and/or releasing confidential information. But the bot isn't malicious, it just knows (from extensive research) that these things are funny! It's a pretty smart bot, and havoc is especially fun! I loved this story so much. I'm also writing a lot of exclamations - but don't blame me, I was just influenced by the #BotDog! Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks