SFF Reviews - Science Fiction and Fantasy

Review of That Story Isn't the Story by John Wiswell (9033 words) Uncanny Magazine, Issue Forty-Three : Purchase or Read Online This Hugo and Nebula finalist and Locus Award winner novelette places a striking tale of trauma and recovery in an urban fantasy setting. The details are often left to our imagination, but as we have likely experienced in other stories, our imagination is quite capable of conjuring up horrors to fill the gaps. A supernatural creature holds sway over his familiars, symbolic of the less fortunate who are often preyed on by folks with bad intentions. Victims range from teens to immigrants to gay people - people in difficult situations who are likely to forget their own strength. And that brings us to the heart of the story - recovering your own strength. That journey towards recovery is exceedingly difficult to traverse, and it's made relatively manageable when you have a support system and a semblance of independence and the beginnings of a ...

Review of For Want of Milk by Grace P. Fong (4319 words) Uncanny Magazine, Issue Forty-Three : Purchase or Read Online A mother and daughter living a hard life, living off the land and a bit of magic. The Frontier is harsh but sometimes there's beauty, and so are their lives, and such is the story. With lovely description, fantastic prose and strong characters, the inherent power of women shines through in this tale. In the olden days - and sometimes even today - women cannot directly take a stand or be confrontational. But sometimes a little magic helps.   Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks

Review of The North Pole Workshops by Mari Ness (807 words) Uncanny Magazine, Issue Forty-Three : Purchase or Read Online A fun, quick read about the customer service phone line at the North Pole. It addresses the commodification of festivals as well as the intense capitalism built around it. And of course, the corporations are protected from responsibility due to any malfunctions! Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks

Review of The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society by T. Kingfisher (2803 words) Uncanny Magazine, Issue Twenty-Five : Purchase or Read Online A fun story that takes fae-human relationships and makes it all topsy-turvy. Fae have a longstanding history of seducing innocent maidens and then leaving them to pine after them, but Rose MacGregor is a little different. She has no reservations about what she really wants, and ends up having an unexpected effect on them all. And so all the fae who tried to help her find her lost sheep were affected by her instead of the other way round. A really fun story about the imbalance of power, Rose and her agency, and a yearly meeting of the society to drink and commiserate. Cheers to Rose! Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks

  Review of Packing by T. Kingfisher (1169 words) Uncanny Magazine, Issue Seventeen : Purchase or Read Online What can you take with you? The world is changing. I assumed it was about climate change, but your interpretation may vary. Point is, the world will never be the same again, and the narrator and listener must choose what to bring with them, and what are the things they're ready to carry. We can see glimpses of the narrator's personality - matter of fact but sensitive and emotional, resigned to the situation but trying to do their best. The narrative choice to address the story directly to the reader has a huge effect on readers and the feelings it evokes within them. It is important to understand the difference this makes to the story. Maybe this is because I'm trying to be a better writer and hence sometimes end up reading stories from that perspective, but I really appreciated the difference this made. Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustboo...

Review of Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse by Rachel Swirsky (1159 words) Uncanny Magazine, May/June 2021, Issue Forty :  Read Online A whimsical tale that gets more and more outlandish as the story unfolds, but it happens in such a strange progression of events that it feels quite feasible. Our unnamed narrator lists out the items in their purse, with snippets of information about the product itself. They seem to really enjoy lipsticks and writing letters to companies. In this outlandish world, strange things happen, and these occurrences are treated as not entirely out of the ordinary. These items are slowly revealed to be - sometimes tenuously - connected to each other. A lovely piece of speculative fiction. Whimsy and 'adventure' awaits. Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks   

 Review of Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T. Kingfisher (7180 words) Uncanny Magazine,  Issue Thirty Six : Read Online What a beautiful story to come back to this blog with. After an unplanned hiatus that lasted well over a year, T. Kingfisher has inspired me to come back and love short SFF once again.   Brother and Sister are alone now, because Father had to leave. They are naive; machine children. In this story, Sister experiences evolution of thought that shows her something about thought process, and how other creatures may not be as inherently good as they are. The tale is grim, but peppered with hope. This hope shines through, even in moments of despair. Brother does not see things the way Sister does, and so he does not learn what Sister learns. A tale of hope, faith and protecting yourself and the ones you love. Not despite, but stronger due to, challenges and untrustworthy characters. So glad to be back on the short SFF wagon. What an excellent start. Suppo...