SFF Reviews - Science Fiction and Fantasy

Review of Ember by Anjali Patel (968 words) Flash Fiction Online, Jul 2021 : Purchase or Read Online Our unnamed narrator chose to go to a different land. A land that would accept them better than the land they came from, but they still dealt with a different sort of rejection. Suppressing emotions are a quick fix, a temporary fix. Self preservation, however, is forever. A very strong story. Turned out way more powerful than I anticipated.  Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks    

  Review of Across From her Dead Father in an Airport Bar by Brian Trent (997 words) Flash Fiction Online, Jan 2021 :  Read Online   A bittersweet story about love, loss, and longing. Flash fiction is something that can occasionally strike a chord quite deeply, and the fact that it happens in less than a thousand words is testament to the author's skill as well as an example of why this medium is so great. A beautiful father-daughter relationship, aided by technology across the years. Poignant & hopeful in the best way. Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks    

  Review of The Miss Marple Society by Elizabeth Cleland (997 words) Flash Fiction Online, March 2021 :  Read Online   A really cute story about friendship and memory and chocolate and Agatha Christie and sharp old ladies and an amateur detective club. It's not really science fiction at all, but I wanted to share it anyway, not least because it was published on one of my favorite magazines, Flash Fiction Online. Delightfully charming. Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks    

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 Bread of Life by Beth Cato (856 words) Flash Fiction Online, June 2021 Issue :  Read Online Emotions are not to be spoken of, but people can't help it sometimes. Because of bread. Lovely, warm, delicious, yeasty bread. Evoking poignant memories of Earth. An earth that is no longer. But the memories remain. And you try not to speak of them, because you mustn't. But bread makes you. Bread makes you speak of real, unfiltered, rose-colored memories. Cato has a way with words and can transport you right into Sonya's bread shop. I really enjoyed this lovely short story. Honest fresh bread. A delicious tale. Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks   

  Review of Snail Mail by Steven S Fischer (649 words) Daily Science Fiction, May 2017 :  Read Online I promise I'm not unhealthily obsessed with Fischer; his words just absolutely resonate with me, and it isn't something that I find very often. When I do, out of the blue, can you blame me for latching on? Of all the stories I've read by him so far, I like this one best. It's about love and longing, but more than anything else, it is about belonging. It's about how something familiar can become unknown, and the strange slowly turns not-so-strange. Above all, it shows how we can find solace in unlikely places. And that's a hell of a thing to convey in 649 words. Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks  

Review of A Beginner's Guide to Space Travel and Seafood by Steven S. Fischer (694 words) Nature, Dec 2018 :  Read Online A super interesting premise about a futuristic society where space travel is a way of life, and Earth is pretty much dead. The previous story I reviewed here is also by this author, and I loved it so much I had to seek out more. I was rewarded with this interesting tale. He quickly sets the scene and shows us what this world and it's people are like.  The ending is really cool too, throwing the essential qualities of humans into sharp relief, with a touch of humor as well. I really do enjoy Fischer's work, and if you do too, then check out his work at https://stevenbfischer.com/library/ Support us on Ko-fi -  https://ko-fi.com/ohjustbooks