Edited by Emmalia Harrington
Cover Artwork by Kaitlin Edwards
Published June 2024
Read September 20, 2024
Fiyah is a magazine of Black Speculative Fiction and the them for this issue was disability. I really liked the “Letter from the Editor”, introduction for this one. There’s some good context given in it for everything and a reminder of how many not so great tropes there often is in fiction with disability representations.
Prose
Demon Slayer by Terna Abu – Tse-Abiem village badly needs help, but the Demon Slayer is not at all who they expected. Surely you need muscles and might to defeat something so fearsome… right?
I really enjoyed the way this play out with assumptions being made and how fear can create problems and how those problems can be solved. It’s a fun read and I liked that it wasn’t all about the demon slayer slaying the demons but him teaching the villagers something about themselves as well.
Worms Fill My Mouth by F. Kirk – Isaac is supposed to have a mild illness. The worms in his mouth, teeth in his body, and the Meat stalking him are anything but minor.
This was great – It seems like it’s both a story about the ways people have denied COVID and how serious it actually is, along with the problems people face having a chronic illness. Using something that comes across as seemingly a lot worse (actual worms) but still with the “it’s not so bad” reactions from outsiders. Which makes it even more disturbing.
The Tomb Of The Forgotten Soldier by Mwanabibi Sikamo – After Mum died, they have been experiencing vivid dreams and visions. Perhaps these experiences are related to the letter and audio recordings Mum left behind.
I’m not sure I fully understand this one but I like it anyway. It has an interesting plot with interesting characters.
Way Up In De Middle Of De Air by Jamie Roballo – Papa Ezekiel has had cataracts for as long as June can remember. Tonight, he tells her the story of what he saw, and what he still sees.
An interesting story – I really liked the way this was told with a grandfather telling his granddaughter the story of what he saw that night. And how he saw it. There’s a few things going on in the story.
Poetry
Giant Robot and His Person by Akua Lezli Hope
we stim to the moment by Camille Hernandez
Go Body Go! by Taylor Mckinnon
I liked all three of these poems, they were very interesting.