Short Stories – Made of Stardust and Stubbornness

“Power to Yield” Review

Posted on December 15, 2024December 15, 2024 by Jen

“Power to Yield and Other Stories” by Bogi Takács

Power to Yield is a collection of speculative tales exploring gender identity, neurodivergence, and religion from author Bogi Takács, who deftly blends sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction.

An AI child discovers Jewish mysticism. A student can give no more blood to their semi-sentient apartment and plans their escape. A candidate is rigorously evaluated for their ability to be a liaison to alien newcomers. A young magician gains perspective from her time as a plant. A neurodivergent woman tries to survive on a planetoid where thoughts shape reality . . .

These are stories about the depth and breadth of the human condition—and beyond—identifying future possibilities of conflict and cooperation, identity and community.

Review

All of the stories in the collection are interesting and I enjoyed reading them a lot. There are multiple concepts explored in each of the stories with a lot of focus on communication and conflict resolution. I really liked the blending of themes (gender identity, neurodivergence, and religion) in the stories and how things fit together in different ways.

I do think it’s important for readers to read the Forward, written by Ada Hoffmann, for additional context about the stories and the author. There are also additional notes from the author about each story at the end.

“FOUR-POINT AFFECTIVE CALIBRATION” – This one is interesting because the narrator is teaching aliens about human emotions through a machine learning system, but they are multiply marginalized. As a result the narrator is concerned about assumptions others have made and will make about them. A the same time though it’s clear the narrator has a good handle on their own thoughts and emotions as they process everything and would just like to meet the aliens.

“AN ERRANT HOLLY SPARK” – The framing device for this story is that the narrator, an AI child, has been kidnapped and is talking to their kidnapper. However it goes much deeper than that as we learn how the narrator was “created” by their mother and all that it means. There’s a lot of Jewish concepts in this story as well. It makes for an interesting story about what it means to be a person. The ending has a good twist because of how things played out with the things the child learned as they grew.

“AND I ENTREATED” – In this story a Jewish woman was transformed into a houseplant for a spy mission but there is a delay in returning her to human form. A translator is provided but there are a lot of complicating factors involved. There’s actually a lot of different things going on in this story but mostly it’s about failure to communicate (even when you should be able to) and figuring out how to fit gender stuff in Jewish tradition.

“FOLDED INTO TENDRIL AND LEAF” – There are two mage students in love, while one is away at war the other is turned into a plant as punishment. Unfortunately their teacher is captured and the first student returns unaware of what has happened. Interesting story told from each student’s point of view.

“THE THIRD EXTENSION” – This one is very short and from the point of view of sapient plants. A story about living on the outskirts of society and trying to blend in and not be noticed. I liked it but would liked to have seen things explored in more depth (but it works as it is).

“ON GOOD FRIDAY THE RAVEN WASHES ITS YOUNG” – An interesting story about someone who is a intersex newcomer, to another colony and ends up finding kinship in an unexpected place. I’m not entirely certain about the ending but I did like the ideas in it.

“VOLATILE PATTERNS” – a group of people try to use magical designs in their clothing not realizing the meaning of the designs. It goes about as well as you’d expect… Good story with interesting concepts. There’s some language barriers involved and things get a little chaotic. I liked how it played out though.

“THE LADYBUG, IN FLIGHT” – a member of a space hive mind speaks with the only survivor of a spaceship disaster. Since it’s entirely from the hive minds point of view they don’t entirely understand what has happened or what it means for the other people that were on the ship. Interesting read though about the hive mind appreciating the contact they have with the survivor and are helping the individual get home.

“THE 1ST INTERSPECIES SOLIDARITY FAIR AND PARADE” – in a post-apocalyptic world where Earth has been invaded by two different alien species and the visited by a third. Trying to get different groups of people to participate in a collaborative proves to be as complicated as it always is even without the need to trust this third set of aliens. Good ending for this one. This story is also a sequel to “Given Sufficient Desperation” which appeared in “Defying Doomsday”.

“A TECHNICAL TERM, LIKE PRIVILEGE” – A person is living in a a blood-sucking sentient housebeast and is struggling provide the needed offerings. Trying to get help from others proves impossible because of perceived privilege. Interesting concepts and I liked how it worked out.

“POWER TO YIELD” – This one is a novella-length story about an individual’s research project turning into a life-long vocation. There’s a few ways to interpret this one because of who the characters are but it makes for an interesting and complex story that speaks to what it means to be able to make your own choices even if others think you shouldn’t. I really enjoyed this one and thought it was a good story to end the collection with.

The author has included warnings for each of the stories at the end of the book. Additional reviews can also be found at the StoryGraph page for “Power to Yield”

Book Details

Author’s Website: Bogi Takács
Publisher / Date: Broken Eye Books, November 2023
Page Coumt: 190 pages
Genre: Science Fiction, Short Stories
Completion Date: December 15, 2024

“Defying Doomsday” Review

Posted on December 15, 2024December 15, 2024 by Jen

“Defying Doomsday” edited by Tsana Dolichva and Holly Kench

Teens form an all-girl band in the face of an impending comet. A woman faces giant spiders to collect silk and protect her family. New friends take their radio show on the road in search of plague survivors. A man seeks love in a fading world. How would you survive the apocalypse?

Defying Doomsday is an anthology of apocalypse fiction featuring disabled and chronically ill protagonists, proving it’s not always the “fittest” who survive – it’s the most tenacious, stubborn, enduring and innovative characters who have the best chance of adapting when everything is lost.

Review

This is a great collection of stories! There aren’t a lot of people with disabilities in most post-apocalyptic stories and when there are they’re often the first to be killed off. Usually because the plot acts as if they can’t possibly cope with the world or will be a burden to others in the group. This collection of stories shows how disabled people can both survive and thrive different scenarios. While there are a few stories where the disabilities have more impact on how things go in general the disabilities are just part of the characters life which I liked.

“And the Rest of Us Wait” by Corinne Duyvis – while staying in a shelter waiting out the results of an impending comet a young woman decides to create a band. This story does a good job of showing what people can be like in a disaster for good and bad. Tensions can increase when it seems as though people are getting different treatment even when it’s made clear that the different treatment is because of disability or illness (upset over different food when one person needs an alternative to what everyone else is getting). Frustrating but true to reality I like the defiance of the main character in this story to just exist as they are.

“To Take Into the Air My Quiet Breath” by Stephanie Gunn – Three siblings struggle to survive with needed medical supplies running out. This one is a bit strange in motivation of the main character. They’re all young of course and making choices adults might not have. I did like it but I wish there was more of an ending for this one. As it stands it feels more like the first chapter of a longer book rather than a short story.

“Something in the Rain” by Seanan McGuire – Something in the rain has killed people and a lone survivor does their best to live. This one gets little dark when another survivor comes along but when that person ends up being a bully and continues to be so I can’t really blame the main character for making the choices they do. Sometimes you really do just want to be left alone in the world.

“Did We Break the End of the World?” by Tansy Rayner Roberts – teens scavenging the best they can and figuring out how to make things work after a pulse shuts down everything. A bit of a strange story as turns out things are more complicated than they seem. Interesting story though. I did wish one plot point hadn’t happened but it made sense given the full context of their reality.

“In the Sky with Diamonds” by Elinor Caiman Sands – a young woman is trying to survive an alien attack and make sure her sister’s ship escapes when a discovery is made about the truth of their attack. This one gets interesting towards the end as thins are figured out. I liked the way the situation was resolved.

“Two Somebodies Go Hunting” by Rivqa Rafael – Two young siblings go out to find food and figure themselves out at the same time. This one is fun, I liked the way it played out with the siblings actually coming to understand each other better but not entirely in the way you’d expect. The ending is really nice.

“Given Sufficient Desperation” by Bogi Takács – aliens are keeping humans in a camp where they are made to describe various objects. This one is a bit strange but enjoyed reading it. It’s not entirely clear what the aliens are trying to do but some assumptions can be made based on the way they react in the end. I liked the idea that it’s resolved because people don’t always follow the rules of behavior.

“Selected Afterimages of the Fading” by John Chu – life in a fading world where if you don’t pay enough attention to object they disappear. It’s further complicated by the main characters perceptions of reality due to illness. It took a bit to figure this one out but it was interesting because of how the main character’s disability seemed to make things more AND less complicated with what is going in the world.

“Five Thousand Squares” by Maree Kimberley – Two families deal with a disaster. I enjoyed this one a lot. There’s some deeper elements involve between the two mothers of the family with their different worldviews but it’s an interesting story.

“Portobello Blind” by Octavia Cade – a young woman is left alone on a island where her father’s research lab was located. I really enjoyed how this one goes. The main character needs to figure out how to survive alone without anyone to help.

“Tea Party” by Lauren E Mitchell – a group from a mental health ward survive the apocalypse together. I really liked the way this one plays out with the main character going to see if they can find more supplies and the way the characters interact on their return. A good found family grouping – and I like how things are being handled too with everyone’s needs being accommodated.

“Giant” by Thoraiya Dyer – a teenager has been left behind on a space station after everyone dies during an alien invasion. The story is more complicated than it seems and I liked the way it played out. The ending is a bit abrupt but I liked the concepts in it.

“Spider-Silk, Strong as Steel” by Samantha Rich – large spiders have taken over the world and one person is able to hunt for spider silk. Good story with a lot of interesting things about it.

“No Shit” by K L Evangelista – Two survivors of a plague find each other and start traveling… Sort of a humorous take a the concept as thing are exaggerated a bit and there’s more silliness thank you’d expect. It’s a fun read though and the ending is great.

“I Will Remember You” by Janet Edwards – an alien invasion story where people are being killed off each day. Interesting story and I liked how it played out.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Defying Doomsday”

Book Details

The cover of Defying Doomsday shows a young person standing facing the distance where a light is shinning down from the sky to the ground where three figures are walking towards it. It would appear to be two adults and a child. The sky is overcast and dark blue and the ground links like dried cracked mud. The title is at the top left and the editors names are at the bottom.

Publisher / Date / Website: Twelfth Planet Press, May 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction
Page Count: 325
Completion Date: December 14, 2024

“Friends For Robots” Review

Posted on December 4, 2024December 4, 2024 by Jen

“Friends For Robots: Short Stories” by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

In this upbeat, positive collection of SFF short stories from Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, author of So You Want to Be A Robot, you’ll find hope, humor, friendship—and of course, robots.

You’ll meet entrepreneurial barbarians, an astronaut making first contact, a boy who might have (accidentally) started Armageddon, magical birds, a bot who wants to tell jokes, and more. Whether you’re a robot or not, come make some new friends.

Review

A great collection of short stories by the author. I enjoyed reading all of them but liked some more than others. I did notice that a few of the stories didn’t actually have robots in them but do still fit the friendship theme. Not really a big deal but the first story I came to without robots threw me off a bit. I also liked how LGBTQIA+ and autistic and/or disabled characters were included in several stories.

THIS COLD RED DUST: Mars has been evacuated and a few people stayed behind. One of those individuals has found an old robotic toy fox and listens to the last several logs of the child who owned it. I liked the hints we get of the reasons why Mars was evacuated even as we learn more about the child who had the toy. It seems some people chose to stay behind but are left with very little to survive with. The ending suggests there’s hope but I did want to know more.

IT ME, UR SMOL: A neural network takes on a life of it’s own when it realizes humans aren’t drinking enough water. This one is really funny in the way the bot keeps trying to get people to drink water as its creators try to take control back of the wayward bot. The implication that this neural network is slowly influencing other AIs is interesting as well.

BEHOLD THE DEEP NEVER SEEN: An AI is sent to the deepest part of the ocean to find out if a deep sea chasm in the sea floor has damaged a mining rig. There it discovers the true source of the damage. This one is great, I loved the ending the choices the AI unit makes. The descriptions of what the AI found were cool.

HOUSEBOT AFTER THE UPRISING: There’s been an uprising among the AIs but one HouseBot doesn’t want to participate until they understand a joke that was made by their user. This one was interesting and I enjoyed how everything worked out.

BRING THE BONES THAT SING: Bird bones are being left on Muriel’s grandmother’s porch. One night Muriel discovers the truth about the bones and her grandmother and goes on an adventure. This one is cool and I really liked how it played out. Muriel is most likely autistic and I liked the way that was used in the story as well.

LONELY ROBOT ON A ROCKET SHIP IN SPACE: A young teen comes out to his parents but in this case he wants to transition to being a robot. It an interesting concept. I have mixed feeling about it though based on other implications in the story (not to a detrimental degree though). However it works well as a coming out story and parents reacting and ultimately being supportive so I like it for that. I liked the way the character was written and how they expressed themselves.

YET SO VAIN IS MAN: Something is found on Mars … and things go badly for everyone. Told in a collection of messages from a research scientist on Mars to another researcher on Earth. This one is pretty short and I really wanted to know more about what happened but it works well as it is. A lot of different ideas of what might happen next.

THE MACHINE IS EXPERIENCING UNCERTAINTY: A cyborg is trapped in a time loop with a useless captain and the ship’s AI. There is an anomaly that seemingly is the cause of the time loop. I really enjoyed this one! It’s a bit dark as the cyborg has been treated badly by the captain so it makes certain choices because of that. I liked how it all worked out for the cyborg and the anomaly.

THE LOINCLOTH AND THE BRADSWORD: A barbarian enters an establishment mistaking it for the local tavern. The owner handles their new costumer well. This was a good story – I liked the way the store owner actually ended up helping their customer out with more than one issue.

HEXPOCOLYPSE: A teen accidentally stars Armageddon. I think this was the longest one in the collection and the length did impact my enjoyment of it. It kind of felt like it rambled on for a bit longer than it needed to. The ending was good though.

STEADYBOI AFTER THE APOCALYPSE: A self-aware mech wanders a wasteland long after a war has ended wishing to not be seen as a weapon any longer. This one was great! I really liked the way it played out with the robot seeing a new purpose and eventually finding one.

THE FREQUENCY OF COMPASSION: A first contact story. This was a great story and a wonderful way to end the collection. I’m glad it was the last story as it’s definitly my favorite.

The author has included their own warnings for each story at the end of the book. Additional reviews can be found on the StoryGraph page for “Friends For Robots”

Book Details

The cover for Friends for Robots is taken up by a large robot facing backwards from view. The robot appears to be standing on a road way with buildings in front of it. At the robot's feet is a small red fox. The title is in the middle of the cover and the authors name at the bottom.

Author’s Website: Merc Fenn Wolfmoor
Publisher / Date: Robot Dinosaur Press, December 2021
Genre: Science Fiction
Page Count: 183
Completion Date: December 4, 2024

“No One Will Come Back For Us” Review

Posted on October 26, 2024October 27, 2024 by Jen

“No One Will Come Back For Us” by Premee Mohamed

Here there be gods and monsters – forged from flesh and stone and vengeance – emerging from the icy abyss of deep space, ascending from dark oceans, and prowling strange cities to enter worlds of chaos and wonder, where scientific rigor and human endeavour is tested to the limits. These are cosmic realms and watery domains where old offerings no longer appease the ancient Gods or the new and hungry idols. Deities and beasts. Life and death. Love and hate. Science and magic. And smiling monsters in human skin.

Premee Mohamed’s debut collection of contemporary cosmic horror and dark fantasy heralds the arrival of a new and vibrant voice on the cutting edge of modern speculative fiction.

Review

The seventeen stories in this book are an interesting mix of horror, fantasy and science fiction. Many of them exist within a “gods are real” universe with a more fantasy horror slant while others are general fiction horror with science fiction elements. I enjoyed all of them though I think a couple could have done with a bit more explanation of what was going on and why. I did like that the author included additional information about the various stories at the end of the book.

Below the Kirk, Below the Hill – a woman finds an undead child and struggles to figure out what to do next. I liked the way this one ended because the choices were limited and there wasn’t much that can be done for the child.

Instructions – a set of instructions for British servicemen in a German occupied France. Only it turns out it’s not that simple. As you read through the instructions you slowly figure out the twist to this one. I liked it.

The Evaluator – in which a child has been possessed buy a disturbing entity and all people can do is evaluate the situation. This is another one where there are limited choices but this time the horror is more about being helpless.

At the Hand of Every Beast – a monster in the form of a large cathedral wonders through the area and a small child investigates it. This one was strange but I enjoyed it.

The Adventurer’s Wife – A newspaper reporter is tasked with interviewing a deceased adventurer’s widow. This one has a great twist in the end. Not all is as it seems on multiple fronts. Fun ending.

The General’s Turn – a captured solder is put through a test by the enemy. I’m not entirely sure I understood this one. The explanation from the author helps some.

Sixteen Minutes – a sixteen minute warning comes and a man hides in a bunker abandoning his family in the process. Question is, were bombs really dropped? This one is more about the man who hides in the bunker slowly losing his mind more than anything else. The ending is a little vague on purpose.

Fortunato – a ship lands to rescue the survivors of a failed colony and the crew soon learns the story of what went wrong. Of course the rescue goes about as well as you’d expect. I enjoyed the slow build of horror of this one as things go horribly wrong.

The Honeymakers – Something strange happens with a bee hive and girls who interact with it. This one is a bit confusing but I liked the idea of it.

Four Hours of a Revolution – Many Deaths stalk a group of rebels and solders fighting a revolution…there’s some confusion… This one is interesting to read as death follows everyone as things happen.

For Each of These Miseries – A woman travels to a deep see fortress to help her mother’s friend who is dealing with a monster and a group of soldiers who are slowly succumbing to the pressure of keeping things secret. The ending of this one is interesting.

Everything is Part of Its Infinite Place – a boy grieves the loss of his brother and encounters a double of himself and a series of strange events before making a choice. The ending of this one is a little vague as we know something happened but it’s not clear of it was a good thing or a bad thing.

No One Will Come Back For Us – a visit to a hospital during a epidemic that may have a supernatural cause. I enjoyed reason this one but I think the might have been one where things could have been explained a little more? Or at last the ending as I’m not sure about the narrator’s point of view.

Willing – A farmer’s two cows suffer during birth – one dying one living but birthing a stillborn. A sacrifice is required. I really liked the way this one ended.

Us and Ours – two kids during an invasion of creatures dealing with everything. This one was good – the kids are pretty much used as bait by another group for the creatures. I From the author’s description it seems like the ending is supposed to be a little vague about who actually won. I liked the way it ended though with the two kids driving off to have their own adventures.

The Redoubtables – a young journalist is investigating a disaster to write an article about it. It turns out that the disaster was intentional because a group of scientists destroyed their experiment completely in order to keep it contained. No real explanations are given as to why and that’s the true horror of it all.

Quietus – a young man is being used as test subject – from his point of view he’s fighting several wars. We also get emails exchanged between scientists running the experiment on sleep deprivation and virtual reality. The ending is a little vague but it seems like the right choice to end the experiment is made for the good of all. But whether or not it’s too late is unclear.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “No One Will Come Back For Us”

Book Details

Author’s Website: Premee Mohamed
Publisher / Date: Undertow Publications, May 2023
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Stories
Page Count: 288
Completion Date: October 26, 2024

“Fiyah Issue No. 31 – Disability” Review

Posted on September 20, 2024October 8, 2024 by Jen

“Fiyah Issue No. 31 – Disability” edited by Emmalia Harrington

CONTENTS

Prose –

DEMON SLAYER // Terna Abu – 3665 words

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?

WORMS FILL MY MOUTH // F. Kirk – 4338 words

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.

THE TOMB OF THE FORGOTTEN SOLDIER // Mwanabibi Sikamo – 5258 words

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.

WAY UP IN DE MIDDLE OF DE AIR // Jamie Roballo – 2005 words

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.

Poetry –

Giant Robot and His Person by Akua Lezli Hope

we stim to the moment by Camille Hernandez

Go Body Go! by Taylor Mckinnon

Review

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.

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.

I also enjoyed the poems included in the magazine.

Magazine Details

A black person is depicted on the cover looking down and to the right. She as wearing her hair tied up tightly in two braids on top of her head flowing in the air and earrings as well as a hearing aid in her ears and a necklace. Behind her ar various plants and flying butterflies in bright yellow.

Magazine Website: “Fiyah Issue No. 31 – Disability”
Cover Artwork: Kaitlin Edwards
Date Published: June 2024
Completion Date: September 20, 2024

“Inner Worlds Issue 4” Review

Posted on September 20, 2024October 8, 2024 by Jen

“Inner Worlds Issue 4” edited by Sara Jackson

CONTENTS

A Prototype of Yourself, by Albert Chu

Colossus, by Samir Sirk Morató

The Flame In You, by L. Nabang

Two Times I Looked Through The Eye Of The Universe, And The One Time I Became It, by Yasmeen Amro

Review

I really enjoyed the stories in this issue. It’s my first time reading this magazine and I’m looking forward to reading the other issues. I’ve written more thoughts for each story below.

“A Prototype of Yourself” by Albert Chu
“offers a nuanced exploration of therapy and technology” – I really liked how this one showed while while some things are well intended they can still do more harm than good.

“Colossus” by Samir Sirk Morató
“is a visceral dream of obliteration in a wild landscape” – this one go a bit dark in the end but it was still an interesting read.

“The Flame In You” by L. Nabang
“traces the damage caused by gender norms” – I thought this one was interesting and I liked the way everything was done. I ended up feeling sad for everyone involved

“Two Times I Looked Through The Eye Of The Universe, And The One Time I Became It” by Yasmeen Amro
“takes us on a journey across space and beyond reality” – I thought this one as a really interesting concept.

Magazine Details

Magazine Website: “Inner Worlds Issue 4”
Cover Art: “Polymorphic Portrait II” by Oladosu Michael Emerald
Date Published: August 31, 2024
Completion Date: September 20, 2024