Quick Sips - Lightspeed #78

The November issue of Lightspeed Magazine certainly brings the dark. At least for three of the four original stories, the atmosphere is steeped with violence and loss and the gravity of conflict. Human against human. Sibling against sibling. These are mostly stories that are difficult and disturbing, with a weight that is impossible to ignore. And while there are some lighter notes to close out the issue, the lingering flavor is still of blood and ice. There's hope, here, too, but a rather bleak sort, nearly nihilistic, and it makes for an interesting and complex and not-incredibly-happy read. So yeah, to the reviews! 

Art by Reiko Murakami

Quick Sips - Uncanny #8 (January Stuff)

Today I'm looking at the latest from Uncanny Magazine, which kicks off it's second full year. It's once more brought a strong mix of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, looking at the things that bring us together, the things that keep us apart. The fiction revels in the strange and magical, the poetry is dark as shadow, and the nonfiction is sporting a pocket protector and a letter jacket. It's a nice mix of elements, nothing really dominating thematically but each piece strong, honed, and giving each space to succeed on their own. So time to get to some reviews!

Art by Priscilla H. Kim