Uncanny Magazine started around the same time that I got into reviewing. I have read every issue, and reviewed all but the very first one. So the bittersweet train keeps right on moving along as I come to my final comprehensive review of the publication’s original fiction and poetry. The works are strong, dealing a lot with the ways people sacrifice themselves, bend themselves, go without because they feel they should, because they think it’s right. And how...it’s not. Not right for some people to give up their hopes and dreams for others, especially when that’s taken for granted, perhaps forced. The stories look at the difficulty of healing, of making space for yourself and your needs, of recognizing damage done, trauma, and starting the healing process. It’s another excellent issue from the publication, and I’m happy that I can go out on such a high note (though I will keep right on reading the publication, and my coverage won’t exactly end, just shift a lot). To the reviews!
Well the end of the first season is closing in and Serial Box’s Machina is shaping up to be an exciting and complex experience. Mixing hope and capitalism in beautiful and painful ways, the race is still very much on between DevLok and Overwatch to see whose machine will reign supreme. In the midst of this competition, though, the goalposts are shifting, and fear of failure is being deepened by what that failure might look like, and just how devastating a rogue AI can be. So far the focus has been on the possibility for good that these AIs and their programmers have, but there’s a small detour here to show just how large that possibility is for harm, too. So buckle up and let’s get to the reviews!
May brings a new issue of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, which this go-round has three short stories, one novelette, and one poem. Which is a little light on poetry, but things seem rather busy with the editorial staff as they have launched a kickstarter to fund their third Best of anthology. And the stories themselves very much celebrate what many would consider “classic” fantasy, with its heroes, dark wizards, vividly rendered worlds, and epic action. These are stories of adventures, of hope and confidence and fear and family. They show the strengths of the genre—the wonder and the horror only possible with a little magic. So let’s get right to the reviews!
This week was a bit slower for getting non-story reviews done. Nothing was due from the places I contribute to, so I decided to catch myself up on some personal reviews. These three books are quite different. One collection of stories, one collection of poetry, and one novel. But they are all very good. So feel free to follow some links and check out my reviews.
Being Full of Light, Insubstantial by
Linda D. Addison (Goodreads, my score 4/5) -
Very good collection of (mostly) spec poetry. I won four (signed!) volumes of her work by donating to Strange Horizons during their drive. This was the first I read. It's great!
Son of a Witch by
Gregory Maguire (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - Another very good one. I liked Wicked and I think this is a step up, and especially like the Bi protagonist. Had some confusion about the ending, but a very good book.
Tales of the Raksura, Volume 1 by
Martha Wells (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - so many 4/5s for this link-fest. But this was a good collection. Probably I would have liked it even more if I had read the novels first. Bad me, but I won this through the First Reads program so got it for free in return for the review. Still, as a newbie I liked it plenty!
And there you have it! Another week, another handful of reviews. Looking forward to reading some more this next week, but with the way life has been going lately I will keep my ambitions small. In any event, thanks for tuning in!
