heniaakbar's review
4.0
Diamond Cuts by Shaoni C. White
Performing in a theater that hurt them physically so that the magic will stay afloat in the entire kingdom. 5 ⭐
The Graveyard by Eleanor Arnason
Simple story about Viking ghosts who don't like Christian cross on their graveyard. The underlining superiority of nowadays' folk is great. 4 ⭐
The Wishing Pool by Tananarive Due
Oh my that ending. Really be careful of what you wish for. 4 ⭐
From the Archives of the Museum of Eerie Skins: An Account by C. S. E. Cooney
A witch strip a wolfcaster's pelt and shame her. The wolfcaster takes revenge in a most wholesome way. 4 ⭐
The Chameleon’s Gloves by Yoon Ha Lee (I'll read it later, but I think I'll like it since I like most of YHL's works)
Presque vue by Tochi Onyebuchi
Voices, conscience or intuition? Unclear tho. 2 ⭐
Performing in a theater that hurt them physically so that the magic will stay afloat in the entire kingdom. 5 ⭐
The Graveyard by Eleanor Arnason
Simple story about Viking ghosts who don't like Christian cross on their graveyard. The underlining superiority of nowadays' folk is great. 4 ⭐
The Wishing Pool by Tananarive Due
Oh my that ending. Really be careful of what you wish for. 4 ⭐
From the Archives of the Museum of Eerie Skins: An Account by C. S. E. Cooney
A witch strip a wolfcaster's pelt and shame her. The wolfcaster takes revenge in a most wholesome way. 4 ⭐
The Chameleon’s Gloves by Yoon Ha Lee (I'll read it later, but I think I'll like it since I like most of YHL's works)
Presque vue by Tochi Onyebuchi
Voices, conscience or intuition? Unclear tho. 2 ⭐
crunden's review
The woman inside the pillar
is the bones inside the promise.
I read Betsy Aoki's Hitobashira and Minal Hajratwala's Sonnet for the Aglæcwif and loved both!
Creeping through Hero’s brackish fits & tweets,
she’s damp of neck, bent of knee, tarsals
swollen thick as trees.
Can't wait to check out the other entries in this edition! Will update review as I go :)
is the bones inside the promise.
I read Betsy Aoki's Hitobashira and Minal Hajratwala's Sonnet for the Aglæcwif and loved both!
Creeping through Hero’s brackish fits & tweets,
she’s damp of neck, bent of knee, tarsals
swollen thick as trees.
Can't wait to check out the other entries in this edition! Will update review as I go :)
howardgo's review
3.0
My favorite stories this issue are "The Wishing Pool" by Tananarive Due and "Immortal Coil" by Ellen Kushner.
afreen7's review
3.0
My overall rating 3.4/5
FICTION
Diamond Cuts by Shaoni C. White - 4.5/5
This was really interesting. Proves you don't have to have complicated worldbuilding to tell a simple yet deep fantasy story.
The Graveyard by Eleanor Arnason - 3.5/5
I think better writing could've elevated this story
The Wishing Pool by Tananarive Due - 3.5/5
Interesting story based on a classic supernatural trope. Be careful what you wish for
Immortal Coil by Ellen Kushner - 2/5
This one just went over my head.
From the Archives of the Museum of Eerie Skins: An Account by C. S. E. Cooney - 4/5
The build-up of this was amazing and the story, in general, was heartbreaking and relatable
The Chameleon’s Gloves by Yoon Ha Lee - 3/5
Cool sci-fi tale with a focus on nationalism, self-identity, and justice
Presque vue by Tochi Onyebuchi - 4/5
Ooh, I liked this one. Sci-fi as well as a paranormal mystery
POETRY
The poetry selection was really great this time. I was especially hit hard by After The Tower Falls, Death Gives Advice by Ali Trotta, and Radioactivity by Octavia Cade. Hitobashira by Betsy Aoki was interesting as well.
ESSAYS
Of the essays, I really liked 'The Necessity of Slavery Stories' by Troy L. Wiggins and 'The Bad Dad Redemption Arc Needs to Die by Nino Cipri. The latter really hit me. It's brilliantly written and the fact that not a lot of people have noticed it is very telling.
FICTION
Diamond Cuts by Shaoni C. White - 4.5/5
This was really interesting. Proves you don't have to have complicated worldbuilding to tell a simple yet deep fantasy story.
The Graveyard by Eleanor Arnason - 3.5/5
I think better writing could've elevated this story
The Wishing Pool by Tananarive Due - 3.5/5
Interesting story based on a classic supernatural trope. Be careful what you wish for
Immortal Coil by Ellen Kushner - 2/5
This one just went over my head.
From the Archives of the Museum of Eerie Skins: An Account by C. S. E. Cooney - 4/5
The build-up of this was amazing and the story, in general, was heartbreaking and relatable
The Chameleon’s Gloves by Yoon Ha Lee - 3/5
Cool sci-fi tale with a focus on nationalism, self-identity, and justice
Presque vue by Tochi Onyebuchi - 4/5
Ooh, I liked this one. Sci-fi as well as a paranormal mystery
POETRY
The poetry selection was really great this time. I was especially hit hard by After The Tower Falls, Death Gives Advice by Ali Trotta, and Radioactivity by Octavia Cade. Hitobashira by Betsy Aoki was interesting as well.
ESSAYS
Of the essays, I really liked 'The Necessity of Slavery Stories' by Troy L. Wiggins and 'The Bad Dad Redemption Arc Needs to Die by Nino Cipri. The latter really hit me. It's brilliantly written and the fact that not a lot of people have noticed it is very telling.
cathepsut's review
I read the four poems in this issues:
Hitobashira by Betsy Aoki
Sonnet for the Aglæcwif by Minal Hajratwala
After The Tower Falls, Death Gives Advice by Ali Trotta
Radioactivity by Octavia Cade
Or I tried, at least. The poem by Ali Trotta didn‘t work for me. I didn‘t get it.
Hitobashira
BY BETSY AOKI | 136 WORDS
Every year the water flows up to the banks and beyond,
reaching slick algae fingers to the sky:
https://uncannymagazine.com/article/hitobashira/
I read this poem twice and didn‘t understand it. I then looked up Hitobashira and learned something new. I didn‘t know there was such a thing as human sacrifices in Japan. Now the poem makes a lot more sense…
Sonnet for the Aglæcwif
BY MINAL HAJRATWALA | 193 WORDS
Classic mum-in-law she was, Ma Grendl:
https://uncannymagazine.com/article/sonnet-for-the-aglaecwif/
Beowulf is a story that keeps on giving! Not the first or only version that tries to shed a different light on Grendl‘s mother.
Radioactivity
BY OCTAVIA CADE | 386 WORDS
Ranunculus aquatilis and radium.
One has petals that are pale in vases and reflect moonlight
the other walks in empty spaces, and footprints glow behind it.
https://uncannymagazine.com/article/radioactivity/
A poem about Marie Curie. Interesting. It makes me realize, that I apparently need poems that not just tell a story, but also teach me new things and make me look up and research details.
Can be found and read fir free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/issues/uncanny-magazine-issue-forty-one/
Hitobashira by Betsy Aoki
Sonnet for the Aglæcwif by Minal Hajratwala
After The Tower Falls, Death Gives Advice by Ali Trotta
Radioactivity by Octavia Cade
Or I tried, at least. The poem by Ali Trotta didn‘t work for me. I didn‘t get it.
Hitobashira
BY BETSY AOKI | 136 WORDS
Every year the water flows up to the banks and beyond,
reaching slick algae fingers to the sky:
https://uncannymagazine.com/article/hitobashira/
I read this poem twice and didn‘t understand it. I then looked up Hitobashira and learned something new. I didn‘t know there was such a thing as human sacrifices in Japan. Now the poem makes a lot more sense…
Sonnet for the Aglæcwif
BY MINAL HAJRATWALA | 193 WORDS
Classic mum-in-law she was, Ma Grendl:
https://uncannymagazine.com/article/sonnet-for-the-aglaecwif/
Beowulf is a story that keeps on giving! Not the first or only version that tries to shed a different light on Grendl‘s mother.
Radioactivity
BY OCTAVIA CADE | 386 WORDS
Ranunculus aquatilis and radium.
One has petals that are pale in vases and reflect moonlight
the other walks in empty spaces, and footprints glow behind it.
https://uncannymagazine.com/article/radioactivity/
A poem about Marie Curie. Interesting. It makes me realize, that I apparently need poems that not just tell a story, but also teach me new things and make me look up and research details.
Can be found and read fir free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/issues/uncanny-magazine-issue-forty-one/
goranlowie's review
5.0
A banger. I think I liked all stories in this, which is a first, even if I didn't have a stand-out wow-er.
8bitlapras's review
3.0
Fiction
The Wishing Pool by Tananarive Due: 3/5
The Graveyard by Eleanor Arnason: 3/5
Diamond Cuts by Shaoni C. White: 3.5/5
Presque vue by Tochi Onyebuchi: 3.25/5
Immortal Coil by Ellen Kushner: DNF
From the Archives of the Museum of Eerie Skins: An Account by C. S. E. Cooney: 3.75/5
The Chameleon's Gloves by Yoon Ha Lee: 3.25/5
Non-fiction
Through A Thousand Eyes by Nisi Shawl: 4.5/5
The Necessity of Slavery Stories by Troy L. Wiggins: No rating
The Bad Dad Redemption Arc Needs to Die by Nino Cipri: 5/5
WWXD: A Warrior's Path of Reflection and Redemption by C. L. Clark: 5/5
Poetry
I don't rate poetry, but I really, really loved After the Tower Falls, Death Gives Advice by Ali Trotta.
Average rating: 3.8/5, rounded down because of the DNF.
I thought the non-fiction was especially strong this issue, but nothing stood out to me among the fiction.
The Wishing Pool by Tananarive Due: 3/5
The Graveyard by Eleanor Arnason: 3/5
Diamond Cuts by Shaoni C. White: 3.5/5
Presque vue by Tochi Onyebuchi: 3.25/5
Immortal Coil by Ellen Kushner: DNF
From the Archives of the Museum of Eerie Skins: An Account by C. S. E. Cooney: 3.75/5
The Chameleon's Gloves by Yoon Ha Lee: 3.25/5
Non-fiction
Through A Thousand Eyes by Nisi Shawl: 4.5/5
The Necessity of Slavery Stories by Troy L. Wiggins: No rating
The Bad Dad Redemption Arc Needs to Die by Nino Cipri: 5/5
WWXD: A Warrior's Path of Reflection and Redemption by C. L. Clark: 5/5
Poetry
I don't rate poetry, but I really, really loved After the Tower Falls, Death Gives Advice by Ali Trotta.
Average rating: 3.8/5, rounded down because of the DNF.
I thought the non-fiction was especially strong this issue, but nothing stood out to me among the fiction.
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