A review by trish204
Uncanny Magazine Issue 32: January/February 2020 by Chimedum Ohaegbu, Elsa Sjunneson, Michael Damian Thomas, Lynne M. Thomas
4.0
So I ended up being interested in three titles in this magazine.
Here's my review for Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse:
You get what the title promsies you: the zombie apocalypse happened. A few survivors are trying to stay alive and some even give birth - which makes them a primary target for the flesh-eaters.
Questions are being raised about whether to give up, just fight for yourself or even try to repopulate the planet and the musings weren't too bad.
I liked the rough and gritty feel to this story. Granted, I'm a sucker for zombie apocalypse stories anyway.
What I find myself tiring of are all-female end-of-the-world communities because I can't quite wrap my mind around what's bad about having men there too. But that's just me and. *shrugs*
3 stars
You can read it for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/badass-moms-in-the-zombie-apocalypse/
Here's my review for You Perfect, Broken Thing:
Race Day. A wall-climbing, puzzle-solving contest. The prize: a shot (or two) of "the cure". In this future world, a disease has infected all humans. Degeneration, cells dying off and more rapidly than due to simple aging. Physical exertion makes it accelerate and kill you faster but that is a calculated risk some take to win the afore-mentioned race and thus a cure.
The people here don't have typical names. Instead, they are called Rowboat and Shell or Honey and Little. It makes it all a bit less personal while also making it MORE personal by emphasizing this world's harsh reality if that makes any sense.
I really liked the intensity of the actual race that had me very invested. In the end, I actually teared up when we got to the "we do what we can" bit.
4 stars
You can read it for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/you-perfect-broken-thing/
Here's my review for And All the Trees of the Forest Shall Clap Their Hands:
The story of a dryad or tree herd (I was reminded of Tolkien's, yes) and how/why he killed a child.
It is not true that a witch ruled our world, unless witch is the word Your Honours use for all beings who are so powerful and so free that they can rule themselves.
A wonderful tale with even more wonderful worldbuilding (I swear I could hear birds sing and smell forest while reading this). The story was that of children ending up in some form of fairyland/wonderland (only gone entirely wrong) and thus told of magic, old power and nature/environmentalism in contrast to humanity's world (England), war and a need for control / dominance. And it told of love and what we allow others to do to us because of it.
Absolutely wonderful and thus deserving 5 stars.
You can read it for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/and-all-the-trees-of-the-forest-shall-clap-their-hands/
Here's my review for Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse:
You get what the title promsies you: the zombie apocalypse happened. A few survivors are trying to stay alive and some even give birth - which makes them a primary target for the flesh-eaters.
Questions are being raised about whether to give up, just fight for yourself or even try to repopulate the planet and the musings weren't too bad.
I liked the rough and gritty feel to this story. Granted, I'm a sucker for zombie apocalypse stories anyway.
What I find myself tiring of are all-female end-of-the-world communities because I can't quite wrap my mind around what's bad about having men there too. But that's just me and
Spoiler
the baby was a boy so maybe there will be mixed genders in that enclave from now on3 stars
You can read it for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/badass-moms-in-the-zombie-apocalypse/
Here's my review for You Perfect, Broken Thing:
Race Day. A wall-climbing, puzzle-solving contest. The prize: a shot (or two) of "the cure". In this future world, a disease has infected all humans. Degeneration, cells dying off and more rapidly than due to simple aging. Physical exertion makes it accelerate and kill you faster but that is a calculated risk some take to win the afore-mentioned race and thus a cure.
The people here don't have typical names. Instead, they are called Rowboat and Shell or Honey and Little. It makes it all a bit less personal while also making it MORE personal by emphasizing this world's harsh reality if that makes any sense.
I really liked the intensity of the actual race that had me very invested. In the end, I actually teared up when we got to the "we do what we can" bit.
4 stars
You can read it for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/you-perfect-broken-thing/
Here's my review for And All the Trees of the Forest Shall Clap Their Hands:
The story of a dryad or tree herd (I was reminded of Tolkien's, yes) and how/why he killed a child.
It is not true that a witch ruled our world, unless witch is the word Your Honours use for all beings who are so powerful and so free that they can rule themselves.
A wonderful tale with even more wonderful worldbuilding (I swear I could hear birds sing and smell forest while reading this). The story was that of children ending up in some form of fairyland/wonderland (only gone entirely wrong) and thus told of magic, old power and nature/environmentalism in contrast to humanity's world (England), war and a need for control / dominance. And it told of love and what we allow others to do to us because of it.
Absolutely wonderful and thus deserving 5 stars.
You can read it for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/and-all-the-trees-of-the-forest-shall-clap-their-hands/