Short Reviews of Short SFF
Review of Abigail Guerrero, “Eyeballs of My Eyes,” Flash Fiction Online 153 (August 2026): 11-14 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. Three words to sum up this story: Creepy body horror. If things to do with eyes squick you out, don’t read this story. (I struggled to get through it for precisely that… Continue reading →
Review of S.L. Harris, “Meatball,” Flash Fiction Online 153 (August 2026): 6-9 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. When the emotional support hamster’s emotions are more in need of support than the one its supposed to be supporting, you know the story isn’t going to end up well. I do love it when… Continue reading →
Review of G. M. Mitchell, “Pomegranates,” Flash Fiction Online 153 (August 2026): 3-5 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. For once, a pomegranate story that isn’t about Persephone! Instead, it’s about unicorns, and while reading it, I couldn’t help but think that after generations and generations, I’m pretty sure unicorns eventually figured out… Continue reading →
Review of Ayida Shonibar, “We Decay in the Dark,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 51-85 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. Basically everything Tanika has been told is a lie, and we get to watch her find this out over the course of 30+ pages.
Review of Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, “Fractal House,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 110-133 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. I found this story somewhat annoying to start off with, but the moment at which it stopped from being annoying to being horror was the moment at which I realized we were supposed to… Continue reading →
Review of Natalie Zutter, “Last Edit to THE ALL BANGERS LIST Made By Your Sex Robot at 11:39 A.M.,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 152-161 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. In this very interesting piece reflecting on how sex with a sex robot — especially one who has some level of personhood… Continue reading →
Review of Marie Brennan, “All Under Heaven,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 9-26 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. I loved the way this piece of historical fiction went back and forth between omniscient viewpoint, telling the truth that everyone knows, and an unreliable narrator, questioning the truth that everyone knows. It was… Continue reading →
Review of S. I. Fapohunda, “Fire and Brimstone,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 162-178 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. This is a nightmare of a story, where human frailties are far more evil than any witchcraft or sorcery.
Review of Samantha Murray, “Of Sight, Of Mind, Of Heart,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 88-100 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. I knew before I started reading that this was going to be a gut-wrenching story — because in flipping ahead to confirm the page number of the last page, I read… Continue reading →
Review of Michelle Knudsen, “Biter,” Adventitious no. 2 (Apr 2026): 179-186 — Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. This was a sweet little story of family angst and trauma wrapped up in the form of an animal that can only be described as, well, a biter.