Scan barcode
thegoblinempress's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
3.0
Science Fantasy is a blended genre I'm still dipping my toes into - the most successful example so far for me has been Gideon the Ninth - so I have to be honest when I say I spent the majority of this issue slightly confused. There was nothing I actively disliked, though!
'The Mermaid Astronaut' by Yoon Ha Lee - 4 stars
The main reason I read this issue is for this story, which has been nominated for a Hugo Award, and I'm happy to say it was the most successful story for me, probably because I felt like it leaned a little more into fantasy than it did sci-fi, so I was in more familiar territory. In a way it's a very loose retelling of The Little Mermaid, but at its core is a lovely relationship between two sisters whose bond quite literally spans space and time. I really enjoyed the way it was written, too!
'The Spoils' by Aliya Whiteley - 3 stars
I was fascinated by this story, but to be honest I spent the majority of it with absolutely no clue what was going on. I'm looking forward to reading more by Whiteley, though!
'My Sister's Wings Are Red' by Christine Tyler - 3.5 stars
I enjoyed this rather bittersweet story, another story that had sisters at the heart of it, and I think I'll still remember these characters in a year's time, which is always a sign for me that a short story has been written well. I'll definitely try more of Tyler's work in future.
'The Glassblower of Galilei' by Katrina Smith - 3 stars
This was another odd one for me. It was a fairly short read and kept me intrigued, but I think its short length is what made this story just 'fine' for me when, with a little more fleshing out, I think I would have loved it.
'The Mermaid Astronaut' by Yoon Ha Lee - 4 stars
The main reason I read this issue is for this story, which has been nominated for a Hugo Award, and I'm happy to say it was the most successful story for me, probably because I felt like it leaned a little more into fantasy than it did sci-fi, so I was in more familiar territory. In a way it's a very loose retelling of The Little Mermaid, but at its core is a lovely relationship between two sisters whose bond quite literally spans space and time. I really enjoyed the way it was written, too!
'The Spoils' by Aliya Whiteley - 3 stars
I was fascinated by this story, but to be honest I spent the majority of it with absolutely no clue what was going on. I'm looking forward to reading more by Whiteley, though!
'My Sister's Wings Are Red' by Christine Tyler - 3.5 stars
I enjoyed this rather bittersweet story, another story that had sisters at the heart of it, and I think I'll still remember these characters in a year's time, which is always a sign for me that a short story has been written well. I'll definitely try more of Tyler's work in future.
'The Glassblower of Galilei' by Katrina Smith - 3 stars
This was another odd one for me. It was a fairly short read and kept me intrigued, but I think its short length is what made this story just 'fine' for me when, with a little more fleshing out, I think I would have loved it.
More...