A review by lukesanby
Uncanny Magazine Issue 55: November/December 2023 by Monte Lin, Michael Damian Thomas, Lynne M. Thomas

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

  • [Naomi Kritzer] 4.5⋆     Before the pandemic it might have been difficult to imagine a community banding together this closely without the cliché of someone with a strong personality vying for control with extreme violence. This is the much more realistic vision for what might happen and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 
  • [Jeffrey Ford] 2⋆           I did not enjoy this story. The frenetic fight scene in particular slowed it to a crawl. 
  • [Kel Coleman] 5⋆          This story, with the help of the song I was listening to as I read it, sent me back to being 16. The use of your Other rings so true to me. ~1 
  • [Cecil Castellucci] 4⋆    Interesting to find the word “proctor” rather than “invigilator”, I quite like it. The story wrapped up a little fast, but it was otherwise satisfying. 
  • [Marissa Lingen] 3.5⋆   Just as I got excited for the road trip it ends? I would enjoy more with these characters. 
  • [Chelsea Sutton] 4⋆      The use of poetic structure and formatting for the soliloquy sections was very effective. The frustration of the play chosen being the one which opens her up in a vulnerable way is universally relatable. 
  • [Ana Hurtado] 3.5⋆       I’m not sure I understood this story. But the ending was pretty. 
  • [John Scalzi] 4⋆ I guess I’m watching Speed Racer this weekend? 
  • [Amanda-Rae Prescott] 4⋆        Like all great essays, I finished this one wanting to have a discussion with the writer. I hadn’t thought about the potential for very interesting Afrofuturism settings/plots with Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor. A great perspective and understanding, but I would have liked to know how both the legal framing of the BBC remit (and its binding responsibility to have diverse programming, which it fails to provide), the current BBC Commissioner and Tories dedicated to bringing an end to the BBC will affect this era of Doctor Who. 
  • [Paul Cornell] 4⋆          Very well informed. I tend to find ghost stories uninteresting, but this has made me want to try these ones. This stirred up some emotions once I realised these were the ghost stories my mum loved to watch at Christmas. 
  • [Lee Mandelo] 5⋆         Everything about this article gave me a sense of validation in my own observations surrounding the current “anti-” climate. I enjoyed the insights and further reading opportunities. 
  • [Carlie St. George] 4.5⋆            I didn’t think I liked this poem, but days later I’m still thinking about it. It accuses the reader; it confronts their hypocrisy? Then follows up with a revelation, rather than forgiveness, as a gift to the reader. 
  • [Tehnuka] 4⋆    The last six lines are powerful, and manage to pack in many concepts succinctly. I spent an embarrassing amount of time googling mannikkūdu to no avail, only to find as I finished there was a glossary at the very end. 
  • [Lora Gray] 5⋆  The third stanza stands out as beautiful, as much as the fifth is sad and a little existential. The form demands a frenetic reading, and is confronted in the first line of the fourth stanza, ultimately convincing you to change how you read the rest of the poem. 
  • [Angela Liu] 4.5⋆          Effectively paints a disturbing picture. I’ve come back to this poem multiple times since finishing it. 

Overall

Uncanny has a penchant for interesting literature. Sometimes it leans out of my areas of true passion for a whole issue like this one, and yet the storytelling and writing are so well done it does not disappoint. It is my favourite magazine for SF/F short fiction. 


Music

 
  • Beltaine — Rockhill 
  • In Flames — Come Clarity [song] ~1 
  • Eluveitie — Helvetios 
  • Eluveitie — Origins 
  • Eluveitie — Slania 
  • Eluveitie — Evocation 1 
  • Eluveitie — Everything Remains 
  • Eluveitie — Ategnatos