Plot:At a party, the narrator meets the perfect woman. The perfect woman then goes to study abroad for a semester. When she comes home, things are still good between them, though they have changed. If they weren’t in love before, they are now. They move in together. The fights start. Thoughts: Heard this one before?Continue reading “Review of “Decoherence is a Lady” by Lynne Sargent”
Category Archives: Daily Science Fiction
Review of “All is Not Lost” by Kathryn Smith
Plot:The narrator’s (presumed) husband once bought her a one-of-kind diamond ring for 10,000 credits. Every time she throws it into the river behind their house, the CopyCat tries to console her by telling her, “Don’t worry. Nothing is lost. Everything can be found.” Out pops a new ring. With so many copies—flawless as they are—theContinue reading “Review of “All is Not Lost” by Kathryn Smith”
Review of “Erasure” by Christopher McGrane
Plot:Journalist Alex is meeting a whistleblower named Burke in a parking lot. He has a tale to tell about government abuse, not just of people but also of history. Understandably, he is nervous. He starts babbling, telling her that before he worked in government, he worked in advertising. Alexa, understanding how anxious he is, letsContinue reading “Review of “Erasure” by Christopher McGrane”
Review of “Travelogue of the Perennially Lost” by Wendy Nikel
Plot:The story is laid out in a series of vignettes that show the lives of a happy couple (who do quarrel) on occasions failing to make it to the destinations they intend. What matters is what they do with once they reach the alternative destination. Miss a concert because the map—or maybe the map-reader—was wrong?Continue reading “Review of “Travelogue of the Perennially Lost” by Wendy Nikel”
Review of “Optic Covenant” by Katherine Ley
Plot: There really isn’t a plot to this flash fiction piece. It’s a portrait of a person held captive by a robot who loves him. (I use “him” for the sake of simplicity. The character’s sex is never indicated.) It’s for his own good that he’s tied to a chair and fed spoiled Brussels sprouts.Continue reading “Review of “Optic Covenant” by Katherine Ley”
Review of “Cold War” by Ike Lang
Plot: A broadcast appears unbidden across all screens, addressing the citizens of earth. An elderly man appears in full military uniform, medals and insignias across his chest. At his side stand four other men, also in military uniform, though their uniforms differ from his. “In early February, 1945,” he tells his audience, “our scientists pickedContinue reading “Review of “Cold War” by Ike Lang”
Review of “Beloved” by T. R. Siebert
Plot:The narrator has a new boyfriend, which is charming. Complicating things, however, is that the boyfriend is “a planet-devouring cloud of nanobots the size of Jupiter.” Since the people of earth will soon fire a rocket into the beloved’s heart, some decisions have to be made. Thoughts:An aura of surrealism permeates this odd little tale.Continue reading “Review of “Beloved” by T. R. Siebert”
Review of “Eyespots” by Shannon Fay
Plot:Aurea the alien is taking Entomology 101. To everyone else, she looks like a beautiful human. The guys all move in, but she rebuffs them. She only has time for Clara, a creative writing major. Aurea’s persona as an alien, while cute, begins to wear thin. Thoughts: This is an extremely short piece, with everythingContinue reading “Review of “Eyespots” by Shannon Fay”
Review of “For the Peace” by Uri King-Levy
Plot: Sudhir is leaving, part of a migration to someplace in the sky. Just exactly why isn’t clear until the end. A Scholar, he carries bags with tassels that contain the Memories of many different peoples. He meets a small alley girl, who, much to his dismay, lights a pipe of sweetleaf. He fights theContinue reading “Review of “For the Peace” by Uri King-Levy”
Review of “Glitch” by Wendy Nikel
Plot: The narrator’s roommate/old bandmate threatened to kick him (or her? It’s never specified) out of the flat if he didn’t start pulling his weight and become a responsible adult. He got a job at the teleporter terminal to spend his days sending “some businessperson or travel-blogger or snowbird” off in a puff of dustContinue reading “Review of “Glitch” by Wendy Nikel”
Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old 