Nonsense, Dragons, Space Opera, and a Medley of Shorts
Reviews of Artefactum, A Wreck of Dragons, and Meru
Review: Artefactum by J.E. Scott
Surrealism is seldom my thing and this story is that, and also very dark and strange (and perhaps too embroiled in Christian cosmology, but I think we’ve all been guilty of that in the west).
A guy discovers that a statue of a sex goddess allows him and his equally kinky girlfriend to physically transport themselves into the porn movies they’re watching. But then we’re straight down the rabbithole…
I was wrong. This book isn’t surreal, it’s nonsense. And honestly, it’s pretty good nonsense, although if you want your books to make sense, you might want to skip this one. It gave me a slight headache.
But if you want to head allll the way down past Wonderland, pick it up. Recommended for fans of weird time travel stories that make no sense.
Review: A Wreck of Dragons by Elaine Isaak
I enjoyed this book. I would have enjoyed it even more at sixteen. It involves teenagers (because they are more flexible and adaptable) flying giant mecha/robots to find what remains of humanity a new home after the destruction of Earth. The Fleet needs a home badly. The planet Tranquility looks close to perfect…
…except for the dragons.
I can’t establish whether this is being marketed as YA, but if you have a teenager who likes dragons and mecha, get it for them…then read it yourself. Because you can’t go wrong with dragons, mecha, action, and anti-colonialism. Some MG age readers might be ready for it too (there’s zero romance in this).
I may like it because it touches on my favorite SF theme of inter-species relations.
Recommended.
Review: Meru by S.B. Divya
S.B. Divya continues to mature as an author and this may well be her masterpiece. In the future, genetically enhanced space-dwelling human descendants known as alloys rule the universe. Baseline humanity has been confined to Earth after trying to terraform Mars…and making it worse.
This is climate fiction, it’s about human speciation, it’s an argument in favor of human exploration of space, AND it’s a really beautiful romance.
I think this is the best 2023 novel I’ve read so far, although I have a few left.
Recommended.
Short Fiction
The Sound of Children Screaming by Rachael K. Jones (Nightmare Magazine)
Somebody found Narnia vaguely traumatic. Also gun violence. And crowns. It’s about the chosen one refusing to be chosen, and also…somebody had an amazing elementary school teacher.
Lips Like Sugar by Cynthia Gomez (Luna Station Quarterly)
A bi-slutty vampire becomes a janitor at a hospital to steal blood. Her supervisor is an asshole. I’m not a fan of sexy vampire stories, but if you are, this one is well written and will likely be something you will enjoy.
Like Ladybugs, Bright Spots In Your Mailbox by Marie Croke (Diabolical Plots)
Sexist witches shut down white magic because it might cause another burning times. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past “It wasn’t like that.” I’m also not fond of the idea of misogynistic witches.
There might be a message here about socialism, but I wasn’t quite able to appreciate it.
Skinny House by Kim Simak (The Commuter)
A metaphor for dissatisfaction in the form of the housing crisis. Not really a story, but pretty.
Where the God-Knives Tread by A.L. Goldfuss (Lightspeed)
Weird dark space opera/horror. Space archaeologists going after an artifact find a lot more than they bargain for. And some threads of dystopia in there too. Enjoyable, but very dark, and possibly not for entomophobes.
In Lieu of Natural Habitats by Brian Hugenbruch (Translunar Travelers Lounge)
A vertical ocean on a space habitat is all that’s left of the teeming oceans of Earth…sad and cautionary.
Something You Had, Something You Knew, and Something You Were by Brian Hugenbruch (Dragon Gems)
At once a terrible cybersecurity pun and an oddly moving heist story where a robot proxy has to retrieve something after his master’s death.
Once Upon A Time At The Oakmont by P.A. Cornell (Fantasy Magazine)
I can’t really describe this one without spoilers except it’s a very original time travel story. Or is it time travel? Also a love story.
Rewilding Nova by Polenth Blake (Rosalind’s Siblings)
Colonists try to exclude native life from their town. It doesn’t work. Ecosystems aren’t something you can be apart from and stop growing lawns in the desert, people!
LDR by Cameron Van Sant (Rosalind’s Siblings)
The first trans astronaut is on a mission to Venus and is texting his boyfriend back home. Neither of them are who they say they are…perhaps inevitably.
(I didn’t like the ending. I am not sure what was with the ending).
The Vanishing of Ultra-Tatts by D.A. Xiaolin Spires (Rosalind’s Siblings)
So, what pregnant person wouldn’t want a tattoo that moves with their unborn fetus? It’s one of the coolest pieces of SF tech yet.
But it’s also about pregnancy loss, the anxiety of motherhood (and trans fatherhood)...and anything more would be a spoiler. Recommended.
Morning Star Blues by Tessa Fisher (Rosalind’s Siblings)
So, apparently somebody sexually assaulted another astronaut on Ares II…and NASA reacts by doing everything they can to prevent romance in space. They think sending two trans women to Venus will do it.
Yeah.
Right. I think the author may have been inspired by that comment about how only sending women to Mars would make sure no sex happened, because some NASA official had never heard of a lesbian.
It’s a really beautiful little romance with an unexpectedly delightful ending…and solid science to boot.
Recommended.
What Mel Knows by A.L. Munson (Cosmic Horror Monthly)
Time travel horror. White room horror. I don’t know what happens. I don’t need to know in order to be scared. Right up my alley, but might be too subtle for some.
The Wager by A.L. Munson (Seers & Sybils)
A very well written take on the “Play cards with the Devil” trope. It doesn’t end well for anyone involved.
Not original, but nicely done.
Land of the Awaiting Birth by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki and Joshua Uchenna Omenga (Between Dystopias)
Ekpeki is the master of afrofantasy, and when paired with other writers can be even better. This story is another of his “pantheology” stories that explores African mythology, written in a very African style. Definitely enjoyable, but I felt a little sorry for the protagonist.