Short Fiction Review: March–April 2025
My favorite stories from March and April all lift up the importance of human connection in one way or another.
Blog Posts
Blog Posts
Book review: Harmattan Season, by Tochi Onyebuchi
Even the most surreal fantastic elements of the book end up being employed in ways that eventually make some sense. But despite some familiar elements, their combination and development is unique and engaging. I wouldn’t quite call Harmattan Season an easy read, but it absolutely kept me interested throughout, and I was entirely satisfied with the ending.
The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts
819. Ugetsu monogatari (1953; dir. Kenji Mizoguchi) — At the Movies
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-819-ugetsu/SandF_819_Ugetsu.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSHaunted desires, lakes of death, and agrarian utopias, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu monogatari (1953). Together, they discuss the film’s tragic storyline, the nature of desire and its destructive force, Mizoguchi’s women, the film’s production, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
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Into the Wardrobe: DRAGON OF THE LOST SEA by Laurence Yep
Starting the novel, I was immediately drawn into the world and the folk nature of the story being told. As the human, I expected Thorn to be the center of the novel, but gradually began to appreciate Shimmer as the protagonist and character we would see adapt and grow through the adventure unfolding.
Blog Posts
Book Review: The Godel Operation by James Cambias
It’s a style of science fiction that may feel rather retro.² However, stylistically, the writing from Cambias does make The Godel Operation a throwback and calling back to relatively breezy and fun science fiction novels.
Blog Posts
Book Review: The Adventures of Mary Darling, by Pat Murphy
Mary and the other viewpoint characters are a lot of fun to follow through their adventures and evolutions, and Murphy’s insights into storytelling and explorations of the Victorian/Edwardian period are as entertaining as they are enlightening — Murphy examines historical horrors rather than glossing over them, but her characters overcome these challenges with verve.