Scan barcode
heniaakbar's review
adventurous
3.0
FICTION (AND RATED REVIEW)
- Unseelie Brothers, Ltd. by Fran Wilde
A perfect blend of fantasy and fashion design. It's awesome to imagine a dress which can transform, like, for example, The Butterfly Dress means it's made by a living butterfly and can transform the wearer. Love it. 5 ⭐
- Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse by Rachel Swirsky
Too short to comprehend the plot and everything but the concept is interesting. 3 ⭐
- Proof by Induction by José Pablo Iriarte
I don't understand Math and half of this story is about Math so it just flies by through my brain. I don't have any idea what it's talking about lol. 3 ⭐
- How the Girls Came Home by Eugenia Triantafyllou
- River, Clap Your Hands by Sheree Renée Thomas
- The Hungry Ones by Emma Törzs
- Heart Shine by Shveta Thakrar
ESSAYS
A Love Letter to Libraries by E. Lily Yu
Babylon 5 and Antifascism by Andrew Liptak
The Protagonist Problem by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton
More Than Meets the Eye: Transformers as Trans Fantasy by C. J. Linton
- Unseelie Brothers, Ltd. by Fran Wilde
A perfect blend of fantasy and fashion design. It's awesome to imagine a dress which can transform, like, for example, The Butterfly Dress means it's made by a living butterfly and can transform the wearer. Love it. 5 ⭐
- Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse by Rachel Swirsky
Too short to comprehend the plot and everything but the concept is interesting. 3 ⭐
- Proof by Induction by José Pablo Iriarte
I don't understand Math and half of this story is about Math so it just flies by through my brain. I don't have any idea what it's talking about lol. 3 ⭐
- How the Girls Came Home by Eugenia Triantafyllou
- River, Clap Your Hands by Sheree Renée Thomas
- The Hungry Ones by Emma Törzs
- Heart Shine by Shveta Thakrar
ESSAYS
A Love Letter to Libraries by E. Lily Yu
Babylon 5 and Antifascism by Andrew Liptak
The Protagonist Problem by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton
More Than Meets the Eye: Transformers as Trans Fantasy by C. J. Linton
bookaneer's review
3.0
Only read two stories:
Proof of Induction by José Pablo Iriarte (2.5/5)
Unseelie Brothers by Fran Wilde (4/5) - I really like the concept and delivery! Maybe I should exclude her in my authors-not-for-me list.
Proof of Induction by José Pablo Iriarte (2.5/5)
Unseelie Brothers by Fran Wilde (4/5) - I really like the concept and delivery! Maybe I should exclude her in my authors-not-for-me list.
bookwyrmknits's review
4.0
Of the magazines I've read lately, this is one of the ones with the best combination of short stories. “Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.” by Fran Wilde was definitely my favorite. "Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse" by Rachel Swirsky was also really enjoyable.
omantienlukija's review
3.5
Again an issue from last year. It was a decent one but it neither had high highs or low lows. Here again few words about all the short stories and some of the other things.
FICTION
Unseelie Brothers, LTD. by Fran Wilde: Pretty magical and slightly scary. Pretty enjoyable read. 4/5
Proof of Induction by José Pablo Iriarte: On the surface about maths but more a story about sorrow, looking for acceptance and disappointment. 3,5/5
Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse by Rachel Swirsky: Short and funny. Slightly of kilter and absurd in the best way. 4,5/5
How the Girls Came Home by Eugenia Triantafyllou: Creepy and dark with a semi hopeful end. 3/5
The Hungry Ones by Emma Törzs: Partly an interesting look into the dark side of human mind, party kinda meh. 3/5
Heart Shine by Shveta Thakrar: Ok story about finding yourself and your place in the world. Fairies are not my thing tough. 3,5/5
River, Clap Your Hands by Sheree Renée Thomas: Never really caught my interest properly. Jumping in time didn't help. 2,5/5
ESSEYS
A Love Letter to Libraries by E. Lily Yu: I'm easy, I like when people praise libraries. 4/5
Babylon 5 and Antifacism by Andrew Liptak: Important subject but I haven't seen B5. 3/5
The Protagonist Problem by Ada Palmer & Jo Walton: Very good essay about the dominance and of protagonismos and call for more tapestry stories. 4,5/5
More Than Meets the Eye: Transformers as Trans Fantasy by C.J. Linton: Good piece about Transformers and how they relate to the real life experience of transitioning as a trans person. 4/5
POEMS
None of the poems really stuck with me this time.
OTHER
Non-fiction editor Elsa Sjunneson's column Imagining Futures: Imagination, LTD. was just an incredibly powerful piece about ableism in literature and I highlighted several sections of it while reading. 5/5
FICTION
Unseelie Brothers, LTD. by Fran Wilde: Pretty magical and slightly scary. Pretty enjoyable read. 4/5
Proof of Induction by José Pablo Iriarte: On the surface about maths but more a story about sorrow, looking for acceptance and disappointment. 3,5/5
Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse by Rachel Swirsky: Short and funny. Slightly of kilter and absurd in the best way. 4,5/5
How the Girls Came Home by Eugenia Triantafyllou: Creepy and dark with a semi hopeful end. 3/5
The Hungry Ones by Emma Törzs: Partly an interesting look into the dark side of human mind, party kinda meh. 3/5
Heart Shine by Shveta Thakrar: Ok story about finding yourself and your place in the world. Fairies are not my thing tough. 3,5/5
River, Clap Your Hands by Sheree Renée Thomas: Never really caught my interest properly. Jumping in time didn't help. 2,5/5
ESSEYS
A Love Letter to Libraries by E. Lily Yu: I'm easy, I like when people praise libraries. 4/5
Babylon 5 and Antifacism by Andrew Liptak: Important subject but I haven't seen B5. 3/5
The Protagonist Problem by Ada Palmer & Jo Walton: Very good essay about the dominance and of protagonismos and call for more tapestry stories. 4,5/5
More Than Meets the Eye: Transformers as Trans Fantasy by C.J. Linton: Good piece about Transformers and how they relate to the real life experience of transitioning as a trans person. 4/5
POEMS
None of the poems really stuck with me this time.
OTHER
Non-fiction editor Elsa Sjunneson's column Imagining Futures: Imagination, LTD. was just an incredibly powerful piece about ableism in literature and I highlighted several sections of it while reading. 5/5
howardgo's review
4.0
My favorite stories this issue were "Unseelie Brothers, Ltd." by Fran Wilde and "Proof of Induction" by José Pablo Iriarte.
I also really appreciated the essay "The Protagonist Problem" by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton.
I also really appreciated the essay "The Protagonist Problem" by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton.
afreen7's review
4.0
Fiction
Unseelie Brothers, Ltd. by Fran Wilde - 4/5
This was really interesting to read and you get absorbed in the magical and a bit sinister world of high society dressmaking.
Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse by Rachel Swirsky - 3.5/5
This was intriguing but I felt it could also fit in the poetry category
Proof by Induction by José Pablo Iriarte - 4/5
A more emotional look at a very rational scientific topic. Can we store our personalities, the idea of our 'self' in the form of GBs? And does that include the feelings and heart of a human as well if the reading is only taken from brain waves? A lot of people think the brain is separate from the heart but the heart is just a muscle. I would say if we ever tried to save an essence of ourselves it wouldn't just include the rational part of our brains. this story also shows how dumb we STEM people are when it comes to expressing and understanding feelings along with complicated familial relationships.
How the Girls Came Home by Eugenia Triantafyllou - 4/5
A story about girls owning their bodies and their choices.
River, Clap Your Hands by Sheree Renée Thomas - 3.5/5
this was interesting to read but a little chaotic writing-wise but I think it's my reading preference problem.
The Hungry Ones by Emma Törzs - 3/5
I get the point of the story but it was a little generic and tropey
Heart Shine by Shveta Thakrar - 3.5/5
Beautiful descriptive writing but I can't help but feel this has been done before, only this time it has south asian rep. Also, who cant relate to magic in things like fireflies and mundane but spectacular things.
Poetry
I really liked Mona Lisa’s Abecedarian to Leonardo da Vinci by Abu Bakr Sadiq
Essays
A Love Letter to Libraries by E. Lily Yu - 4/5
Do yourself a favor if you're a young person and grow up in a library if it's at all possible for you. You'll be grateful for it when you're an adult.
Babylon 5 and Antifascism by Andrew Liptak- 4/5
Very interesting take on fiction; be it sci-fi or fantasy and its real life mirroring and effect as well as propagandist writing.
The Protagonist Problem by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton - 3.5/5
this essay was the one that made me really think stuff. It's something I think about whenever I consume any media but put into words really got me wondering. It shows harmful the idea of the protagonist, the chosen one, can be. I have grown up prominently reading and watching such media. It both doesn't apply to real life as well as most other characters in the story. The essay is about how people would view themselves as the all-powerful protagonist, where they are right and everyone else is wrong, or as nonprotagonists, where they have no control or influence over the world or their own lives. It's a valid point to make about how teams and groups can have more power in real life than a single destined mascot. But I also don't believe it's so black and white. Protagonists are given more leeway than side characters when breaking rules is because they shoulder more responsibility, more risk. Yes, this can go both ways. A reckless protagonist dangers everyone whereas a calculated one might as well save the day. It's a tricky situation.
An example of a more nuanced way to do this would be say the avengers. Some view Captain America as the leader, some Iron man. But when written well they can keep each other in check. Of course, it becomes exponentially more complicated in real-life situations but there are definitely gray areas.
Also, I don't think survivalists view themselves as protagonists. In fact, I think it's the opposite they're being selfish and letting the world go to hell whereas a true protagonist would risk their lives to fix it even if it was selfish.
I think 'Attack on Titan' might be an example of how protagonists can be the savior as well the bane of existence and where teams can both need the protagonist as well as want them dead.
More Than Meets the Eye: Transformers as Trans Fantasy by C. J. Linton - 4/5
This was really well written. Taking media and making it your own if it helps you relate to your experiences whilst also recognizing the problematics parts of it.
Imagining Futures: Imagination, Ltd. by Elsa Sjunneson - 5/5
is about the gatekeeping of disability by nondisabled writers, editors etc
"...imagining the truth of someone else’s body—and that can cause harm."
Unseelie Brothers, Ltd. by Fran Wilde - 4/5
This was really interesting to read and you get absorbed in the magical and a bit sinister world of high society dressmaking.
Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse by Rachel Swirsky - 3.5/5
This was intriguing but I felt it could also fit in the poetry category
Proof by Induction by José Pablo Iriarte - 4/5
A more emotional look at a very rational scientific topic. Can we store our personalities, the idea of our 'self' in the form of GBs? And does that include the feelings and heart of a human as well if the reading is only taken from brain waves? A lot of people think the brain is separate from the heart but the heart is just a muscle. I would say if we ever tried to save an essence of ourselves it wouldn't just include the rational part of our brains. this story also shows how dumb we STEM people are when it comes to expressing and understanding feelings along with complicated familial relationships.
How the Girls Came Home by Eugenia Triantafyllou - 4/5
A story about girls owning their bodies and their choices.
River, Clap Your Hands by Sheree Renée Thomas - 3.5/5
this was interesting to read but a little chaotic writing-wise but I think it's my reading preference problem.
The Hungry Ones by Emma Törzs - 3/5
I get the point of the story but it was a little generic and tropey
Heart Shine by Shveta Thakrar - 3.5/5
Beautiful descriptive writing but I can't help but feel this has been done before, only this time it has south asian rep. Also, who cant relate to magic in things like fireflies and mundane but spectacular things.
Poetry
I really liked Mona Lisa’s Abecedarian to Leonardo da Vinci by Abu Bakr Sadiq
Essays
A Love Letter to Libraries by E. Lily Yu - 4/5
Do yourself a favor if you're a young person and grow up in a library if it's at all possible for you. You'll be grateful for it when you're an adult.
Babylon 5 and Antifascism by Andrew Liptak- 4/5
Very interesting take on fiction; be it sci-fi or fantasy and its real life mirroring and effect as well as propagandist writing.
The Protagonist Problem by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton - 3.5/5
this essay was the one that made me really think stuff. It's something I think about whenever I consume any media but put into words really got me wondering. It shows harmful the idea of the protagonist, the chosen one, can be. I have grown up prominently reading and watching such media. It both doesn't apply to real life as well as most other characters in the story. The essay is about how people would view themselves as the all-powerful protagonist, where they are right and everyone else is wrong, or as nonprotagonists, where they have no control or influence over the world or their own lives. It's a valid point to make about how teams and groups can have more power in real life than a single destined mascot. But I also don't believe it's so black and white. Protagonists are given more leeway than side characters when breaking rules is because they shoulder more responsibility, more risk. Yes, this can go both ways. A reckless protagonist dangers everyone whereas a calculated one might as well save the day. It's a tricky situation.
An example of a more nuanced way to do this would be say the avengers. Some view Captain America as the leader, some Iron man. But when written well they can keep each other in check. Of course, it becomes exponentially more complicated in real-life situations but there are definitely gray areas.
Also, I don't think survivalists view themselves as protagonists. In fact, I think it's the opposite they're being selfish and letting the world go to hell whereas a true protagonist would risk their lives to fix it even if it was selfish.
I think 'Attack on Titan' might be an example of how protagonists can be the savior as well the bane of existence and where teams can both need the protagonist as well as want them dead.
More Than Meets the Eye: Transformers as Trans Fantasy by C. J. Linton - 4/5
This was really well written. Taking media and making it your own if it helps you relate to your experiences whilst also recognizing the problematics parts of it.
Imagining Futures: Imagination, Ltd. by Elsa Sjunneson - 5/5
is about the gatekeeping of disability by nondisabled writers, editors etc
"...imagining the truth of someone else’s body—and that can cause harm."
goranlowie's review
4.0
Fairly strong issue. 3.5.
Highlights:
- Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.
- River, Clap Your Hands
- The Protagonist Problem
Highlights:
- Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.
- River, Clap Your Hands
- The Protagonist Problem
8bitlapras's review
3.0
Fiction
Unseelie Brothers, Ltd. by Fran Wilde: 2/5
Proof by Induction by José Pablo Iriarte: 4/5
Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse by Rachel Swirsky: 3.5/5
How the Girls Came Home by Eugenia Triantafyllou: 3/5
The Hungry Ones by Emma Törzs: 1/5
Heart Shine by Shveta Thakrar: 5/5
River, Clap Your Hands by Sheree Renée Thomas: 3.5/5
Non-fiction
A Love Letter to Libraries by E. Lily Yu: 5/5
Babylon 5 and Antifascism by Andrew Liptak: 2/5
The Protagonist Problem by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton: 4.5/5
More Than Meets the Eye: Transformers as Trans Fantasy by C. J. Linton: 3/5
Average rating: 3.32/5, rounded down to a 3/5.
Unseelie Brothers, Ltd. by Fran Wilde: 2/5
Proof by Induction by José Pablo Iriarte: 4/5
Thirteen of the Secrets in My Purse by Rachel Swirsky: 3.5/5
How the Girls Came Home by Eugenia Triantafyllou: 3/5
The Hungry Ones by Emma Törzs: 1/5
Heart Shine by Shveta Thakrar: 5/5
River, Clap Your Hands by Sheree Renée Thomas: 3.5/5
Non-fiction
A Love Letter to Libraries by E. Lily Yu: 5/5
Babylon 5 and Antifascism by Andrew Liptak: 2/5
The Protagonist Problem by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton: 4.5/5
More Than Meets the Eye: Transformers as Trans Fantasy by C. J. Linton: 3/5
Average rating: 3.32/5, rounded down to a 3/5.
More...