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espai's review
3.0
Je n'ai pas été enchantée par ce numéro, globalement. Il m'a manqué un vrai coup de coeur. 2,5/5
The Sin of America by Catherynne M. Valente: ★★☆☆☆ (j'ai rien compris)
The Perils of a Hologram Heart by Dominica Phetteplace: ★★☆☆☆ (j'ai rien compris, again)
Colors of the Immortal Palette by Caroline M. Yoachim: ★★★☆☆ (beaucoup de similitude avec L'Oeuvre de Zola dans la première partie, le reste j'ai lu en diagonale)
The Book of the Kraken by Carrie Vaughn: ★★★☆☆ (entertaining, does the job)
Eighteen Days of Barbareek by Rati Mehrotra: ★★☆☆☆ (borinnnnng)
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather by Sarah Pinsker: DNF (pas mon style)
They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson: ★★★★☆ (entertaining and efficient)
The Sin of America by Catherynne M. Valente: ★★☆☆☆ (j'ai rien compris)
The Perils of a Hologram Heart by Dominica Phetteplace: ★★☆☆☆ (j'ai rien compris, again)
Colors of the Immortal Palette by Caroline M. Yoachim: ★★★☆☆ (beaucoup de similitude avec L'Oeuvre de Zola dans la première partie, le reste j'ai lu en diagonale)
The Book of the Kraken by Carrie Vaughn: ★★★☆☆ (entertaining, does the job)
Eighteen Days of Barbareek by Rati Mehrotra: ★★☆☆☆ (borinnnnng)
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather by Sarah Pinsker: DNF (pas mon style)
They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson: ★★★★☆ (entertaining and efficient)
catchme_ridingnerdy's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
This is the first literary magazine I can remember reading and I very much enjoyed it. Might have to pick some of these up more often.
afreen7's review
4.0
Fiction
The Sin of America by Catherynne M. Valente - 4/5
I was left completely puzzled by this one. Maybe it's cause I'm, not American myself? Every time I got close to getting a grasp on the story it just fizzled away but the writing is classic Valente awesomeness
The Perils of a Hologram Heart by Dominica Phetteplace - 4/5
This was so so interesting to read with topics like Immortality, the future, death, identity, self image etc being explored. Whats it like for someone who has never known oldage, sickness and death and whats it like for someone whos never known immortality but now has the option of it. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side if youre a human
Colors of the Immortal Palette by Caroline M. Yoachim - 4.5/5
“If I don’t carve out space for myself, they will steal whatever inspiration they like from my culture and my art and erase me from the conversation entirely.”
Story of women in artistic circles being seen as only models instead of being appreciated for their art which are just as good if not better than their male counterparts. Loved the storywriting in this one; it was like watching the timelapse of a painting.
Eighteen Days of Barbareek by Rati Mehrotra - 4/5
Ive read a little bit of the Mahabharatha before but this was new and interesting pov. Something in the veins of Madeline Miller but with Hindu Mythology.
They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson 3/5
Classic dystopian but with focus on women's bodies regarding pregnancy, abortion but I just didnt get the point of this story. Its was a bit all over the place.
The Book of the Kraken by Carrie Vaughn - 3.5/5
Smh these colonizers just wont stop
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather by Sarah Pinsker - 3/5
Honestly the one word I can use to describe this story is 'Unsatisfying'. The plot is okay but just as it gets interesting it ends in a cliffhanger and im like why did i have to spend precious time reading about some random british ballad that makes no sense and just when someones about to make sense it ends. ugh
Poetry
Some great works. My faves were lagahoo culture (Part II) by Brandon O’Brien and Of Monsters I Loved by Ali Trotta
Essays
Seduced by the Ruler’s Gaze: An Indian Perspective on Seth Dickinson’s Masquerade by Sid Jain - 4/5
I think everyone who has grown up in post colonial countries can relate to this to some extant. Damn them colonizers!
Deadly Frocks and Other Tales of Murder Clothes by Tansy Rayner Roberts - 4.5/5
deadly green ball gowns. Murderous victorian era ladies or innocent victims of fashion or ignorant elites who have the blood of poor labourers on their hands.
Please Be Kind to the Singularity by Jay Edidin - 5/5
full rating because this opened by eyes to so many things. Also this essay is so good I could quote the entire thing but i'll leave with this.
'Nobody who describes you as “robotic” means that you are strong and innovative and resilient. They aren’t acknowledging the alienness of your sentience or commenting on its specific qualities; they’re questioning its existence.'
Protector of Small Steps by Marieke Nijkamp 3.5/5
Im sure this is gonna be helpful to read for the right kind of people but thats just not me.
Interviews
Loved Caroline M. Yoachim's interview especially this quote:
Representation, being able to see yourself in fiction, is hugely important, but it often feels like a no-win situation—if you try to do something ambitious from a marginalized perspective, the story is too complicated; if you put your spin on something familiar, it’s dismissed as derivative.
The Sin of America by Catherynne M. Valente - 4/5
I was left completely puzzled by this one. Maybe it's cause I'm, not American myself? Every time I got close to getting a grasp on the story it just fizzled away but the writing is classic Valente awesomeness
The Perils of a Hologram Heart by Dominica Phetteplace - 4/5
This was so so interesting to read with topics like Immortality, the future, death, identity, self image etc being explored. Whats it like for someone who has never known oldage, sickness and death and whats it like for someone whos never known immortality but now has the option of it. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side if youre a human
Colors of the Immortal Palette by Caroline M. Yoachim - 4.5/5
“If I don’t carve out space for myself, they will steal whatever inspiration they like from my culture and my art and erase me from the conversation entirely.”
Story of women in artistic circles being seen as only models instead of being appreciated for their art which are just as good if not better than their male counterparts. Loved the storywriting in this one; it was like watching the timelapse of a painting.
Eighteen Days of Barbareek by Rati Mehrotra - 4/5
Ive read a little bit of the Mahabharatha before but this was new and interesting pov. Something in the veins of Madeline Miller but with Hindu Mythology.
They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson 3/5
Classic dystopian but with focus on women's bodies regarding pregnancy, abortion but I just didnt get the point of this story. Its was a bit all over the place.
The Book of the Kraken by Carrie Vaughn - 3.5/5
Smh these colonizers just wont stop
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather by Sarah Pinsker - 3/5
Honestly the one word I can use to describe this story is 'Unsatisfying'. The plot is okay but just as it gets interesting it ends in a cliffhanger and im like why did i have to spend precious time reading about some random british ballad that makes no sense and just when someones about to make sense it ends. ugh
Poetry
Some great works. My faves were lagahoo culture (Part II) by Brandon O’Brien and Of Monsters I Loved by Ali Trotta
Essays
Seduced by the Ruler’s Gaze: An Indian Perspective on Seth Dickinson’s Masquerade by Sid Jain - 4/5
I think everyone who has grown up in post colonial countries can relate to this to some extant. Damn them colonizers!
Deadly Frocks and Other Tales of Murder Clothes by Tansy Rayner Roberts - 4.5/5
deadly green ball gowns. Murderous victorian era ladies or innocent victims of fashion or ignorant elites who have the blood of poor labourers on their hands.
Please Be Kind to the Singularity by Jay Edidin - 5/5
full rating because this opened by eyes to so many things. Also this essay is so good I could quote the entire thing but i'll leave with this.
'Nobody who describes you as “robotic” means that you are strong and innovative and resilient. They aren’t acknowledging the alienness of your sentience or commenting on its specific qualities; they’re questioning its existence.'
Protector of Small Steps by Marieke Nijkamp 3.5/5
Im sure this is gonna be helpful to read for the right kind of people but thats just not me.
Interviews
Loved Caroline M. Yoachim's interview especially this quote:
Representation, being able to see yourself in fiction, is hugely important, but it often feels like a no-win situation—if you try to do something ambitious from a marginalized perspective, the story is too complicated; if you put your spin on something familiar, it’s dismissed as derivative.
goranlowie's review
4.0
Highlights for me: "Colors of the Immortal Palette" and "The Book of the Kraken".
All the other stories were decent, too-- the only one I straight up disliked was "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather".
All the other stories were decent, too-- the only one I straight up disliked was "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather".
smblanc1793's review
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Fiction:
“The Sin of America” by Catherynne M. Valente ★★★★★
“The Sin of America” by Catherynne M. Valente ★★★★★
- Absolutely gorgeous prose and an interesting premise that builds tension like the world’s biggest, most eloquent slingshot then releases it in an eruption like Vesuvius if Vesuvius had covered Pompeii in butterflies and white guilt rather than lava. Fuck.
“The Perils of a Hologram Heart” by Dominica Phetteplace ★★★
“Colors of the Immortal Palette” by Caroline M. Yoachim ★★★★
“Colors of the Immortal Palette” by Caroline M. Yoachim ★★★★
- Dorian Gray vibes, but unlike Wilde, Yaochim doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to the vampire vibes. Also some of the most beautifully described sex scenes I’ve ever seen, and an overall style that matches perfectly to the paintings and painters at the center of its narrative.
“The Book of the Kraken” by Carrie Vaughn ★★★
“Eighteen Days of Barbareek” by Rati Mehrotra ★★
- NGL, I DNF this one. It’s not you it’s me.
“Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather” by Sarah Pinsker ★★★★★
- Took me a while to get used to the feel of this narrative—told through an online chat board trying to decipher the real-life implications of an old folk song—but once I did, holy shit, I was in it for the long haul.
“They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass” by Alaya Dawn Johnson ★★★
Nonfiction:
“Deadly Frocks and Other Tales of Murder Clothes” by Tansy Rayner Roberts ★★★★
Nonfiction:
“Deadly Frocks and Other Tales of Murder Clothes” by Tansy Rayner Roberts ★★★★
- Killer clothes—what’s not to love. Makes me feel like a total wimp for whining about heels.
“Seduced by the Ruler’s Gaze: An Indian Perspective on Seth Dickinson’s Masquerade” by Sid Jain ★★★
“Protector of Small Steps” by Marieke Nijkamp ★★★
“Please Be Kind to the Singularity” by Jay Edidin ★★★★
“Protector of Small Steps” by Marieke Nijkamp ★★★
“Please Be Kind to the Singularity” by Jay Edidin ★★★★
- Since reading, I’ve thought about this piece a lot. I think it raises a lot of good questions about free will, about empathy, and what it means to be sentient.
Poetry:
“the most humane methods could involve a knife” by Tamara Jerée ★★★★
“the most humane methods could involve a knife” by Tamara Jerée ★★★★
- My favorite poem of the bunch, but I’m not a poetry person, so that should come with a grain of salt. Considering my lack of reference, I don’t feel comfortable giving any poem less than 3 stars unless its truly some high-school-emo-phase shit which, as one would expect, none of these are.
“lagahoo culture (Part II)” by Brandon O’Brien ★★★
“Future Saints” by Terese Mason Pierre ★★★
“Of Monsters I Loved” by Ali Trotta ★★★
“Of Monsters I Loved” by Ali Trotta ★★★
bailym's review
Placeholder for "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather," by Sarah Pinsker. 5 stars!
8bitlapras's review
4.0
Fiction
The Sin of America by Catherynne M. Valente: 4.5/5
The Perils of a Hologram Heart by Dominica Phetteplace: 3.25/5
Colors of the Immortal Palette by Caroline M. Yoachim: A very resounding 5/5
The Book of the Kraken by Carrie Vaughn: 3.75/5
Eighteen Days of Barbareek by Rati Mehrotra: 3/5
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather by Sarah Pinsker: 4.75/5
They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson: 3.25/5
Non-fiction
Deadly Frocks and Other Tales of Murder Clothes by Tansy Rayner Roberts: 2.75/5
Seduced by the Ruler's Gaze: An Indian Perspective on Seth Dickinson's Masquerade by Sid Jain: 4/5
Protector of Small Steps by Marieke Nijkamp: 3/5
Please Be Kind to the Singularity by Jay Edidin: 5/5
Poetry
I don't rate poetry because I don't read enough of it and a lot of it goes over my head but I did really enjoy Of Monsters I Loved by Ali Trotta.
Average rating: 3.82/5, rounded up to a 4/5.
This is probably one of, if not my absolute favorite issue of Uncanny that I've read. Usually I read one thing I like or love and then the rest of the works are misses for me but this issue had a lot of bangers. Caroline M. Yoachim's "Colors of the Immortal Palette" is my favorite thing I've read in an issue of Uncanny and one of my new favorite short stories/novelettes of all time, and Sarah Pinsker's "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather" was incredibly creative and captivating in its own right. I had a really great time reading this issue!
The Sin of America by Catherynne M. Valente: 4.5/5
The Perils of a Hologram Heart by Dominica Phetteplace: 3.25/5
Colors of the Immortal Palette by Caroline M. Yoachim: A very resounding 5/5
The Book of the Kraken by Carrie Vaughn: 3.75/5
Eighteen Days of Barbareek by Rati Mehrotra: 3/5
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather by Sarah Pinsker: 4.75/5
They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson: 3.25/5
Non-fiction
Deadly Frocks and Other Tales of Murder Clothes by Tansy Rayner Roberts: 2.75/5
Seduced by the Ruler's Gaze: An Indian Perspective on Seth Dickinson's Masquerade by Sid Jain: 4/5
Protector of Small Steps by Marieke Nijkamp: 3/5
Please Be Kind to the Singularity by Jay Edidin: 5/5
Poetry
I don't rate poetry because I don't read enough of it and a lot of it goes over my head but I did really enjoy Of Monsters I Loved by Ali Trotta.
Average rating: 3.82/5, rounded up to a 4/5.
This is probably one of, if not my absolute favorite issue of Uncanny that I've read. Usually I read one thing I like or love and then the rest of the works are misses for me but this issue had a lot of bangers. Caroline M. Yoachim's "Colors of the Immortal Palette" is my favorite thing I've read in an issue of Uncanny and one of my new favorite short stories/novelettes of all time, and Sarah Pinsker's "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather" was incredibly creative and captivating in its own right. I had a really great time reading this issue!
beam_baum's review
4.0
standouts: the sin of america; seduced by a ruler's gaze (nonfiction)
other favorites: the perils of a hologram heart
i found they shall salt the earth with seeds of glass particularly frustrating. i desperately wanted to know more about the glassmen and the post-apocalyptic world the characters are living in, but alas. too many unanswered questions for me
other favorites: the perils of a hologram heart
i found they shall salt the earth with seeds of glass particularly frustrating. i desperately wanted to know more about the glassmen and the post-apocalyptic world the characters are living in, but alas. too many unanswered questions for me
crunden's review
what erodes a stone
in the absence
of wind & water?
- the most humane methods could involve a knife by Tamara Jerée
in the absence
of wind & water?
- the most humane methods could involve a knife by Tamara Jerée
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