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history_bot's review
4.0
For this and other reviews, check out my blog!
I was very excited to give this literary magazine of speculative fiction by black authors a shot, because I’ve heard so many wonderful things about it. By the end, I think my unfortunate takeaway was that I’m not much of a fan of sci-fi/fantasy short stories, for various reasons. So, naturally, the stories with creepy elements stayed with me the most, like “Red Cloth, White Giraffe” by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, which is about the ghost of a woman seeking peace while her body decays and her family delays her burial.
My overall enjoyment of this magazine suffered because I am not an avid poetry reader and don’t really get poetry. It’s hard to hold that against FIYAH; poetry certainly has its place in the literary fiction world, I just happen to not enjoy it. And, of course, it seemed to be (to my uneducated eyes) experimental poetry, which didn’t help me out at all. Props to writers who can create poetry, they are smarter and more creative than I will ever be, but they’re so out of my reading league.
Discounting the poetry, my average rating was a solid 4, so that is my final rating. If I were to include the poetry in my calculations, it’d probably end up as a three, but again, that feels unfair and I bought the magazine for the stories, anyway. My favorite of the collection was “Your Name is Oblivia,” by Vincent Tirado, which I still think about weeks later.
I was very excited to give this literary magazine of speculative fiction by black authors a shot, because I’ve heard so many wonderful things about it. By the end, I think my unfortunate takeaway was that I’m not much of a fan of sci-fi/fantasy short stories, for various reasons. So, naturally, the stories with creepy elements stayed with me the most, like “Red Cloth, White Giraffe” by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, which is about the ghost of a woman seeking peace while her body decays and her family delays her burial.
My overall enjoyment of this magazine suffered because I am not an avid poetry reader and don’t really get poetry. It’s hard to hold that against FIYAH; poetry certainly has its place in the literary fiction world, I just happen to not enjoy it. And, of course, it seemed to be (to my uneducated eyes) experimental poetry, which didn’t help me out at all. Props to writers who can create poetry, they are smarter and more creative than I will ever be, but they’re so out of my reading league.
Discounting the poetry, my average rating was a solid 4, so that is my final rating. If I were to include the poetry in my calculations, it’d probably end up as a three, but again, that feels unfair and I bought the magazine for the stories, anyway. My favorite of the collection was “Your Name is Oblivia,” by Vincent Tirado, which I still think about weeks later.
jeninmotion's review against another edition
4.0
The shorts were outstanding this month; I wasn’t feeling the poetry as much.
megatza's review against another edition
5.0
Speculative fiction short stories are always a delight for me to read. This literary magazine by Black authors was powerful. I was looking around at a variety of literary magazines for this category, and I'm really glad I found FIYAH. I will likely keep reading it.
Completed for the Book Riot Read Harder 2020 Challenge read an edition of a literary magazine (digital or physical).
Completed for the Book Riot Read Harder 2020 Challenge read an edition of a literary magazine (digital or physical).
librarycryptid's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
4.0
You can read this and other reviews over on my blog, The Library Cryptid: https://librarycryptid.wordpress.com/
I was very excited to give this literary magazine of speculative fiction by black authors a shot, because I’ve heard so many wonderful things about it. By the end, I think my unfortunate takeaway was that I’m not much of a fan of sci-fi/fantasy short stories, for various reasons. So, naturally, the stories with creepy elements stayed with me the most, like “Red Cloth, White Giraffe” by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, which is about the ghost of a woman seeking peace while her body decays and her family delays her burial.
I was very excited to give this literary magazine of speculative fiction by black authors a shot, because I’ve heard so many wonderful things about it. By the end, I think my unfortunate takeaway was that I’m not much of a fan of sci-fi/fantasy short stories, for various reasons. So, naturally, the stories with creepy elements stayed with me the most, like “Red Cloth, White Giraffe” by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, which is about the ghost of a woman seeking peace while her body decays and her family delays her burial.
My overall enjoyment of this magazine suffered because I am not an avid poetry reader and don’t really get poetry. It’s hard to hold that against FIYAH; poetry certainly has its place in the literary fiction world, I just happen to not enjoy it. And, of course, it seemed to be (to my uneducated eyes) experimental poetry, which didn’t help me out at all. Props to writers who can create poetry, they are smarter and more creative than I will ever be, but they’re so out of my reading league.
Discounting the poetry, my average rating was a solid 4, so that is my final rating. If I were to include the poetry in my calculations, it’d probably end up as a three, but again, that feels unfair and I bought the magazine for the stories, anyway. My favorite of the collection was “Your Name is Oblivia,” by Vincent Tirado, which I still think about weeks later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
astropova's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Cool issue, my favorite story was "Your Name is Oblivia" by Vincent Tirado.
chan_fry's review against another edition
4.0
I admit I finally tried Fiyah because I heard on Twitter that [someone] mispronounced its name. I haven’t read any sci-fi (or SpecFic) magazines in many years and it was time I picked one up.
This one had four interesting stories, three of which I enjoyed more than the other one (I didn’t understand “The Black Menagerie”). I think my favorite was “The Last Testament”, by Aurelius Raines II. The whole thing was interesting enough and enjoyable enough that I’ve decided to subscribe.
(I have published a longer review on my website.)
Note: In case Goodreads moves this review — as has happened several times before with my reviews of short stories — this one is specific to Issue #15 of Fiyah magazine.
ksbrennan's review against another edition
4.0
"for the people have become angry and
the people have learned the color of anger"
-The Technicolor Simulations: Test #2020-Z, by Maya C. James
This issue hit me a lot harder once I finished it, rather than as I was reading it. Thematically, the issue is connected by hauntings, with each contributor presenting that in very different ways. I'm hard-pressed to pick a favourite from the prose pieces; they're all delightful. The cover art is also beautiful, and captures a lot of what I'm feeling this hot, muggy July; so, kudos to Cyan Daly for the amazing work.
the people have learned the color of anger"
-The Technicolor Simulations: Test #2020-Z, by Maya C. James
This issue hit me a lot harder once I finished it, rather than as I was reading it. Thematically, the issue is connected by hauntings, with each contributor presenting that in very different ways. I'm hard-pressed to pick a favourite from the prose pieces; they're all delightful. The cover art is also beautiful, and captures a lot of what I'm feeling this hot, muggy July; so, kudos to Cyan Daly for the amazing work.
ndrsmoon's review against another edition
5.0
What a well-rounded issue.
The selection is top-notch, both in short stories and in poems, channeling the anger provoked not only by recent events, but beyond our memories.
I loved the poem by Maya C. James, full of anger against what's imposed. The other two, by Uche Ogbuji and Soonest Nathaniel boast a cadence that makes you wonder how would they recite them in a potery jam.
The four short stories are great, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu's is a little bit like Pixar's Coco without the sugar coating and with a better vengeance; Aurelius Raines II's has great dialogue with an AI that doesn't flinch when fighting Bruce Lee style must be done; The Black Menagerie is an oneiric story with a really interesting character that acts like a hitwoman, infusing fear instead of killing; Your Name is Oblivia is perhaps the one I liked the most, about a bartender with cocktails and memories -In that one you know where the ride goes, but the ride itself is worth it.
The selection is top-notch, both in short stories and in poems, channeling the anger provoked not only by recent events, but beyond our memories.
I loved the poem by Maya C. James, full of anger against what's imposed. The other two, by Uche Ogbuji and Soonest Nathaniel boast a cadence that makes you wonder how would they recite them in a potery jam.
The four short stories are great, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu's is a little bit like Pixar's Coco without the sugar coating and with a better vengeance; Aurelius Raines II's has great dialogue with an AI that doesn't flinch when fighting Bruce Lee style must be done; The Black Menagerie is an oneiric story with a really interesting character that acts like a hitwoman, infusing fear instead of killing; Your Name is Oblivia is perhaps the one I liked the most, about a bartender with cocktails and memories -In that one you know where the ride goes, but the ride itself is worth it.
mikewhiteman's review against another edition
5.0
Red Cloth, White Giraffe - Yvette Lisa Ndlovu ****
The Last Testament - Aurelius Raines II ***
The Black Menagerie - Endria Isa Richardson *****
Your Name Is Oblivia - Vincent Tirado ****
The Last Testament - Aurelius Raines II ***
The Black Menagerie - Endria Isa Richardson *****
Your Name Is Oblivia - Vincent Tirado ****
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