#ReadShortStories or poems from Uncanny (116 to 120)

Another exclusively Uncanny batch today. Not much left to go in Issue Twenty-One. The next batch will contain the last of it, I expect, along with something new. I have quite enjoyed the poems in this issue of Uncanny, more so than in the previous issue. Possibly because they're more narratively driven? Or more narratively driven in the style that appeals to me? Something like that.

Found Discarded: A Love Poem, Questionably Addressed. by Cassandra Khaw — Pretty much what it says on the label. I liked the allusions and conclusion of this one. Source: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/found-discarded-love-poem-questionably-addressed/

drop some amens by Brandon O’Brien — An amusing poem about prayer-bombs falling on various people. Source: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/drop-some-amens/

The Fairies in the Crawlspace by Beth Cato — Horrifying and wonderful. A poem about fairies and a little girl that grows up. I really liked this one. Source: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/the-fairies-in-the-crawlspace/

די ירושה by Sonya Taaffe — According to Google Translate, the title means “Quite an inheritance”. A short poem, with an interesting resonance. Source: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/די-ירושה/

The Howling Detective by Brandon O’Brien — A mysterious murder of an evil person and a lagahoo (loosely speaking something like a Trinidadian werewolf) combine in this powerful story. I quite enjoyed it and the way it engaged with a difficult subject. I got momentarily lost in the chronology, but that’s probably because I was tired when I read it. Source: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/the-howling-detective/

#ReadShortStories ...That Are Mostly Poems (61 to 65)

An unusual batch this time around because I read all the Uncanny Issue 20 poems in a row, which I'm not sure is the best way to do it. Especially since my poetry reviewing skills a woefully underdeveloped compared with prose fiction. Maybe next time I'll read the poems between stories or something.

To cap it off and balance the relatively short poems, I went for a longer story from Tansy Rayner Roberts. A queer romcom about spy gadget scientists, it would have stood out even without the poems for contrast.

The Knight of the Beak by Sofia Samatar and Del Samatar — I have no idea how to review some poems, it turns out. Sorry. About a knight, sort of. Source: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/the-knight-of-the-beak/

The Cat’s Daughters by Nitoo Das — A lovely fantastical poem about the daughters of a cat. Told before they were born and after and involving magical deals. Source: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/the-cats-daughters/

Shadow-Song by Sonya Taaffe — Another poem that I’m not sure how to review. This one passed me by with my having only vague ideas as to what it’s about. Source: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/shadow-song/

1532 by Ana Hurtado — A bit too stream of consciousness for my taste. The lack of line breaks in this poem made it harder for me to follow (but again, probably best not to trust my opinion on poems). Source: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/1532/

Super Spy Science Secret Santa by Tansy Rayner Roberts — A super fun novelette set in an undisclosed Australian location. The protagonist is the head of a research group whose job it is to develop high-tech spy gadgets for the agents out in the field. An amusing and entertaining story about a Secret Santa design competition, hating fun, avoiding explosions and romance. Source: Tansy Rayner Roberts’ Patreon