Clarkesworld: Short Fiction Reviews by A.C. Wise
Resa Nelson’s “LuvHome™” in Clarkesworld’s November issue adopts a light tone to tell the story of a woman locked out by her smart house, which claims to be doing it for her own good, refusing to let her back in until she meets new people, changes her habits, and gets out of her current rut. “Luminous Glass, Vibrant Seeds” by D.A. Xiaolin Spires is a beautifully written story about community and healing. Xinru is a glass artist who largely works with reclaimed and found materials, who is recruited by a gardener friend of hers to help transport heirloom seeds in her portable annealer bot. Spires does a nice job of drawing parallels between gardening, art, community building, and regreening – showing how they are all acts of hope that require persistence, patience, cooperation, and love.
“Duty of Care” by E.N. Auslender also deals with hope and the idea of rebuilding, but from a very different angle. Asher is one of two humans left on Earth, caring for his adoptive mother with the help of an AI referred to as ECAI. Asher is determined to leave the planet, though ECAI constantly cautions Asher against his reckless behavior – pushing the limits of his oxygen reserves and exposing himself to harm as he tries to salvage a crashed ship. As with Nelson’s story, Auslander’s also plays with the trope of the overprotective AI/machine intelligence taking control away from humans “for their own good” but puts a fresh spin on it that ultimately gives the story a sweet and unexpected ending. “Technicolor Bath” by Raahem Alvi draws on striking imagery as it flows between perspectives and grapples with themes of identity, self, the meaning of love, and coping with loss. After an accident, Neha’s wife Summi is uploaded – as close a copy as possible based on brain scans – leaving them both to struggle with who they are, what they are to each other, and what they want from the future.
“Mirror Stages” by Claire Jia-Wen is another story grappling with identity and the self, a theme shared by several stories in Clarkesworld’s November issue. Jia-Wen makes effective use of second person narration, giving the story a feeling of immediacy as vignettes reveal how the protagonist became Nadia Paris, a glamourous virtual companion owned by Cosmos, making sacrifices to better their situation in life and rise out of poverty, but also losing parts of themself along the way. The story is a painful and poignant exploration of fame, and the way women’s bodies are often seen and treated as property. The story also explores class, and delves into a complex relationship with food, highlighting how it can link to memory and love, but also be used as a means of control. Overall, very nicely done. “Negative Scholarship on the Fifth State of Being” by A.W. Prihandita also looks at identity and the idea of being seen. Semau is a doctor who is approached by an alien patient named Txyzna, who has a hole inside of him and needs her help. After several failed and frustrating attempts at treatment, the two realize they may be working from different definitions of the words they’ve been using to communicate, leading them to try another approach. The story provides a lovely reflection on seeing others for who they are, letting go of preconceptions, and being truly known, as well as looking at the challenges of navigating the healthcare system.
“The Slide” by Oliver Stifel is a visceral and often tense story of a rally racer, Alex, who is being pressured to win the World Rally Cup. The government has tied the race to national pride, in particular the idea of the US beating Brazil, with whom they are at war. On a personal level, Alex wants to honor his brother, who first introduced him to rally racing and who was a casualty of the war. The story is poignant, with a strong voice, and does a good job exploring propaganda and government manipulation. Finally, in “Unquiet Graves” by Michael Swanwick, George visits the cemetery, intent on uploading a copy of his wife’s preserved consciousness into a new body, regardless of her wishes. Along the way, he enlists the help of his father’s preserved consciousness, but once they reach Jenny’s grave, George learns some surprising truths about himself and his relationships.
Recommended Stories
“Mirror Stages”, Claire Jia-Wen (Clarkesworld 11/24)
“The Slide”, Oliver Stifel (Clarkesworld 11/24)
This review and more like it in the January 2025 issue of Locus.
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