We’ve made it to the semifinals of the fourth annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC4). Team Tar Vol On advanced two semifinalists, which were joined in our half of the bracket by semifinalists from Space Girls and Red Stars. In this round, the three teams are reading each other’s selections and combining scores to identify… Continue reading SPSFC Semifinalist Review: Proliferation by Erik A. Otto
The fourth annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC4) has advanced to the semifinals, where my team’s two semifinalists will join four others in one of the competition’s two semifinal groups, each of which will be read by multiple judging teams in order to select a top three to advance to the finals. I closed my personal reading for the round… Continue reading Sci-fi Book Review: Bisection by Sheila Jenné
For those who aren’t regulars, I supplement my full read of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus each month with smaller spotlights on magazines where I may have found 2-3 stories that draw my attention. If possible, I try to keep those to a single issue, but for weekly or biweekly releases, I’ll sometimes roll a couple months… Continue reading Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Asimov’s, Uncanny, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies
The fourth annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC4) has advanced to the semifinals, where my team’s two semifinalists will join four others in one of the competition’s two semifinal groups, each of which will be read by multiple judging teams in order to select a top three to advance to the finals. My third read of the round was Accidental… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Accidental Intelligence by Bryan Chaffin
I spent a year filling out two cards for my favorite reading challenge: r/Fantasy Bingo. I posted my first themed card, “Not-So-Hard,” way back in November. With the end of the Bingo year fast approaching, I decided to hold my second post until the 2025 challenge was released, so that I could share how my… Continue reading 2024 Fantasy Bingo, 2025 Bingo Squares
I am running out of ways to say that I read Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus every month. There’s always some good stuff to recommend, so let’s take a look. Clarkesworld The May 2025 issue of Clarkesworld has a little bit different story mix than usual, with one full novella as a centerpiece, balanced by a pair… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (May 2025)
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Incandescent will be released on May 13, 2025. I’ve picked up Emily Tesh twice before in my attempts to cover as much Hugo-nominated fiction as possible since becoming a voter in 2021. In… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
I’ve read a handful of Sofia Samatar’s short fictions, and while they seem to be highly praised in the genre community, none to this point had really stuck with me. So it was with some apprehension that I approached my first of her novellas, the Hugo finalist The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain. But… Continue reading Sci-fi/Fantasy Novella Review: The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar
I’d missed The Annual Migration of Clouds when it came out, but after really enjoying Premee Mohamed’s The Butcher of the Forest and seeing the 2024 release of Clouds sequel We Speak Through the Mountain, I thought it was worth circling back and reading the pair together. We Speak Through the Mountain is a direct… Continue reading Sci-fi Novella Review: The Annual Migration of Clouds and We Speak Through the Mountain by Premee Mohamed
Metal From Heaven by august clarke burst onto the scene late in 2024 and seemed to be in everyone’s mouth by the time Best of the Year lists started rolling around. That said, I’m pretty far outside the intended audience, and the blurb didn’t make it sound like something I’d especially enjoy, so I initially… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Metal From Heaven by August Clarke
