Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (January 2026)

January 21, 2026 tarvolonLeave a comment

It’s a new year, and I’m excited to get started with reviews of both of my regular sci-fi/fantasy magazines, as GigaNotoSaurus returns from hiatus and Clarkesworld keeps chugging along. Let’s take a look. Clarkesworld The opening Clarkesworld issue of 2026 features five short stories bookending a pair of novelettes. It opens with The Stars You… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (January 2026)

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

January 12, 2026 tarvolonLeave a comment

Antonia Hodgson was not at all on my radar going into 2025, but The Raven Scholar quickly became one of those books that is lauded seemingly wherever fantasy is discussed. I don’t always read the year’s big trend books, but I had the opportunity to give it a try in December to see for myself… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: We Who Are About To. . . by Joanna Russ

January 10, 2026 tarvolonLeave a comment

Joanna Russ is one of those figures from before I started reading sci-fi who is sufficiently renowned that I’ve been meaning to read her for a while but not so ubiquitous that I’d already done so. But I had a bit of a gap between library holds, and the trim length and glowing reviews of… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: We Who Are About To. . . by Joanna Russ

Monthly Round-Up

December 2025 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany

January 4, 2026 tarvolonLeave a comment

We’ve finished another month, and despite all the holidays and family demands, I did actually read things! Some of those things were very good! The best of them I’ve already shared, but the best of them are also worth sharing again. And there are a fair few others that are worth talking about. So let’s… Continue reading December 2025 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany

Top Lists · Year in Review

Tar Vol’s 20 from the Backlist

December 30, 2025 tarvolonLeave a comment

While I still read a whole lot of new release sci-fi and fantasy in 2025, even a moderate scaling back enabled me to drastically increase my backlist reading compared to last year. And stories that are still getting recommended years after their publication date are disproportionately great. So I’d like to share some of my… Continue reading Tar Vol’s 20 from the Backlist

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: Fourth Mansions by R.A. Lafferty

December 29, 2025 tarvolonLeave a comment

It’s the words. Well, perhaps the unplowed depths. But to start, it’s the words. Fourth Mansions is my favorite novel by my favorite author, and yet it’s been over ten years since my last reread. I finally pulled it off the shelf, and if I recall correctly, it will make my second reread review (of… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Fourth Mansions by R.A. Lafferty

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

December 28, 2025 tarvolonLeave a comment

I’d already been hearing about Emily St. John Mandel for years when Sea of Tranquility came out to much acclaim. I gave it a try and found that it was well-written and entertaining but never really more than the sum of its parts. I was ready to chalk her up as too litficky for me,… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: The Sign of the Dragon by Mary Soon Lee

December 23, 2025 tarvolonLeave a comment

I’ve never been a big poetry reader, and I know almost nothing about speculative poetry. So I was initially a little skeptical about Mary Soon Lee’s epic The Sign of the Dragon. But with a handful of friends providing plenty of peer pressure, an intriguing opening poem, and an online book club to read with,… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Sign of the Dragon by Mary Soon Lee

Top Lists · Year in Review

Tar Vol’s 2025 Recommended Reading List (Holiday Edition)

December 18, 2025 tarvolonLeave a comment

We’re nearing the end of December, so it’s once again time for my favorite annual post: my annual favorites post! This is where I share the best sci-fi and fantasy I read from this year. I write two versions of my Recommended Reading List each year, one in December when reviewers start dropping their favorites,… Continue reading Tar Vol’s 2025 Recommended Reading List (Holiday Edition)

Magazine Review

Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Apex and Uncanny

December 15, 2025 tarvolonLeave a comment

For my last Magazine Minis of 2025, I’ll be taking a look at a handful of stories from the year’s final issues of Apex and Uncanny. Apex Apex almost always has something that catches my attention, but the editors enjoy body horror far too much for me to read it cover-to-cover. But they closed 2025… Continue reading Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Apex and Uncanny

Tar Vol on

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Author: tarvolon

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (January 2026)

Fantasy Novel Review: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Sci-fi Novel Review: We Who Are About To. . . by Joanna Russ

December 2025 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany

Tar Vol’s 20 from the Backlist

Fantasy Novel Review: Fourth Mansions by R.A. Lafferty

Sci-fi Novel Review: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Fantasy Novel Review: The Sign of the Dragon by Mary Soon Lee

Tar Vol’s 2025 Recommended Reading List (Holiday Edition)

Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Apex and Uncanny