Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine: Review of Clarkesworld (September 2025)

My September short fiction reviews are coming out of order because of some travel early in the month, and GigaNotoSaurus remains on a two-month hiatus, so let’s do a rare late-month, single-issue review and take a look at the September 2025 issue of Clarkesworld.  Clarkesworld This issue of Clarkesworld features five short stories and two… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine: Review of Clarkesworld (September 2025)

Magazine Review

Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Asimov’s, khōréō, and Translunar Travelers Lounge

Early September travel has thrown off my usual reading schedule and has me swapping the order of my regular short fiction reviews. So we’ll save the monthly Clarkesworld review for later and start with Magazine Minis: short reviews of selected stories from the same magazine issues. Today, I’ll be looking at tales that caught my… Continue reading Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Asimov’s, khōréō, and Translunar Travelers Lounge

Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine: Review of Clarkesworld (August 2025)

GigaNotoSaurus has announced a two-month hiatus—and my best wishes go to the staff as they navigate whatever it is that is demanding their attention—so in August and September, my monthly read of two magazines will be reduced to just one. So let’s take a look at Clarkesworld.  Clarkesworld This month’s issue includes seven stories: five… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine: Review of Clarkesworld (August 2025)

Magazine Review

Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Lightspeed, Kaleidotrope, and Strange Horizons

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. This month, I had just two magazine issues with multiple stories that caught my eye, so I’m adding a third in Strange Horizons, which typically publishes just one… Continue reading Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Lightspeed, Kaleidotrope, and Strange Horizons

Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (July 2025)

As we open the back half of 2025, I’m continuing my monthly reviews of a couple short fiction publications I enjoy immensely: Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus.  Clarkesworld The July issue of Clarkesworld features five short stories and two novelettes, one of which is a translated piece weighing in at nearly 15,000 words. The issue opens with… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (July 2025)

Magazine Review

Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Asimov’s, Uncanny, and BCS (Again)

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 BCS (Again)

Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (June 2025)

I’m halfway through another year of reading through each issue of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus, and I might’ve found a new favorite of 2025 from the latter. Let’s take a look! Clarkesworld After several seven-story issues, this month’s Clarkesworld returns to what had been a fairly standard eight, with six short stories and two novelettes. Four… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (June 2025)

Magazine Review

Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Asimov’s, Uncanny, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies

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

Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (May 2025)

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)

Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads the 39th Asimov’s Readers’ Award Finalists

For my second short fiction review of the month, I usually take some time to dig into a couple of magazines outside the two that I read every month. But with the announcement of an Asimov’s Readers’ Award shortlist that included half stories I’d read last year, I decided to take that time and read… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads the 39th Asimov’s Readers’ Award Finalists