Before we started The Supernova Review, Alan posted a story by story review of Interzone 295 on social media. We’ve gathered his story notes here.
‘Plague Dream’ by Seàn Padraic Birnie.
Febrile covid illusions in this charged short by Birnie. Strange and confusing. Richly written. Great opening!
What did everyone else think?
‘Significant Disruption’ by R.L. Summerling
Blink and you’ll miss it! An Immediate, metafictional slam-dunker of a story that whisks you along like a speeding train through confusion and chaos.
‘Easels’ by Amal Singh.
Grief and reanimation through the passion of art in this tasty tale of a very uncanny family.
‘We are A Little Hotel’ by Ai Jiang.
Well you wouldn’t want to work at this hotel, but its story is an allegorical gem, keeping you guessing until the final paragraph.
‘O Sole Mio’ by Kate McIvor.
Quirky and immersive tale about motherhood, a strange ice-cream van, and living in reverse. Nice!
‘Various Instances of Black Ball Lightning in Daggett, Michigan’ by Stephanie Lane Gage.
Unexplained Phenomena? Timeshifts? Perception gone awry? Your guess will be as good as anyone’s at the end of this strange and spooky set of accounts about the eerie goings on in Daggett.
‘Glory Hounds’ by H. Pueyo.
Wildcats lost in translation due to waning magic. Human/Animal bonds intricate and failing. What are the consequences for the future of all? Find out in this juicy fantasy quest.
‘Hollywood Animals’ by Corey J. White.
What lengths would Hollywood go to for that authentic-alien look. Find out in this fun insectoid offering from Corey J. White.
‘Copper’ by Jendia Gammon.
Something has happened to Copper the house-bot. Keel, its owner, can’t quite believe she isn’t dreaming. Their relationship is about to become much more complicated. Find out why in this very sweet SciFi story.
‘The Fifth Horizon’ by Nozaki Mado.
MONGOLS IN SPACE! In this unusual and fascinating alternative-history SciFi from Japan.
‘The Lunar Asylum’ by Frank Dumas.
Going where no one has gone before in Victorian Britain with appearances by Mary Shelley, Ada Lovelace and Babbage. The moon awaits! A complex and fun alternative history tale.
‘Supernaut’ by Edward Morris.
An amazing story about Amazing Stories, the birth of Scientifiction and the road to scientific fact as the space race begins.
‘Notes From the Meeting of the First State Feder World Court: Walker Dairy, Freeville, NY, 198 Year One: Jessica Jane Pearson Vs. The Stranger Mr. Jacob Hampton’ By Rachel Cupp.
Trying to claim back the certainty of the past is difficult when you exist as a vestige of humanity. This post-apocalyptic ‘courtroom drama’ imagines just that scenario.
‘Building Blocks’ by Aigner Loren Wilson.
Like a fish out of water, Versa tries hard to adapt to a new life offmoon, but the environment is ‘very’ alien, as are the cast of characters
‘Strung Along in Seaforth’ by Jonathan Laidlow.
Quirky and creepy folk horror-ish tale about a competition for the best reanimated family member. Think I’ll be avoiding Seaforth for a while, but don’t avoid this wonderfully entertaining short.
Leave a Reply