A Shaky Bridge by Marissa Lingen

This first story in the August 2025 issue of Clarkesworld magazine (Issue #227) left me wanting more. It takes place in a near future world where people who have suffered from a stroke can get a neural bridge implant. This helps speed recovery for those unable to afford the lengthy physical therapy otherwise required. But after the father of a family receives an implant, they start to notice that he is not quite himself. And he occasionally says things that he wouldn’t have before. They sound almost like ads. The story follows the family as they struggle with the change in the father and how their limited means affect the range of options they have.

The writing is simple and clear allowing the reader to really get a feel for what the family is going through and the difficult choice that has to be made. This is speculative fiction at its best—taking a current day technology, nudging it slightly into the future, and exploring how that development might effect ordinary people. And at the end I wanted to continue following the family to see how their decision turned out for them.

My rating: 5/5

A Slight Change of Direction

The author seated at his desk writing on his laptop. A bookshelf and standing desk with computer are in the background.

Starting tomorrow my Daily Dose of Empathy feature will change. Until now it has been a very brief comment about a short story that I have rated as five out of five stars with a link to the story. Since not all the short stories I read are five stars, I have come close to running out. So going forward I will be writing a longer (but still relatively brief) review of every short story I read with a link to read the story for yourself.

I have also been publishing a review of each short fiction magazine that I read. I have included brief summaries and ratings for each story. I will also no longer be doing that as it will become a repeat of my daily posts. I will continue to publish a review of every book I read, excluding any collections or anthologies as the stories in those will be published daily.

So far, this website/blog has been an exercise I started and continue for myself. I hope to improve my writing and create a repository of the stories I read so that I can go back and find them when one comes to mind. One thing that will continue is the searchable tables (short fiction read and speculative fiction index). I hope you find it useful as well.

Apex Magazine Issue #149

I recently resubscribed to Apex Magazine. This is the first issue I have read since doing so. Here are my brief reviews of the fiction in that issue. As always, stories can be read online for free by clicking on the titles.

“Shadows Below Seaway Trains” by Ai Jiang (4,400 words) — A friend tricks the main character into adopting a child for the money then abandons them both. A touching exploration of hard pasts and hard decisions. (My rating: 4/5)

“I Remember a One-Sided Die” by Francis Bass (7,000 words) — A young girl on an alien planet seeks to become a coordinator. This story is told from the perspective of an alien race. I applaud the attempt, but it ended up being too confusing for me. Perhaps needs more than one read. (My rating: 2/5)

“Seven Ribbons” by Beth Goder (3,400 words) — A girl saves her sister from the penalties of being a traitor to her city. I liked the relationship, but it wasn’t much of a story. A little too abstract for me. (My rating: 2/5)

“Heart Seeds” by E. Thade (1,700 words) — After the Collapse, a robot child cares for its father in a world that broke down after finding a drug for immortality and the population becoming sterile. (My rating: 4/5)

“Life as the Natural State of Things” by Rich Larson (3,500 words) — Friends and brothers find their relationships undone by a simple wooden cup. An exploration of how power corrupts. As usual, this author explores an idea in a deeply engrossing story. (My rating: 5/5)

“To Kill a Language” by Rukman Ragas (800 words) — A list of steps for how to kill a language. A disturbing, effective metaphor. (My rating: 4/5)

“Extenta” by Daniel Roop (1,000 words) — In the far future of humans enslaved and born in space, one discovers resistance. ((My rating: 4/5)

“Things the Older Boy Understands” by Sierra Branham (1,000 words) — Two boys on a ship to new world comfort each other as one dies from a thought worm. A heartbreaking story of love and found family. (My rating: 5/5)

“As It Comes” by Derek Alan Jones (100 words) — One person comforts another at the end. (My rating: 4/5)

“Swan Song” by Liam Hogan (100 words) — Two drones descend to the ground after fighting stops. (My rating: 4/5)

“The Fifth Horseman” by Cressida Roe (100 words) — A fifth horseman of the Apocalypse follows the first four. (My rating: 4/5)

“The Liberation of Brother Buffalo” by Michael Boatman (12,500 words) — A man who lost his sister as a child finds himself married to a violent mega church preacher. The story goes down easy until the climax takes a crowbar upside your head. (My rating: 5/5)

“The Neighbors” by L. Marie Wood (2,300 words) — A woman sits on her deck contemplating what the neighbors might be hiding. Includes a great opening passage about mind wandering. (My rating: 4/5)

Average rating: 3.92/5

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Time for another book club read. This month the theme was mystery or thriller. We selected this book to read. I originally had it on my list to read when I heard the author on Adam Grant’s podcast ReThinking. The title of the episode from 2023 was “The psychology of fiction with Jennifer Lynn Barnes“.

The plot surrounds an orphaned teenager named Avery Grambs. Her troubled life is suddenly interrupted by the surprising news that she is the inheritor of the recently deceased billionaire Tobias Hawthorne. Odd. She had no idea why. In any case, she has to live in Hawthorne House for one year to get the money. Of course, none of the family want her there, even Hawthorne’s four grandsons, all around her age. A puzzle lover, naturally Avery sets out to uncover why this all is happening.

While this technically a YA novel, I expected more from it. The plot felt rather simplistic and the mysteries uncovered rather easily. And some of the revelations tying it together didn’t quite work for me. They feel contrived to make the story work. So, while I enjoyed the book enough to finish it, I don’t expect to read its sequels.

My rating: 3/5