Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 221, February 2025 by Neil Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Bodyhoppers" by Rocío Vega - (4*) Solid SF, a good heart and comfortable upload-tech. The point is the heart, though. Reminds me port stories of old.

"King of the Castle" by Fiona Moore - (4*) A rather perfect title for a bunch of kids (or at least hard-off) kids being a kids after the fall of civilization. Who knew rugby could be just about everything? Oh, right, it IS.

"We Begin Where Infinity Ends" by Somto Ihezue - (5*) Easily my favorite story so far. It's rather pastoral and sweet and interesting despite all the broken bones. Indeed, it's so grounded and personable, I hardly need to focus on the light SF aspect.

"A Planet Full of Sorrows" by M. L. Clark - (4*) This started out as an easy great story--mostly because I love the language and the density of ideas, the worldbuilding. Unfortunately, while the ending was kinda funny, it didn't entirely blow me away. Still, for a tale of alien exploration, it was pretty fascinating.

"The Hanging Tower of Babel" by Wang Zhenzhen - (5*) For the sheer nostalgia and pathos. Hell, for the depression it brought upon me. It, like everything, dies--but to have a double whammy like this? Come on...

"Numismatic Archetypes in the Year of Five Regents" by Louis Inglis Hall - (4*) There's hardly anything SF about this, but perhaps there is with Fantasy... at least in the sense of fake kingdoms. That being said, it's a cool micro-inspection of a brutal world from the eye of a coin-maker. Very interesting.

"Celestial Migrations" by Claire Jia-Wen - (5*) A great little extra-solar corp0-migration that has ALL the feel of a really bad job and the exegesis of living up to your parent's wishes--and choices gone wrong. Well, now, isn't that rather universal?


Solid collection of stories this month. I was surprised so many of them were river-themed or named. Cute little thread by the editor, if true and not just serendipity.


For my synesthesia, I'll just say it was a decent, if not brilliant, 7 course meal. All decently cooked, if not searing my tongue.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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