Wandering Star and Other Stories

by Sarena Ulibarri

157 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 1, 2026

About the author

Sarena Ulibarri is a writer and editor from the American Southwest. Her short stories have appeared in Lightspeed, DreamForge, Baubles From Bones, and elsewhere, and non-fiction essays have appeared in Grist and Strange Horizons. Two novellas were published in 2023: Another Life (from Stelliform Press) and Steel Tree (from Android Press). As an anthologist, she edited Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers and Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Winters, and co-edited Multispecies Cities. She also serves as a story reviewer for the Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest.

Reviews

[Tory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank the authors and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of this book and for the opportunity to read and review it.

I don’t usually read short story collections as I tend to gravitate more towards standard novels, so this was a slightly different reading experience for me. I do appreciate the concept of short story collections and the opportunity they give you to experience multiple stories, characters and ideas within a single book, but the same time I think I’ve realized that I personally prefer longer stories that give me more time to become invested in the characters and explore their worlds in greater detail. While with shorter stories I often find myself wanting more time with a particular concept rather than moving on to something new so quickly. That said I enjoyed this collection, but I think this format will work much better for readers who already enjoy short story collections and the variety they offer.

[Ashley Farrar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was my first experience with an anthology and overall I enjoyed it. Several of the stories, I wished could have been longer but the stories kept me entertained. This is a collection of twelve stories and my favorite of the twelve was the one about a mother’s tears of grief that creates a river in a desert village. Overall, I would encourage others to read this collection of stories, especially if they are already familiar with and love anthologies. This was the perfect book for me to begin a journey with anthologies.