Status Updates From Clarkesworld Magazine, Issu...

This Is an Emergency Broadcast: 3* Interesting idea, but I think the interruptions could have been done better? It's hard to put together the story. A company sells subscriptions to "Restful" where you get to live in a virtual reality for a while, giving them your right to vote and your power of attorney. There is also a drug that doesn't work properly? An emergency message is broadcasted to reach the people.

The Animator and the Glazer: DNF. I don't think I can read about an animator whose job was stolen by AI right now. Nope. Nothing against the story or the author, just a subject too close to home.

Horro And Absurdity: A Conversation with Meg Elison
another good interview

Art and Arcade Games: A Conversation with Tran Nguyen
good interview

Cliff's Girl: 4* The setting and characters were familiar, I read a story in this universe before (The Iron Piper, I think?), there are several more! Seamus the robot has been struggling. Morag goes to another town to get information on how to fix it. Meanwhile Cliff's new girlfriend Mandy tries to fix it and it goes rogue. Morag does a factory reset on Seamus. He is not the same, but still makes mandalas so maybe...

Nesting Behavior of Imported Species Troglodytes aedon on Planet Americearth: 3* From the perspective of a bird that mutates. A native creature (the moaner) has been hiding in the human shelter on an alien planet, eating their cats and other birds. After the couple fight, the moaner eats the man and a police officer. The narrator bird and the creature flee into the wild, hatches eggs and teach theiryoungtokillhumans.