Lukas Deicke’s Reviews > The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 > Status Update
Lukas Deicke
is on page 222 of 384
"The Last Four Things" by Christopher Rowe
This was an exhausting one. The plot is hard to describe. I think the best description would be: What if James Joice and Catholic Cateshism would have a post-human child. Exhausting but not entirely unenjoyable. 2,5/5.
— Jan 11, 2026 09:24AM
This was an exhausting one. The plot is hard to describe. I think the best description would be: What if James Joice and Catholic Cateshism would have a post-human child. Exhausting but not entirely unenjoyable. 2,5/5.
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Lukas Deicke
is on page 202 of 384
"Resurrection Highway" by A. R. Capetta
This short story was by far the worst one I have read so far in this anthology. The plot is decent enough. A redemption story set in a Mad Max setting, but with car necromancy. However, the thing is written in simple present and the second person singular making it a self insert narrative. I didn't know I could dislike a choice of narrative so much. 1,5/5. 1,5 points for plot.
— Jan 10, 2026 02:06PM
This short story was by far the worst one I have read so far in this anthology. The plot is decent enough. A redemption story set in a Mad Max setting, but with car necromancy. However, the thing is written in simple present and the second person singular making it a self insert narrative. I didn't know I could dislike a choice of narrative so much. 1,5/5. 1,5 points for plot.
Lukas Deicke
is on page 191 of 384
"Form 8774-D" by Alex Irvine
This story was a definite highlight of the anthology. It follows the daily work life of a desk clerk who has to make sure, that the registration paperwork of every human, who possesses an emergent superpower, is in order. Everything is here, from the weird and funny over the wholesome to the menacing and escalating. The typical life of a lower government official. Very good. 4/5
— Dec 27, 2025 01:31AM
This story was a definite highlight of the anthology. It follows the daily work life of a desk clerk who has to make sure, that the registration paperwork of every human, who possesses an emergent superpower, is in order. Everything is here, from the weird and funny over the wholesome to the menacing and escalating. The typical life of a lower government official. Very good. 4/5
Lukas Deicke
is on page 160 of 384
"The Blade and the Bloodwright" by Sloane Leong
An elite team of warriors "escorts" a sort of flesh magician to the city centers of the enemy where she proceeds to kill everyone by turning them all into body horror flesh clouds. In the end, she and the other protagonist are eaten by the god of death who emerges from the waves. Brilliant! A lot of trans-human topics going on there. Thought about that a lot. 4/5
— Dec 18, 2025 04:04PM
An elite team of warriors "escorts" a sort of flesh magician to the city centers of the enemy where she proceeds to kill everyone by turning them all into body horror flesh clouds. In the end, she and the other protagonist are eaten by the god of death who emerges from the waves. Brilliant! A lot of trans-human topics going on there. Thought about that a lot. 4/5
Lukas Deicke
is on page 154 of 384
"Calypso's Guest" by Andrew Sean Greer
It's the story of Odysseus stranding on Calypso's island...BUT IN SPACE. The island is a planet and O's ship is a space ship. Calypso is also a dude who was imprisoned by a mighty (one might even say godly)precursor race for betraying his race. This story is about the depression of loneliness and the curse of monotinous eternity. A very melancholic one. 3/5
— Dec 14, 2025 03:41PM
It's the story of Odysseus stranding on Calypso's island...BUT IN SPACE. The island is a planet and O's ship is a space ship. Calypso is also a dude who was imprisoned by a mighty (one might even say godly)precursor race for betraying his race. This story is about the depression of loneliness and the curse of monotinous eternity. A very melancholic one. 3/5
Lukas Deicke
is on page 127 of 384
"John Hollowback and the Witch" by Amal El-Mothar
A moral tale in the shoes of a medieval fantasy story. A man with a hole in his back looks for help at a witches hut. First, I thought, it would be cozy fantasy, but sadly no. However, if you still want to know how the hole in the back of the protagonist is connected to his old friends and why he cannot remember how he got this hole, read the story. One word: Envy.
— Sep 01, 2025 04:39PM
A moral tale in the shoes of a medieval fantasy story. A man with a hole in his back looks for help at a witches hut. First, I thought, it would be cozy fantasy, but sadly no. However, if you still want to know how the hole in the back of the protagonist is connected to his old friends and why he cannot remember how he got this hole, read the story. One word: Envy.
Lukas Deicke
is on page 108 of 384
"The Long Game" by Ann Leckie
A scifi story telling the story of a an intelligent and presumably cute space slugg. This story is about colonialism, the relativity of time and value or raison d'être of a functioning education system in a civilization. I really enjoyed it, although I am not a big fan of a narrative told from the first person perspective. But if that is my only critisism, it was still highly enjoyable.
— Aug 31, 2025 05:03AM
A scifi story telling the story of a an intelligent and presumably cute space slugg. This story is about colonialism, the relativity of time and value or raison d'être of a functioning education system in a civilization. I really enjoyed it, although I am not a big fan of a narrative told from the first person perspective. But if that is my only critisism, it was still highly enjoyable.
Lukas Deicke
is on page 90 of 384
"Disassembling Light" by Kel Coleman
This story is about an old bitter inventor who struggles to let go of his workshop and give it to a possible apprentice. This tale is about frustration which comes with old age. It's also about creative unhappiness, I think. I enjoyed the prose and the worldbuilding, however, the story was too vague in order to transmit clear feelings, but perhaps this is intentional. 3/5
— Aug 19, 2025 06:13AM
This story is about an old bitter inventor who struggles to let go of his workshop and give it to a possible apprentice. This tale is about frustration which comes with old age. It's also about creative unhappiness, I think. I enjoyed the prose and the worldbuilding, however, the story was too vague in order to transmit clear feelings, but perhaps this is intentional. 3/5
Lukas Deicke
is on page 79 of 384
"Window Boy" by Thomas Ha
This short story was the complete opposite to "Bari and the Resurrection Flower." Where Kim seeks to critizise specific social structures and paradigms thus positioning herself clearly, Ha paints a vague but extremely atmopheric picture of a postapocalyptic world, but leaves it to the reader to ponder the reasons and motivations which lead to this horrible nightmare and the people in it.
— Aug 05, 2025 03:53PM
This short story was the complete opposite to "Bari and the Resurrection Flower." Where Kim seeks to critizise specific social structures and paradigms thus positioning herself clearly, Ha paints a vague but extremely atmopheric picture of a postapocalyptic world, but leaves it to the reader to ponder the reasons and motivations which lead to this horrible nightmare and the people in it.
Lukas Deicke
is on page 68 of 384
"Bari and the Resurrection Flower" by Hana Lee
This fantasy short story is proof that genre fiction like fantasy and Sci-fi can tell stories which are deeply meaningful and intelligent, but also tackle questions which move the world right now. This story is about identity, parental rejection, hurt and the lies we tell ourselves because of it. Fantasy truly contributes to the better understanding of ourselves. 5/5
— Jul 27, 2025 02:50AM
This fantasy short story is proof that genre fiction like fantasy and Sci-fi can tell stories which are deeply meaningful and intelligent, but also tackle questions which move the world right now. This story is about identity, parental rejection, hurt and the lies we tell ourselves because of it. Fantasy truly contributes to the better understanding of ourselves. 5/5
Lukas Deicke
is on page 53 of 384
"Zeta Epsilon" by Isabel J. Kim
What if a human and a battleship navigation AI encased in a black sphere the size of a bedroom would grow up together and form a symbosis?
Well, it would be bloody fascinating, wouldn't it?
There are so many angles from which to approach the story. How about the interchanging effects which the sentient AI has on the human? Or the other way around. This was a solid and best read so far
— Jul 26, 2025 02:02PM
What if a human and a battleship navigation AI encased in a black sphere the size of a bedroom would grow up together and form a symbosis?
Well, it would be bloody fascinating, wouldn't it?
There are so many angles from which to approach the story. How about the interchanging effects which the sentient AI has on the human? Or the other way around. This was a solid and best read so far
