John Williams’s Reviews > The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Vol. 146, Nos. 3 & 4, Summer 2024 > Status Update

"Growth Rings of the Earth" by Xinwei Kong
A highly metaphysical story about media, consciousness, faith, and life after death. It's a translation, so I'm not sure how valid my comments on the prose will be, but as a translation, it's proof that one's sentences need not be complicated or complex to convey powerful meanings, images, and feelings. Sometimes simple works best.

"Snowdrop" by Raul Caner Cruz, and "Dog People" by Esther Friesner, the former a touching fable by a first-timer and the latter a hilarious cross-pantheon team-up by a storied veteran

"Water Baby" by Tonya R. Moore
A fascinating look at the dark magic and calling creatures of a post-climate-change world. Yet another story in this volume that I could have read twice as much of. Going to keep my eyes open for Moore's upcoming work.

"On My Way to Heaven, by Alberto Chimal, translated by Patrick Weill
An incredible story about aliens, revolution, and rock and roll.

"What It Means to Drift" by Rajeev Prasad
More often than I care to admit, I find myself flipping ahead through these collections to see how many pages are left of the story I'm reading. From the get-go of this one, I hunkered down and settled in for a journey, so much so that I was woefully surprised when the ending came sooner than expected. If Prasad has a novel, I'm there.