Bewildering Stories’
Second Quarterly Review, 2019
Year 18 of Bewildering Stories
The Editors’ Choices in issues 802-813
Lighthouse |
The Quarterly and Annual Reviews and Bewildering Stories itself
are like lighthouses on the chaotic sea of the Internet.
They signal not danger but “Good landfall” and “Safe harbor.”
Welcome ashore!
Everything in green is a link. A few links are standard (blue, underlined). The genres in the “Titles selected” table are anchor or alert links. Links to pages other than the QR open in a new window; you won‘t lose your place.
Bewildering Stories ends the season — spring or fall, according to your hemisphere — with the Review Editors’ selection of favorites from the second quarter of 2019. New readers will have easy access to the recent best of Bewildering Stories, and veteran readers will have a chance to catch up on anything they may have missed.
The Quarterly Reviews are not a contest or competition; they are a special poll. And there are no quotas: anything — from everything to nothing — may qualify in any genre. They answer a practical question: “If a friend asked you to recommend something outstanding from the past quarter of Bewildering Stories, what are your favorites? What would you choose?”
As always, the Review Board’s discussions have been extensive and lively. A big Thank You to Edward Ahern, Bill Bowler, Gary Clifton, Charles C. Cole, Heather J. Frederick, Gary Inbinder, Bill Kowaleski, Johanna Miklós, Marina J. Neary, John Stocks and Lewayne L. White.
At Bewildering Stories, nothing is the proverbial tree falling unheard in a forest. All contributors know that real people have given their works a thoughtful reading, regardless whether we send regrets or they qualify for the Mariner Awards.
The Review Editors and Associate Editors — our review readers — have functions that are entirely different but equally important. The Review Editors determine how Bewildering Stories shall carry its flag; the Associate Editors determine what Bewildering Stories shall be. Their insightful and detailed critiques of submissions help us set what we like to think is an Internet standard for editorial practice and for service to our contributors and readers.
Our special editors also deserve a vote of thanks: Coordinating Editors Edward Ahern, Heather J. Frederick and Johanna Miklós; Flash Fiction and Drama Editor Charles C. Cole; Poetry Editor John Stocks. They provide the kind of personal touch Bewildering Stories takes pride in, and they make the administrative work not only easier but possible.
The Quarterly News
In the past 12 weeks, the Review Editors cast 879 votes on 82 titles, 38 of which have qualified as Editors’ Choices. We congratulate the authors and hope they will inspire all our contributors.
We think our Review Editors reflect the range of opinion to be found among our readers.
The Order of Merit is a special acknowledgment to our contributors. It’s a kind of “surprise package” that links to the most highly rated works in this Quarterly Review.
We resume regular publication with issue 814 on July 1, 2019.
| Titles selected of titles eligible | |||||
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Novels Novellas Serials |
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Short Stories Flash Fiction Drama |
17 of 33 8 of 11 0 of 1 |
Poetry Short Poetry Essays & Memoirs |
5 of 15 8 of 22 |
- Serialized works are eligible only in the quarter in which they conclude.
- All selections are listed in alphabetical order by author unless noted otherwise.
- Multiple titles and the Departments are listed in chronological order.
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Short Stories Michael J. Albers, Last Shuttle DownSam Buckley, Flora of the Fifty Flames Gary Clifton, Channie Greenberg, Batya Jeffrey Greene, The Regal Darner Brandy Isadora, Wanderlust Christopher Kelley, Summon Surprise Marshall Moore, The Periodic Table of the Angels K. Noel Moore, The Friendless Unburied Natisha Parsons, Spooky M. L. Robinson, A Monkey in Chameleon Skin Ron Schulte, Allergy Shots Ellen Tremiti, Don’t Worry, Little Sis M. C. Tuggle, The God Particle Martin Westlake, No More of That J. H. Zech, Eden's End: Illusionary Birth Flash Fiction Gary Clifton, When We Needed YouCharles C. Cole,
Old Man Branson Wakes Up
Harrison Kim, The Screaming Pool
Royal Out of Season Mr. Pater Holidays in Maine Dollard’s Perception Katy Byed A Prisoner of Habit Poetry Edward Ahern, Telling a FortuneDonna Dallas, Moontalk Ronald Linson, Little Brother James Robert Rudolph, Santa Fe Unsettled Gennady Sherman, Lucky Dog Short Poetry Edward Ahern, BiosphereMichael R. Burch, In-Flight Convergence Thulani E. Buthelezi, The Art of Sky Dancing Donna Dallas, Portrait of a Woman Robin Helweg-Larsen, Carefree Youths Anna Ruiz, Thought Patterns in Sync Meg Smith, The Moss Bridge James Robert Rudolph, How One Builds a Life |
Departments Books and Other Reviews Special Feature Vladislav Surkov, Putin’s Lasting State — tr. Bill Bowler Discussions and Challenge Responses Echoes From Dust, chs. 1-6 Challenges
The Order of the Hot Potato Here are the most controversial works of the quarter, the ones on which the Review Editors’ opinions diverged significantly for one or more reasons. The titles are listed in descending order with the most controversial first. Five of the titles appear among the Editors’ Choices. Challenge to the readers: why might any of these titles be on the list? Discussions are welcome and may appear in a future regular issue.
The Order of Merit Here are links to the most highly rated works in each genre represented by more than one title in this Quarterly Review. The categories are listed according to their normal order in the Index and Readers’ Guide. In keeping with Bewildering Stories’ astronomical motif, the winners are indicated by the names of space telescopes. The most highly rated title in the quarter is indicated by the name of an arm of the Galaxy. Multiple listings are ties.
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