For those who missed it Monday, I have also published my ballot for the Hugo Awards for Best Novel. If you haven’t seen the preamble yet, I’ll quote it here. Otherwise, skip down one paragraph. For the sixth straight year, I have read and reviewed the finalists for four print fiction categories in the Hugo… Continue reading 2026 Hugo Awards Ballot: Best Novella
I’d heard some positive buzz about Freya Marske’s Cinder House before awards shortlists were released, but seeing as how I didn’t seem to fit any of the target demographics, I let it pass by until a Hugo nomination sent it climbing back up my TBR. Even though I hadn’t picked it off the shelf on… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: Cinder House by Freya Marske
For the sixth straight year, I have read and reviewed the finalists for four print fiction categories in the Hugo Awards for the best of the year in science fiction and fantasy. It feels a little different this year, because I am a Hugo finalist (for Best Fan Writer), and my reviews suddenly feel a bit more… Continue reading 2026 Hugo Awards Ballot: Best Novel
T. Kingfisher’s Sworn Soldier series offers bite-sized horror stories linked by a common central character. And because the first three have been nominated for Hugos, I keep reading them. I liked What Moves the Dead well enough but did not care for What Feasts at Night, so it was with some apprehension that I approached… Continue reading Horror Novella Review: What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher
I’ve gone heavy on the short fiction this month, with a pair of Magazine Minis and my regular magazine review, alongside a couple of longer reviews from my Hugo reading. But as always, that’s not everything, and I have more sci-fi and fantasy short fiction to recommend. Let’s get to it! Short Fiction As I… Continue reading July 2026 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany
Two Magazine Minis in a month? In this economy? Earlier this month, I took a look at some stories from OnSpec and The Deadlands that were included in the Hugo packet. But publishers didn’t stop releasing new things just because I was reading stories from last year. And guess what? There are some new releases… Continue reading Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis (Again!): Adventitious, Kaleidotrope, and Reckoning
My Magazine Minis came early this month, but I’ve still got a regular magazine review to share. Let’s take a look at the new short fiction in the July 2026 issues of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus. Clarkesworld Though Clarkesworld does an excellent job platforming new authors, I’ve been reading long enough to recognize quite a few… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (July 2026)
When Jared Pechaček’s debut novel, The West Passage, came out last year, I heard no shortage of praise from my usual circles. However, much of the praise was for the weird worldbuilding (not usually a huge selling point for me), and it appeared to have a quest plot structure (something I actively dislike), so I… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The West Passage by Jared Pechaček
This month, I’m pivoting a bit away from my usual Magazine Minis habit, which typically involves sampling some sci-fi/fantasy new releases and dedicating small review sections to publications with multiple stories that catch my eye. The process this month is the same, the difference is that the focus has not been on new releases. Instead,… Continue reading Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: On Spec and The Deadlands
Automatic Noodle was one of those books that was impossible to avoid in certain spaces last year. I haven’t been particularly wowed by the cozy trend in SFF, so I let it pass upon release, figuring I’d circle back after the inevitable Hugo nomination. Fast-forward a year and it’s been shortlisted for Best Novella, so… Continue reading Sci-fi Novella Review: Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
