Review of "A Little Sleep" by Melissa Mead

"A Little Sleep" by Melissa Mead appeared in Daily Science Fiction on May 22, 2013.  "A princess is destined to sleep for one hundred years--is it a blessing or a curse?"

I enjoy fan fiction faerie tales such as "A Little Sleep" which provide new twists on old plots and interesting backstories.  There is a nice dilemma at the end which Ms. Mead wisely chooses to leave ambiguous.  However, the story could have been edited to about half its length.  4 out of 7 rocket-dragons.

Review of "sugar is smoking" by Jason Schneiderman

Sugar is smoking by Jason Schneiderman was offered by Poets.org's Poem-A-Day on May 22, 2013.  The poet reminds us that "death is always around the corner"--as if we needed reminding.

Review of "Indian Stream Republic" by Stephen Burt

Indian Stream Republic by Stephen Burt was offered by Poets.org's Poem-A-Day on May 21, 2013.  There is some mention of the laws by which the people of Indian Stream decided to live in the interim while New Hampshire and Canada sorted out who controlled the land.  I found the verse disjointed and, without the author's notes, difficult to understand.  Please see the figure for an explanation and, perhaps, a better "poem."

Review of "The Left Side of Your Lover's Broken Face" by Brynn MacNab

"The Left Side of Your Lover's Broken Face" by Brynn MacNab appeared in Daily Science Fiction on May 21, 2013.  "As your friend plays ping-pong with your lover, the left side of his face falls off."  This nearly incomprehensible story is made worse by abundant second person POV.  1 out of 7 rocket-dragons.

New Greeting Card Poem: "Brother 6"

I had a little fun with this one, constructing the poem as an acrostic on "BROTHER."

Review of "Currents" by Laura Hardgrave

"Currents" by Laura Hardgrave appeared in the May 2013 issue of Penumbra.  "A manned exploration of the Mariana Trench leads to a startling discovery."  Ms. Hardgrave is Penumbra's "rising talent" author for May 2013.

I read somewhere that the largest biome on earth is located in the crushing undersea depths--and we know little about it.  We do know that bizarre, unique life forms thrive in the micro-environments near deep sea vents, far below where the light of the sun penetrates.  What an excellent setting for a science fiction story!  Ms. Hardgrave makes good use of this fascinating setting and creates the same feeling of suspense and excitement common to a good story about the exploration of a new planet.  She goes further by introducing a moral dilemma surrounding an important discovery in the trench.  A "rising talent" indeed--brava!