Shucked, by Sam J. Miller

[F&SF]

★★★★★ Perfectly Chilling

(Horror) A young American couple in Italy gets a proposition from an older man: $10,000 for an hour of the young man’s time. They do need the money, but . . . (4,181 words; Time: 13m)

Recommended By: 👍RHorton.r+1 (Q&A)

Shattered Sidewalks of the Human Heart, by Sam J. Miller

[Clarkesworld]

★★★☆☆

(King Kong Pastiche) On the eve of World War II, five years after King Kong’s death, a young New York taxi driver meets Ann Darrow and learns they have something in common. (3,792 words; Time: 12m)

Conspicuous Plumage, by Sam J. Miller

[Lightspeed]

★★★★☆ Beautiful Characters on a Mission

(Modern Fantasy) Bette’s family hasn’t recovered from her brother’s murder, but she thinks she has a magical power that could make things better—if she can figure out what it is. (4,704 words; Time: 15m)

This story is not available for free online; you have to purchase the issue to read it.

Red Lizard Brigade, by Sam J. Miller

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆ Average

(Alternate History SF Adventure) In a 1950s Russia that developed “gate” technology, a young soldier rides his dinosaur in pursuit of his lover who seems to be trying to defect. (3,222 words; Time: 10m)

My Base Pair, by Sam J. Miller

[Analog]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Near-Future SF) The narrator hunts the best friend he lost at the end of high school, a friend created from an illegal copy of Tom Cruise’s sperm. (9,493 words; Time: 31m)

Although Analog categorizes this as a short story, it's way over the 7500-word limit.

Making Us Monsters, by Sam J. Miller and Lara Elena Donnelly

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(Historical Uncanny Horror) Fifteen years after his lover died in World War I, Siegfried starts receiving letters from him, dated just before his death. (10,902 words; Time: 36m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Complex and Thought-Provoking. Rewards Rereading.

The Future of Hunger in the Age of Programmable Matter, by Sam J. Miller

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(Near-Future SF) Otto and Trevor host a party where some friends demonstrate the latest in polymer toys. Otto meets Avram, who won’t be good for their relationship. But it’s the toys he should be worried about. (6,313 words; Time: 21m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

The Ways Out, by Sam J. Miller

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(Mutants) A government agent secretly watches Ryx (age 10) and Hector (age 19) because they both have dangerous “variant” abilities. (5,889 words; Time: 19m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Bodies Stacked Like Firewood, by Sam J. Miller

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(Mainstream) Cyd’s suicide brings his friend Kelvin to Albany for his memorial. (6,680 words; Time: 22m)

Rating: Not Rated No Speculative Element

Last Gods, by Sam J. Miller

[Anthology]

★★★★☆ Recommended

(Climate Change) On the edge of the ruined land, village people worship Orcas as gods. Unbeliever Kelb is up to something, and Adze tries to help him because she loves him. (6,200 words; Time: 20m)

Recommended By: 📙NClarke+2 👍RSR+1 (Q&A)

Things With Beards, by Sam J. Miller

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(Horror) Following a disaster in Antarctica, MacReady spends summer 1983 in New York and starts to wonder what he might have brought back with him. (4,712 words; Time: 15m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Recommended By: SFRevu:4 GDozois:5 RHorton:5 NClarke JStrahan Nebula

Ghosts of Home, by Sam J. Miller

Lightspeed Magazine, August 2015;  6,800 words
Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story  Recommended By: io9   SFEP

A young woman with a bank job appeasing spirits who haunt foreclosed homes meets an attractive young male spirit who causes her to question the rules.

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

The concept is hilarious. We like how Agnes really cares about the spirits. The way she gradually changes her attitude toward Trask is handled well.

The conclusion doesn't quite work. We had hints that Micah had an evil side to him, but nothing comes of that. Agnes' reconciliation with her mother is likewise unsatisfying for some reason. And we don't really believe that the error of making all those housing sales would be difficult to correct.

When Your Child Strays From God, by Sam J. Miller

Clarkesworld Magazine, July 2015; 5,875 words
Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story  Recommended By: io9

Fundamentalist mom takes networking drug so she can track down her missing teenage boy.

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

The mom's voice is priceless. She's an almost-perfect caricature. The tension when she's driving under the influence is very strong.

The ending is predictable. From the very first paragraph, when we learned about Carolina Bugtuttle's "degenerate son," it was fairly clear that the strayed boy would be with him, although there were plenty of red herrings (e.g. "his whore girlfriend.") The ending is too easy; she changes her mind with zero effort. Also, there's no flow from the mom back to the son--you'd expect him to be feeling her genuine love and genuine pain.

Calved, by Sam J. Miller

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A refugee from drowned New York City tries to reconnect with his teenage son during a break from the menial work he does on ice boats. (5,336 words; Time: 17m)

Rating: ★★★★★ Award-Worthy

Recommended By: GDozois:5