In this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Kate Macdonald and Duncan Lawie join Dan Hartland to tackle the question of the back catalog. How should reviewers and readers approach writers with a number of books already to their name? How should we think about and access authors who have enjoyed a career of some duration?

Kate's review of The Curve of the World by Vonda N. McIntyre.

Duncan's review of Loss Protcol by Paul McAuley.

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents "Cold Comfort" by Louis Inglis Hall, read by Emmie Christie

You can read the full text of the story, and more about Louis Inglish Hall ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠

Content Warnings:

• Animal cruelty/death
• Disregard for personal autonomy
• Body transformation
• Death/dying
• Mental health issues
• Suicide

In this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Hana Carolina and Alex Kingsley join Dan Hartland to think about reviewing debut books and writers. Is there an extra responsibility reviewers owe to new writers? And if so, what might it be?

Hana's review of Krackle's Last Movie by Chelsea Sutton

Alex's review of Isaac by Allee Mead

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents "Four Steps to Hunt a God" by Athar Fikry, read by Emmie Christie

You can read the full text of the story, and more about Lio Abendan ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠

Content Warnings:

• • • Disregard for personal autonomy
    • Death/dying
    • Murder
    • Spiders/insects
    • Violence/combat

In this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Jenny Hamilton and Anushree Nande join Dan Hartland to discuss romance and romantasy. A huge proportion of science fiction and fantasy works and sales are now accounted for by this form. But what is its appeal? What is it doing? And where is it going?

Jenny's review of Into The Midnight Wood by Alexandra McCollum

Anushree's review of The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents "I Wish You Died Laughing" by Lio Abendan, read by Jenna Hanchey

You can read the full text of the story, and more about Lio Abendan ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠

Content Warnings:

• • Animal cruelty/death
  • Disregard for personal autonomy
  • Death/dying
  • Homophobia
  • Shaming
  • Trans misgendering or other transphobic depictions
  • Violence/combat

In this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Paul Kincaid and Dawn Macdonald join Dan Hartland to discuss style: What is it, what does it do, how can we think about it? And why does SFF seem to have such a fraught relationship with it? Get ready for Ursula K. Le Guin, Kurt Vonnegut, verse and poetry ... and police raids.

Paul's review of Syncopation by Whitney French.

Dawn's review of Into the Sun by C.F. Ramuz, translated by Olivia Baes and Emma Ramadan.

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents "The Aquarium of Lost Souls" by Natasha King, read by Jenna Hanchey

You can read the full text of the story, and more about Natasha King ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠

Content Warnings:

• Abuse
• Animal cruelty/death
• Disregard for personal autonomy
• Blood
• Body transformation
• Death/dying
• Dysphoria
• Violence/combat