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Snake Eyes
The eleventh collection of short science fiction from Planet Scumm.
- GenresScience Fiction
112 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2021
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 14, 2021
Uh, nope. Sci-fi that is too way out there for me. Give me anything else but this. Maybe sci-fi isn't one of the genres that fits into my reading likes -- though I did like Colony and Poison in the Pills, along with The Next Step.
September 7, 2021
I really enjoyed this issue, guest edited by a team helmed by Hailey Piper. It’s my first time reading Planet Scumm, but it won’t be my last.
It’s a very nicely produced publication, and I particularly liked the high quality illustrations that accompany each story.
There are 8 stories in this issue.
My joint favorites were Real Sugar is Hard to Find by Sim Kern, a deceptively simple tale that tackles dark subjects yet remains sweet and hopeful, and Ma Dresden by Laura Baker, a bewitching fairy tale set in a dystopian world I want to learn more about.
Other standouts were Hivemind by LC Von Hessen, a weird fiction tale with malevolent architecture that stands in for the pointless idolatry of social media, and The Secret of Theta Pi by Stephanie Gray, which shows the loving bond of sorority sisters when one undergoes a horrendous ordeal.
The issue is rounded out by A Defiance of Violins by Ana Gardner, a well written story that contained some excellent depictions of the side effects of dodgy brain implants. The Hollow Stars in Heaven by Avery Kit Malone, a Lovecraftian romance. The Long Sleep by Diana Fenves presents a depressing future through the optimistic eyes of a child. The final story is An Eventual Feast by Lindsay King-Miller, which is remarkably tense.
Thank you to Scummy and the publisher for providing me with a free copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
It’s a very nicely produced publication, and I particularly liked the high quality illustrations that accompany each story.
There are 8 stories in this issue.
My joint favorites were Real Sugar is Hard to Find by Sim Kern, a deceptively simple tale that tackles dark subjects yet remains sweet and hopeful, and Ma Dresden by Laura Baker, a bewitching fairy tale set in a dystopian world I want to learn more about.
Other standouts were Hivemind by LC Von Hessen, a weird fiction tale with malevolent architecture that stands in for the pointless idolatry of social media, and The Secret of Theta Pi by Stephanie Gray, which shows the loving bond of sorority sisters when one undergoes a horrendous ordeal.
The issue is rounded out by A Defiance of Violins by Ana Gardner, a well written story that contained some excellent depictions of the side effects of dodgy brain implants. The Hollow Stars in Heaven by Avery Kit Malone, a Lovecraftian romance. The Long Sleep by Diana Fenves presents a depressing future through the optimistic eyes of a child. The final story is An Eventual Feast by Lindsay King-Miller, which is remarkably tense.
Thank you to Scummy and the publisher for providing me with a free copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
September 1, 2021
A beautiful, diverse collection of science fiction short stories that show just how much range the genre offers. The art is beautiful and makes this even more of a joy to read. Even though there were only bite sized looks at the worlds these authors came up with, each one was just as compelling as the one that came before it.
September 20, 2021
Each and every story is different. I enjoyed it.
September 30, 2021
Thank you to Managing Editor Tyler Berd for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Published this summer and guest-edited by a team led by author Hailey Piper, Snake Eyes is an anthology filled with stories that explore growth. Growth of mind, growth of insight, growth of an unexpected tentacle—this collection of short stories goes into depth about the experiences people have that change them, for the better or for worse. Alternating between the joyful and the borderline creepy, Snake Eyes holds something for everyone.
The anthology started with a bang. If all science fiction is like Ana Gardner's A Defiance of Violins, I need to read more of it—and if all science fiction is not like Ana Gardner's A Defiance of Violins, it should aspire to be so. It reminded me of just how enjoyable the genre can be, and worked that extra magic of creating such an extensive world within the small frame of 5,000 words that I immediately wished to read more.
Other highlights for me include Real Sugar is Hard to Find, set in a futuristic world where all areas outside the residential domes are deemed dangerous, and Ma Dresden, about a woman and her husband who argue over the way she spends her money—and said argument does not end well. Both were very different in nature and yet tied together in my mind by the strong thread of me enjoying them immensely while reading (even if the latter did tend a little toward the gruesome, something I don't easily like).
The illustrations adorning the pages and complementing the stories they came with were stunning. Beautiful. Gorgeous. They led me to discover Maura McGonagle's art style, something which paired perfectly with the volume and its content.
Although there were certain stories within this volume that didn't quite match my taste, I will say that they were all well-written and would definitely serve a different audience better than they did myself. All in all, a wonderful collection—and if you have an interest in science fiction, consider checking it out!
Published this summer and guest-edited by a team led by author Hailey Piper, Snake Eyes is an anthology filled with stories that explore growth. Growth of mind, growth of insight, growth of an unexpected tentacle—this collection of short stories goes into depth about the experiences people have that change them, for the better or for worse. Alternating between the joyful and the borderline creepy, Snake Eyes holds something for everyone.
The anthology started with a bang. If all science fiction is like Ana Gardner's A Defiance of Violins, I need to read more of it—and if all science fiction is not like Ana Gardner's A Defiance of Violins, it should aspire to be so. It reminded me of just how enjoyable the genre can be, and worked that extra magic of creating such an extensive world within the small frame of 5,000 words that I immediately wished to read more.
Other highlights for me include Real Sugar is Hard to Find, set in a futuristic world where all areas outside the residential domes are deemed dangerous, and Ma Dresden, about a woman and her husband who argue over the way she spends her money—and said argument does not end well. Both were very different in nature and yet tied together in my mind by the strong thread of me enjoying them immensely while reading (even if the latter did tend a little toward the gruesome, something I don't easily like).
The illustrations adorning the pages and complementing the stories they came with were stunning. Beautiful. Gorgeous. They led me to discover Maura McGonagle's art style, something which paired perfectly with the volume and its content.
Although there were certain stories within this volume that didn't quite match my taste, I will say that they were all well-written and would definitely serve a different audience better than they did myself. All in all, a wonderful collection—and if you have an interest in science fiction, consider checking it out!
September 1, 2021
There's something so powerful about artists whose creations are equal parts stunning and haunting. This is where the authors in Planet Scumm's Snake Eyes thrive. It's a collection of eight short stories, emphasized with gorgeous animations, that exist in that magical place between science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
Some of the stories featured in this edition of Planet Scumm use the terror of vengeful godlike beings, aliens, and a living skyscraper as a mirror for the worst parts of humanity. Others explore the meaning of life and how it is both finite and infinite. My personal favorite, Ma Dresden, is a beautifully chilling take on what is affectionately known as the "good for her" genre.
While the content itself is creative and incredibly well-done, what may be even more significant is those gathered for this issue. Planet Scumm ensured that Snake Eyes was written from the point of view that often gets overlooked in sci-fi. So in this issue, not only is every story written by femme, trans, or nonbinary authors, but the stories told portray them too.
With a hilarious foreword by guest editor, horror novelist Hailey Piper, Snake Eyes is a must-read for all fans of the scary side of sci-fi. Just maybe read with the lights on.
I was sent a copy of this e-mag for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Some of the stories featured in this edition of Planet Scumm use the terror of vengeful godlike beings, aliens, and a living skyscraper as a mirror for the worst parts of humanity. Others explore the meaning of life and how it is both finite and infinite. My personal favorite, Ma Dresden, is a beautifully chilling take on what is affectionately known as the "good for her" genre.
While the content itself is creative and incredibly well-done, what may be even more significant is those gathered for this issue. Planet Scumm ensured that Snake Eyes was written from the point of view that often gets overlooked in sci-fi. So in this issue, not only is every story written by femme, trans, or nonbinary authors, but the stories told portray them too.
With a hilarious foreword by guest editor, horror novelist Hailey Piper, Snake Eyes is a must-read for all fans of the scary side of sci-fi. Just maybe read with the lights on.
I was sent a copy of this e-mag for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 25, 2022
Four of these stories were excellent and all were interesting in some way.
I purchased this volume because of reading the first few paragraphs of Ana Gardner's "A Defiance of Violins" online, feeling that it seemed masterful, and deciding I wanted to read it on paper. Gardner's story is indeed keen. It's a strong lead for this volume. The high-concept premise involves a viewpoint character who tests brain implant tech in a sort of debtor's-society/test-drugs-for-money/dysfunctional-capitalism-dystopia, but she comes to inject a certain freedom into its underbelly (not in a big-budget save-the-world way but in a quietly heroic stroke nevertheless). The vibe here is like Fahrenheit 451 but calibrated for the 21st century. This is one of the stories I deem excellent. I imagine it could be adapted quite well to Netflix's "Love, Death & Robots."
The others worth celebrating for overall effect and impact are "The Long Sleep" by Diana Fenves, "Real Sugar Is Hard to Find" by Sim Kern, and "An Eventual Feast" by Lindsay King-Miller.
Perhaps following an editorial preference for debtor's-society-themed work, "The Long Sleep" (Diana Venves) features a boy who is eventually put into suspended animation because his broken family cannot afford to feed and house him. But, like ballooning mortgages, the cost to wake someone from their long sleep rises in ways that make it challenging to reanimate them. This casts family members and indeed much of society into spirals of debt while they are separated from loved ones for much longer than expected and personal choice is seemingly constrained by the noose-knell of capitalism-amok. While that topical issue is at the core of this story, it's told in a way that it is not just *about* that and indeed holds together as a slowly revealing story of humanity, family, and integrity. There are obvious immigration policy political overtones. There is also the boy's private world of modeling his emerging worldview on a queer astronaut broadcasting from Mars and how identity, gender, and pop-culture celebrity, and social media saturation all blend together especially for young people seeking empowerment in a world that may seem to lack local options for it. This story seems to have the pulse of various streams running through our contemporary world.
"Real Sugar Is Hard to Find" follows a similar vein in that there is another teenage viewpoint character but the story flows not only about them but about how he relates with his mom, sister, love interest, and wider world. This story tickled me because it is set in a dystopic future Wisconsin and the characters venture on their mission to find actual ingredients to bake a cake to cheer the sister. Such ingredients as sugar and butter are scarce resources only to be found off the grid or on black markets. Mother and son leave the domed environs of relatively well-off socioeconomic strata near Lake Michigan, heading into the undomed wilderness beyond a dystopic Waukesha and the even wilder territory of the (wait for it) Wisconsin Dells! There they run into trouble of various kinds that somehow reveals so much about their entire society--or parallel societies that have emerged in this fractured and stratified dystopia that bears resonance to our own political/cultural realities as we confront climate change and political instability. There is verve and humanity seeping through this piece, which flows from themes of teenage attempted suicide, mental illness, teenage angst/confusion, and maternal grief/perseverance. In such a short space, we find a fully developed sense of the mother and son and how they interact with others that is admirable because we quickly iterate our sense of who these characters are and what kinds of assumptions they make about the others even as they seem to learn about each other. There's also great humor embedded in the texture of the language and situational irony as well as a sense of redemption that is not necessarily a given when we tread into this story. I commend this story.
"An Eventual Feast" advances an intriguing premise, also with jolts of terror-cum-levity, following a viewpoint character awaiting her spouse's home childbirth aboard an ark-style spaceship. This will be the first birth onboard and the conflict is that the midwife is being stalked by a zombie-not-quite-zombie in the form of recycling algae that takes the form of the last human it has collectively digested. That's quite the intriguing premise, and one perfect for this medium. This story moves through various forms of unsettling territory as the birth approaches, and ultimately the resolution feels appropriate. As a political corollary that does not constitute a spoiler, it's interesting that there's no "it's a girl" or "it's a boy" announcement upon the birth of the child in a story also heavily characterized by attention to gendered or ungendered pronouns for various female characters. This is not something I have typically thought about when considering the choices that lead some to adopt "they/their" pronouns. (One wonders if this may constitute another front in our ongoing culture wars.)
"The Hollow Stars in Heaven" by Avery Kit Malone follows a sort of love affair between a human and a cosmic entity. "Hivemind" by L.C. Von Hessen presents a creepy pseudo-Vandermeer-esque celebrity-architectural-monument in a large city which may or may not be absorbing/ingesting those who venture into it. "The Secret of Theta Pi" by Stephanie Gray follows sorority friends looking to set their sister free after she is transformed into a cephalopod. "Ma Dresden" by Laura Barker presents a character profile of an arguably unsavory woman who commits explosive aggression at her husband of fifty years in a pseduo-noir revenge tale where the motivation for the vengeance is unclear and the speculative twist is that she's traded the "black" of her eyes to harm him.
Overall, this is a compelling collection of creative speculative short stories that do not shy away from contemporary issues.
I purchased this volume because of reading the first few paragraphs of Ana Gardner's "A Defiance of Violins" online, feeling that it seemed masterful, and deciding I wanted to read it on paper. Gardner's story is indeed keen. It's a strong lead for this volume. The high-concept premise involves a viewpoint character who tests brain implant tech in a sort of debtor's-society/test-drugs-for-money/dysfunctional-capitalism-dystopia, but she comes to inject a certain freedom into its underbelly (not in a big-budget save-the-world way but in a quietly heroic stroke nevertheless). The vibe here is like Fahrenheit 451 but calibrated for the 21st century. This is one of the stories I deem excellent. I imagine it could be adapted quite well to Netflix's "Love, Death & Robots."
The others worth celebrating for overall effect and impact are "The Long Sleep" by Diana Fenves, "Real Sugar Is Hard to Find" by Sim Kern, and "An Eventual Feast" by Lindsay King-Miller.
Perhaps following an editorial preference for debtor's-society-themed work, "The Long Sleep" (Diana Venves) features a boy who is eventually put into suspended animation because his broken family cannot afford to feed and house him. But, like ballooning mortgages, the cost to wake someone from their long sleep rises in ways that make it challenging to reanimate them. This casts family members and indeed much of society into spirals of debt while they are separated from loved ones for much longer than expected and personal choice is seemingly constrained by the noose-knell of capitalism-amok. While that topical issue is at the core of this story, it's told in a way that it is not just *about* that and indeed holds together as a slowly revealing story of humanity, family, and integrity. There are obvious immigration policy political overtones. There is also the boy's private world of modeling his emerging worldview on a queer astronaut broadcasting from Mars and how identity, gender, and pop-culture celebrity, and social media saturation all blend together especially for young people seeking empowerment in a world that may seem to lack local options for it. This story seems to have the pulse of various streams running through our contemporary world.
"Real Sugar Is Hard to Find" follows a similar vein in that there is another teenage viewpoint character but the story flows not only about them but about how he relates with his mom, sister, love interest, and wider world. This story tickled me because it is set in a dystopic future Wisconsin and the characters venture on their mission to find actual ingredients to bake a cake to cheer the sister. Such ingredients as sugar and butter are scarce resources only to be found off the grid or on black markets. Mother and son leave the domed environs of relatively well-off socioeconomic strata near Lake Michigan, heading into the undomed wilderness beyond a dystopic Waukesha and the even wilder territory of the (wait for it) Wisconsin Dells! There they run into trouble of various kinds that somehow reveals so much about their entire society--or parallel societies that have emerged in this fractured and stratified dystopia that bears resonance to our own political/cultural realities as we confront climate change and political instability. There is verve and humanity seeping through this piece, which flows from themes of teenage attempted suicide, mental illness, teenage angst/confusion, and maternal grief/perseverance. In such a short space, we find a fully developed sense of the mother and son and how they interact with others that is admirable because we quickly iterate our sense of who these characters are and what kinds of assumptions they make about the others even as they seem to learn about each other. There's also great humor embedded in the texture of the language and situational irony as well as a sense of redemption that is not necessarily a given when we tread into this story. I commend this story.
"An Eventual Feast" advances an intriguing premise, also with jolts of terror-cum-levity, following a viewpoint character awaiting her spouse's home childbirth aboard an ark-style spaceship. This will be the first birth onboard and the conflict is that the midwife is being stalked by a zombie-not-quite-zombie in the form of recycling algae that takes the form of the last human it has collectively digested. That's quite the intriguing premise, and one perfect for this medium. This story moves through various forms of unsettling territory as the birth approaches, and ultimately the resolution feels appropriate. As a political corollary that does not constitute a spoiler, it's interesting that there's no "it's a girl" or "it's a boy" announcement upon the birth of the child in a story also heavily characterized by attention to gendered or ungendered pronouns for various female characters. This is not something I have typically thought about when considering the choices that lead some to adopt "they/their" pronouns. (One wonders if this may constitute another front in our ongoing culture wars.)
"The Hollow Stars in Heaven" by Avery Kit Malone follows a sort of love affair between a human and a cosmic entity. "Hivemind" by L.C. Von Hessen presents a creepy pseudo-Vandermeer-esque celebrity-architectural-monument in a large city which may or may not be absorbing/ingesting those who venture into it. "The Secret of Theta Pi" by Stephanie Gray follows sorority friends looking to set their sister free after she is transformed into a cephalopod. "Ma Dresden" by Laura Barker presents a character profile of an arguably unsavory woman who commits explosive aggression at her husband of fifty years in a pseduo-noir revenge tale where the motivation for the vengeance is unclear and the speculative twist is that she's traded the "black" of her eyes to harm him.
Overall, this is a compelling collection of creative speculative short stories that do not shy away from contemporary issues.
October 22, 2021
I can't recommend "Snake Eyes" enough. I haven't read the previous Planet Scumm issues, but I'm definitely interested in checking them out. I loved how many additional elements these sci-fi stories incorporated, from dystopia to cosmic horror. Furthermore, readers who are looking for LGBTQ+ representation will find it here. Then there were the wonderful illustrations by Maura McGonagle. Maura expertly captured the themes and added to the mysterious, creepy aura of the stories. Since multiple authors contributed to this issue, I'll give a brief review for each story. I honestly can't think of anything I didn't like in this magazine. If you're looking for an emotionally evocative, stimulating, creative speculative fiction magazine, you should check out Planet Scumm #11, "Snake Eyes."
"A Defiance of Violins" by Ana Gardner: Wow. That about sums up how I felt about this story, which turned out to be my favorite one of them all. Like other stories in the magazine, this one was expertly structured and the plot was intriguing. However, the clever main character and the powerful conclusion especially rang with me.
"The Hollow Stars in Heaven" by Avery Kit Malone: Unique and thought-provoking, this story came with an incredible, shocking twist that made me cheer. Loved it.
"Hivemind" by LC von Hessen: Nightmarishly surreal at times, "Hivemind" was a bit hard to follow but was engaging overall. I enjoyed this story's cynical tone and the dry wit of the main character.
"The Secret of Theta Pi" by Stephanie Gray: This is my second favorite because I loved the powerful relationship between the characters. Hauntingly sorrowful yet ultimately bittersweet, this tale of friendship stole my heart, and the touch of cosmic horror was well done.
"The Long Sleep" by Diana Fenves: Unsettling. That's the word I'd use to describe this one. I liked the twist at the end, and for such a short work, the main character was impressively easy to grow attached to. "The Long Sleep" was hard to stop reading.
"Real Sugar Is Hard to Find" by Sim Kern: With an endearing plot, this one really tugged at the heartstrings. Sim Kern's delivery was excellent. The contrast between the hopeful moments and the depressing dystopian themes made for a poignant read.
"Ma Dresden" by Laura Barker: What I loved most about "Ma Dresden" was the conversational narrative that was interspersed with dark humor. The hair-raising conclusion was the cherry on top of this entertaining story.
"An Eventual Feast" by Lindsay King-Miller: I’m not usually big on zombies, but this delivered a chilling new twist to the trope that amazed me. Lindsay built up the suspense expertly, keeping my heart pounding throughout the story. As thought-provoking as it was unnerving, "An Eventual Feast" was a perfect closing story to this masterpiece of a magazine.
(Disclaimer: I received a free digital review copy of this magazine. All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased.)
Trigger Warning: The works within this magazine contain some mature subject matter, including violence.
"A Defiance of Violins" by Ana Gardner: Wow. That about sums up how I felt about this story, which turned out to be my favorite one of them all. Like other stories in the magazine, this one was expertly structured and the plot was intriguing. However, the clever main character and the powerful conclusion especially rang with me.
"The Hollow Stars in Heaven" by Avery Kit Malone: Unique and thought-provoking, this story came with an incredible, shocking twist that made me cheer. Loved it.
"Hivemind" by LC von Hessen: Nightmarishly surreal at times, "Hivemind" was a bit hard to follow but was engaging overall. I enjoyed this story's cynical tone and the dry wit of the main character.
"The Secret of Theta Pi" by Stephanie Gray: This is my second favorite because I loved the powerful relationship between the characters. Hauntingly sorrowful yet ultimately bittersweet, this tale of friendship stole my heart, and the touch of cosmic horror was well done.
"The Long Sleep" by Diana Fenves: Unsettling. That's the word I'd use to describe this one. I liked the twist at the end, and for such a short work, the main character was impressively easy to grow attached to. "The Long Sleep" was hard to stop reading.
"Real Sugar Is Hard to Find" by Sim Kern: With an endearing plot, this one really tugged at the heartstrings. Sim Kern's delivery was excellent. The contrast between the hopeful moments and the depressing dystopian themes made for a poignant read.
"Ma Dresden" by Laura Barker: What I loved most about "Ma Dresden" was the conversational narrative that was interspersed with dark humor. The hair-raising conclusion was the cherry on top of this entertaining story.
"An Eventual Feast" by Lindsay King-Miller: I’m not usually big on zombies, but this delivered a chilling new twist to the trope that amazed me. Lindsay built up the suspense expertly, keeping my heart pounding throughout the story. As thought-provoking as it was unnerving, "An Eventual Feast" was a perfect closing story to this masterpiece of a magazine.
(Disclaimer: I received a free digital review copy of this magazine. All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased.)
Trigger Warning: The works within this magazine contain some mature subject matter, including violence.
October 23, 2021
So this was a fun surprise! Planet Scumm is a sci-fi lit mag, and this issue featured eight short stories by femme, trans, or nonbinary authors. I don't read a whole lot of short stories, but this was a well-written collection that trended towards darker stories with heavier themes, and always kept me guessing what would come next. I loved the artwork that went along with each tale and although a couple of the stories veered into the bizarre, I came away feeling super satisfied with the read.
My favorites were A Defiance of Violins by Ana Garden, Real Sugar is Hard to Find by Sim Kern, and An Eventual Feast by Lindsay King-Miller.
In A Defiance of Violins, I loved the subtle romance in the bleak world, where hope manages to wiggle its way through despite the odds. In Real Sugar is Hard to Find, the mother-son relationship that develops throughout their little adventure in their divided world really resonated with me, and left me with a smile. And the building tension and fascinating premise of An Eventual Feast were expertly executed, with the perfect ending to the bring the story and the collection to a close.
I definitely recommend this issue to anyone interested in darker, beautifully written science fiction that takes us off the beaten path into new worlds disturbingly familiar to our own. And I'm definitely curious to see what the next issue brings. Thanks so much to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
My favorites were A Defiance of Violins by Ana Garden, Real Sugar is Hard to Find by Sim Kern, and An Eventual Feast by Lindsay King-Miller.
In A Defiance of Violins, I loved the subtle romance in the bleak world, where hope manages to wiggle its way through despite the odds. In Real Sugar is Hard to Find, the mother-son relationship that develops throughout their little adventure in their divided world really resonated with me, and left me with a smile. And the building tension and fascinating premise of An Eventual Feast were expertly executed, with the perfect ending to the bring the story and the collection to a close.
I definitely recommend this issue to anyone interested in darker, beautifully written science fiction that takes us off the beaten path into new worlds disturbingly familiar to our own. And I'm definitely curious to see what the next issue brings. Thanks so much to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2021
This edition only accepted submissions from cis women, trans women, trans men, and non-binary people – and the stories do a wonderful job of featuring underrepresented voices. It features gorgeous art, and every story was compelling, fresh, and thought-provoking. I often find short story collections vary in quality, but each piece of writing featured was brilliant. If you love diverse speculative fiction and short stories, I’d recommend checking this issue (and the magazine) out!
Thanks to Planet Scumm for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! You can find my full review here!
Follow me on my Blog, Twitter, and Instagram.
Thanks to Planet Scumm for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! You can find my full review here!
Follow me on my Blog, Twitter, and Instagram.
December 5, 2021
~I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review~
Going into this one, I knew it wasn't going to be something I normally read, since I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi, even though I do read the genre fairly frequently.
The biggest problem I had with this book/short story collection, was that there was lots of unnecessary mature content, like swearing (quite a few f bombs and such), sex content (references to that), and others that made me a felt uncomfortable reading. I feel like this book could have been much better without all of this, and removing it wouldn't have affected the development or quality of the stories in a negative way.
It was cool though that there were illustrations in the stories, and, though they were unique, they added a good touch to the story.
All in all, this book wasn't for me, but if you'd enjoy an innovative collection of short stories, then you should give this one a try.
Going into this one, I knew it wasn't going to be something I normally read, since I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi, even though I do read the genre fairly frequently.
The biggest problem I had with this book/short story collection, was that there was lots of unnecessary mature content, like swearing (quite a few f bombs and such), sex content (references to that), and others that made me a felt uncomfortable reading. I feel like this book could have been much better without all of this, and removing it wouldn't have affected the development or quality of the stories in a negative way.
It was cool though that there were illustrations in the stories, and, though they were unique, they added a good touch to the story.
All in all, this book wasn't for me, but if you'd enjoy an innovative collection of short stories, then you should give this one a try.
October 24, 2021
It has been a while since I have read a short stories collection. I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest, but the stories surprised me. I enjoyed reading this Issue, and the book didn’t disappoint.
First off, I was delighted to find out that these stories featured the underrepresented voices: cis women, non-binary, and trans authors.
This book is a collection of eight interesting sci-fi stories, where each one had a different concept and fresh plot. The book starts with Ana Gardner's A Defiance of Violins. A brilliant and solid start that kept me interested and wanted to read more. Each of the stories is enjoyable and compelling. The illustrations are gorgeous too.
Overall I recommend this Issue, and I can't wait for the next one.
First off, I was delighted to find out that these stories featured the underrepresented voices: cis women, non-binary, and trans authors.
This book is a collection of eight interesting sci-fi stories, where each one had a different concept and fresh plot. The book starts with Ana Gardner's A Defiance of Violins. A brilliant and solid start that kept me interested and wanted to read more. Each of the stories is enjoyable and compelling. The illustrations are gorgeous too.
Overall I recommend this Issue, and I can't wait for the next one.
October 31, 2025
First of all, I'm not a fan of science fiction, so it was hard reading this. However, after a while, I adjusted to the flow and read till the end. It was quite okay; the plot was simple and interesting. However, I learned there are other books in the series, so if you are a fan of science fiction, I would advise you to start reading the series from the beginning.
December 31, 2022
A beautiful and disturbing set of short stories. I'll be returning to planet scumm soon!!
October 2, 2021
I haven't read a lot of short story collections like this beyond just anthologies, and even those I hadn't read a lot of. I've definitely read very few sci-fi short stories, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going into this. I was drawn in by the gender diversity this issue focused on (only stories written by women, non-binary, and trans authors!), and was so happy that it fully delivered on this front as well.
The biggest stand out aspect of this collection has to be the diversity. The stories are rich with many levels of diversity, and I especially enjoyed seeing so many gender queer characters. Sci-fi, and fantasy, are genres that have long been dominated by cis white men, and while we see more and more books in both genres written by marginalized authors, it never quite seems to be enough. This collection was a breath of fresh air in that regard, and I definitely want to try more issues of Planet Scumm to see if they're just as diverse as this issue was.
I also thought the individual stories were extremely impressive as well. I sometimes struggle with short stories, often feeling like it's just quite enough space to fully develop an interesting world, but I didn't have that issue here at all. Every story felt like a small piece of a larger world, while still giving enough of a picture of that world as to not leave readers lost and confused. They all drew me in quickly and left me wanting more, in a good way this time!
Overall, I highly recommend Snake Eyes, and can't wait to read more issues!
The biggest stand out aspect of this collection has to be the diversity. The stories are rich with many levels of diversity, and I especially enjoyed seeing so many gender queer characters. Sci-fi, and fantasy, are genres that have long been dominated by cis white men, and while we see more and more books in both genres written by marginalized authors, it never quite seems to be enough. This collection was a breath of fresh air in that regard, and I definitely want to try more issues of Planet Scumm to see if they're just as diverse as this issue was.
I also thought the individual stories were extremely impressive as well. I sometimes struggle with short stories, often feeling like it's just quite enough space to fully develop an interesting world, but I didn't have that issue here at all. Every story felt like a small piece of a larger world, while still giving enough of a picture of that world as to not leave readers lost and confused. They all drew me in quickly and left me wanting more, in a good way this time!
Overall, I highly recommend Snake Eyes, and can't wait to read more issues!
November 10, 2022
Thank you, Planet Scumm, for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review!
It has been a while since I’ve read a journal full of stories from various writers, but I enjoyed reading these different tales in Snake Eyes. All the sci-fi stories are full of unique worlds and characters. Even though they don’t have much in common, they all feel connected.
My favorites out of the whole batch were "A Defiance of Violins," "The Secret of Theta Pi," "Real Sugar is Hard to Find," and "An Eventual Feast." These stories’ voices reached out to me a bit more than the others.
The only thing to critique is that I didn’t connect with a couple of the stories as much as the others. But that is just my taste and has nothing to do with the writers’ abilities.
Overall, I enjoyed this journal and would read from them again.
It has been a while since I’ve read a journal full of stories from various writers, but I enjoyed reading these different tales in Snake Eyes. All the sci-fi stories are full of unique worlds and characters. Even though they don’t have much in common, they all feel connected.
My favorites out of the whole batch were "A Defiance of Violins," "The Secret of Theta Pi," "Real Sugar is Hard to Find," and "An Eventual Feast." These stories’ voices reached out to me a bit more than the others.
The only thing to critique is that I didn’t connect with a couple of the stories as much as the others. But that is just my taste and has nothing to do with the writers’ abilities.
Overall, I enjoyed this journal and would read from them again.
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