[On May 10, 2021 Strange Horizons officially expressed its political support for Palestinian solidarity. The views of Tangent Online reviewers are not necessarily those of Strange Horizons. Fiction critiqued at Tangent Online is, as much as is humanly possible, without prejudice and based solely on artistic merit.]

Strange Horizons, July 31, 2023

“Of Heirlooms and Teeth” by Kaitlin Tremblay

“Sprouting God” by Ezra Pilar Rodriguez

“Up in the Hills, She Dreams of Her Daughter Deep in the Ground” by Karlo Yeager Rodriguez

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

This special issue, dedicated to the theme of childbearing, features three stories about very strange forms of procreation.

“Of Heirlooms and Teeth” by Kaitlin Tremblay takes place in a world that has lost much of its floral life. A woman is able to produce extinct plants by swallowing lost baby teeth and soil, then tearing open her body to produce the plant. Although painful, the process does not kill her, and she repeats it often for paying clients.

The surreal process found in this visceral tale, described in vivid detail, is its primary appeal. There is very little plot other than the basic premise. Readers will have to decide for themselves whether this is sufficient to make the story worth reading.

“Sprouting God” by Ezra Pilar Rodriguez is very difficult to describe, or even understand. In brief, a woman kills her sorcerer mother using a method involving nightingales. She then gives birth to a son who is inhabited by an entity that might be a god, leading to a reversal of time and a new beginning.

I have explained this story very badly, but I hope I have been able to convey a hint of its strangeness. Readers looking for weirdness above all other aspects of fiction will best appreciate it. Others may be bewildered.

In “Up in the Hills, She Dreams of Her Daughter Deep in the Ground” by Karlo Yeager Rodriguez, a woman is sterilized against her will. A child appears under a plant in her garden. She thinks of the girl as her daughter. The situation leads to tragedy.

This is, by far, the most traditionally narrated story in the issue, offering the premise as supernatural fantasy rather than surrealism or experimental fiction. It is notable for the character of the woman’s husband, who is well-meaning but understandably upset by the situation. Although well-written, the story is somewhat repetitious once the premise has been established.

Victoria Silverwolf has not experienced childbearing.