[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, February 17, 2025

“Arachnomorphosis” by Beth Goder

Reviewed by Chuck Rothman

Olivia has a problem: every night, she changes into a spider. In “Arachnomorphosis” by Beth Goder, she is a software engineer who also edits a small press periodical. Being a spider at night causes problems in her personal life, since she is afraid of the ramifications. While the story is an interesting situation, filled with minutia about Olivia’s plight, it peters out quickly. Olivia’s reaction to everything is so subdued; she wants it to end more as an intellectual exercise than anything that she feels deeply about. While I found the situation engaging, I didn’t find the story satisfying.

Chuck Rothman’s novel The Cadaver Princess will be published by Experimenter Publishing, the book imprint of Amazing Stories.