Utopia SF (Vol VII), December 2025

“The Girl Who Stole Christmas” by E.J. Delaney

“A Mischief of Disciples” by Matt McHugh

“Skyvault Heist” by Anthony W. Eichenlaub (reprint, not reviewed)

Reviewed by Chuck Rothman

Utopia SF has three stories in their quarterly December issue, one of which is a reprint from last year. It starts with the seasonal themed “The Girl Who Stole Christmas” by E. J. Delaney, where a sheriff is given the task by the king of catching the Robbin’ Hoodlum, an audacious thief who has stolen some Christmas-themed jewels. Now the thief has announced her intention of stealing the gem called “Rudolph’s Nose” and the sheriff sets up a plan to capture her. A nice idea, though a bit predictable and I’m pretty sure the theft isn’t the success the story seems to think it is.

Matt McHugh’s “A Mischief of Disciples” tells about Thea, who is accidentally marooned on an unknown Earthlike planet, whose main life form is a bunch of small rodent-like creatures. She is starving, unable to forage for food, until she attacks a predator that is trying to feast on the rodents. They are grateful and start to bring her food and develop a relationship. I was feeling the story lacked conflict and Thea had things too easy. But then there was a final section, which turned it around into something I never expected. The “flaws” I thought I spotted were not important as the ending was well worth the read.

Chuck Rothman’s novel The Cadaver Princess is out from Amazing Stories Selects. He’s online at chuckrothman.com.