[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, December 15, 2025
“Bloodless” by Emily Woodworth
Reviewed by David Wesley Hill
Before I write about “Bloodless” by Emily Woodworth, the December 15th offering of Strange Horizons, let me get one quibble out of the way: Authors, unless your name is James Joyce, use dialog tags. Quotation marks exist to separate conversation from narrative, making it easy for the reader to understand what is being said and who is speaking. Without quotes, your audience—such as, ahem, this reviewer— must struggle to separate speech from text, which seriously distracts from their—my—enjoyment of the tale … which I did, despite the aforementioned stumbling block. “Bloodless” is a ghost story steeped in the culture and traditions of the Karuk people, one of the largest indigenous tribes in California. The titular protagonist wakes up with amnesia in a hole beneath an abandoned trailer in Happy Camp, a settlement in the heart of Karuk ancestral territory. Lacking a pulse, his veins drained dry, and unsure whether he is alive or dead, Bloodless looks for answers with the help of Mary Bartholomew—“Mars Bar”—who has the form of a young pregnant woman and who also may or may not be alive. What follows is a spiritual quest that actually brought a tear or two to this jaded reviewer’s eyes, and I’m happy to say I can recommend the story!