Reviews
Here is a selection of some of the nice things folks have said about my stories.
“The Haunting of Asteroid H111,” In Darkness, Delight: Fear the Future:
- “There’s a bit of everything packed into this very dark adventure that toes the line between what’s really happening and what’s not. Great fun and features a terrific narrator!”
– Yolanda Sfetsos
“Hard!,” F&SF, January/February 2021:
- “One of those perfect little stories that are a lot of fun to read.”
– Sam Tomaino, SFRevu
- “This over-too-quickly story has a whimsical tone to go with its original storyline.”
– Kevin P. Hallett, Tangent Online
“Spirits’ Price,” On Spec #109, December 2018:
- “A lovely story worthy of Peter S. Beagle.”
– Eamonn Murphy, SF Crowsnest
- “An interesting tale that read easily and engaged the reader’s imagination.” [Placed on Tangent Online’s 2018 Recommended Reading List]
– Kevin P. Hallett, Tangent Online
“What You Need,” New Myths #35, June 2016:
- “A fairy-tale/fable about scrupulosity, which I don’t see written about very often. More importantly, it’s written well, and tells a fantastic little story. . . . One of those fast, high-impact tales that just comes out of nowhere and lands a great blow.”
– Eneasz Brodski, Death Is Bad
- “A brief but touching fable.”
– Julius Caesar’s Tuesday Afternoon Sandwich Review
“The Body Pirate,” Fantasy & Science Fiction, July-August 2015:
- “While there are clear ethical themes here, the primary one is identity—not sexual/group identity. . ., but the more basic issue of personhood, of ‘who am I that I am?’ A lot to ponder here. — RECOMMENDED”
– Lois Tilton, Locus Online
- “Hughes uses this story to dramatise some really interesting moral questions in a way which could only really work in Science Fiction. This is probably the most original story I’ve read for some time and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
– Patrick Mahon, SF Crowsnest
- “The most experimental, and I think best, story in the issue.”
– Aaron Pound, Dreaming About Other Worlds
“Seven Tips to Enjoy Your Time in the Unreal Forest,” Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, January 2014:
- “By blending the real and the unreal, this insightful coming of age tale explores the moral quandaries that arise when actions do not trigger overt consequences.”
– Michelle Ristuccia, Tangent Online
- “Stunning. . . Check it out. For realz, people.”
– Matthew S. Rotundo
- “The best story here. . . . A sad story with an important message.”
– Shawn Camp, My Dad Reads, Review of IGMS 37
“The Long View,” Fantasy & Science Fiction, March-April 2013:
- “Van Aaron Hughes has written a powerful work of tragedy with an ending whose sadness stayed with me.” [Placed on Tangent Online’s 2013 Recommended Reading List – 3 stars]
– Chuck Rothman, Tangent Online
- “A sad, poignant little tale.”
– Sam Tomaino, SF Revu
- “Excellent SF . . . handled well with a viewpoint and characterisation that takes it beyond what could have been scientist fiction elsewhere.”
– Mark Watson, Best SF
“The Dualist,” Writers of the Future, Vol. XXVII:
- “Of all the writers in this anthology, Mr Hughes’ skill for the penned word stands out the brightest.”
– Frank Dutkiewicz, Diabolical Plots
- “It wasn’t until the last couple of pages that I figured out where this story was going, and it wasn’t until the final paragraphs that I understood, and was thusly blown away. A surprisingly moving tale.”
– Chris Hawks, Salt-Man Z Blog
“Random Fire,” Abyss & Apex:
- “This one does a neat thing I’ve never seen done exactly this way before, that could only be done in hypertext, a medium generally overrated.”
– Lois Tilton, Locus Online
- “very cleverly done”
– Sam Tomaino, SF Revu
- “I literally got goose bumps while reading this, and they stayed. Probably the best short story I’ve ever read.”
– Tobacco Jones
“The Truth About Mother,” Arcane:
- “I adored the voice in this; Buster is wittily sarcastic . . . The pacing is swift, the story moving along as Buster gets (bug) guts-deep into the investigation of a congressman. Fun stuff. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars”
– Defcon’s Defunct Delirium
- “straight up hilarious”
– Leslianne Wilder, Skull Honey Blog
“The Burbles,” The Dream People:
- “Great bizarro fun!”
– Kyle Aisteach
“Losing Your Grip,” Linger Fiction:
- “Slipstream at its best.”
– Milo James Fowler
“Winning Friends,” Glorifying Terrorism:
- “4 stars out of 5”
– Blue Tyson, Not Free SF Reader
Van Aaron Hughes 
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