Review of Parallel Worlds by Addison Smith
Addison Smith’s Parallel Worlds: Science Fiction and Fantasy (2023) is a collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories, flash fiction, and drabbles. Though some common themes emerge amongst the stories, there’s also a great amount of variety, ensuring that most readers will find stories they thoroughly enjoy within this collection.
Of the stories included here, I particularly enjoyed “Fancy and Fish Hearts,” which is a heart-rending tale of a couple growing apart, as reflected in a living fish one of them has crafted. This is one of several themes that runs throughout multiple stories, dealing with couples navigating change, often for the worse. Aquatic life, too, is a theme in several of the stories, and one that is dear to my own heart. I also enjoyed the drabbles, which I know is a difficult form to master, but Smith does a fantastic job in “The Hikaru Defense Project,” with shades of a post-apocalyptic world in which a consciousness is revived to fight again and again. In just 100 words, this story gives backstory and intense pathos. I also loved “Mittens and the Death Moth,” which rang all too true as a cat owner.
Whether you prefer your stories quick and bite-sized or slightly longer, you’re sure to find something you like in Parallel Worlds, and it’s likely you’ll find more than one that resonates with you!
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