Wombling Along

Helloooo!

Welcome to Wombling Along the blog’s weekend supplement where I share some reviews and other online articles that I think may be of interest.

It’s been a funny old week to be honest it turned out I’ve got a case of Shingles which has made it’s a tricky week to navigate with some uncomfortable days and powerful medicine (so sleepy) plus small matter of the day job. I am very glad it’s now the weekend and I’m looking on the mend! Perhaps a little reading will help the recovery?

The TBR Challenges

4 – Sidetrips

For this month I’d like you look for a book that has been published by either an independent press or self published

I think the small presses do a huge amount of heavy lifting for the genre. A little more willing to take a risk on stories and also encourage authors to develop rather than simply look at just debuts. I’m going to choose from Dead Ink Sealed by Naomi Booth

Strech Goal – Read four short stories from an anthology or collection. Hey if you like it finish the whole thing!

Nothing like an anthology to meet new authors and so for me this time it’s keeping with an Indie feel with Parsec In Print edited by Ian Whates

Reviews

Locus Magazine has a compelling ghost story set in the Covid pandemic with What The Bones Know by Kirstyn McDermott

https://locusmag.com/review/what-the-bones-know-by-kirstyn-mcdermott-review-by-ian-mond/

There is a look at Asimov’s

https://locusmag.com/review/asimovs-1-2-26-review-by-a-c-wise/

An impressed review of Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar

https://locusmag.com/review/seasons-of-glass-iron-by-amal-el-mohtar-review-by-gary-k-wolfe/

And also Children of Strife by Adrian Tchaikovsky

https://locusmag.com/review/children-of-strife-by-adrian-tchaikovsky-review-by-paul-di-filippo/

SFF World has a balanced review of Paradix by Douglas and Alethia Preston

https://www.sffworld.com/2026/04/paradox-by-douglas-and-aletheia-preston/

Strange Horizons has a Booktempting review of Climate Imagination Dispatched From Hopeful Futures edited by Joey Eschrich and Ed Finn

https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/climate-imagination-dispatches-from-hopeful-futures-edited-by-joey-eschrich-and-ed-finn/

Also the power of prose poetry is explored with Book of Potions by Lauren K Watel

https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/book-of-potions-by-lauren-k-watel/

And a dive into science fiction with The Faith of Beasts by James S A Corey

https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/the-faith-of-beasts-by-james-s-a-corey/

Reactor enjoyed Apparently Sir Cameron Needs To Die by Greer Stothers

https://reactormag.com/book-reviews-apparently-sir-cameron-needs-to-die-by-greer-stothers/

And impressed with Cabaret In Flames by Hache Pueyo

https://reactormag.com/book-review-cabaret-in-flames-by-hache-pueyo/

Espresso Coco is very positive about The Bone Door by Frances White

https://espressococo.com/2026/04/17/the-bone-door-by-frances-white/

And also the forthcoming Mortedant’s Peril by RJ Barker

https://espressococo.com/2026/04/16/mortedants-peril-by-rj-barker/

Gingernuts of Horror has a delight in horror with Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Bakers

https://gnofhorror.com/japanese-gothic-review-kylie-lee-bakers/

And Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman

https://gnofhorror.com/bodies-of-work-by-clay-mcleod-chapman-review/

Plus Crawlspace by Adam Christopher

https://gnofhorror.com/crawlspace-by-adam-christopher-review/

Fantasy Book Nerd gets to look at Come Sing For The Harrowing by Dan Coxon

https://www.fantasybooknerd.com/2026/04/book-review-come-sing-for-harrowing-dan.html?m=1

Jam Reads enjoyed Steel Gods by Richard Swan

https://jamreads.com/reviews/steel-gods-the-great-silence-2-by-richard-swan

Nerds of a Feather has a balanced look at The Lighthouse At The End of the World by Philip A Suggars

http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/04/book-review-lighthouse-at-end-of-world.html

And is very impressed with the award winning When There Are Wolves Again by EJ Swift

http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/04/book-review-when-there-are-wolves-again.html

Ancillary is very delighted by Luminous by Silvia Park

https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/04/17/an-existence-predicated-on-submission/

And a reminder I’ve a bit of catching up to now do with volume 4 of On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle

https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/04/14/another-turn-of-the-rubiks-cube/

In other news

Stewart Hotston makes a timely reminder to us to consider who is being centred in stories and who is ignored.

https://stewarthotston.com/2026/04/17/who-gets-to-matter-or-problematic-tropes-in-the-stories-we-love/

Ancillary explores the Norwegian speculative scene

https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/04/15/everyones-poly-in-space/

And the sexual politics of CJ Cherryh’s novels

https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/04/13/riding-with-valkyries-on-electric-horses/

Ruadan Books had an interesting look at rewrites

https://ruadanbooks.com/the-villain-within/

At theBFS I liked this article exploring the relationship between Folk Horror and trees

https://britishfantasysociety.org/folk-horror-into-the-woods/

Speculative Insight shared this essay on the subjects of Empire and how it works with Premee Mohamed’s excellent One Message Remans

https://www.speculativeinsight.com/essays/lives-under-empire

Always remember to read The Full Lid

https://mailchi.mp/898e22008027/the-full-lid-17th-april-2026

And for more bookish joy never forget to subscribe to Renay’s Intergalactic Mixtape

https://buttondown.com/intergalacticmixtape/archive/intergalactic-mixtape-49/

And finally what a place for a hive!

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-just-discovered-5-6-million-bees-under-a-new-york-cemetery/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WIS%204%2F17%2F26&utm_term=largest%20underground%20colonies%20of%20bees&_kx=pygZUyCRRGNC5yIkxf0CPgOs6mfNMteyIGIdSgOqzdg.WEer5A

Have a great weekend and keep reading! I’ll see you soon now best to recuperation