Publication: Phano

  • The Name of the Game is Love by Karen Heuler

    Lucy signs up to be a tester for a personal android. This story is an exploration of human loneliness, connection and the unintended consequences of the ‘move fast and break things’ approach. Heuler’s writing is so absorbing, the story grabbed me right away. It felt a little like a prequel to Annie Bot. I spent…

  • Swine at the Trough by Brian D. Hinson

    I read this last week and chose not to share it as I felt kind of overwhelmed by it (when you read it, you’ll see why). But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since, so here it is. Hinson’s story is a dystopian one where the protagonist’s last resort to make ends…

  • Life on Earth by Spencer Nitkey

    This is the first I’ve read from Nitkey (it won’t be the last, he’s published a lot). In ‘Life on Earth’, the narrator’s partner is dying while scientists are discovering life on other planets. I’ve been reading a lot of Ted Chiang recently, and the humanity and emotion in this story remind me of some…

  • Millions of Seashells by P.R. O’Leary

    ‘Millions of Seashells’ is a time travel story, sure, but it’s about regrets and second-guessing decisions. Phano is a new publication (started January 2025) and I think there’s gonna be more from that pub as well as O’Leary around here. One last ditch effort at redemption thirty years after the worst decision of my life.…