Holy Gil…

Thanks to @tarvolon.bsky.social for the kind review of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Limbhackers Forum" in @strangehorizons.bsky.social! June 2026 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany - Tar Vol on share.google/INFCEdmSG2L9...

We needed an incredible round of 32 to justify all those dead rubber matches in the group stage. We got one, and more.

What a damn game

Oh my goodness what a strike!!!

ICYMI, I recapped all of my June reviews and shared some thoughts on my miscellaneous short fiction reading. As always, I’ve got recs. Let’s do a little thread

There’s two hours between soccer games, come read some SFF reviews—I’ve got novels, novellas, novelettes, and short stories all on the recommendation list this month. www.tarvolon.com/2026/07/02/j...

That might be the end of our tournament and it’s an awful call. I don’t know how we win two rounds without Balogun

Oh no Adams is our least replaceable player

Out today: Everybody’s Perfect by Jo Walton. A really interesting read! www.tarvolon.com/2026/06/30/f...

If you want an optimistic take on today's birthright ruling, @mford.bsky.social has you covered newrepublic.com/article/2125...

Out today: Everybody’s Perfect by Jo Walton. A really interesting read! www.tarvolon.com/2026/06/30/f...

Nobody knows what goaltender interference is

“Magical Girl Eater” by @angelaliu.bsky.social takes aim at commercialization as it tracks a group of magical girls and their rise to fame. Exceptional writing keeps it from feeling too preachy, and the ending delivers a punch www.uncannymagazine.com/article/magi...

“Remade, Reshaped, Remembered” by @sydneyficant137.bsky.social is a portal fantasy aftermath story that captures the reverse culture shock well, but that’s even better for its exploration of a fraught mother/daughter relationship. Fantastic stuff othersidespec.com/pieces/remad...

ICYMI: I reviewed several short stories across three different magazines that released this month. Check it out, or stick around for a thread of favorites 🧵

The portal fantasy continuation that I never knew I needed 🫂😭 “You know she loves you, but you also know she would choose the portal over you.”

ICYMI: I reviewed several short stories across three different magazines that released this month. Check it out, or stick around for a thread of favorites 🧵

I read a couple stories from the most recent issues of Asimov’s, Otherside, and Uncanny. Do I have things to recommend? Of course I do www.tarvolon.com/2026/06/28/t...

There have been a couple moments where I thought a corner was being turned, but it keeps getting turned right back

Things I never thought I would type: look at how they greeted the Algerian team arriving back at the DoubleTree in Lawrence, Kansas

I’m beginning to worry that the O’s are not in fact on the verge of turning this thing around. Vibes have done a complete 180 in the last six days

Countries with base camps at Division I Schools to advance to the Knockout Rounds. Ghana 🇬🇭 - Bryant Austria 🇦🇹 - UC Santa Barbara Paraguay 🇵🇾- San Jose State Norway 🇳🇴 - UNC-Greensboro Algeria 🇩🇿 - Kansas Egypt 🇪🇬 - Gonzaga Germany 🇩🇪 - Wake Forest Senegal 🇸🇳 - Rutgers

My middle kid loves brackets and believes in CONCACAF and Cabo Verde. Hope you nail it, bud

Went a touch out of my usual wheelhouse and reviewed a quality middle-grade generation ship dystopia: The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera www.tarvolon.com/2026/06/25/m...

Went a touch out of my usual wheelhouse and reviewed a quality middle-grade generation ship dystopia: The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera www.tarvolon.com/2026/06/25/m...

Watching all these other teams in the East making smart moves hits different with a cup on the shelf

update: the Carolina fans who had me light candles during the Stanley cup legitimately sent me a shirt in celebration, I-

You're going to love this story: "Archaeological Evidence for the Time Traveler" by @tiatashiro.bsky.social in @clarkesworldmagazine.com clarkesworldmagazine.com/tashiro_05_26

Oh yeah, I still review books. Do you like post-apocalyptic road trips? How about Suzanne Palmer’s Bot 9 series? Because Ode to the Half-Broken could be for you! www.tarvolon.com/2026/06/20/s...

Should I be excited about starting the game with four straight baserunners or disappointed that it only led to two runs? Or both

I stay up hoping this would be different than last night 🤦‍♂️

Oh yeah, I still review books. Do you like post-apocalyptic road trips? How about Suzanne Palmer’s Bot 9 series? Because Ode to the Half-Broken could be for you! www.tarvolon.com/2026/06/20/s...

He has stopped doing that

Bateman is striking out many people!

Two states away watching the Baby Birds with the boys, but my heart is at the parade

Anyways, it’s sleepy time. Let’s go O’s, let’s go Albirroja

The plus side of the CONCACAF bros being overmatched is that it encouraged me to flip channels in time to see the Mystics get it done in crunch time

The annoying thing about doing a subscription drive is having to keep yelling about it. Doesn't work if I say nothing. Strange, eh?

Canny rushed behind there from Australia

much appreciated. for those who enjoy audio, @wilwheaton.net did a performance of it recently (last year? where does the time go??). one version linked below but also available on other platforms here: wilwheaton.net/podcast/

Hello Lunchtime Crowd something unsettling and great for you today?

This story is just so good. If you’re one of the people beating the drum about how more people should read magazine novellas, this would be a wonderful starting point clarkesworldmagazine.com/campbell_06_26

The Floating Republic by @rebeccacampbell.bsky.social digs into the interpersonal and legal messiness when a far-flung mining outfit isolated for decades suddenly has to deal with the return of civilization. Nothing in the plot is earth-shaking, but it all *matters* deeply to those involved

ICYMI, I reviewed a couple magazines here. I also want to shout out my favorite of the lot…

It's a joy when people connect with your work. I worried this wouldn't land, since it's about very tired people on the edge of the known universe who are trying to do the right thing in a small way, while the huge, dangerous world grinds on around them.

ICYMI, I reviewed a couple magazines here. I also want to shout out my favorite of the lot…

This only partially turned into a sportsball account. So may I interest you in some SFF short fiction reviews as halftime reading? www.tarvolon.com/2026/06/16/t...

It’s probably going to be a minute before I stop having spontaneous Stanley Cup thoughts, but just thinking about how a couple years ago, Rod seemingly couldn’t win a playoff game without last change, and this year only lost one in four rounds.