Auntie Heroes is a 252 page anthology published in April 2026 by Raconteur Press.
This is a fun collection of short stories featuring little old ladies as the heroes. After all, who suspects them, or bothers to give them much thought at all? Their perceived status in society allows them to get away with quite a lot, sometimes saving the day–whether that means through espionage, monster hunting, or stopping unwanted guests from crashing a wedding.
Several, but not all of the stories, feature sci-fi/fantasy elements. I found it to be a well-written bunch. Some of my favorites were Salon and Subversion by Tuvela Thomas, Walking the Beans by Rick Cutler, Calhoun Blood by D. S. Ligon, and The Squamous Among Us by Spearman Burke.
And once again, the artwork and illustrations by Cedar Sanderson added another level of delight to this anthology.
Plasma Pulp: Lost Worlds is an anthology published by Raconteur Press in 2026 edited by Lawdog, featuring stories written by CE Hugues, Spearman Burke, Lee Allred, Dean Stone, Malory, Ted Begley, Craig A. Reed, Jr, Alan Wolfe, MD & Bam Boncher, and Ken Lizzi
Genre/Subgenre
Science Fiction, Raypunk, Plasma Pulp, Anthology
What This Is
This is the second collection of Plasma Pulp short stories put out by this publisher. So what exactly is this subgenre (also known as Raypunk)? It combines futuristic science fiction elements with an “Old School spirit of adventure” (think of the aesthetic of the Fallout franchise) told in the style of pulp fiction—which is to say, action-packed sensational stories with larger-than-life heroes and villains. Many of these stories feature the muscle-bound pilots of smuggler spacecraft wielding rayguns and plasma swords while on daring missions against mad scientists, fighting side by side with the voluptuous princesses of alien worlds (here the damsels are more likely to kick butt and take names than they are to await rescue). Our heroes sport names like Johnny, Duke, Rex, and Buck.
My Thoughts
So the thing is that any fiction that falls into the Pulp category is probably not my jam. I prefer literary depth to thrills and chills, and much more drawn to character-driven stories to plot-driven. That being said, there were definitely some stories within the collection that I found enjoyable (favorites include Spire of Doom, A Princess of the Stars, and Princess of Starways) (I wasn’t kidding about princesses being a staple of the subgenre!) The sentence level writing is not a problem, and the illustrations scattered throughout were good fun.
So while this collection may not have been exactly my cup of tea (I’m more of a coffee drinker, myself), your mileage may vary (one metaphor too many?) If this type of storytelling sounds appealing to you, give this anthology a try. Reading one or two entries at a time might provide you with the perfect bite-sized brain candy you crave in between heavier reads.
Thank you to Raconteur Press for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review!
Jessica Crawford 