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The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling

Margaret lives with a rare autoimmune condition that has destroyed her life, leaving her isolated. It has no cure, but she’s making do as best she can—until she’s offered a fully paid-for spot in an experimental medical trial at Graceview Memorial. The conditions are simple, if grueling: she will live at the hospital as a full-time patient, subjecting herself to the near-total destruction of her immune system and its subsequent regeneration. The trial will essentially kill most of, but not all of her. But as the treatment progresses and her body begins to fail, she stumbles upon something sinister living and spreading within the hospital. Unsure of what's real and what is just medication-induced delusion, Margaret struggles to find a way out as her body and mind succumb further to the darkness lurking throughout Graceview's halls. PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press YEAR: 2025 LENGTH: 320 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Horror RECOMMENDED: Highly Queer Rep Summary: No canon queer rep. *I...
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“Today I Am Paul” by Martin L. Shoemaker

“Today I Am Paul” is a poignant and thought-provoking portrayal of a robotic future for elder care and cognitive dissonance caused by trying to be everything to everyone. Medical Care Android BRKCX-01932-217JH-98662 ponders interactions of programming and identity.

I like the strange specificity of the android's attention to details, the layers of consciousness as it checks in with its medical logs but also performs the social niceties, particularly when it already knows what Mildred ate but still asks her how her breakfast was. I appreciate the dynamic with Anna, how they trade off and Anna interacts as if she was the one who visited when she speaks to Mildred about the garden.

The commentary about the inverse journeys of Mildred and Millie is very subtle but poignant, the characterization is very complex for such a short story.

This story deals with death, memory loss, and cognitive decline. It does so in a very conscientious and tender way, but it doesn't shy away from the implications of these topics. It's a very quick read, and well worth it if you have the 15-20 minutes to spare.

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