Review: 'Rabbit Test and Other Stories' by Samantha Mills

I read Samantha Mills' debut novel The Wings Upon Her Back two years ago and was absolutely astounded by it; it was one of my favourite reads that year and I still think about it frequently. So when I saw a short story collection by Mills I jumped at the chance to read it. Thanks to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 21/04/2026
Publisher: Tachyon Publications

A time-traveling fisherwoman keeps landing on the right shore, but at the wrong time. A pair of witches fight over the gate between life and death. A new consciousness, intent upon seeing all the wonders of the universe, visits a floating library. A rock-and-roll legend squares off against a town full of devils. Humanity makes first contact but falters when put in charge of selecting the world’s representatives.

These riveting stories run the gamut of the genre, transitioning from fantasy to contemporary, and then into the farthest reaches of space. They take place in strange and emotional worlds, with stakes ranging from the epic to the personal, with ample room for humor and hope amid tragedy.

Alongside various stories, Rabbit Test also features a Foreword by Meg Ellison, an Afterword and Story Notes, both by Samantha Mills, at the end. I have seen the latter a few times now in short story collections, definitely ones from Tachyon as well, and I really enjoy it. Here, Mills lays out how some of the stories developed, what her initial ideas were, how a specific story challenged her, or what she hopes it achieves. While I'm a strong believer that author intention never trumps reader reception, I do find it interesting to see what an author thought, as it can expand how I perceive the story itself. Especially with an author like Samantha Mills who, in my opinion, is exceptionally good at playing with expectations and genres, it is interesting to see what her thoughts were. It is, however, not necessary to engage with the Story Notes because the stories themselves already offer plenty of food for thought and enjoyment.

Rabbit Test has thirteen stories and I loved something about each of them. I loved the opening story, 'The Death of the God-King', which is about a man who dies and returns, protecting his island and people for centuries, until someone comes looking for his immortality. It is a beautiful story about love, power, sacrifice, and tradition. 'Strange Waters', the second story, is also stunning, following a mother who is stuck in temporal currents, her boat constantly cast adrift into different centuries as she tries to get home to her children. 'Adrianna in Pomegranate' has a delightful magic system based on manuscript creation and is also a tragic story about loss, parenthood, and love. 'Rabbit Test' is the story that gives the collection its name and is deeply focused on female bodily autonomy, the right to abortion and the centuries of struggle associated with it. 'A Shadow Is a Memory of a Ghost' is delightfully creepy and imaginative as a rivalry between sisters to guard the border between life and death seeps into the next generation. 'The Limits of Magic' is also excellent about how magic is not always the solution and how most things don't come easy. Set in a desert atmosphere, it is a story about repression and rebellion. '10 Visions of the Future; or, Self-Care for the End of Days' is, as the title implies, something of a list featuring ten ways the world might end but it is also oddly uplifting and hopeful for all the various apocalypses. 'One Part Per Billion' takes place in space and features alien tech, multiple selves, and the perennial question of why there is only ever one woman. 'Spindles' broke my heart but I also loved it, as a young girl and her bear companion try to reach her mother while hunted by invaders. 'Four of Seven' is for the people who listened to Noah Kahan's 'Dashboard' an felt guilty, except it takes place in a space colony and is also somehow heartwarming. 'Laugh Lines' is brief, more like flash fiction and takes the shape of an obituary that goes somewhat sideways maybe. 'Kiki Hernandéz Beats the Devil' is a stand-out, just for the sheer inventiveness and fun I had with it! It features a hellhound, a guitar, and demons aplenty. The collection ends with 'Anchorage', which was one of my favourites, about a space crew docking onto an anchorage and the ship's robot system (?) that maybe feels a little too much.

As I said at the start, Mills' The Wings Upon Her Back is a stellar book that has stuck with me ever since I read it. In that book, Mills has the space to set up an intricate world and complicated relationships and characters, all while addressing some serious themes. I wondered whether she can accomplish the same in short stories, whether I would feel that same magic. I have to agree with Meg Ellison's very admiring Foreword because the stories in Rabbit Test are indeed magnificent. I really like what Mills does with the tropes of the various genres she dabbles in here. She blends Fantasy and Sci-Fi very well with contemporary issues and concerns, bringing in a little Historical Fiction here and there, and thereby consistently surprised me. I quite simply love the worlds and characters she creates and find myself fully invested each and every time. I would truly, whole-heartedly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys Speculative Fiction because there will be something here for you. I can't wait to read more by Samantha Mills in the future, she's definitely an instant read for me.

I give this collection...

5 Universes!

Rabbit Test and Other Stories is a brilliant collection of stories that all in some way fall under the Speculative Fiction-umbrella. Samantha Mills is an excellent writer who has a real knack both for world-building and for the small details that make her worlds and characters come alive.