I am always looking for a way to bring new writers and their stories into the limelight but I also love to revisit some stories from the past so they are not forgotten. I hope these Quarterly Reviews will serve that singular purpose. And, in keeping with the reason it’s called a “review” the stories selected below will be very different from our Weekly Issues and Monthly Recaps because they will include a 2 - 3 sentence personal review for why I like it and why I think you might want to check it out (if you haven’t already). Or maybe you want to share it with your friends who may not have read it.
And if you’re the writer of one of these stories, feel free to take the review below and use it wherever you like.
Lastly, I am looking for future Quarterly Review volunteers. The task is exactly what you might imagine: Read the featured stories from the previous 3 months on Top in Fiction and choose 1 Poem, Micro/Flash Fiction, Short Story and Serial that is your favorite and provide a 2 - 3 sentence for each. I have someone currently working on the 2nd Quarterly of the year but I’m looking for someone for Q3 (October) and Q4 (January 2027). If you’re interested, send me a DM ASAP! Thanks!
For the very first Quarterly Review, we’re covering Weeks 1 to 13 and the Monthly Recap 1 to 3 in 2026. Erica Drayton made these selections personally. Enjoy!
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Dinner with the Morrisseys: A Judith Temple Short Story by Bridget Riley
REVIEW: Getting to spend a day with Judith Temple at the family home of her boyfriend, Tim Morrissey, is one to remember. A typical Southern family with a not-so-typical Southern hospitality, whether alive or dead. But don’t worry, psychic Judith can handle both.
POETRY
Midnight Towers by Maximilian Siddell [Free Verse]
REVIEW: I close my eyes and think of a funeral procession at night, in a place I do not know but that knows me, and I am frightened. Maximilian has a way with words. Open your eyes and behold his work.
MICRO/FLASH FICTION
Guilty as Charged by Scott MacLeod [Mystery]
REVIEW: This story will leave you saying, “why didn’t I think of that?!” coupled with an “oh, that’s clever” smirk all the way through. And isn’t that what we want from a quick read?
SHORT STORY
What Passes Down by S.E. Reid [Speculative Fiction]
REVIEW: A love story that surpasses all understanding but that’s what love should be. Don’t try to guess the ending as you’re reading. Just read it. Enjoy it. And wonder if you truly know what love is when you’re done.
SERIAL
Not So Meet Cute [Daedalia, Ch. 1] by Ben Wakeman [Literary Fiction]
REVIEW: I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Ben Wakeman’s storytelling is 1,000% best discovered in his audio work. We are presented with another gift, yet again, by the magnificent musician and orator of our time. So, give thanks and brace yourself for the ride of your life.
I’m so honored to be included! Thank you so much, Erica!
Thank you for including Scott MacLeod here, TIF! His stories are always so very clever. This one was a real cracker!