Reviews
Written Word, #11, May 2008
Written Word continues its emphasis on dark fiction, and the darker side of human nature, in issue #11. Water, lost loves, and ghostly visions are the main themes. In the cover story, “I Came Upon a River,” Katherine leads us along the banks of a river which has claimed at least one life and threatens […]
Continue ReadingThe Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July 2008
As the fourth issue of my run reviewing The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, I was keen to see how the July, 2008, edition measured up against my expectations. To date, I have taken equal parts inspiration and frustration from the magazine. Would the latest installment tip the balance in one direction or the […]
Continue ReadingOrson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, #8, April 2008
In the fine traditional of Isaac Asimov, Jim Baen and, er, Vargo Statten, the Intergalactic Medicine Show webzine is named after a science fiction author. In some cases, such as Asimov’s, the author merely lends his name, and in others, such as the title under review, the author has a much more hands-on approach. […]
Continue ReadingStrange Horizons, May 2008
Strange Horizons begins the month of May, 2008, with “The Gadgey” by Alan Campbell. In Scotland, two teenage boys on BMXs find a crashed spaceship. After much banter of Star Trek and E.T., the boys meet the alien they call a gadgey, who looks like the alien from the movie Predator, except in a silver […]
Continue ReadingAmbit #192
There are only three stories in issue #192 of Ambit, the first of which, “Mrs Cohen’s Conversion” by Carol K. Howell, exemplifies what appears to be a theme common to all of them, that of transformation in response to nature.
It’s a darkly comic fantasy in which the narrator, academic Marvin Cohen, tries to understand and […]
Fictitious Force #5
Fictitious Force #5, published by Jonathan Laden and Michele Barasso, is a singular semi-pro magazine published at unpredictable intervals. As described by the editors on their website, this is more a labor of love than a commercial endeavor, and it shows. From its appearance (a 4 1/2 x 11″ saddle-stapled glossy cover […]
Continue ReadingAnalog, July/August 2008
The July/August 2008 issue of Analog is a roller coaster: full of ups and downs—more ups than downs, but a bit frustrating all the same. It barely manages to keep a delicate balance between the scientific infodump and the storytelling, often resulting in the science overwhelming the fiction. It’s not a return to Hugo Gernsback […]
Continue ReadingAbyss & Apex, #26, 2nd Quarter 2008
This was my first encounter with Abyss & Apex, a generalist speculative fiction webzine that seeks to publish “powerful stories with emotion that resonates in our minds and hearts long after the first reading” and “stories that stand out from the norm even in a genre that pushes the envelope of normal.” With the five […]
Continue ReadingDog Versus Sandwich, May 2008
The May, 2008, stories of Dog Versus Sandwich begin with “The Five Stages of Beef” by Peter Parrish. Jimmy must get home to his girlfriend, but he has a large problem: a cow has wandered onto the road, and he can’t pass. Getting out of his car, he engages in a maddening battle of rhetoric […]
Continue ReadingPostscripts, #14, Spring 2008
PS Publishing must have one of the most diverse lists in the independent press; and their magazine, Postscripts, reflects that diversity: reading an issue is like reaching into the PS bran tub and pulling out a random selection.
Opening issue #14 is “Blackbird” by Robert Reed which, according to its introduction, arose from “wondering what it […]
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