On Spec, #70, Fall 2007

The Fall, 2007, issue of On Spec: The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic is an enjoyable read and well worth picking up, with a variety of stories that would fit just about any taste except those who prefer a great deal of hard SF.

“The Sorceress’ Assistant” by Leah Bobet is a beautifully written tale about a man who shows up to ask a sorceress if he can be her assistant. He has no memory of how he got there or why there is a spell on him when he arrives. As he slowly begins to regain his memory, he realizes that there is a task he is supposed to accomplish. Bobet has an impressive command of language, and the story is smooth and enjoyable, although it feels like we never quite get close to the characters.

Rose Hunter’s “The Night Visitor” is an interesting read, with all the background information provided by means of television broadcasts. The idea is that mosquitoes are carrying a plague, but this seems peripheral to the story, which focuses on the actions of two people in the midst of a world that’s falling apart. “Night Visitor” is short, more of a vignette than a proper story, and I might have preferred more information about what’s happening or going to happen, but it does what it does well.

“The Pursuer” by Scott Mackay is presented as a series of robotic commands and objectives from the viewpoint, if that term can be appropriately used here, of a robot being pursued. While the format makes sense, it really didn’t work for me, although this may be a matter of taste. Mackay does well at using the structure to convey necessary information and further the plot, but overall, it’s a difficult read and one that isn’t worth the payoff—for me at least.

Chandra Rooney tells a short, sweet tale in “Rainy Season” about an expatriate living in Japan. It doesn’t cover any shocking new ground, and the speculative element is slight, but Rooney’s writing is deft and engaging, with strong character development that makes it easy to sympathize with the protagonist.

“Nine Sketches, in Charcoal and Blood” by Marie Brennan is the kind of story that gives an expectation of good things from the moment you start reading it. In this case, when you reach the end, you breathe a sigh of relief that your expectations were never disappointed. “Nine Sketches” is about what happens when a man who was part of a mysterious group of others dies and his possessions are auctioned off. Brennan has created a tight story with perfectly rising tension that avoids crossing the line into melodrama.

Saying much about the plot of Greg Wilson’s “…But With a Whimper” without spoilers is difficult, so I’ll say only that it’s about a man presented with a crime that he will never be able to solve. It is alternate history, in a sense, and is done well, with the revelation appearing at the right moment while the reader is torn between sympathy for the protagonist and understanding awe of the villain. A good read with impeccable pacing.

Trevor J. Morrison’s “A Coil of Thread” brings us a familiar character in a setting we wouldn’t have expected her in and ties up tidily, with a twist at the end. The writing is strong, with good characterization. Morrison uses exactly what he needs to in order to get his point across and no more, making “A Coil of Thread” enjoyable and satisfying.

“The Blood of a Virgin is Hard to Come by Legitimately” by Wesley Herbert is a fun, spoofy romp through the stereotypes of epic fantasy. While Herbert’s writing is good and the protagonist, Calla, is quite likable, this piece doesn’t work as a real story. Some passages seem to exist only to provide an avenue for spoofing, and without much conflict, the content falls a bit flat. I’d really like to see something else, with a stronger focus on plot, by Herbert.