Sporty Spec: Games of the Fantastic, edited by Karen A. Romanko

As its title suggests, Sporty Spec: Games of the Fantastic, edited by Karen A. Romanko, endeavors to bring something of the fantastic to stories centered on sports and games. It largely succeeds in this, with 26 very short stories—none over five pages long—and several similarly themed poems.

In reading this anthology, I was reminded of the difficulty of creating truly memorable short-short fiction. Most of the stories here are enjoyable, but few stayed with me for long.

Sporty Spec opens with Paul Abbamondi’s “The Sport of Kings,” in which a young man bets against the odds on a natural born horse, untainted by “enhancements or cyber-widgets.” This tale is interesting enough, but relies on a deus ex machina that spoiled it for me.

An uber-short baseball story, “Somewhere, the Sun Is Shining” by Jo L. Gerrard has plenty of tension. However, its abrupt ending offers neither resolution nor enough material for further thought or speculation.

In “Perpetual Check” by E.C. Myers, Aidan is pulled through space and time into the midst of a chess match with the beguiling Lady, as he has been periodically since he was a child. Myers has made every word count in this piece, saying as much through words omitted as through those committed to paper, and producing a piece that is worth reading more than once.

Mindy learns why she runs in Brenta Blevins’s “Running for Life.” This piece has potential, but the lesson is too obvious and too easily learned.

First Mei and her brother, then men and boys from the provinces all around, enjoy the game of climbing through the moving gears and chains of a giant clockwork contraption Mei’s father has built in Adam Nakama’s “The Empress of the Dragon.” This deftly told tale of a young woman’s quiet assertion of self is worth a second read.

On Todd Wheeler’s reality game show, The Dare, contestants get the boot if they’re considered “Less Than Perfect” at their tasks by the AI judge. Wheeler engages the reader with a conversational tone, pleasantly surprising similes, and a little rhyme. Read this one aloud to yourself—or get someone to read it to you. It’s even better when you can hear the wordplay.

Beth Langford brings us a glimpse of ice skating in a climate-changed future in “Inland Sea.” Through carefully chosen words and apt descriptions, she presents a precarious, brittle world in which the characters might fall through the metaphorical ice at any moment.

“Hang Twenty” by Jude-Marie Green concerns a pack of surfing werewolves. It’s not as silly as it sounds, and the pack dynamics are believable and interesting as presented.

The narrator of Paul L. Bates’s “Prey” calls himself a hunter; but it seems he’s more of a collector, of a very unusual sort. Bates draws the reader in with an intriguing opening and offers a tight, satisfying read within a mere three pages.

An 800-year-old wizard wants to be a college football player in “The Football Phase” by Connor Moran. This fun, light tale follows the wizard’s long-suffering assistant as she attempts to keep his latest folly “under the radar” and evil, power-hungry wizards off his trail.

In “Blackthorn Darts” by Amanda M. Hayes, a young member of a warrior society uses a dangerous dart game and a curse to take revenge on the boy who murdered his sister. Hayes manages, in very few words, to convey the depth of Jense’s rage and to present a fully realized story.

Richard Pitaniello’s “Librarian Gladiators” depicts a gladiatorial combat between witches, held in a school gym. The action is clear, and the descriptions are vivid. Perhaps I just don’t possess the requisite librarian arcana, but even after repeated readings, the end of this story left me baffled.

Jess rallies her ragtag army of miniature figures that come alive in Erin Kinch’s “Mutiny.” This tale reminded me of Toy Story or The Indian in the Cupboard—cute, but adding nothing new to the subgenre.

In “The Court Photographer” by Lawrence Schimel, fey folk interfere in an NBA game on Halloween, but only the photographer protagonist can see them. The premise here is interesting, but the execution is a bit slow and talky. With no real conflict—internal or external—I was left wondering: so what?

Alison J. Littlewood’s “The Drop Zone” pulls the reader into the middle of an intense rivalry between two skydivers. The story begins with interesting characterization conveyed through the thoughts of the point-of-view character, providing the basis for rising tension and for the surprising climax.

Larry Hodges’s “Ping-Pong Ambition” is a fun take on the genie-who-gives-three-wishes story. The tropes are familiar, but the light tone and twist ending make this an entertaining read.

“Night Vaulting” by Camille Alexa has a depth and complexity found in few of the other stories in this volume. Catherine is struggling with her paraplegia, caused by a car accident 32 months ago, and with restless and symbolic dreams. Through beautiful turns of phrase and well-placed metaphors, Alexa relates this introspective and meaningful tale.

“Lilya’s Game” by Jennifer Crow is another introspective piece, but concerning memory and regret. The ghost of a soccer-playing boy haunts Lilya as she recalls a long-ago Moscow day. The story, like the boy with his ball, is haunting. Much is unspoken here, and I don’t pretend to understand it all. But I want to understand, want to turn it over in my head until I can fully appreciate Lilya’s experiences.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” This platitude came to mind when reading “Gravity Field Golfball” by Stephen D. Rogers. It seems that sportscasters of the future will spout the same sorts of hyperbole (adjusted for extraterrestrial life-forms and advances in technology) that they do now. This is an amusing vignette, but I wouldn’t call it a story.

In Kevin Lightburn’s “Soul in One,” an ancient sorcerer is determined to settle a score with his rival through one hole of golf, a contest he feels sure to win. This is an enjoyable diversion, if a bit predictable.

“Jumping over the Moon” by Alex Dally MacFarlane is a new take on the nursery rhyme, “Hey, Diddle Diddle,” that takes place in an alchemist’s workshop. The treatment is original, and the language playful in this entertaining romp.

Lenny and Jessica play a game of Monopoly strangely affected by the Ouija board that sat on top of the board game’s box in the closet in Rob Rosen’s “Poltergame.” Although the premise is fun, I was unable to engage with the characters and found the plot predictable.

“All the Medals and Trophies” by Aurelio Rico Lopez III is an intriguing epistolary tale with a nicely executed slow reveal. More than that and I’d give it away.

In “Curses!” by Stoney M. Setzer, Jim receives a laptop computer that he’s told can make anything come true, so long as that event is related to sports. As a Cubs fan, Jim knows just what he wants to do. This is an enjoyable take on a “cursed item” tale. I imagine it would be especially so for baseball fans.

Andrew C. Ferguson’s “Organic Geometry” tells the story of an enigmatic Afghan cricket player with uncanny abilities and an unselfish agenda. Ferguson adroitly brings together sports, geopolitics, and an intriguing character in this fascinating story.

Finally, Daniel Ausema gives us a tour of the “City of Games,” where things are not as they seem, or at least not in some areas, or maybe not all the time. Or maybe they are. Ausema’s wry humor and intriguing descriptions bring this paradoxical place to life.

Publisher: Raven Electrick Ink (Nov. 2007)
Price: $13.95
Paperback: 156 pages
ISBN: 0615173616