Written Word, #12, June 2008

Written Word has had some problems with their site this summer. I was unable to access any content for most of July, and then found both the June and July issues posted side by side. The reading was worth the wait, but there were still glitches which prevented me from accessing some stories from both issues from time to time. As of this posting, I haven’t been able to read and review the June cover story, “Glass Towers and Gears” by Gloria Weber.

Issue #12 tilts toward the horror end of the speculative fiction continuum but, as I have come to expect, also includes well-written cross-genre and mainstream offerings.

“The Gadget Builder” by Chris Bauer struck me as a haunting allegory about the end of life and regret about what could have been. The point of view is fuzzy, which may have been Bauer’s attempt to mimic the blur of memory loss and cognitive function of the aging process. Either that, or a few too many pronouns.

He had been reluctant to start that particular project. With a time-machine he’d be obligated to make the world a better place, and he just didn’t have the energy to think it through. […] He’d been wrong to build the rocket ship when he did. Next time he’d finish the time machine first.

In “Dead Man’s Party,” Kevin Breaux draws such a realistic picture, I could imagine the macabre outcome to be the logical aftermath of cocaine induced hallucinations. There is more science in this story than in a traditional urban fantasy. Breaux takes a look at the current problem of microbial resistance and mutation and extrapolates it in a logical fashion (zombies notwithstanding), with no expository lumps. It suspended my disbelief.

“Bull’s Eye” by Gayla Chaney is a short, but not sweet, tale of a school girl’s fantasy to stop a predatory janitor bent on revenge. Any more and I’ll spoil the read.

In “Seeing Michael” by Ken Dean, Michael, the Archangel, I assume, drags a few souls back from the brink.

“Some things are meant to happen, some things aren’t. I come around to stop the things that shouldn’t be, and to give aid and comfort as needed.”

“Seeing Michael” offers a bit of relief from the dark, depressing tales which precede and follow it. Perhaps its placement explains why this felt a bit too schmaltzy.

Walter Giersbach nails the magical thinking of school children trying to control events in their lives that defy their understanding. Otto puts all his faith into “The Wishing Pool” and is thrilled when his dream comes true. But real life has other plans.

“Kids Today” by Gerri Leen is the near future, sci-fi version of the poor little rich girl and her sex, drugs, and rocket ship to Mars. I couldn’t help but wonder if Maurell’s trip into outer space was fueled by the “pretty rainbow dust” Rickie brought along for the ride.

“Honey…?” Her mother sashayed through the eating pod, trailing Eau de Rich, Ex-Wife at Rest after her.” […]”Sweetie”—her tone took a turn for the worse-”don’t you think you should look into what you’re going to do with the rest of your life? […]

“Sure, I’ll get right on that.” Actually, she [Maurell] was going to dedicate her life to getting rid of the hangover from the new drugs Rickie had brought to the cook-out.

Leen’s story is a long but still compelling view of contemporary society in the not-so-distant future.

Now, onto issue # 13.