September 10th, 2007 admin
I found Two Weeks After, by M. Ramsey Chapman, to be an entertaining and a little humorous ghost story. The story revolves around two victims of a car crash, Jack, a taxi driver, and April, his passenger at the time of the wreck. The two get a chance to interact with/haunt their spouses one last time before moving into the afterlife.
What really sold me on this piece was the way it thrived on misdirecting the reader. Definitely recommended.
Fragrant Goddess, by Paul Park, was probably the darkest piece in this issue. It follows Jeremy, an academic obsessed with an purported alchemist and his storied healing balms, and Sabine, a former (or maybe almost) lover. The majority of the story is spent within Jeremy’s head. He spends a great deal of time thinking about his love/lust for Sabine, and her connection with the “Fragrant Goddess”, the most powerful healing balm (n)ever made. At some point in the story, Jeremy essentially cracks; his obsession takes over, with the expected dark consequences.
This story wasn’t bad, but it had a very different feel from the rest of the issue.
In Unpossible, by Daryl Gregory, a middle aged man crashes his way into the world of his childhood dreams. He reaches his dreams only to realize why he lost them, why he can’t get them back, and what he needs to do.
I enjoyed the imagery in this story; especially that of the initial harrowing car ride.
Urdumheim, by Michael Swanwick, is an interesting Creation Myth that follows a pantheon that name drops the Sumerians quite heavily. The story centers on the civilization created by a group of gods who escaped from slavery. The former masters, a race of infinitely diverse talking animals (big, scary critters) who consume words for sustenance, come back. Fighting ensues.
It may sound odd, but this story seems to have too much humanity to be a creation myth. This piece doesn’t sit well with me. It seems like it is missing something. A more eloquent reviewer might know what that is.
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August 26th, 2007 admin
The Bird Shaman’s Girl was the longest piece in this issue. Like The Diamond Shadow, it is helped greatly by the sense of it being a single facet of a universe. In this story, the universe which involves a race of aliens known as the Hefn invading Earth.
The story centers on Pam Pruitt, a human Liason Officer for Child Oversight working for the Hefn, and Lexi, a young child actress who was pulled out of an abusive Ephremite family and made one of Pam’s cases. The Ephremite Church sounds vaguely like a mix between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Catholic Church, but I say that without being an expert on any of the aforementioned groups.
Pam and Lexi developed a strong bond; when Lexi turns up missing, Pam jumps into action, desperately trying to track down the missing girl. Due to some deus ex machina, she quickly determines who is holding her and where.
The story would make an unsatisfying mystery if it were presented as such. Instead, the focus of the story are the ‘deus ex machina’ moments, and the meaning behind them. The story really pulls itself toward this end through the inclusion of Humphrey, Pam’s Hefn boss. His idiosyncratic behavior adds some humor to the story, but the reverence (or fear) the other characters seem to show to him and his race does much to imply the power his people wield.
Overall, I enjoyed this piece quite a bit, my only complaint being that I wish it were longer. On the plus side, the author blurb at the start of the story mentioned that Ms. Moffett is working on a new Hefn novel of which “this story forms a part.” I will be on the lookout for it.
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August 26th, 2007 admin
The Recreation Room, by Albert E. Cowdrey was an interesting piece that reads like a first hand account of a survivor of hurricane Katrina. The fantasy elements are minimal; they could almost be taken as coincidence. The piece reads like a character study of Jim Guest, the protagonist.
I have not read any fictional accounts of hurricane Katrina; in that respect, this was a very interesting story. The story has a very ‘true’ feel to it; that might not count for much coming from someone only familiar with the incident through the news, but it is meant very much as a compliment.
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August 23rd, 2007 admin
This piece brought a smile to my face. It was an interesting read; less a story than a ‘what-if’ scenario. The scenario is ‘What if, in an instant, everyone on Earth became enlightened?’ Enlightened is a loaded word, but I believe it to be the best one. Everyone is suddenly unselfish, loving of self and neighbor, and far more understanding.
The narrative is told through the perspective of Greg Stoll, a senior A/V supervisor for NASA. We read about the Challenger and Columbia shuttle disasters and politics in the organization and the state.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but it is another piece that I have problems calling a ’story;’ there really isn’t much conflict. While reading, I had assumed that only some people would be enlightened, or there would be aliens, or at the least social strife coming from the sudden change, but none of these really occurred. This really shouldn’t be taken as a negative, I just thought it was odd.
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August 21st, 2007 admin
What I enjoyed most about The Diamond Shadow was the fullness of the background. I have not read any of Fred Chappell’s other excursions into this universe; but I get the sense that this is familiar terrain. This is certainly not (in this case) a bad thing.
For those of you who have not been introduced to the setting, it appears to me to be a fantasy realm similar to a Renaissance Italy with a magic system based on shadows and gems. The magic isn’t spectacular, but more craft-like — shadows are prepared and worn, and the power of gems can be exploited and manipulated by their environment and nearby jewels.
The Diamond Shadow is told from the perspective of Falco, an apprentice to the well-known shadow thief, Astolfo. Astolfo plays the role of wiley thief, grim teacher, and studious detective. The story centers around a mystery; a diamond that is developing an internal shadow, and the Countess Triana who finds herself losing part of herself.
The story is good; it is well-paced and has a good deal of action and intrigue, but the setting is what makes this story a winner.
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