Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction: January 2006
Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction: January 2006
You know, I can't figure out why I put reading these issues off. In general, they're very quick to get through.
"Less Than Nothing"
by Robert Reed
I had a hard time getting into this story at first. It’s part of a pre-existing universe in stories I’ve never read, and I suspect these stories have or will become something larger, like a novel, like Allen Steele did with Coyote. So it was a bit frustrating, trying to sort out the world and what was going on, but once I did, I very much enjoyed the piece. There are great bits of world-building here, and I love the Native American life made into a fantasy. The ending was a bit off, which is one of the reasons I feel this will eventually be a part of something larger, but for the most part, I liked it a lot.
"Planet of Mystery: Part One"
by Terry Bisson
As always, Bisson has solid dialogue and a nice, minimalist way of describing things. I’m torn about the story though, and can’t make a full verdict until I read Part Two of it. As it stands, while I know the whole mystery of the story is whether or not what’s happening is real or a hallucination, I’m tired of the constant references to it being a dream. Still, that’s the mystery, right? So no verdict on this yet, not till I get my hands on part two.
"Shadow Man"
by Matthew Hughes
Finally, a stand-alone story from this guy! :) This is entirely too short, more like a character-sketch, but a creepy one at that. The mind of a serial killer, and well portrayed in the story. The fantastic twist of the story doesn’t interest me so much. Rather, I liked the idea of the shadows and the Shadow Man without having the additional recorder thing. But then again, I like the idea of a time loop (actually, the Shadow Man was a time traveler, wasn’t he? Ah, now I get it…). Damien (why are bad guys always named Damien?) sees his future self, and it’s his future self that coaches him to become the killer he’s meant to be. Ah, yes, the time of time travel stuff I like. Course, with the serial killer and all, it’s a creepy twist, but a good one. So I guess I like the story after all!
"Horse-Year Women"
by Michaela Roessner
Oooh, this is an interesting story! I love the folklore of it. :) There’s not much speculation in this fiction, but the mythology and folklore woven through the story more than makes up for it. The characters are tangible and real, though the narrator is more of the observing kind than the active kind, but in this case, it works for me. Great read. I may be tempted to seek out more of this writer’s work.
"A Daze in the Life"
by Tony Sarowitz
I was a little concerned when I saw in the intro-blurb that this writer hasn’t published in this mag since 1981, but once I sank into the story-which was, admittedly, a little hard to get into-I enjoyed this quite a bit. The man is clearly in control of his craft and his worldbuilding. I love that the narrator is stuck in a Matrix-type situation, only you choose to hook up, not the other way around, and this is with government permission. Good story, with a good ending. Here’s hoping we see more of him.
"Journey to Gantica"
by Matthew Corradi
Oooh, this is a debut! I’ve been looking for one of these, just to get a sense of how often F&SF publishes one, and now I’ve found it. :) This is a tall-tale (pun intended), a fairy-tale, folklore story of sorts. All exposition, but that’s all right, because the narrative voice carries you easily. The symbolism (big fish in a little pond, little fish in a big pond) is a bit obvious, but done well. So it’s a cute story.
"The Boy is Zaquitos"
by Bruce McAllister
Interesting and chilling story, if you really think about the implications of how something like that could be used in today’s world. No matter how much of it seems fictionalized or far-fetched, in today’s world of terrorism and fear, stories like this can give you chills. I think my only real complaint with the story is that rather than have the narrator use the framework of telling his story to a classroom full of kids, it would’ve been better to experience what he experienced in “real time”. Either way, the whole “watch what you wish for, cause you just might get it” certainly holds true in this piece. Worth the read
Not a bad issue. I really liked 4/7 pieces, which isn't bad. My fave definitely has to be Roessner's "Horse-Year Women", but other stories stuck with me as well. I'll be interested to seeing the conclusion to Bisson's story in the next issue.