Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction: March 2006
Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction: March 2006
Now that I'm done with this issue, I'll do my best to be good and read a book and then a short story mag and then a book and then a mag until all my mags run out. :)
"Shambhala"
by Alex Irvine
It took me a little while to get into this story, but I like its premise, its apocalyptic feel. There’s a good sense of Alice in Wonderland, here, as it’s the virtual world coming to an end, not the real world (though there’s plenty of problems in the real world too). There’s also of poetry sprouted around, giving the virtual world yet another layer of surrealism.
But there’s certainly something tragic about this piece: about how only seven minds are saved. But more tragic, while what happened was cool? The story should’ve begun where it ended. Or, at least, the story should’ve continued. A life that’s passed from flesh, to virtual, to machine: that’s something I want to read. What are the consequences of that, especially on the mind? On the soul?
The story was all right, but it could’ve been much more powerful.
"The True History of the Picky Princess"
by John Morressy
What a cute story. I particularly enjoy the fairy named “Aunt Betty,” and I love the scene with the princes negotiating for the hand of the princess. Lots of little unexpected, fun twists in this piece, and a cute ending.
"The Revivalist"
by Albert E. Cowdrey
Great opening! While this is a rather lengthy piece, it’s a very good one. As I especially appreciate it as someone who particularly enjoys sleep. :) This is a story of a man who can literally hibernate, and because of this, ages incredibly slowly. We get the story of his life, condition, and the humor and tragedies that become him as he makes his way to be a man of the future. A good, solid tale, with an ending I enjoyed.
"From the Mouths of Babes"
by Trent Hergenrader
Ah, another newbie (at the time). A Clarion grad, and this was his first story to make it to print. This is an interesting little story, though it didn’t seem fully fleshed out to me. It’s what I call an “idea” story: writer has a great idea, and dramatizes idea, but no real story comes out of it. Everything about this story reveals the idea and how cool it is, but nothing ever becomes of the idea itself. So in that, the story’s disappointing. By the end, I understood what was going on for the most part, but not the why of it, and I still wondered how long the child had really been alive, and why the “Dad” (whether it was his biological dad or not) tells the kid he’s six and then admits the kid’s “true”, younger age later, once he realizes what’s happened. And while I don’t mind the kid’s adult dialogue, cause it works in context and even before I understand the context, I’m thoroughly amused, the Dad’s dialogue is jilted, unnatural, especially at the beginning.
So cool idea, one that could’ve gone somewhere, but didn’t.
"The Capacity to Appear Mindless"
by Mike Shultz
This is a fun piece full of lively details. An amusing fantasy, and I love the elementary school setting. And I love the parallels to real life issues, even though these parallels come from a cast of goblins and a goblin school. But I can’t get beyond the cuteness (yes, I know) of this story. It’s hilarious, and Shultz captures children and children’s voices well (course, I think he’s a teacher, so it makes sense). A definite read, if you ever get this issue.
Odd title, though. Not sure if it fits the story or not.
"Czesko"
by Ef Deal
Oy, second issue in a row with a whacky style, only this one I’m not sold on. The voice I don’t mind at all, but the chunk paragraphs and no quotation marks or much else to figure out for sure if someone’s speaking or not, that’s just annoying. The premise of the story is interesting, though gory, but I really couldn’t get into it nor could I care. The story felt more like a comedy than horror (which I hope was the author’s intention, but then again, horror has a way of coming off as comedy, but I wasn’t even laughing), and never once could I get into it. Oh well, it’s a bust.
"Intolerance"
by Robert Reed
Definitely a good but very creepy story. I liked the science fiction of it all, though it took me a while to wrap my head around it. And the authorial voice is a coy one, choosing words carefully to keep the reader wondering until the truth is finally revealed. Still, I didn’t mind in this case, because I was so engaged in what was going on. And the ending, while disturbing (I don’t even want to think about the technical details of pulling something like that off), was fitting. So a good story, overall.
Not too bad an issue, and this sucker certainly had some related themes. I liked 4/7 pieces. My favorite has to be Shultz's goblin teaching story, cause it's awesome, but Cowdrey's piece definitely stood out, as well as Reed's.