Albert E. Cowdrey. The Farmboy. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, Nov/Dec 2016)
A rare thing from Cowdrey – an SF story, albeit it’s a story that could have been set in any time period, anywhere on Earth.
Reviewing short SF since 2000
A rare thing from Cowdrey – an SF story, albeit it’s a story that could have been set in any time period, anywhere on Earth.
Lengthy fantasy novella from Cowdrey, a dark, warts and all exploration of how a young boy of low birth became Sir Richard de Coudray..
Another classy story from the pen (or presumably the keyboard) of Albert E. Cowdrey, whose stories engage you quickly and keep you engaged throughout, which is not as simple as it sounds!
Strange goings on in the Caribbean, with photographs which seem to capture the soul of the subject
A very black, cynical look at humanity
Further adventures of Professor Threefoot, whose ‘lengthy ruminations’ in the previous story did not engage me.
Another classy tale of ne’er-do-wells in the deep south, and some powerful magic.
A monstrance of monstrous provenance proves too hot to handle for a southern neo-Nazi, who gets more than his fingers burned.
A much darker story than you generally get with Cowdrey in F&SF. As times brutal, it’s a near-future story of politics, opposition to the ruling regime, and the decisions people have to make when it’s time to stand up and be counted.
In which F&SF regulars Morrie and Jimmy carry out some spooky sleuthing in Texas.
In which Jimmie and Morrie of Paranormal Services investigated, whilst in the midst of a lovers’ tiff, a poltergeist in a bedroom.
The goddess Kali has a pivotal role to play in the lives of a group of people on a cotton plantation in the run up to the civil war. Frankly my dear, I did give a damn.
Ghost story in which young Willy Pfeiffer inherits enough money to dedicate himself to ghost-hunting.
More ne’er-do-wells from the deep south pop out from Cowdrey’s active/fetid imagination, the love of money once more being the root of all evil.
A darkly humourous espionage thriller, with an FBI agent helping a mind-reading Russian to hide from forces who wish him dead.
Relatively routine horror from a master of the genre, set in the woods against a backdrop of climate change and rebuffed love.
A dose of classic Cowdrey horror, albeit transplanted from the deep south to Europe.
Another macabre tale from New Orleans from the seemingly Duracell Extra-powered Cowdrey
Cowdrey eschews his usual deep south setting, reaching into Russian and Jewish folklore, to delve into the dark secrets of an unfrocked Russian holy man..
Chilling domestic horror.
The ghost of the public hangman finds that past misdemeanours come back to haunt him…
Five Star Protective Services are called in to protect a famous local writer when his ex-lover become an ex-person, in a story that has Cowdrey’s trademark wry humour and detailed observations.
Something for everyone … pervs included. Duncan, Reaves and Bowes my favourites, giving the first half of the chunky, value for money, volume more grist to my reviewing mill.
Watery southern horrors in Cowdrey’s inimitable style.
Elizabeth Hand. The Far Shore. A middle-aged man, ballet dancer initially, ballet teacher after an
Sean McMullen. The Art of the Dragon. Dryly satirical tale in which a gigantic dragon
Reed, Wightman and O’Driscoll are the cream of the crop, with Kessel’s new story, Bisson and Cowdrey not quite up to their (well-established) best.
Charles Coleman Finlay. The Minutemen’s Witch. Adventure set against the American Revolution, with added witchcraft.
Wayne Wightman. A Foreign Country. Quentin A. Denmore is standing for President of the USA,
Albert E. Cowdrey. Inside Story. Retired Detective Sergeant Alphonse Fournet finds the lure of work,
Matthew Hughes. Fullbrim’s Findings. Good news for fans of Hengis Hapthorne, of whom there are
Robert Reed. Reunion. F&SF regular Reed hit top form with the previous issue’s ‘Five Thrillers’,
Alexander Jablokov. The Boarder. Another in the ‘historical space race’ faction milieu, as a Russian
Robert Silverberg. Against the Current. A car salesman leaves work early after a sudden but
Dangnabbit, GvG has put the Ted Chiang story last of all. Can I resist a
Esther M. Friesner. At These Prices. Lightweight, very lightweight humour, involving a particularly unappealing hotel
Albert E. Cowdrey. Revelation. The bucolic pair, Dr. Dorshin, psychiatrist, and Professor (Dr.) Drea(d) both
Chris Willrich. Penultima Thule. Gaunt and Bone return for more cod-fantasy fun, the story being
Albert E. Cowdrey. Animal Magnetism. Another of F&SF regular Cowdrey’s well observed, well drawn humorous
Matthew Hughes. A Herd of Opportunity. Another tale of Guth Bandar, this one evidently from
Alex Irvine. Shambhala. The story was inspired by the illustration by Mark Evans which graces
David Gerrold. A Quantum Bit Exists in Two States Simultaneously : On This issue is
An issue which gets stronger the further you get in (unless you’re a fan of the Kedrigern stories). For me Utley and McCalliser where the pick of the bunch, with Cowdrey, Reed and Shultz entertaining.
Albert E. Cowdrey. The Amulet. In which a young journalist (in New Orleans, natch) meets
Having just read the Oct/Nov double issue of F&SF I ploughed straight in to this
Robert Reed. The Condor’s Green-Eyed Child. Reed returns to the strange milieu of ‘Raven'(F&SF Dec
James Stoddard. The Battle of York. Some 3000 years after the passing of America, the
James L. Cambia. Ocean of the Blind. A very Analog type of story. A team
Paolo Bacigalupi. The People of Sand and Slag. Bacigalupi’s ‘The Fluted Girl’ (F&SF June 2003)
For me the issue gets progressively stronger, with the earlier stories not quite doing it for me to any great extent.
I read this some weeks ago, but managed to mislay the copy before writing the
Buy a copy from Amazon. M. Shayne Bell. Anomalous Structures of My Dreams. When the
Robert Reed. The Majesty of Angels. Occasionally, very occasionally, you come across an SF short
Albert E. Cowdrey. The Posthumous Man. Cowdrey takes us once again to New Orleans. Wentworth
Robert Reed. Coelacanths. In the Dec 2001 issue of F&SF, Reed’s ‘Raven Dream’ brought us
The year’s bumper double-issue, with a nice cover (certainly leagues ahead of the dire cover
Counting the Shapes. Yoon Ha Lee. Fantasy with a mathematical bent – in fact, fantasy
Have Not Have. Geoff Ryman. Classy stuff. The societal impact of technology is something that
From A to Z, in the Sarsaparilla Alphabet. Harlan Ellison. A feature novella, acquired some
Sunrise Blues. S.N. Dyer A not unknown storyline – linking rock’n’roll with vampires – is
Stories by : Albert E Cowdrey, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Brendan Dubois, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Christopher Rowe, Colin P. Davies, Daniel Abraham, David Moles, Eleanor Arnason, James Patrick Kelly, James. L. Cambias, Kage Baker, M. John Harrison, Mary Rosenblum, Michael F. Flynn, Nancy Kress, Paolo Bacigalupi, Pat Murphy, Paul Di Filippo, Paul Melko, Peter F. Hamilton, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Terry Bisson, Vandana Singh, Vernor Vinge, Walter Jon Williams, William Sanders.
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Albert E Cowdrey, Brian Stableford, Charles Stross, Eliot Fintushel., Greg Egan, Ian McDonald, John Kessel, Lucius Shepard, M. Shayne Bell, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Paul J. McAuley, Peter F. Hamilton, Rick Cook and Ernest Hogan, Robert Charles Wilson, Severna Park, Stephen Baxter, Steven Utley, Susan Palwick, Tananarive Due, Ursula K. Le Guin.