James L. Cambia. Ocean of the Blind. A very Analog type of story. A team of scientists is studying alien life under the seas of a distant planet. The team is led by a universally unpopular chief scientist who has arranged for a special ‘stealth suit’ to be shipped to him that will enable him […]
Ellen Klages. Basement Magic. A tale of a young child with a wicked (well, not very nice) step-mother. Somewhat redolent of Roald Dahl – a melange of George’s Marvellous Medicine, and The Witches, with the young girl using good ol’ fashioned simple magic, with the help of the latest in a long line of nannies. […]
I read this some weeks ago, but managed to mislay the copy before writing the review. The magazine finally resurfaced from down the back of my comfy armchair in the living room! So this review is mostly from recollection, which may mean I miss one or two salient points. Mark W. Tiedemann. Scabbing. A nearish […]
Another excellent issue.
The Man on the Persian Carpet. Kate Wilhem. A potent blend of mystery/suspense, time travel and a sacrifice needed to keep the world in balance. The writing oozes class, as one would expect. Afterlife. Jack Williamson. I was a bit unmoved by Williamson’s Hugo-winning “The Ultimate Earth”, but enjoyed this shorter story hugely. Whilst “The […]
Raven Dream. Robert Reed. ‘An intriguing story that promises to be the start of a series’ according to the editorial intro., and that pretty much sums it up. Reed slowly reveals just enough juicy snippets of information to keep the reader interested. A small, tight-knit community of woods-dwelling humans/elves/creatures forage from the ‘big people, who […]
Yesterday’s Tomorrows. Kate Wilhelm. Not a Kate Wilhelm Special Issue as it says on the cover, but a Special Kate Wilhelm Section as it says on the contents page, which includes this story, an appreciation by Gordon van Gelder, and a bibliography by William G. Contento. For three quarters of this story I was enthralled. […]
Doing the Unstuck. Paul Di Filippo. The angst of teen Goth Erin is painfully observed, and set to the music of The Cure (I was more of a Siouxsie and the Banshees person myself). Erin has the attitude and the fashion sense, but lacks the crowning glory – the tousled hair a la Robert Smith. […]
