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October 2016 Clarkesworld Now Available

October 2016 Clarkesworld Now Available

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clarkesworld-121-smallOkay, I’ve settled into a routine now. I drop by Charles Payseur’s Quick Sip Reviews to see what he thinks of this month’s crop of magazines, read what he has to say about Clarkesworld, and then make a beeline to the Clarkesworld website. The guy knows how to whet your appetite for good fiction.

Here he is on Genevieve Valentine’s 9,000-word tale, “Everyone from Themis Sends Letters Home.”

So this is a rather heartbreaking story about a place that doesn’t even exist. Not exactly. It’s about a woman who has been unfortunate all her life finally being a part of something that she loves, that makes her feel…okay, and then having to find out that it’s been not only a lie but a cruel one… It’s also about a game, a game that comes to be something more than that, mired in the horror of what it did but also in the good that came of it. The story is brilliantly told through letter, at first between Marie and a mysterious other person, then drawing out to include other people… The story does a terrific job of selling the idea of the game and then exploring how the game abused its test subject. How a corporation teamed with a prison to use people and how no one cared. The story flits from person to person but only through letters, so that the story is in some ways the evidence being gathered by the main character, by Benjamina, to turn over to expose what has happened. And it’s completely believable that such treatment of inmates would happen. It points to how we treat the incarcerated, how we treat those we’ve deemed criminal. How powerless they become and how easy they are to use, even when it leaves permanent damage. It’s a wrenching story and I love how it plays out, the guilt and the pain and the yearning. It uses form to great effect and you should definitely read this one. Go!

Read Charles’ complete review of the issue here.

The October Clarkesworld, issue #121, is packed with new fiction by Robert Reed, James Patrick Kelly, Chi Hui, and Nnedi Okorafor & Wanuri Kahiu, and reprints by Jy Yang and Michael Swanwick.

Here’s the complete list of stories.

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The October Fantasy Magazine Rack

The October Fantasy Magazine Rack

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We added two new magazines to our regular coverage this month: Skelos, the Journal of Weird Fiction and Dark Fantasy, edited by Mark Finn, Chris Gruber, and Jeffrey Shanks, and Postscripts, edited by Nick Gevers, which is more of a regular anthology series, but it publishes short fiction and has numbered issues, so what the hell. Welcome aboard.

We also have lots of interest for vintage fiction fans, including retro reviews by Rich Horton and Matthew Wuertz of the July 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction (with stories by Clifford D. Simak, James H. Schmitz, C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner, Fritz Leiber, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Shaara), the November and December 1963 Fantastic (John Jakes, Neal Barrett, Jr., Ursula K. Le Guin, Keith Laumer, and Edmond Hamilton) and the May 1963 Amazing (Henry Slesar, Leigh Brackett, Albert Teichner, and Robert F. Young).

Check out all the details on the magazines above by clicking on the each of the images. Our September Fantasy Magazine Rack is here.

As we’ve mentioned before, all of these magazines are completely dependent on fans and readers to keep them alive. Many are marginal operations for whom a handful of subscriptions may mean the difference between life and death. Why not check one or two out, and try a sample issue? There are magazines here for every budget, from completely free to $35/issue. If you find something intriguing, I hope you’ll consider taking a chance on a subscription. I think you’ll find it’s money very well spent.

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Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1953: A Retro-Review

Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1953: A Retro-Review

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galaxy-science-fiction-july-1953-smallThe July, 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction is bereft of a serialized novel, so a curious reader could jump into it without feeling a need to commit to something larger. I suggested the same thing for the June, 1953 issue as well, so here are two issues to choose between. Or read them both.

“Kindergarten” by Clifford D. Simak — Peter lives in the country, having moved out of the city after being diagnosed with cancer. He lives a simple life until he discovers a strange machine on his property. When he touches it, it dispenses a remarkable piece of jade.

Other people discover the machine soon enough, and with each touch, it dispenses an item specific to the person. As word spreads, the police become involved, followed by the military. The machine, though clearly alien, isn’t too disturbing until it begins laying a foundation for something much larger.

Simak’s story works really well. I think he did a good job with Peter’s character — showing his pain with cancer. And I like that the source of his pain or why he lived in the country didn’t come out immediately. I expected after reading it that nothing else in the issue would top this story, but I later found something else that edged it out as my favorite.

“Caretaker” by James H. Schmitz — An exploring party visits the planet, Cresgyth. A man named Hulman crashed on it over twenty years ago — the lone survivor of his crew. He was saved by other humans — the only humans known to exist beyond Earth. Those humans, however, are threatened by other humanoid creatures that Hulman calls snakes. The humans won’t fight back, and Hulman believes the humans will become extinct unless something is done about the snakes.

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Fantastic, November and December 1963: A Retro-Review

Fantastic, November and December 1963: A Retro-Review

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I recently looked at a couple of issues of Fantastic with a Brak the Barbarian serial by John Jakes, and here’s another pair with a Brak serial. Indeed, this was Jakes’ first SF/Fantasy novel, and his second Brak story.

The editorials cover first, Freeman Dyson’s ideas about using gravity as an energy source (for transportation), and second, the notion of having astronauts use crayons in orbit. The covers are by Alex Schomburg (November) and Paul E. Wenzel (December), in neither case, perhaps oddly, illustrating Jakes’ novel. Interiors are by Lee Brown Coye, Virgil Finlay, and Peter Lutjens (each of them appeared in both issues). (I will note that I find Coye okay as a pure horror illustrator, which seems to have been his forte, but I thought his illustration for Jack Sharkey’s “The Aftertime” just terrible.)

There is a letter column in November (Fantastic’s lettercol, which only appeared occasionally at this time, was called According to You ...). The letters this time are by David T. Keil, Paula Crunk, and Dennis Lien. I’ve known Denny online for quite some time, first on Usenet and later via email, so that was interesting. Keil has praise for Keith Laumer and Brian Aldiss and Thomas Disch, some (generally positive) discussion of Fritz Leiber, and scorn for David R. Bunch. Paula Crunk is happy with Leiber and Laumer, but complains about some of the other dreadful stuff the magazine published. And Lien disputes a claim in an earlier letter that fantasy has gotten short shrift in Hugo nominations relative to SF. (He notes the several examples of fantasy that were nominated — 3 at least of the five short fiction nominees the previous year — and also notes that, after all, the Hugos are given at a “Science Fiction” convention.)

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September Short Story Roundup

September Short Story Roundup

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oie_413844fthp1nteWe’re still in the midst of a swords & sorcery renaissance that started around a decade ago, and now there’s a broader pulp one going on as well. Between the first issue of Skelos and the third of Cirsova, September saw a hurricane of short stories involving swords, wizards, warriors, pirates, and space pirates. Good times ahead! At least that’s my hope.

I first became aware of Skelos‘ then-impending existence with a flurry of internet activity announcing a Kickstarter this past spring. On the pledge page the magazine was heralded as “A horror and fantasy journal featuring short fiction, essays, poetry, reviews, and art by both seasoned pros and talented newcomers!” I found those words impossible to resist, and kicked in enough money to get myself billed in its pages as a benefactor, and be rewarded with a print copy and a four-issue e-book subscription.

When the print copy of Skelos 1 appeared in my mailbox last month, I was very impressed with its look and feel. The cover is decorated with a nicely creepy Gustav Doré illustration and the inside is filled with great black and white art.

Skelos is edited by a triumvirate comprising Mark Finn, Chris Gruber, and Jeffrey Shanks, but the introduction was written by Finn alone. The co-editors are looking to have an an ongoing conversation with their readers and are “willing to learn as we go, if you’re willing to talk to us about the thoughts behind the words and pictures. We want everyone to walk away feeling like they learned something new, or at least, were heard and understood.” It may be “too ambitious to try and bridge the gap between Classic Weird Fiction and New Weird Fiction,” but where they intersect is what the trio find interesting, and what Skelos intends to investigate. While there are very specific references to authors and artists from the early days of weird fiction (Lovecraft, Moore, Bok, and Finlay), there aren’t any contemporary ones. If that sounds a little vague, I believe it’s deliberate, as Skelos is still a work in progress.

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Interzone #266 Now on Sale

Interzone #266 Now on Sale

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interzone-266-smallThe September/October issue of Interzone magazine is now on sale, with a cover by 2016 cover artist Vincent Sammy, “Heaven Spots” (click the image at right for a bigger version.)

This issue is pretty intriguing. Or, at least, Kevin P Hallett’s Tangent Online review makes it sound pretty intriguing. Here’s Kevin on Malcolm Devlin’s “The End of Hope Street.”

The twelve houses on Hope Street faced a strange blight in this horror mystery novelette. One by one, the sinister blight consumed each house making it unlivable. Failure to leave resulted in death; failure to stay away resulted in death. The displaced residents found temporary sanctuary in the other houses on the street. In all but one, that is. For Daniel Dormer, the patriarch at number twelve, felt that all this had happened to his neighbours for a reason.

When Daniel’s house was the only one still livable, he had to face the consequences of his petty prejudices.

The author develops the characters well and uses the mystery to pull the reader through the story. The enigmatic blight hangs over everything leaving the reader with many questions to answer. A pleasant and intriguing tale.

And Tade Thompson’s “The Apologists.”

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September 2016 Lightspeed Magazine Now Available

September 2016 Lightspeed Magazine Now Available

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lightspeed-september-2016-smallIt’s the end of the month, and you know what that means. The complete contents of Lightspeed have now been posted online, awaiting your pleasure. Here’s Charles Payseur’s summary from Quick Sip Reviews.

The September issue of Lightspeed Magazine is all about crime and punishment. About people running from their pasts, running from authority, running from justice or injustice alike. In each of the stories there is a looming threat of some sanction. Police officers trying to maintain a status quo or a corrupt government trying to quash transparency or some nebulous force urging surrender or an actual crocodile waiting for the right moment to… These are stories that complicate crime and resistance, activism and revolution. And though they are unified by their focus on characters running from pursuit, from punishment, they show very different motivations and outcomes…

“Unauthorized Access” by An Owomoyela (10,700 words).  This is a rather fun story about activism and bureaucracy and corruption, all wrapped in a warm cyberpunk blanket… The world is a vibrant and rather different New York, filled with solar collectors and data and big government but also a grittier side, an Undercity that Aedo fears to tread and a whole lot in between. And I love Aedo as a character, trying to do the right thing while continually finding herself in the right place at the right time to do something… a tense and rather thrilling ride at times, and I would be excited to see if there’s more to come from this world and these character. A great story!

Read Charles’ complete review of the September issue here.

This month editor John Joseph Adams offers us original fantasy by Maria Dahvana Headley and Jaymee Goh, and fantasy reprints by Tim Pratt and Christopher Barzak, plus original science fiction by An Owomoyela and Sean Williams, along with SF reprints by Alec Nevala-Lee and Charlie Jane Anders.

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September/October Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Now on Sale

September/October Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Now on Sale

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the-magazine-of-fantasy-and-science-fiction-september-october-2016-smallWhen I was at Worldcon last month, I attended the Friday morning reading group hosted by F&SF. It featured five writers reading their stories from the magazine — Cat Rambo, David Gerrold (above middle), Sarah Pinsker (right), William Ledbetter, and Esther Friesner — and was moderated by editor C.C. Finlay (above left).

It was a lot of fun… and it certainly built up anticipation for the upcoming September/October issue. Two of the authors, David Gerrold and Sarah Pinsker, read extremely enticing excerpts from stories appearing in that issue. At the end of the panel Charles Finlay announced early copies were available in the back. I got in line to get one, but ended up giving my precious copy to someone at the con, and I wasn’t able to retrieve it before flying back to Illinois (*sob*). So I had to wait impatiently for several weeks until the issue arrived in my local bookstore, and I snapped up a copy a few days ago.

It’s a David Gerrold Special Issue, featuring two new novellas by Gerrold, a memoir, and an appreciation by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, “The Amazing Mr. Gerrold.” It’s F&SF‘s first author special in over a decade, and I’m glad to see Finlay bringing the idea back. (Gerrold is having quite a renaissance in the pages of F&SF… his novelette “The Thing on the Shelf,” featuring a horror writer nominated for the coveted Stoker Award, appeared last issue.)

The issue’s “The Dunsmuir Horror,” a Lovecraft pastiche starring author David Gerold, is both funny and very disturbing. Written in the form of a letter to Gordon van Gelder, F&SF‘s publisher and former editor, from the narrator as he recovers in a mental institution (as I said… very Lovecraftian), the story relates Gerrod’s investigations into a sinister American town that tries to lure weary travelers into stopping.

It’s an exceptional piece and a very fun read, and already getting some good notice. Here’s Clancy Weeks at Tangent Online.

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September 2016 Asimov’s Science Fiction Now on Sale

September 2016 Asimov’s Science Fiction Now on Sale

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asimovs-science-fiction-september-2016-smallThe September issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction looks like a very solid issue, with fiction from Carrie Vaughn, Ian R. MacLeod, Robert Reed, Rich Larson, Jack Skillingstead, and others. Here’s the full description from the website:

Jack Skillingstead’s September 2016 novelette takes us on a terrifying journey across universes. Pursued by malevolent forces, a brilliant mathematician struggles to clean up “The Whole Mess.” Failure means destruction and subjugation. The penalty for success could be worse.

New York Times best selling author, Carrie Vaughn exposes the debilitating consequences space travel holds for some in “The Mind Is Its Own Place”; appearing in Asimov’s with her first professional sale, Tegan Moore shines a light on some dark and twisted relationships in “Epitome”; Human and Alien intelligence slowly learn to communicate in Rich Larson’spoignant excavation of “All that Robot…”; World Fantasy Award winner Ian R. MacLeod introduces us to the enigmatic “Visitor from Taured”; Peter Wood runs  us around in some vicious, yet funny and perhaps all too recognizable, “Academic Circles”; and Robert Reed tells the old tale of migration and the promised land — this time with aliens — in “Dome on the Prairie.”

Robert Silverberg’s hilarious Reflections column reveals why it’s not a good idea to exclaim, “‘Darn,’ He Smiled”; Peter Heck reviews works by Charlie Jane Anders, Laura Anne Gilman, Fred Chappell, and others; plus we’ll have an array of poetry and other features you’re sure to enjoy.

The cover is by the great Michael Whelan.

Over at Tangent Online Bob Blough raves about the issue, and especially Ian M. McLeod’s “A Visitor from Taured,” which he calls “a potential award nominee.”

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Check Out Postscripts, the Varied Genre Anthology Series from PS Publishing

Check Out Postscripts, the Varied Genre Anthology Series from PS Publishing

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Postscripts is something of an unusual beast.

It started off as a quarterly British magazine of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and crime. The first issue, edited by Peter Crowther and published by PS Publishing,  appeared in June 2004 to considerable acclaim. It won the International Horror Guild award for best periodical in 2006 and 2008, and the British Fantasy Award for Best Magazine in 2009. I snatched up the early issues as they appeared… they were a little expensive on this side of the pond, but I never regretted it.

Postscripts has undergone some changes over the years. Early issues were essentially trade paperbacks (at least in the newsstand edition; there was also a signed, numbered, limited edition hardcover for the hardcore collectors.) Starting with issue 18 the magazine transitioned to a quarterly anthology; more recently (starting with issue 20/21) it has settled into a biannual schedule, producing two fat double-sized issues every year. The trade paperbacks are also a thing of the past, the “newsstand” edition, such as it is, is a beautiful thick hardcover with a wraparound cover. The capable Nick Gevers became co-editor with issue 18, and sole editor starting with issue 32/33. Under Nick’s stewardship the magazine has published brand new stories by Brian Aldiss, Scott Edelman, Paul Di Filippo, Darrell Schweitzer, Paul Tremblay, Simon Strantzas, Robert Reed, Michael Swanwick, Paul Park, John Langan, Richard Calder, and many others.

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