Gern
A satisfying reimagining of a character as old as Moriarty. One trend I am quite comfortable with of late is liking the anti-hero. In this case the Moriarty definitely sees himself as doing something necessary in a world that is operating in ways it should not. Very much recommend if you at all cheer for the more complicated character or just want something a bit different.
This for my taste was a cozy Mystery, Lovecraft inspired, adventure romp with plenty of action thrown in. A few decent twists by the end. I have seen a variety of reviews and understand not for everyone but if Scooby Doo gang with darker elements thrown in sounds at all interesting I would suggest giving it a try.
A Complicated Rewarding Read
Sockpuppets erotica, connection, revenge, and many more themes wrapped together in an unexpected piece of work. I have honestly never read anything quite like it and while I started out uncertain it was worth it. There is a witty dark imagination at work by Kort, well worth the readers time.
What started off as one of many high school kids dropped into an MMORPG story ended up having a few good plot twists to make it interesting. Characters started off a bit vague or stereotypical but gained depth by the end of the first volume. If fantasy video game storylines with a bit of intrigue are interesting you would recommend this series so far.
Let me preface by saying I had the free version so some stories were not featured in this review.
Sanitize by P.L. McMillian
Quiet horror that would hit home a little extra for anyone that has any level of fear of germs or infections. Has me remembering just how much hand sanitizer and washing of hands I have done this last year and a half with Covid 19. The mounting pressure on the main character's mental state is expertly applied as we progress from bad to worse by the story's end. Very unnerving and well executed.
Nomad's Land by Brenda Kezar
Mongolian death worm, story laid out in letters back home, and an adventurer trying to just figure it all out. You had me at Mongolian death worm and if anyone reading this has not already heard it I recommend googling Norm Sherman and Mongolian death worm it is worth a listen. This story has a horror that creeps up on you. The tone of the letters is always optimistic but the details lead the reader down a different path at a pace befitting the size of the story.
I Saw (poem) by Scott J. Couturier
The saying about staring too long into the void feels like it applies here. Now imagine a skilled writer applying pen to paper after staring into that void.. That is what Couturier has done here.
The Key to Grief by Robert W. Chambers
Escape from a hanging, romance on an island and dark uncertainty all meet in Chamber's tale. This one took me from a dismal seeming quick ending through feelings of hope and back again. Very well told, for me the ability to go from what felt like a dirty doomed existence to a seemingly meaningful happy state for our main character. It was a charming way to set up for the conclusion, that is all I can say except it is worth it.
My review is for what I picked as my top three of the fictional stories in this month's issue.
Artificial People by Michael Swanwick
A tale that reminds me of a more adult Pinocchio but with the reader and character being forced to have time skip past us. Maybe the doll-like character is a project started and left forgotten for a while then comes back to again and again over the years. Each time gaining knowledge and developing it's awareness only to see everything has changed around him each time. It was engrossing for me even if it left a bittersweet feeling by the end.
One Time, a Reluctant Traveler by A. T. Greenblatt
A somber tale about honoring the memory of loved ones, a journey up an impossible mountain, and a world seemingly near its end. The reflective tone is not the easiest for me to follow but the ability of the author to give a personality to the robotic guide and the wary narrator is clear. The vision of the world is well executed.
Power to Yield by Bogi Takács
Imagine a book report leading you to follow around a revolutionary political figure, interview him, then make a life altering choice. Now place this in a detailed future with a rich cultural history. By the end this world felt more real than some places in our world. The title hints at some of the things the main character endures after a decision she makes. I did not see it coming entirely and was struck by the level of intensity and resolve of the young woman we see this story through.
Brooks managed to tell a visceral tale through an interesting medium of character journal pieces and interviews of characters. This leaves the reader to piece some parts together but not in a way that was ever frustrating for me. A lot of tension and build up towards the middle of the tale, but the pay off is satisfying. I would like to say more but keeping this spoiler free.
One last note as a person living in the PNW I can safely say there are enough local points referenced for it to be familiar yet the main setting of the story is far enough off the beaten track to keep it new. Well done and not sure I will look at another bigfoot bumper sticker in quite the same way again.
This anthology is a treat for anyone wanting to make Halloween a little more cosmically dark. It starts with a poem by old HPL himself, which sets the tone. I have narrowed down the list of tales to three I want to highlight.
Uncle's in the Treetops by Darrel Schweiter, in under twenty pages creates a town that is familiar and alien with traditions that meld with the Lovecraft ethos wonderfully. The exploration of morality in this world is thoughtful and leaves the reader with a dark satisfaction in the end.
Next up, The Old Man Down the Road by Arinn Demdo takes us along with a couple whose lives would have been difficult already given the time and setting of the story. That is just surface level though Demdo has more in store for the reader as the rabbit hole of this tale is quite dark but worth the journey.
Third Cosmic Cola by Lucy A. Snyder starts comfortably enough with a sleepy family moving to a new town with a misunderstood girl trying to fit in at the start. But we know what kind of stories we have come here for right? So in comes the rituals, cults, and all the right twists.
The other stories are all worth a read as well I hope anyone that takes the time with these tales enjoys them as much as I have.
Lawhead has taken a seemingly timeless tale of the legendary Robin Hood and located it in a neighboring culture. If you give this a listen take a moment to listen to his afterword at the end for some well spoken insight into the why of this. Legends such as this one that everyone thinks they know are wisely looked at as timeless and at the same time we all know next to nothing about what the “original” story is if there is one. Well worth the journey.
This was a good introduction to an interesting set of characters. Mercy and her world is a good take on the urban (or not so urban) fantasy genre. A good mix of folklores and characters I enjoyed spending time with.
Lorelei King's narration abilities are spectacular would recommend anyone looking for someone who can shift between characters deftly give her work a listen.
Reviewing a set of short stories is difficult so I am going to comment on my top three:
The Tell Tale Heart, Edgar Allen Poe - Poe a quick paranoid wonderful ride, In so few words he paints a detailed manic story that is worth hearing.
The man who found out, by Algernon Blackwood - For me despite all the clever ways to tell a horror story this one hit home in an unsettling fashion. The life wrenching impact of knowledge strikes the main character in a way they cannot continue living. The reader never quite knows the full story but can see the lengths gone to by Laidlaw to simply find ease of mind. Last but not least The
Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The story is immediately distinct from the other tales present there are no supernatural creatures or immediate sense of fear. The story comes instead with a continuous sense of sinking further from reality into a nightmarish world of the mind.
There are many other gems in this collection and would recommend it as a worthwhile sampling for the curious.
Matty Roth imbedded journalist by default in a divided uncivil war in New York. Imagine a military trial conducted in the public light in this scenario. Matty collects accounts from soldiers and civilians involved in the related incident giving a complex and unclear picture to the reader.
Gritty and well written along with the fitting art style readers of the series are used to. Looking forward to spending more time in Brian Wood's very human story.
Nice adaption of “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe. I rather enjoyed the original characters the author wove into the tale. Angus, Ms Potter, and Easton are all memorable and made the story more engaging.
Felt like a cross of batman, hardboiled detective novel, meets sensitive out of time character in the 30‘s to 40‘s America. Our two main pov characters Dian and Wesley Dodds are both people who do not quite fit neatly into the society around them for a variety of reasons. Where as the other characters around them are often examples of societal problems of the time.
All that said the dark plot points of villains are setup and resolved in a ways reminiscent of darker comic book or detective noir stories in some of the best ways. Looking forward to seeing how this series continues to play out.
Imagine ending one life and then beginning a new one in a radically different world. A world with different rules, deities, magic, and many other surprises. Cristoph A. T. provides an inventive example of world-building while giving the reader a relatable narrator.
Our main character retains some memories from their former life and makes use of concepts from our world as they adapt to this new world. As a fellow anime enthusiast, a particular reference to the Sharingan eye from the Naruto manga/anime series made me chuckle but also served as a reminder of the character being a familiar person in a strange land.
This ambitious start to what I expect has the potential to be a fun and intriguing series of stories further expanding this world. In a moderate-sized story, the author manages to relate the reader to magic systems, secrets of this world's deities, a complex governing system, and introduces many well-defined characters.
All of this is delivered during a literal coming-of-age tale as the character begins their second childhood which is threatened by political concerns. Relationships are established for both reasons of the heart and political needs, societal rules are different, and wonderfully these are done in ways that are inclusive to non-gender binary audiences.
Was not sure what to expect coming into this story but genuinely enjoyed my time spent in this world. To any reading this review I encourage you to give this one a read and enjoy the journey.
For full transparency, I was given access to an advanced reading copy by the author. But my review is otherwise unaffected and completely my own.
My one ask is if possible book two please, the world made here deserves continued exploration.
A promising beginning to a Final Fantasy manga series. Knowledgeable gamer fan dropped into what at first seems like the world he has been a fan of, but with important differences. The story and setting brought me back to playing FF 14 the mmorpg and I believe that is deliberate. A good bit of fan service to the franchise but with enough variations to keep it interest.
Looking forward to reading other volumes and for anyone who enjoys the storyline of modern person dropped into a video game or final fantasy I would recommend giving it a try.
While being a fan of the Netflix series this book felt like an interesting backstory with characters I would not have minded knowing more about. Hopper's character has at times a predictable story arc but that said it still felt worth the ride to see how we got to the more recent Hopper. Light references to Miskatonic University made me entertain numerous side story ideas further entangling the Lovecraft's works into this universe and would not mind if this is further explored in other works. All and all it was a good read and appreciate Christopher's work, would recommend to anyone curious to give it a read.
A dark wandering tale of actors, abuse, and a bit of who done it. Characters felt well written if a bit aggravating at times. Would recommend if dark literary Shakespeare sounds good.