The first issue of 2011 showcases all of the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction's strengths; new and well-known writers providing original fiction, regular columnists offering opinion through book and film reviews, humour, and a science column.
Pat MacEwen’s "Home Sweet Bi’ome" is a biological mystery which manages to be both original and humorous, and while there’s never any doubt about how the characters' relationship is going to turn out, they’re engaging characters, and it’s a fun read. Highly Recommended.
Kate Wilhelm
Kate Wilhelm has been gracing the pages of F & SF for almost half a century, but for the last two decades has been as prominent in the mystery field with her Barbara Holloway novels. "The Bird Cage" masterfully merges both genres through one of her trademark psychological thrillers. This novelette features a scientific research project that is gradually spiralling out of control. Outstanding.
Rick Norwood’s "Long Time" is another of the default prehistoric fantasies which F & SF is so fond of, but which leave many, such as the reviewer, unimpressed.
"Canterbury Hollow" by Chris Lawson tells of a far future and an asteroid so densely populated that lifespans must be determined by lottery. Two people who both face their impending death with a farewell tour of the asteroid meet and spend their last days together. Highly Recommended.
James Stoddard
In James Stoddard’s "Christmas At Hostage Canyon", a family visit their relatives for a seasonal break, when the youngest son spies a sinister-looking character who soon begins to stalk him. Stoddard manages to provide a very dark Christmas story while keeping in the spirit of the season. Recommended.
In "The Whirlwind" by Jim Young, a man awakes with no memory and is confronted by a mysterious talking whirlwind. It’s a virtual reality story that while interesting, never really becomes more than mildly so.
Albert E. Cowdrey
In Albert E. Cowdrey’s "The Bogle", a younger brother becomes the surrogate for his older sibling who apparently dies a hero’s death in Korea. It’s another Cowdrey story, stronger on character and dialogue than on originality.
Bill Pronzini and Barry N. Malzberg have been writing short, witty stories in collaboration for thirty-five years, and "Paradise Last" is a fine addition addition to the canon, and proof that even the hoariest of sub-genres, such as the zombie story, can show faint signs of life. Recommended
Richard A. Lupoff returns with a sequel to a 1993 appearance, "12:01 P.M.", with "12:02 P.M.", which initially bears a singular resemblance to Groundhog Day, although the protagonist effects the break from the time loop through his own efforts.
Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster is another writer offering a sequel, although he returns for a second consecutive appearance with "Ghost Wind", another Mad Amos Malone story, although it’s not as funny as "Free Elections."
The last story in the magazine is a long novelette, "The Ghiling Blade" by Matthew Corradi, a relatively unprolific author – it’s his first story sale since 2006. "The Ghiling Blade" is set in a fantasy world, but one outlined through action and implication rather than exposition. Since Corradi throws a lot of names at the reader to absorb, it’s comparatively slow to get going, but once it does it becomes one of the best stories of the issue. Highly Recommended.
Features
As well as the fiction, the reader is offered "Books To Look For" by Charles de Lint, and "Musing on Books" by Michelle West. Paul Di Filippo’s "Plumage From Pegasus" humour this month is "Patton Of The Arts." Kathi Maio reviews films, while the science column comes from Pat Murphy and Paul Doherty.
To say that this is a typically strong issue may sound like damning it with faint praise, but the greatest achievement of any magazine now into its sixty-second year is to achieve such standards that its readers almost take it for granted. Another high quality issue, and a great start to 2011.
Colin Harvey - Author six novels, and editor of four anthologies; professional reviewer since 2003, including six years at Strange Horizons. Member of ...
