FOREIGN INVASION

Our first sample of imported SF is the luminously printed and fun-loving Canadian print pub, CHALLENGING DESTINY. Editor David M. Switzer, along with his pocket-sized staff, have generated an admirably attractive pub with an easy-to-read format, consummate editing, and sparse, but highly creative illustrations.

The pub bears a remarkably similar appearance, physically, to TALEBONES, though issue #14 is slightly thicker and a bit stouter than an average issue of TALEBONES. Format-wise, CHALLENGING DESTINY deserves nothing less than emphatic praise.

Editor Switzer kicks issue #14 off with a personal musing on John Gray’s enormously popular book, “Men Are from mars, Women Are From Venus”. The editorial seemed a bit incongruous with a pub devoted to SF, though we must commend Mr. Switzer for his honestly scribed notions and his advice to those trying to keep their romantic relationships afloat. That said, we were eager to move on to the issue’s fiction, most of which steered widely out of the range of the editorial’s theme.

Helen Rykens’ lead-off story “Deciphering Vermillion” is one of those “almost” stories. There’s almost a fulfilling description of an alien world and religion, almost convincing descriptions of alien races and philosophy, almost a suspenseful plot that will keep the reader turning pages.... The problem with this story seemed to be an overabundance of ideas. Rykens seems to have unloaded enough innovation and plot complexity to fuel a novel -- indeed, we’d be grateful if some novels had as much substance to offer as this short piece. There are talking crabs, psychics, political intrigues to spare, Tarot cards, double crosses, sexual transcendentalism, and even a pleasing denoument, but the story, due to its ambitious scope, simply feels incomplete. Leona the off-world psychic is a splendid character, and the alien races -- the crab-like Nusgians and the tentacled Kagazi -- are compellingly sketched. In the end, however, the reader will probably wish Rykens could have spent more time and space developing this piece and lengthening it. We hope Rykens will apply her obvious energy and talent for character development and titillating description to a novel, perhaps within this setting and with her very likable protag.

Next up, a clever and creative jaunt by E.L. Chen titled “Bobby’s First ABC’s”. This story is the best of the issue and demonstrates just how imaginative a short SF writer can be when she puts her mind to it. Lady E. was particularly tickled by this tale and had a good time telling her friends and co-workers about it. In fact, issue # 14 traveled with Miss E. on at least one occasion to her workplace, so that this marvelous little story could be shared with those she felt truly needed it.

The story concerns little Bobby whose morning breakfast cereal, “Alphabix”, offers a typical “proof of purchase” prize giveaway that turns out to be anything but typical. When Bobby’s prize arrives, four to six weeks later, mayhem ensues as he releases living animal-letters into his home. The special tone of this story lies within its being a much deeper story than the surface level insanity might suggest. Though lady E. scoffs at the notion, I see this story as a parable for the magic of language and a story of “first contact” with the living power of words. Whether you like my interpretation or not, this story will make you smile and it is a memorable achievement of narrative compression, taking just enough time to tell the story well. We tip our starry wizards' caps to Ms. Chen for penning a real winner here and urge all of you readers to look this one up.

“Perfidy”, by James Viscosi, takes up the ominous and timely theme of “selling out” in an overt parable of the consequences of censorship and the moral responsibility of artistic integrity. When a medieval theatre troupe is commanded to perform a pro-war play for the King’s soldiers and the King Himself, issues of artistic pride and integrity are stirred hotly, especially in the heart of the troupe’s star-actor, Gromm. The story is well-written, though the setting and minor characters seem a bit standardized and some of the dialogue too anachronistic. Viscosi’s theme might have been better articulated through a more noticeably exotic milieu, one which heightened the impact of its similarity to contemporary times through a more overt sense of “otherness”. However, “Perfidy” is a pleasantly thoughtful and thought-provoking story with a bittersweet resolution that is all-too-relevant to our own social/artistic landscape.

“Not Poppy, Nor Mandroga”, by K.G. McAbee, offers standard Fantasy fare. This tale of a peasant’s revenge against the monster who slayed his wife and son offers little to no innovation, though there are moments of excitement and lucid narration. The main impediment to the story’s success seems to be a proliferation of standard plot devices: a beast, a village under attack, a sword slinging adventuress who is sent to dispatch the enemy. Worst of all, the “Beauty and the Beast” motif of a prince/lover transformed into a monster by a spellcaster plays an all too central role in the tale and this aspect seemed to dampen the excitement of the first half of the narrative. No surprises in this one, but a decent ride for adventure and revenge in a dusty psuedo-medieval village. Only a dice throw away from your last RPG outing.

The final story in issue #14 is “The Trial of Edgar Allen Poe” by Hugh Cook. This is by far the issue’s most ambitious story -- and its least successful. The basic premise of the story is that crimes committed throughout history have no statute of limitations and, indeed, historical personages may be called before a tribunal to have their sins adjudicated and punishment dispensed. A startling idea that allows Cook to have some fun with historical figures and their sordid lives; however, this story is deep and confusing, too confusing to dub a victory. Poe’s crime, of course, was his marriage to his doomed cousin, Virginia Clemm, having “carnal knowledge of a female under the age of eighteen”. The story is told from the POV of a “newspaper man”, Halsey, who covers “celebrity” trials. There’s some peripheral thematic energy spent on the self-destructiveness of alcoholism -- but nothing in this tale really seemed to take concrete shape, so that the central conceit still seemed undeveloped. Along the way, there are some rocky spurts in narrative technique; it would seem, in this instance, Cook has bitten off more than he can chew.

Issue #14 rounds off its contents with an article on the origins of Canadian SF, and a visually impressive survey of SF art, compiled by Editor Switzer. We recommend the pub very highly, and compliment the staff and writers for putting together a fun and ambitious magazine.

Our next pub comes from way across the sea. UK’s THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE is a pub of much renown (a four time British Fantasy Award winner), with enough laudatory notices to fuel a steamship across the Atlantic. We’re not sure what we can add to the chorus of praise here, but simply said, THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE lives up to its hype -- and then some.

This is a decidedly adult publication (no not the kind you’re thinking about) and its wide range of content from insightful, thought-provoking interviews to its penetrating reviews of films, books, and television is directed at a mature, thinking audience. Issue #30’s interview with Alan Moore is one of the most stimulating Q&A’s we’ve had the extreme pleasure of reading in quite some time. The non-fictional content of the issue alone is well-worth the price of admission -- and to make the bargain even better -- the staff at TTR has thrown in six selections of fine fiction, some of which are truly outstanding, none of which are easily forgettable.

The stories in TTA are demanding and truly Speculative in the most glorious sense of the word. There has lately been some “buzz” around the SF field as to whether or not Speculative themes are becoming harder to excavate and deliver to the reading public, whether innovation and creativity are threatened by too much video, too much real science – in a nutshell, whether all the good ideas are taken. Those who feel this must not have seen an issue of THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE.

The sextet of stories in issue #30 seem to revolve around two basic thematic premises: 1) that crazy people ain’t so crazy after all, and 2) that the monolith of big government is definitely out to get you.

The stories are not, however, bogged down in political drum-beating, nor are they of an impenetrable, intellectual flavor. Instead, each of the stories draws a fine composite of imagination and intellectual sharpness, melding into a rebellious and deeply innovative breed of fiction that seems to have successfully negotiated the path between the “literary” and “popular” taste.

First up is, “Amber Rain”, a Scottish tale of aliens and lost-love, rife with poetic and sexual allusion, as well as a wonderfully narrated setting and protag. When photographer, Colin’s, old flame, Paddy, returns to his workingman’s life in Glasgow, he begins a moody trek into an erotic and extraterrestrial reality, that will end for both him and the reader on an ambiguously poetic note. Despite the fact that author Neil Williamson is capable of some exquisite writing, this story proved slightly disappointing in that there were really no surprises, plot-wise. This is a typical tale of an estranged lover returning as plain-old strange -- and there is a typically chauvinistic tone to Williamson’s characterization of Paddy and her altered sexuality. However, the writing in this tale is so good, the plot and resolution are only a mild letdown, a secondary issue when compared to tale’s emotional and narrative impact. Highly recommended.

Douglas Lain’s offering “The Subliminal Son” is written in episodic sub-sections, each with a title-heading, in montage style, which reflects the story’s central conceit and concern: the collage-videos made by an ad-man’s young son, which seem to act as a devastating psychological catalyst on the story’s protag. Lain’s satire of commercial culture is both melancholy and angry. Again, the theme of insanity-as-clarifying-vision emerges, as we follow the protag through a de-evolution of consciousness. While trying to treat his son’s speech impediment, the narrator finds his own speech patterns and thought patterns regressing, rather like a protracted “brain flush” that leaves fragments of ads and popular slogans in its psychic wake. The thrill of the tale becomes evident when the regressive state leads both the narrator and his son to a more pure state of consciousness -- one that reveals an ambiguous psychic/telepathic ability. “The Subliminal Son” is a very good story -- but it misses being a great one due to a muddled climax. That said, this story is a must-read for originality and perceptive social satire.

Ian Watson’s, “A Free Man”, is a brilliant short story with roots in such psychological/mystical theorists as Carl Jung and Aleister Crowley. A first person POV tale, “A Free Man” tells the story of an Amorphous Person, that is, a personality that has been projected and materialized directly from the Collective Unconscious, a person who does not actually exist by conventional standards, and yet has a self-perpetuating bank-account. There is a sexual/love story here that is skillfully presented and, far from being gratuitous, occupies a central place in the plot. Watson describes the sexual imagery and consequences of sexual transcendence as well as any writer this side of Anais Nin and what’s more, he follows through on the story’s truly innovative conceit with all of the components of his narrative, from characterization to the Pyrrhic denoument. A startling story, made all the more penetrating by its realistic vision of what big government might do with the Collective Unconscious given an ample opportunity. If you love SF do yourself a favor and read this tale.

“Tales of the Golden Legend”, by Robert Wexler is a creation myth, poetically penned, with the astonishing conceit of sentient loaves of bread. There are humorous notes to this spiritually yeasty tale, which takes up another “insanity” premise (hearing loaves speak) and distills it into a meditation of beauty and proletarian honor. Loaves are fulfilled by beaten eaten and only those which are kneaded and baked with care attain a magical voice, audible to few persons. This is a gem of a story and a must-read, again showcasing what an imaginative and skilled writer can do with ideas and language, the two merging as one, in keeping with the language-as-magic theme offered throughout issue #30.

“Care in the Continuum”, by Paul Meloy was the weakest story in the issue. Again, the theme of “insanity-as-vision” is articulated. This time in a plot that centers around a group of apparent transients who claim to be an extraterrestrial contingent of socially-devout do-gooders. The group is, of course, unrecognized as such by the powers that be, and the story largely centers around their mistaken identities, a feeling of being under the government’s eye, and the “are they or are they not really aliens” question. A baroque tale that seemed to have too many characters and too little focus -- though this may, indeed, be merely a subjective response. “Care in the Continuum” is still an enjoyable read, it just seemed a bit less polished than the other fine stories in TTR #30.

The last story, “The Edge of England”, by Christopher Kenworthy, is a solid piece that deserves more of an explication than we’ve left ourselves room enough to offer. So, we’ll leave a question mark for interested readers to pursue with the guarantee that they won’t be disappointed by this tale, or any of the fiction in TTR #30. Readers who have been unimpressed by the short SF they have recently encountered owe it to themselves to order a copy and/or subscription to THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE. It’s possible that there are print pubs out there as good as this one, but it’s unlikely that there are many that are better. We encourage anyone who’s serious and/or passionate about short SF to subscribe to this pub ASAP -- you’ll be looking for somebody to thank after you do so -- and that thanks goes to the TTA staff, one and all, for offering such an inventive and professional pub.

We’ve hardly left ourselves room for a link to free fiction this bi-week. So let us hastily recommend a fledgling but very promising site called MARS DUST. This is an exciting website! Lady E. and I have long known that being a SF nerd is sexy -- Lady E. especially -- but MARS DUST is the first site we’ve found that is bent on proving this fact to the world at large. Click over for fiction, art, fashion, opinion, sexy girls, hip-hop, rock n’ roll, and a spontaneously combustible vibe that has us burning to return to the site again and again. Fiction here ranges from epic excerpts from Tad Williams’ “Shadowmarch” to “The Last Dance at Adagio Station”, a short tale by James J. Heiney. We’ll spare some space in the future for a more detailed review of this site-with-an-attitude, but urge you to get the jump on us by clicking over right now.

This bi-week’sGreat Fiction Award brand goes to Ian Watson for his tremendously creative and thought-provoking tale, “A Free Man”. Congratulations, Mr. Watson. If ever your name should appear again in our humble column, it will be followed by the G.F. Brand!! We encourage you to tell all of your friends and family.

SF readers, writers, and other charismatics are invited to the SFReader.com Discussion forums for rumor and debate.

Until Next Time,

Daniel E. Blackston

Firebrand Fiction Reviews: all content © 2002, Daniel E. Blackston