Retrospectives: 1997
Realms of Fantasy: December 1997 (Issue 20)
Part twenty in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction to the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I’ll be wrapping up the 1997 publishing season by discussing its December issue.
The cover to this one should be familiar to a lot of epic fantasy fans, as it was the original cover art by Doug Beekman to Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind, book one in his Sword of Truth series. It features one Richard Rahl mounted on a red dragon (Scarlet, I believe her name was).
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove, American Goliath by Harvey Jacobs, Bring the Jubilee by Ward Moore, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy by John Clute and John Grant, and Jeanne Cavelos reviews The Annotated Lovecraft, edited by S.T. Joshi; in the Folkroots column, Terri Windling writes about banshees and boggarts, spriggans and sprites: the legends of our “Good Neighbors”; in the Movie/TV column, after lamenting the lack of fantasy movies last issue, Dan Perez discusses fantasy’s success on TV; in the artist gallery, Jane Frank covers the artwork of Sanjulian, and in the games column, Mark Sumner reviews the PC game, Dungeon Keeper, a card game based on Clive Barker’s Imajica, and the PC, game, Age of Empires.
On to the fiction …
The first story in this one was “The One Act” by A.M. Dellamonica, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This tale was a big old stew, having a little of everything, from possible ghosts (not telling), possible schizophrenia (not telling), double-lives, and yes, some hurling of spells. Sort of hard to classify because of this. Very bizarre. Of course, I like bizarre so all is well. Art to this one was provided by Michael Gibbs, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
Next up was “Lord Madoc and the Red Knight” by Richard Parks, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. The interesting twist on this type of story is that it isn’t Sir Madoc . Normally it is the knight on the chivalrous quest in these types of tales. Often he must combat other knights, but here the other knights are the enemy only. He draws heavily on Welsh lore in telling this one, and like the best of these sorts of tales do, he succeeds by making clever reinventions to his tale. Art to this one was provided by Doug Andersen, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Kaleidoscope” by Kate Daniel, a powerful magic realism tale about a woman who learns some difficult truths about her father after he dies. When she comes across the old kaleidoscope her father had given as a child, she uses it to try and reinvent her past. Art to this one was provided Janet Aulisio, which marks her ninth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “In the Land of the Bears” by K.D. Wentworth. This was a very powerful story, drawing heavily on American history’s Trail of Tears and the sadness it inflicted on so many generations of oppressed Native Americans. In the end, she turns the tale into something very resonant and beautiful, which gave me some nice goosebumps on my arms. Art to this one was provided by David Martin, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.
Next up is “Walter’s Christmas Night Musik” by Susan J. Kroupa, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one is a heartfelt Christmas tale about a holiday miracle. As it goes with some of these tales, can’t say much more without giving it away. Art to this one was provided by Charles Demorat, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
The final story is “Silver Apples” by Beverly Suarez-Beard, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This high fantasy tale was right up my alley, about a woman cursed to be the guardian of the silver apples, which have mystical healing properties. She’s an enchantress sort, and whatever man comes along is doomed to fall in love with her and die. But everything and then some goes out the window when a woman comes seeking the silver apples instead. Clever plotting, good world-building, nice characterizations, and loads of imagery. Art to this one was provided by Steven Adler, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue (and 1997). And my favorite story this issue? Well, you could probably flip a coin between “In the Land of the Bears” & “Silver Apples,” because I enjoyed both of them that match. But I’ll give the nod to ”Silver Apples” by Beverly Suarez-Beard, because as I said, this story is right up my alley. And my favorite artwork? Steven Adler’s accompanying illustration to “Silver Apples.” Next time I’ll kick off 1998 by discussing the February issue. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: October 1997 (Issue 19)
Part nineteen in my ongoing series as I read the fiction to the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I’ll be dissecting the October 1997 issue, which marks the magazine’s third anniversary.
The cover to this one is by Luis Royo, which marks his second illustration in the magazine. It is the second of the magazine’s infamous “chicks in chain mail” covers. The first chick in chain mail cover (June ‘96) was somewhat revealing, but this one takes things a healthy eyeful further. The distinction is worth noting just because I know some people have taken issue with these covers over the years. But the last one was somewhat more …unassuming. So this might be the first chick in chain mail cover that some people took legitimate issue with. As to the cover itself, it features a woman warrior with a raven on her shoulder.
Also worth noting is that on the cover, you’ll see LOUISE COOPER: NEW FICTION! Only there’s no fiction by Louise Cooper in this issue. She had a story in the last issue (with the same blurb on the cover, and another story in the issue I’m currently reading (February ‘98), but not in this issue. Whoops! Someone dropped the ball on that one!
Moving on …
This issue features a guest editorial by none other than Jane Yolen, as she discusses the use of different narrative voices in fantasy literature. Since Yolen continues this essay the following issue, it marks the first time the magazine ran a two-part editorial.
A rundown of the issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Dogland by Will Shetterly, The Ignored by Bentley Little, Return to Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber, and Jeanne Cavelos reviews Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip; in the Folkroots column, Terrin Windling writes about legends of water lore; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez laments the lack of fantasy movies (I’d say this has changed dramatically in the last 10+ years); in the artist gallery, Jane Frank writes about the art of Ian Miller; and in the games column, Mark Sumner reviews Creatures for the PC and the rpg, Deadlands.
On to the fiction …
The opening story is “Drowned Love” by C.W. Johnson, a dark fantasy tale that also marks the first time that a mermaid has made its way into our fantasy (I think). It’s a pretty engaging tale, about a man with a tortured past that is part of a deep-sea salvage team. Since this takes place before the days of modern scuba gear, the protagonist relies on the air pockets captured in a large bell when he goes into the depths, going back and forth between the bell and the wreckage for as long as possible before returning to the surface. Pretty cool. Art to this one was provided by Alan Pollack, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
Next up was “And Horses Are Born With Eagle’s Wings” by Sherwood Smith. Art to this one was provided by Ken Graning, which marks his 7th illustration in the magazine. This is a story that every fan of fantasy should read at least once. Solid characterizations and smooth writing, as it deals with an elementary school music teacher whose music is just a little too magical …at least for some. I say that every fantasy fan should read this story because it deals with something that raises my hackles whenever it’s mentioned, i.e. Christian fundamentalists that denounce fantasy works as evil/witchcraft/Satanic/etc. I don’t have a problem with fundies (as they’re called in the story) regarding their religious beliefs, but denouncing works of fantasy because you’re afraid of what they’ll do to your kids is more than just a little overboard. I mean really. And Smith doesn’t attack these people with her story. She addresses this issue, and handles it in a manner I greatly admired. So bravo, Sherwood, and thank you Shawna for having the guts to publish this one.
Then we have ”The Lady of Shalott House” by Tanith Lee, which marks her fifth appearance in Realms of Fantasy. This one is a pretty standard love/ghost story, but as Tanith excels at doing, she uses her language to cast a mood and raise the level of the reading experience. Art to this one was provided Mary O’Keefe Young, which marks her 9th illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Leningrad Blues” by E.A. Johnson (not be confused with the aforementioned C.W. Johnson). This one was an urban fairy tale set in a recently disbanded Soviet Union. The level of detail is quite strong (and quite engaging, as I learned a number of interesting tidbits regarding this land), and the story as a whole kept me happily turning pages. A man part of an underground music group catches a golden fish that grants him a wish in exchange for its freedom. The man wishes for the woman of his dreams, and she’s everything he could want. And she’ll be his forever, so long as he loves above all else. Without a doubt one of the stronger urban fantasy tales I’ve read to date. Art to this one was provided by Broeck Steadman, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
Following this was “The Wolf Man’s Wife” by Peni R. Griffin, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one follows some familiar patterns, but is quite engaging as it tells the tale of a woman who marries a man, and everything is perfect, except she must promise him to never go outside at night. And to provide a bit of a spoiler here, this story also marks our first were-wolf tale in the magazine. Art to this one was provided by Janet Aulisio, which marks her eighth illustration in the magazine.
Last up we have “Meadow Song” by William R. Eakin, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. For the third time he visits the town of Redgunk, Mississippi, this time with a tale of recaptured love. How I saw the ending coming in this one, I have no idea. I shouldn’t have. But I did. Sort of a tricky tale to describe without giving it away, so we’ll have to leave things vague on this one. Art to this was provided by Annie Lunsford, which marks her fifth illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? A number of good ones, but I have to go with “Leningrad Blues” by E.A. Johnson. And my favorite artwork? Alan Pollack’s illustration to “Drowned Love” by C.W. Johnson. Next time I’ll be wrapping up 1997 as I discuss its December issue. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: August 1997 (Issue 18)
Part eighteen in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction to the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I’ll be dissecting the August 1997 issue.
In my last retrospective I mentioned that I have a special attachment to this issue. Here’s why. The August 1997 issue is the first issue of Realms of Fantasy I ever bought. At the time, it was the current issue on the newsstands, so we’re talking about about a little more than ten years ago from the time I’m writing this. I’m fairly certain I’d heard of the magazine before, but until this point I’d never been tempted to buy an issue. And I’d never heard the name Shawna McCarthy. I was mostly a fan of those bricks known as epic fantasies (I still enjoy them, when I can actually find one that’s worthwhile), and when I wasn’t reading epic fantasy, my interest resided with sword & sorcery.
It was this latter interest that led me to Realms of Fantasy. To those unaware, I started reading fantasy because of Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan and several other fine s&s creations. At this point in my young reading career, Howard’s fantasies were the only short fiction I was interested in. And considering that Howard had been dead for 61 years at this point, I basically knew absolute squat about the short story market in the speculative market. And I was fine with that. But I decided to buy this particular issue, not for the fiction, but because of the caption of Kevin Sorbo on the cover. And no, this didn’t have anything to do with Hercules, a show I was never able to get into (or Xena, for that matter). This particular caption was depicting Sorbo in the soon-to-be-released Kull movie, Kull being another one of the fine sword & sorcery creations of Robert E. Howard (Kull actually predated Conan by about three years). So it was the film section of Realms of Fantasy that snagged me, because I was still a rabid REH fan at the time (and I’m still a great admirer of his storytelling abilities).
Anyway, I read the article (btw, the movie sucked), thought about reading the short fiction, looked at the next epic fantasy waiting in my piles, and promptly forgot about my copy of Realms of Fantasy. I didn’t read it until three years later, after I attended the Odyssey Fantasy & Science Fiction Writing Workshop. And speaking of Odyssey, here’s another coincidence pertaining to the issue in question: Odyssey is run by Jeanne Cavelos, and she’s also its main teacher throughout its six weeks. And who do you think it was that happened to write what happened to be a guest editorial in this issue? Yup. None other than the great Jeanne Cavelos, the person whose teachings imparted to me the skills to eventually tackle the assistant editor gig at Realms of Fantasy.
Ah, symmetry.
Moving on …
The cover to this one depicts another important figure in the sword & sorcery genre, this being Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone, raising his vampiric sword, Stormbringer, in triumph. The illustration is by Michael Whelan, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine. I mus admit this was also a bit of a selling point with me when I bought the magazine, since I was a fan of Elric.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In our books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Silicon Karma by Thomas A. Easton, Kar Kalim by Deborah Christian, Giant Bones by Peter S. Beagle, and the aforementioned Jeanne Cavelos reviews Children of the Vampire: The Diaries of the Family Dracul; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez covers the aforementioned Kull the Conqueror; in Folkroots, Terri Windling writes about myth, mysticism, and magic: the Pre-Raphaelites and fantasy; in the artist Gallery, Terri Windling further covers Pre-Raphaelites and the Romantic Tradition; and in the games column, Mark Sumner reviews the PC game, Heroes of Might and Magic II, and the video game, Krush Kill ‘N Destroy.
On to the fiction …
The opening story is “The Chapter of the Hawk of Gold” by Noreen Doyle, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. The first story was also a “Chapter” story, this being “The Chapter of Bringing a Boat Into Heaven,” back in the February ‘96 issue. Like the first “Chapter” story, this one draws on Egyptian mythology. Unlike the first story, this one is set in the modern day, dealing with a museum curtator who gets her desires fulfilled in a most unusual way. The illustration to this one was provided Janet Aulisio, which marks her seventh illustration in the magazine.
Next up was “Balkan Siege,” by Russell William Asplund, a topical ghost story taking place in Sarajevo, depicting a teenage girl’s daily struggles to survive in a city torn apart by war. A quick perusal of previous stories in Realms of Fantasy (I’m keeping a detailed story log as I read along) shows that this was the first truly topical fantasy story run in the magazine. Art to this one was provided by David Beck, which marks his seventh illustration in the magazine.
The third story was “The Spiral Garden” by Louise Cooper, a high fantasy piece that marks her second appearance in the magazine. As with her other piece (“His True and Only Wife”), the story has a decidedly dark slant. A queen is married to an insane king. The only time he consummates with her is to have children. To date, she’s given him 19 children, but each time the king has had the child killed, because it doesn’t have his bright red hair, and so there is always a shadow of a doubt in his twisted mind that maybe the child isn’t his. Chilling. How the queen addresses this nightmare is quite …appropriate. Art to this one was provided by Tom Canty, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
The fourth story was “Fade Out” by Marnie Winston-Macauley, and it has the honor of being the 100th story published in Realms of Fantasy. This was an odd little urban fantasy tale about a screenwriter writing a soap operah script that is becoming a little too real. Art to this one was provided by Greg Carter.
Finally we have “Teeth” by David Phalen, a darkly humorous fairy tale, which presents a decidedly twisted (but entertaining) depiction of the tooth fairy. If any of you have kids that still believe in the tooth fairy and they happen to read Realms of Fantasy and have access to back issues, (an unlikely combination, but you never know), don’t let them read this story. :) Art to this one was provided by Thomas Fleming.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “The Spiral Garden” by Louise Cooper. And my favorite artwork? Tom Canty’s illustration to the “The Spiral Garden.” Next time I’ll discuss the October 1997 issue. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: June 1997 (Issue 17)
Part seventeen in my ongoing series as I read the fiction to the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present issue. This time around I’ll be discussing the June 1997 issue.
The cover to this one is by Sanjulian, which marks the artist’s second illustration in the magazine. It features a warrior atop a flying dragon.
A look in the masthead reveals that Stephen Vann is no longer the Art Director. His successor is Pamela Norman.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the books column, Gahan Wilson reviews The Family Tree by Sheri S. Tepper, The Woman Who Lives in the Earth by Swain Wolfe, The Xothic Legend: The Selected Fiction of Lin Carter, edited by Robert Price, and Jeanne Cavelos reviews Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez reviews the movie, Warriors of Virtue; in the folkroots column, Terri Windling writes about trickster tales; in the artist gallery, Richard S. Meyers writes about the art of James C. Christensen; in the games column, Mark Sumner reviews the computer rpg, Diablo and Tomb Raider for the Playstation.
On to the fiction …
The first story was “Bad Medicine” by Martha Wells, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one was an urban fantasy tale dealing with some folks who use a certain brand of folklore magic to protect mankind against gate wizards and witches and such. Very descriptive and fast-paced. It’s also worth noting that this is the first story in Realms of Fantasy that featured an African-American protagonist. The illustration to this one was provided by Alan Pollack.
Next up was a high fantasy tale by Kristen M. Corby called “The Horse From the Sea.” I enjoyed this story, but it becomes all the more impressive if you take the time to read her bio (I always read the author bios as I go through the issues), which notes that this is the first story she ever wrote (though not her first sale). The story itself explores some fairly familiar ground, as a people who worship a god of the sea are conquered by a people who worship a god of the desert. She puts her own brand on the story though, as we see how these two religious peoples manage to reconcile their differences. Artwork to this one was provided by Carol Heyer, which marks her sixth illustration in the magazine.
The third story was “Riders of the Rainbow Ridge” by Diana L. Paxon, with art provided by Ken Tunell. This story features a rather unusual mix of elements, taking place in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado during the time of the Wild West, and blending in a number of tidbits from Norse mythology. And making an artist the protagonist in a tale about Ragnorak was also a surprising choice.
Next up was a middle-grade fantasy by Jane Yolen called “Fallen Angel.” It marks her second story in the magazine, and the best word to describe this tale is charming. An angel is cast out of Heaven, and basically loses its wings in the process. Three very bright children stumble upon the angel and take it home. Mom & Dad can’t see the angel. The children help the angel get some new wings in a way that leaves you smiling come the end. Artwork to this one was provided by Steven Adler.
Last up was “A Dark Fire, Burning From Within” by Leslie What, which marks her third story in Realms of Fantasy. The fantasy element was slight in this one, and it had sort of a science-fantasy vibe to it. The tale focused on finding the courage to struggle on when all hope seems lost, a familiar theme to epic fantasy fans. Art to this one was provided by David Beck, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “Fallen Angel” by Jane Yolen. And my favorite artwork? Alan Pollack’s illustration to “Bad Medicine” by Martha Wells. Next time I’ll be discussing The August 1997 issue, which for reasons I’ll explain then I have a special attachment to. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: April 1997 (Issue 16)
Part sixteen in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction to the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I’ll be discussing the April 1997 issue.
The cover to this one is by Don Maitz, which marks his third illustration in the magazine. It features a knight on a rearing horse. This artwork was nominated for a 1998 Chesley Award for Cover Illustration.
Two retrospectives ago, I confessed my jealousy toward Rebecca McCabe when I saw that she got to answer a fan in our now defunct letters page. But with this issue I’m even more jealous . . .she got to write the guest editorial! And this feature is also defunct, which means I can’t write one. Damn her! :) Not that this stopped me from begging Shawna to let me write a guest editorial. But her response was about all I could hope for, when she said the editorial page isn’t a feature in the magazine anymore, but she’ll keep me in mind if anything should pop up down the road. Sigh. Also of interest is that on the Letters Page there is a letter from Mike Samerdyke. This is the same Mike Samerdyke that I attended the Odyssey Fantasy & Science Fiction Writing Workshop with in 2000, a little more than three years after his letter was published. Such a small world.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Brand New Cherry Flavor by Todd Grimson, The Bell Witch by Brent Monahan, The Dealings of Daniel Kesserich by Fritz Leiber, and Jeanne Cavelos reviews Wind from a Foreign Sky: Book 1 of the Tielmaran Chronicles by Katya Reiman; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez discusses horror writers on The X-Files; in the Folkroots column, Terri Windling discusses the road that has no end: tales of the traveling people; in the artist gallery Kristine Kathryn Rusch discusses the art of Bob Eggleton; and in the games column Mark Sumner reviews Master of Orion 2 for the PC, and King’s Field II for the Playstation.
Moving on to the fiction …
First up was “The Church at Monte Saturno” by Robert Silverberg, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. As with his first story in Realms (“Diana of the Hundred Breasts”), this piece has a bit of an archaeological slant. Taking place in Sicily (and no, there is no Mafia in the story) this story draws heavily on the milieu and Christian mythology as an art professor discovers a lost Byzantine mosaic in a remote church …only to learn the mosaic is possessed, with its pictures shifting from angelic to demonic portrayals. Writers can really take a lesson from Silverberg about how to make a story come alive through details. He’s a master at this. Art to this one was provided by Ken Graning, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.
Next up was ”The Right Sort of Flea” by Richard Parks, his second story in the magazine. Thus begins Richard’s impressive and unending streak of subsequent sales to RoF, setting him on the road to becoming Realms’ most published fiction author (although to this point Tanith Lee is leading everyone). Art to this one was provided by Doug Andersen, which marks his second illustration in the magazine. “The Right Sort of Flea” draws upon one of the more famous pieces of Anglo-Saxon literature, this being the tale of Beowulf. The timing of reading this piece was perfect for me, because back in November 07 I had read the original tale in anticipation of the IMAX 3D movie, which I saw the day after reading the tale. Thus I was able to put Richard’s tale into better perspective because of these recent readings/viewings. He picks things up near the end of the traditional tale, from when Beowulf fights the dragon. He adds some clever twists to the traditional telling, humanizing the story a little bit more as a result. And as I’ve noted with some other tales, to elaborate further is to give too much of the story away. Hence I shall move on …
The third story was “Blessing the Last Family” by Batya Swift Yasgur & Barry N. Malzberg. This piece draws heavily on Judaism, as it explores the idea of each person having a Good Angel and a Bad Angel. The idea is based on an adapted passage from the Tractate Sabbath, and this passage is provided at the very beginning of the story to put the idea and story in context. What I found clever about this piece is that it’s basically a Jewish spin on the old story of the Devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, and rather than show things through the perspective of the guy with the shoulders, the authors opt for one of the angels instead. Art to this one was provided by Annie Lunsford, which marks her fourth illustration in the magazine.
The fourth story was “Stormchild” by Susan Wade, her second appearance in the magazine, and her first solo piece. This was a ghost story that explores themes such as the power of the human spirit, and how love conquers all. Art to this one was provided by Janet Aulisio, which marks her sixth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Lawnmower Moe” by William R. Eakin, his second appearance in RoF. Like his first story in the magazine, this story takes place in Redgunk, Mississippi. I have to give a tip of the literary cap to William on this one. At the beginning of the story, I found myself of the opinion that this particular story wasn’t for me. But the more I read the more he drew me in, until he achieved a bizarre but compelling and completely fulfilling climax. He was quite the mad chef with this tale, combining a wide range of elements that shouldn’t fit together but absolutely do. I never thought I’d buy into a story about a fat drunk guy mowing the lawn having a powerful and convincing connection to the ancient druids, but I did. Art to this one was provided by David Martin, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
Finally we have a tale equally (if not more) bizarre, this being “The House” by Anne Harris. This one is rather difficult to describe. Shawna sums it up quite well in her editorial header: “This is a story about a haunted house and some of its terrible inhabitants. But it’s not really a fantasy at all. You’ll see.” You may be scratching your head here, wondering why in the world it would be in Realms of Fantasy if our editor didn’t consider it fantasy. Good question. My best guess/answer is this: this story made me think of Kafka. “Metamorphosis”–his most famous story–isn’t necessarily a fantasy story (others would argue otherwise, which is neither here nor there), but if you were to read this tale in a fantasy anthology (reprint, obviously) it wouldn’t strike you as the strangest thing in the world to see it included. It’s so off-the-wall bizarre that you can safely group it with fantasy, whether you consider it as such or not. So it is with “The House,” I think. Art to this one was provided by J.K. Potter, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite tale? ”Lawnmower Moe” by William R. Eakin. And my favorite illustration? Don Maitz’s cover illustration. Next time I’ll discuss the June 1997 issue. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: February 1997 (Issue 15)
Part fifteen in my ongoing retrospective as I read the back issues to Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I’ll be offering my thoughts on the February 1997 issue.
The cover to this one is by Keith Parkinson, which marks his second illustration in the magazine. It features three dwarfs going through a chest of treasure while a dragon rears up behind them.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews The Lost by Jonathan Aycliffe, Devil’s Tower by Mark Sumner, Worldwar: Striking the Balance by Harry Turtledove, Even Weirder by Gahan Wilson (yup, self-plug), and Jeanne Cavelos reviews Enchanter’s Glass by Susan Whitcher; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez discusses the history of dragons in film; in the Folkroots column, Terri Windling discusses Tristan, True Thomas, and Morgan of Hed; Legends of Harps and Harpers; in the artist gallery, Tanith Lee discusses the art of Wayne Barlowe; and in the games column, Mark Sumner reviews the card game Dino Hunt from Steve Jackson Games and the PC game, War Wind.
On to the fiction …
The lead story is “From the Journals of St. Strange: Old Flame” by Tanith Lee, her fourth appearance in the magazine, once again making her the magazine’s most published author. This is also her second St. Strange tale to be published in Realms, thus making her the first author to have multiple tales published that return to a familiar universe (although as best I can tell, the only unifying element between the first two St. Strange tales is the fact that they’re both ”From the Journals of St. Strange). The story itself is a bit reminiscent of the old Romeo & Juliet story at its onset, but it quickly veers off in a fresh direction when the wedding is arranged and the old hostilities between the families are assumed to be a thing of the past …except not all wounds are so easily healed, and there is one family member still quite interested in visiting pain and suffering on her old enemy. Art to this one was provided Mary O’Keefe Young, which marks her eighth illustration in the magazine.
The second story is “The Pretender” by Stephen Dedman, a piece of re-imagined Arthuriana. Today I happened to be reading the letters page to the June 1997 issue, and it contained a letter from someone complaining about “The Pretender.” The complaint was how the author presented the character of Galahad. Without ruining anything, the complaint was basically this: “Galahad wasn’t [blank] and he wasn’t [blank]. Galahad [insert explanation of what fan believes to be correct].” I was glad Shawna chose to publish this letter, because it gives me the opportunity to take exception with it. There are lots of books dealing with Arthuriana I’ve yet to read, but I’ve read enough to consider myself fairly knowledgeable on the topic. And if there is one thing I’ve learned about Arthuriana, it’s that there is no one version of the story. Tales of Arthur have existed since the 5th century. Those that haven’t read any of the tales are often under the misguided impression that there is one version of events. Actually, the few events and people they know about (like the Sword in the Stone, or Nimue putting Merlin to sleep, Arthur visiting the Lady in the Lake to receive Excalibur, etc.) are simply the most famous ones, the ones that have transcended the story and the centuries to become iconic parts of our culture/literature/consciousness/etc. If there is one thing that all real authors of Arthuriana understand (and by real I mean those who endeavor to write more than cookie-cutter stories that use the events and peoples from these tales without understanding or conveying any of the mythic resonance and/or traditions) it’s that the tradition of re-imagining this tale is not only accepted, it’s expected. Shawna understands this too, because her editorial intro to this story begins with (paraphrased) “There is something about the world of Arthur that demands retelling.”
The fun of re-imagining Arthur is finding fresh ways to explore the old myth, to capture the romance and particularly the tragedy in ways that are different and yet somehow familiar. You veer off in new directions, but in other parts of the tale you follow some of the more familiar parts of the tale quite closely. It’s a balancing act, and those that manage to walk the tightrope are the ones who understand the stories and the traditions. Stephen clearly understands these stories and traditions, because he walks the tightrope and he succeeds. For a short work, he covers a tremendous amount of ground in the world of Arthuriana, and he takes the tale in some very interesting directions. It should also be noted that Stephen’s tale is the first one in Realms to explore themes of male homosexuality. Art to this one was provided by Alan Lee.
Next up was “Mother’s Day,” by Leslie What, which marks her second story in the magazine. This was a darkly amusing tale, dealing with the Pied Piper. Ever wonder what happens after the Piper steals the children away? This one provides an answer, with some rather quirky twists. Art to this one was provided Janet Aulisio, which marks her fifth illustration in the magazine.
Next up was “Falling” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. According to her bio, this story was published shortly after she finished her run as the editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (and was subsequently succeeded by Gordon Van Gelder). I love the premise behind this one, as it explores the idea of the guardian angel in a very interesting way. Saying anything more would really give away the whole tale, so as much as I’d like to go on about this one, I really have to stop right here. Art to this one was provided by Michael Gibbs, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
The last tale was ”Trigger” by Dave Smeds, his second story in Realms. This is the first piece of superhero fiction to be published in Realms. The man’s superpower in this one is an unusual one: he’s able to smell murderers and those capable of murder. How he handles this superpower reminds me a bit of Marvel’s Punisher, but with different motivations. But as with many superhero tales, halfway through the story he is faced with one of those life-changing decisions (to quote Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben: ”With great power comes great responsibility.”) Art to this one was provided by Jon Foster, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? A bunch of good ones, but I have to go with “The Pretender” by Stephen Dedman. And my favorite artwork? Alan Lee’s illustration to “The Pretender.” Next time I’ll yak about the April 1997 issue. Until then …
