Retrospectives: 2000

Realms of Fantasy: December 2000 (Issue 38)

Part thirty-eight 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 examining the December 2000 issue.

The cover to this one is by Michael Whelan, which marks his ninth illustration in the magazine. It’s another Elric cover, which marks the third time the albino prince has graced the cover of ROF.

An interesting tidbit on the Letter Page stems from something that happened in the previous issue. The last few lines from “Luther and the Dragon,” the lead story from the October 2000 issue, were cut off at the end of the story, so they’re added here. Thankfully I was aware of this, so when I reached the last sentence in the last issue, I turned right the Letters Page of this issue. But I sympathize with readers who had their reading experience cut off at such a critical moment (not to mention the author!)

A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:

In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Reunion at Dawn and Other Uncollected Ghost Stories by H.R. Wakefield, Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman, Magic Terror by Peter Straub, and Paul Di Filippo reviews Damned If You Do by Steve Aylett, Jeff Noon, and Will Self, The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy, The Grand Tour by Jody Lynn Nye, and reissues of Tales of the Dying Earth by Jack Vance and Time and the Gods by Lord Dunsany; in the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers the movie, Shadow of the Vampire; in the folkroots column, Terri Windling discusses the literary fairy tales of France; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the art of Rick Berry; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption for the PC, the RPG, Everway: Visionary Roleplaying, and the RPG, Deluxe Hero Wars: Epic Role-Playing in Mythic Glorantha.

On to the fiction …

This marks the first time that Realms of Fantasy has run stories by five previous contributors in a single issue. Since this issue contains six stories, the one first-timer is the lead story, “Rare Firsts” by Paul Di Filippo. This one deals with a rare books dealer who schemes, scams, and nickel and dimes his way to the most possible profit. But when he stumbles upon an extraordinary collection of rare books, he rediscovers his love of books. The magic in this story is the magic of reading. I’m sure it’s the kind of story that certain fantasy fans would have a very difficult time accepting as fantasy, but I have to say I enjoyed it. This is one for hardcore readers, not to mention writers and editors. Art to this one was provided by Greg Carter, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.

Next up is “Conceiving Kings” by Dave Smeds, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This one is a piece of Arthuriana, though you don’t learn that for certain until late in the story. Rather than Arthur or his court, the focus is on the Iceni several hundred years before the days of Arthur. Art to this one was provided by John Montelone, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have “The Golem” by Naomi Kritzer, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. This one takes an interesting premise as the golem from Jewish mythology is brought to life to protect the Jews in Prague during WWII. But when the golem discovers it has free will, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen. Powerful stuff, which ended up being reprinted in Year’s Best Fantasy 2, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer. Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his 13th illustration in the magazine.

Then we have “Thrushbeard” by Bruce Glassco, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. This one is a fairy tale that in some ways reminded me of Shakespeare’s TAMING OF THE SHREW, as witness a king trying to bring an extremely strong-willed princess to heel. Where it goes however, is quite different from old Bill’s tale. Art to this one was provided by Broeck Steadman, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.

After this is “The Man For the Job” by Lawrence Watt-Evans, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. This one is a light piece about a group of siblings–four brothers and one sister–that go in quest of a magical helmet to help them overcome a dragon that is terrorizing a village. The twist? One of the helmet’s great powers is that it changes the sex of the wearer while it’s being worn. As one might expect, silliness (not to mention discomfort) ensues. Art to this one was provided by Joel Naprstek, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.

Finally we have “Things Don’t Always Turn Out Like We Plan” by Leslie What, which marks her fifth appearance in the magazine. In this one we meet a middle-aged wife who has always has the ability to have visions. The visions are slight though, tenuous. But when she and her husband are in a near-fatal crash on New Year’s Eve, her abilities begin to manifest while they’re in the hospital. Gradually it’s revealed these abilities are tied to Death, which is interesting since as it also represents an unexpected crossroads in her life. Art to this one was provided by Greg Carter, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine. This also makes Greg the first artist to have two interior illustrations in the same issue.

So that wraps up this issue, as well as the publishing year for 2000. And my favorite story? “Rare Firsts” by Paul Di Filippo. And my favorite artwork? Michael Whelan’s cover. Next time I’ll kick off 2001 when I discuss its February issue. Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: October 2000 (Issue 37)

Part thirty-seven in my ongoing retrospective as I read the back issues to Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present issue. This time around I’ll be discussing the October 2000 issue, which marks the sixth anniversary for the magazine.

The cover to this one is by Luis Royo, which marks his seventh illustration in the magazine. It features a sexy babe in skimpy (perhaps kinky is the better word!) strips of leather & steel. The artwork itself is very detailed and I’m actually a fan of the work of Luis Royo, but I’d have to say that along with the demon dominatrix cover some issues back, this must be the most controversial cover to grace the magazine.

Moving on, there has been another change in the masthead. Ron Stevens’ one issue return as Art Director has come to an abrupt end. His replacement is, for a change, NOT Steven Vann. Instead, the new Art Director is Samantha Detulleo.

A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:

In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews A Wolf at the Door and Other Retold Fairy Tales, edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, Chimera by Will Shetterly, Shadows Bend by David Barbour and Richard Raleigh, Man of Two Worlds, My Life in Science Fiction and Comics by Julius Schwartz, and Paul Di Filippo reviews A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christopher, Jim Morrison’s Adventures in the Afterlife by Mick Farren, Antarktos by Robert Price, The Snow Queen by Eileen Kernaghan, and At the Foot of the Story Tree by Bill Sheehan; in the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson provides a preview for the Fall 2000 genre TV circuit; in the folkroots column, Heinz Insu Fenkl explores the deeper meaning of the caduceus; in the artist gallery, Brian Sibley discusses the art of John Howe, and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons, a Forgotten Realms supplement based on R.A. Salvatore’s Icewind Dale trilogy, and the RPG supplement, Croatan Song, for Werewolf: The Apocalypse from White Wolf Publishing.

On to the fiction …

The lead story is “Luther and the Demon” by Franklin Thatcher. This one deals with the Martin Luther responsible for the groundbreaking split in Christianity back in the 16th century (as opposed to the other famous Martin Luther, who was pretty groundbreaking in his own right). In this piece a bit of a mystical element is introduced as Luther tries to reconcile his faith with his past. Art to this one was provided by Ken Graning, which marks his tenth illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have “River Woman” by Devon Monk, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. In this one we witness the depths of a mother’s love as she attemps to find her son who was lost two days earlier to a flooding river. The magical element is introduced when we meet the River Woman, a mysterious water spirit who helps the protagonist reach a critical crossroads and decision regarding her son. Art to this one was provided by Patrick Arrasmith, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.

Then we have “The Children of his Old Age” by Tanith Lee, which marks her eighth appearance in the magazine. This one is a high fantasy that deals with a familiar theme, that being dragons and dragon hunters. But as she excels at doing, she takes an old idea and breathes new life into it. How? Saying more would give away the whole story. Art to this one was provided by Janny Wurts.

Next up is “Hey Hey Something Something” by Jan Lars Jensen. This one takes a rather fascinating premise, as we learn about a game that only children can truly play or understand. As children pass into adulthood, the rules of the game became lost on them, and they can no longer understand the words when the children are playing what has been classified as Hey Hey Something Something. If an adult witnesses it, they tend to become disoriented and look through it, as if the game didn’t exist. On a sociological level, this one was fascinating, because the whole time it feels like there is a disturbing kernel of truth to this logic. Art to this one was provided by John Picacio, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.

Then we have “Judgment Day” by Richard Parks, which marks his seventh appearance in the magazine. He’s doing an awfully good job of staying hot on Tanith’s heels! Besides this, Richard’s story also mark a couple of firsts in the magazine. One is that while there have been a few apocalypse stories, this one marks our first Armageddon story. It also marks the first story told from the viewpoint of God. As to the story itself, another one that’s tough to describe without giving the whole thing away, but suffice it to say there’s quite an interesting twist come the end. Art to this one was provided by Charles Demorat, which marks his eighth illustration in the magazine.

Next up is “Spirit Stone” by Naomi Kritzer, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one is a high fantasy piece that deals with a young woman who was trained to be a midwife. When she is married off to her new husband, she quickly realizes that he has no interest in her, except to bear the children of his other fourteen wives. But when Sarai realizes her necklace actually houses a spirit that can grant her wishes, she finds herself presented with choices she never thought she had. Where it goes from here is quite different than your standard wishing tale. Art to this one was provided by Steven Adler, which marks his eighth illustration in the magazine.

Finally we have “Saving the Skychildren” by Mindy L. Klasky. This high fantasy plays with a rather fascinating premise. Imagine a world where astrology is king, and people signs are broken into a caste system of swan, owl, lion, and sun. Each class has its rank tattooed upon its face, and has its own special skill set where they are prevalent. In this particular story, a mad king is bent on conquering a land across the sea, but there is nothing left to conscript to his armies but children, those that are swans and lions in particular. In this tale, a woman is caring for orphaned children, attempting to shield them from the mad king’s armies, but because of their classifications, these children have a say in what happens, especially since the woman bears the lowest rank of sun. This one really provided an interesting look at a rather outside-the-box culture. Art to this one was provided by Robert Grabb.

So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “Saving the Skychildren” by Mindy L. Klasky. And my favorite artwork? Well, as I said about the cover, it’s rather racy, but I’m a fan of Royo’s work. So I’ll go with the cover. Next time I’ll put a cap on 2000 by discussing the December issue. Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: August 2000 (Issue 36)

Part thirty-six 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 the lucky contestant is the August 2000 issue.

When I met with Shawna back in 2005 to discuss the position of assistant editor, one of the first things she asked was if I had read any of the issues of the magazine. “A couple,” I told her. It was the truth, too. I had read exactly two issues. One of them I’ve already done my retrospective on, this being the August 1997 issue. You can read my reasons for purchasing that issue there. The reason I had purchased this issue is quite simple. I had just finished the Odyssey Fantasy & Science Fiction Writing Workshop, and armed with a much stronger understanding of the short fiction market, I went out and bought the latest issues to a bunch of the bigger magazines, in the hopes of gleaning some idea of the editors’ tastes. August 2000 just happened to be the issue of ROF out at the time.

As to the issue itself …

The cover to this one is by Scott Gustafson. It features Merlin entertaining a young Arthur with a display of butterflies.

One thing I’d like to note concerning the editorial this issue is that Shawna bids a fond farewell to Science Fiction Age, which had ceased publication. To those of you unaware, Science Fiction Age was the sister magazine to Realms. I’ve actually never read an issue of SFA, but in terms of format and presentation, it’s my understanding that it was basically the science fiction equivalent of Realms of Fantasy. Science Fiction Age actually preceded Realms by about two years, so it had an eight-year run before reaching its end. With its next issue, Realms would be a frisky six years of age. It’s a shame Science Fiction Age is no longer publishing, but I suppose this an unfortunate sign of the times for short fiction.

There’s also another change in the masthead in this issue. Stephen Vann’s run as Art Director has once again drawn to a close. In his place is former Art Director, Ronald (in this issue Ron) Stevens. Not to make light of the situation, but what is it with these two guys? It seems as if every few issues they play a game of musical chairs with this position.

A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:

In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews The Terror in the Night by E.F. Benson, edited by Jack Adrian, Phantom Perfumes and Other Shades–Memories of Ghost Stories Magazine, edited by Mike Ashely, The Night Wind Howls by Frederick Cowles, Lady Ferry and Other Uncanny People by Sarah Orne Jewett, and Paul Di Filippo reviews The Burning City by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, Mollie Peer by Van Reid, Bloodrights by N. Lee Wood, and Brian Murphy reviews Dragons of a Fallen Sun by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, the belated book four in the Dragonlance Chronicles; in the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers The Hollow Man, in the folkroots column, Terri Windling discusses the story of Snow White, in the Artist Gallery, Karen Haber covers the artwork of Barry Windsor-Smith, and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews the CRPG, Planescape: Torment, the RPG, Call of Cthulu, the RPG supplement, Post Modern Magick, the AD&D supplement, Reverse Dungeon, and the RPG supplement, Nights of Prophecy from White Wolf Publishing for their Vampire: The Masquerade campaign.

On to the fiction …

Given that it’s been eight years since the last time I read these stories, I decided to reread them all, even the ones I thought I remembered quite clearly. My reactions to some of these stories the second time around left me quite surprised.

The lead story in this issue is “Cactus Land” by Kate Orman. This is one of the stranger stories I’ve read in ROF. Of course, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Orman has a rather compelling blend of elements in this tale. It’s what you might term a pre-apocalyptic tale. The year is 2027, and bit by bit the world is falling apart. This really isn’t the focus of the story, but the author cues the reader in by slipping several elements normally encountered in post-apocalyptic literature. And while all this is going on, the continent of Australia (where the story is set) is undergoing a strange transformation as Aztec culture seems to be inexplicably experiencing a revival here. Really strange, but I bought into it. I distinctly remember not enjoying this story when I read it back in 2000. Obviously my feelings have changed. I attribute this to several factors, but this biggest reasons come from working for Realms of Fantasy. It isn’t because this is a Realms of Fantasy story that I liked it, but rather three years on this job–reading slush, reading back issues, working with authors on rewrites, swapping emails with Shawna and seeing her at work–has really expanded my definitions of what constitutes good fantasy short fiction. I can say with real confidence that I’m a better editor now than I was when I started. If this story was in the slush at the beginning of my reign of terror, there’s a chance I would’ve rejected it. That would’ve been a mistake. Now I’d know better. Experience counts. Art to this one was provided by John Picacio.

The second story is “Mousers” by Peni R. Griffin, which marks her sixth appearance in the magazine. Every editor has types of stories that are tough sells with them. Some of my “tough sells” are elves, dwarves, and the fey. One of Shawna’s tough sells is cat stories. Shawna must’ve really liked “Mousers,” because this one is all about cats. Actually, it’s a ghost tale about cats, and a cute one at that! Art to this one was provided by Laurie Hardin, which marks her fourth illustration in the magazine.

Followng this we have “The 4th Law of Power” by Richard Parks, which also marks his sixth appearance in the magazine. This one is a high fantasy tale about a woman’s quest to hunt down the magical Laws of Power. Seeing this title might make one ask, “Hey, where are the stories about the first three Laws of Power?” I’m afraid I don’t have these answers. I don’t even know if there are earlier Laws of Power stories (they haven’t appeared in ROF to this point) but I can tell you that this tale holds up quite well on its own. Art to this one was provided by John Montelone, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.

Next up is “Return to Pleasure Island” by Cory Doctorow. This is another tale I remember having a lot of difficulty with when I first read it. But once again, I found myself far more interested reading it all these years later. This one is decidedly dark (and the more you think about it, the darker it is). It revisits Pleasure Island from the classic Pinoccio tale, but does so with a modern-day spin. And here’s something interesting, as I stumbled across this background for the story over at the author’s website:

This is the story of the ogres who run the concession stands on Pleasure Island, where Pinnocchio’s friend Lampwick turned into a donkey. Like much of my stuff, this has a tie-in with Walt Disney World; the idea came to me on the Pinnocchio ride in the Magic Kingdom, in 1993. I went back and reviewed the original novel, in two translations, and found that Pleasure Island was a scary, scary place. During this time, I spent a lot of time listening to the creepy voiceover on “High-Diddle Dee-Dee” on Stay Awake, a wonderful Disney tribute album. The result is what you see below. Like many of my recent stories, “Return” deals with self-indulgence, discipline, and attenuated attention-spans.

Art to this one was provided by David Beck, which marks his tenth illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have “Mom and Dad at the Homefront” by Sherwood Smith, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. This is a really touching YA tale in the tradition of Narnia and other universes where the children use closets and such as portals to secret fantasy worlds. What’s really clever about this one is that it explores this idea from the perspective of the parents. Ever wonder what they’re going through while their children are off adventuring? This is the 200th story to be published in Realms of Fantasy. It’s a milestone number, and Shawna & crew managed it with style. Not only was this story reprinted in Year’s Best Fantasy, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer, but it was also nominated for the 2002 Nebula Award for Best Short Story. Pretty sweet. Art to this one was provided by Mahendra Singh.

The final story is “Playing in the Dark” by David Phalen, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. This one is real short, and it deals with some children who play with shadows each night come bedtime. This story did not have illustration, the third such in the magazine’s run.

So that wraps up this issue. It’s certainly one of the longest retrospectives I’ve done to date. And my favorite story? “Mom and Dad at the Homefront” by Sherwood Smith. And my favorite artwork? Scott Gustafson’s cover illustration. Next time I’ll discuss the October 2000 issue. Hopefully that will retrospective will be a little shorter. Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: June 2000 (Issue 35)

Part thirty-five in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction in the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I’ll be discussing the June 2000 issue.

The cover to this one is by Gary Ruddell. It features a woman with tattoos on her hand, arm, and face.

The bio page has returned with this issue. Also, while the letters page is in this issue, strangely it’s in the middle as opposed to its usual spot near the beginning.

A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:

In the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers Disney’s Dinosaur; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Prospero’s Children by Jan Siegel, Knight of the Demon Queen by Barbara Hambly, The Ultimate Triumph, a collection of tales by Robert E. Howard, illustrated by Frank Frazetta, and Paul Di Filippo reviews The False House by James Stoddard, Dark Sister by Graham Joyce, The Merlin of St. Gilles’ Well by Ann Chamberlin, and Dragonholder by Todd McCaffrey, and Brian Murphy reviews Etruscans: Beloved of the Gods by Morgan Llywelyn and Michael Scott; in the folkroots column, Heinz Insu Fenkl discusses the Binary Serpent; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber discusses the art of Diane & Leo Dillon; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews King of Dragon Pass: Adventure and Heroism on a Magical Frontier for Windows or Macintosh, Mage the Ascension, 2nd Edition from White Wolf Publishing, and the RPG, The Montaigne Nations Book.

On to the fiction …

The lead story in this issue is “The Seventh Sleeper” by Kate Reidel, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. This story marks a couple of firsts for the magazine. First, Kate’s story, “Wilderness Living,” was the last story in the previous issue. So this marks the first time an author has had back to back stories published in Realms of Fantasy. Second, “The Seventh Sleeper” is the first story in ROF to deal with the legendary Charlemagne. Art to this one was provided by J.K. Potter, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.

Next up is “The Road to Candarei” by M. Shayne Bell, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. This one is a pretty straightforward tale about a knight seeking to deliver a message on behalf of his king, only to become caught in a repeating loop of being in the same place. I liked the vehicle that was relied on to make cause this repeating cycle. Art to this one was provided by Don Maitz, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.

Then we have “Enchanted Ground” by David Sandner, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This magic realism piece deals with a man who lost almost everything, and this great emptiness causes him to discover a tiny pocket of emptiness in alley, a place where he can be invisible and do as he pleases. It’s a very honest piece, as the author depicts a number of shocking things the protagonist does with this great privacy. Art to this one was provided by Michael Dubisch, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have “A Troll Story: Lessons in What Matters, No. 1″ by Nicola Griffith. This one relies on Norweigan mythology to tell the tale of a troll haunting the landscape and how it was finally overcome. It was also reprinted in Year’s Best Fantasy, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer. Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his 12th illustration in the magazine.

The next story is “Princess Fat Grits: Lesson in What Matters, No. 7″ by Nicola Griffith. Obviously this part of a series of stories by the same author. This one is a funny fairy tale about a fat princess who takes it upon herself to deal with a dragon, with some unusual results. The whole “Lessons in What Matters Aspect” is that both stories begin with a strange and dangerous voice talking to a child, trying to drive a lesson home, and telling a story to illustrate this point. This marks the first time an author has has had two stories in the same issue, and also the first time an author had back to back stories in the same issue. Art to this one was provided by Annie Lunsford, which marks her seventh illustration in the magazine.

Next up is Libby Thomas’ Chemistry Set: Lesson in What Matters, No. 4″ by Nicola Griffith. Obviously this is part of the same series as well, and it also marks the first time an author has had three stories in a single issue, as well as back to back to back stories. This one is a short short, and is kind of difficult to describe without giving away every last detail, but I’ll relay an interesting aside about this tale. Sometimes I read the stories in an issue out of order. I’ll only have limited time available, so I’ll look for the shortest tale in an issue in the hopes of finishing it in time. So I read this story before the other two by this author, only to notice the author’s name wasn’t listed for this tale. I checked the TOC, and there was no sign of this story either (or “Princess Fat Grits,” and no mention of “Lessons in What Matters” for “Troll Story”) So then I checked the bio page. I saw bios for both Richard Parks and Cory Doctorow, and since neither of them seemed to have stories in this issue, I figured at least one of them must be responsible for this story. I don’t know Cory, but I know Richard, so I dropped him an email and explained things in an attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery. Richard must have read this issue, because he emailed me back, saying how Nicola Grifftith wrote this. Some flipping through the pages confirmed Richard’s statement. Thanks, Richard! And as to why Richard & Cory were in the bio page …both of them have stories in the following issue. D’oh! Also, this story had no accompanying illustration, which marks the second story in the magazine without an illustration.

Finally we have “A Ghost of an Affair” by Jane Yolen, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. This one seems to fall somewhere between ghost story and magic realism as it depicts a love story that transcends time itself …at least for a little while. Art to this one was provided by Steve Adler, which marks his seventh illustration in the magazine.

So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? I’ll give the nod to “Princess Fat Grits: Lessons in What Matters, No. 7″ by Nicola Griffith. I usually don’t go for silly, but this tickled me right, and it had some thoughtful touches and solid writing to boot. And my favorite artwork? Gary Ruddell’s cover illustration. Next time I’ll share my thoughts on the August 2000 issue. Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: April 2000 (Issue 34)

Part thirty-four in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction in the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present issue. This time around I’ll be meditating over the April 2000 issue.

The cover to this one is a Boris Vallejo illustration, his third such to grace the magazine. It features a warrior defending an unconscious woman from from a fierce looking dragon.

I’ll also note the mysterious disappearance of the bio page in this issue.

A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:

In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Dark Detectives–Adventures of the Supernatural Sleuths, edited by Stephen Jones, The Talisman by Jonathan Aycliffe, The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson, and newcomer Paul di Filippo reviews The Artist of the Missing by Paul LaFarge, Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle, The Fantasies of Robert Heinlein, edited by David Hartwell, and Brian Murphy reviews Sea Dragon Heir by Storm Constantine; in the movie/TV column, Marty Baumann discusses social commentary in vampire films; and in the folkroots column, Terri Windling discusses the Green Man, The Green Woman, and the Mythic Forest; in the artist gallery, Terri Windling covers the art of Charles Vess; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews Asheron’s Call for PC-Windows CD-ROM, Age of Wonders for the PC-Windows CD-ROM, and Magic: The Gathering Interactive Encyclopedia for the PC-Windows CD-ROM.

Onto the fiction …

The lead story in this issue features a rare reprint in Realms of Fantasy, this being “The Dead Boy at Your Window” by Bruce Holland Rogers. I say rare because before this issue the last time ROF ran a reprint was with “The Frog Prince” by Gahan Wilson back in the August 1995 issue, which was still part of ROF’s first publishing year. The story first appeared in the Nov/Dec 1998 issue of The North American Review, and it marks Bruce’s second appearance in the magazine. The story is rather short, probably weighing in under 1000 words, but it packs a very strong punch in so short a span. Basically, a mother ends up delivering a stillborn child, but her love is so strong it brings the babe back to life, and he exists among the living, not quite dead or alive. After six years, he ends up becoming a human kite and floats off to the Land of the Dead, where he goes on to become a shephard, running letters back between the worlds of the living and the dead. Powerful stuff. Others thought so as well, because this story won the 1998 Stoker Award for Best Short Fiction, and also the 1999 Pushcart Prize. Art to this one was provided Janey Aulisio, which marks her fifteenth illustration in the magazine.

Next up we have “The Woman in Scarlet” by Tanith Lee, which marks her seventh appearance in the magazine. This high fantasy piece features a really cool premise: an elite warrior brotherhood bonds with their sentient swords, just about all of which feature female personalities. The swords are not just the only weapons these warriors use, but they’re also the men’s lovers, because the weapons reward their wielders unimaginable pleasure in their dreams. In return, the warriors remain celibate in the waking world. This premise only becomes more intriguing when the protagonist’s sword ends up betraying his love. Art to this one was provided by Luis Royo, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.

Following this is “The Gift of the Winter King” by Naomi Kritzer. As best I can tell, this is only the second post-apocalyptic tale to appear in ROF. The premise is an interesting one, as we see a Christian missionary trying to spread the word of God after the apocalypse. Shawna’s editorial caption for this story sums it up best: The message received is not always the same as the message sent. Sometimes this can make a huge difference in the final Word. Art to this one was provided by John Montelone, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.

Then we have “When Beasts Eat Roses” by Bruce Glassco, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This one has a metafictional flare to it, as it features Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein coming to life …off the page, that is, and interacting with its other creator, i.e. Mary Shelly herself. Some might call this metafictional horror, but others consider FRANKENSTEIN to be science fiction, so some might argue this is metafictional science fiction. Regardless, the whole premise is fantastical enough that the story hardly seems out of place in ROF. Art to this one was provided by Brom, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.

Lastly we have “Wilderness Living” by Kate Riedel, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one offers a spin on the fox-tale from Chinese mythology, as we see a man take a fox-woman for a lover in modern-day times. Art to this one was provided by Eric Dinyer, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.

So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “The Dead Boy at Your Window” by Bruce Holland Rogers. And my favorite story original to the pages of Realms of Fantasy? “The Woman in Scarlet” by Tanith Lee. And my favorite illustration? Brom’s illustration to “When Beasts Eat Roses” by Bruce Glassco. Next time I’ll delve in the June 2000 issue. Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: February 2000 (Issue 33)

Part thirty-three in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction in the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I’ll be kicking off the millenium with the February 2000 issue.

The cover to this one is by Michael Whelan, which marks his eighth illustration in the magazine. It features an armored warrior with a fearful? haunted? expression.

In the masthead, we learned that Scott Crawford’s brief run as Assistant Art Director seems to have reached its end. Taking his place is Dawn Stein (listed as Graphic Artist in earlier issues) with the the title of Associate Art Director.

Next, I’ll note that after a mysterious disappearance of one issue, the Letters Page has returned.

A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:

In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Mr. X by Peter Straub, Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets & Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, and The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman; in the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers the TV series, Angel; in the folkroots column, Heinz Insu Fenkl discusses aliens and angels; in the art gallery, Karen Haber covers the artwork of John Jude Palencar; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews Darkstone for the PC, the RPG, Forge: Out of Chaos, The Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas, the RPG, 7th Sea, and Nocturne for the PC.

Onto the fiction …

This issue kicks off with “The Troops” by Peni R. Griffin, which marks her fifth appearance in the magazine. This is an odd tale about a little girl’s toys coming to life to do battle with a threat from beyond. I remember Shawna once telling me that most of the stuff I pass along to her she considers publishable, and that most of the stuff she passes on is stuff she’s seen already in one form or another. I bring this up because reading this reminded me of a story I once slushed that I thought for sure Shawna would take. Only she didn’t. Sure enough, this story also dealt with a child’s toys coming to life and going to battle. So I wouldn’t be surprised if at least part of the reason Shawna rejected that other story was because she’d “seen this before.” I’d like to think I’m pretty good at what I do, but Shawna has been at this a lot longer than I have. She’s read more, and has probably forgotten more stories than I remember. Perhaps one day some brash young editor will say as much about me. Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his eleventh illustration in the magazine.

The next story was “Burial Detail” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one takes place soon after the American Civil War, and focuses on a recently freed slave. In order to feed his family, the man works on a burial detail. A grim hard job to begin with, but it becomes much worse when you have the Sight, and you see the past of every corpse you touch. Art to this one was provided by Patrick Arrasmith, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.

Next up was “The Chapter of Coming Forth by Night” by Noreen Doyle & Lois Tilton, and this definitely marks one of the longer stories we’ve run in Realms. For Noreen, it marks her third appearance in the magazine. This is also the third of her Chapter tales to be printed in Realms. Like the previous two, this one has a decided mythological bent, as an obsessed American on an archaeological dig threatens to unearth secrets from Egypt’s ancient past. The story gradually becomes a clash of new vs. old, progress vs. tradtion, and technology vs. mysticism as a goddess from Egypt’s past attempts to preserve her secrets. Art to this one was provided by John Berkey, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have “How Konti Scrounged the World” by Richard Parks. Like Peni, this marks Richard’s fifth appearance in the magazine. Let me take a moment to say hats off to both of these authors. To this point, only four authors have appeared five or more times in the magazine with their fiction (the other two being Tanith Lee & William R. Eakin). These two are definitely part of the Realms stable of authors. They still are, as both continue to appear in the magazine on a fairly regular basis. As to Richard’s tale, this one is a creation myth (African, I would say). Interestingly enough, it deals with the most unimpressive god in the pantheon, and it demonstrates how he manages to create the best of all worlds. Never underestimate the little guy! Art to this one was provided by Michael Gibbs, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.

Finally we have “Laurel Wood” by Anna Kirwan. This one is a fairy tale dealing with a man who must emply nothing but a single stick to accomplish a seemingly impossible mission. Quite impressive what one manage with clever plotting. Art to this one was provided by Steven Adler, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.

So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “How Konti Scrounged the World” by Richard Parks. And my favorite artwork? Steven Adler’s illustration to “Laurel Wood” by Anna Kirwan. Next time I’ll be offering my thoughts on the April 2000 issue. Until then …