Retrospectives: 2003

Realms of Fantasy: December 2003 (Issue 56)

Part fifty-six in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction to the back issues to Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I’ll be discussing the December 2003 issue.

The cover to this one is another LOTR movie cover, which is our third one and our fifth media cover.

A couple of tidbits about the masthead. Until this issue, Mark Hintz was always listed as the publisher. Starting with this issue, he’s now listed as Chief Executive Officer. Also, near the bottom of the masthead ,Joe Varda was listed as Vice President & Advertising Director. In this issue, he’s still listed as such and in the same place. But near the top of the masthead, right underneath Mark’s name, he’s also listed as the Publisher.

A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows: in the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson provides an overview of the fall movies; in the folkroots column, Terri Windling discusses how Hans Christian Anderson is the father of the modern fairy tale; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeves, Spring-Heeled Jack by Phillip Pullman, The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, and Paul Witcover reviews The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker, The Battle of Evernight by Cecilia Dart-Thornton, and Eragon, Book One of the Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini; in the past lives column, Emma Bull picks up where she left off last column, discussing how to attend Renaissance fairs and such on a budget; in the art gallery, Ari Berk discusses the illustrated book by he and Brian Froud, The Runes of Elfland, and in the gaming column, Eric T. Baker reviews Pirates of the Caribbean for the Xbox and the PC, Rachet and Clank Go Commando for the PS2, Unlimited Saga for the PS2, The Magic Box, the latest supplement for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game, and Ghostwalk, a Dungeons & Dragons supplement.

On to the fiction …

The lead story is “Dancing Day” by Liz Williams, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. This one takes the old story of a human possessed by a demon and turns it on its head by telling the story from the demon’s perspective and invoking some sympathy in the process. Art to this one was provided by Lori Koefoed, which marks her seventh illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have “Of Soil & Climate” by Gene Wolfe, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. Wolfe is somewhat known for writing challenging fiction, and this one is no exception. It’s mostly told from the perspective of a modern-day psychiatrist who ends up switching bodies with a warrior in a seconday fantasy world. On the surface, it sounds simple enough, but Wolfe makes this piece complex, because he tells us the bulk of the story from the analytical mind of the psychiatrist and because the reader is expected to figure a lot on his own. This one ended up being selected for inclusion in Year’s Best Fantasy 4, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer. Art to this one was provided by Anay B. Clarkson.

Next up we have “Divided By Time” by William Shunn, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. In this one, a man enters a magic shop and ends up exchanging one of his great character weaknesses for a device that allows him to travel with a time-bubble surrounding him. The time-bubble allows him to live an entire life of experiences as he journeys across the earth to Jerusalem to find the woman he loves. Art to this one was provided by Eric Fortune.

Then we have “Romanticore” by Tim Pratt, which marks his fifth appearance in the magazine. This piece is hard to sum up because there’s so much going on. This one is a love story, but it explores the concepts and meaning of love in very unusal ways, reaching as far back as mankind’s primal and mythic roots. A man on the rebound becomes involved with a woman, knowing that it will only last a few months, because that’s when her longtime partner returns. Along the way, both of them fall in love. And the whole time the man is having strange dreams about being a lion. When the woman’s partner returns, even though she has grown to love the protagonist and he hopes they can still see each other, she tells him it’s time to end things. From here, things get really weird. It turns out the lion dreams stem back to ancient times, when one of the man’s ancestors slept with a lion god. The onset of dreams is happening because of the woman and particularly her partner, whose mythic roots are with the manticore, an ancient enemy to the lion. Obviously they’re on a collision course. There are some similarities here to animal totems, but to call it such wouldn’t be accurate. I think the real power behind this one is the collision of primal attractions and urges vs. the more modern development of love. Art to this one was provided by Scott Grimando, which marks his eighth illustration in the magazine.

Finally we have “Yamabushi” by Richard Parks, which marks his thirteenth appearance in the magazine. This one is an Asian fantasy about a man seeking enlightenment who crosses paths with a goblin known as a tengu. Tengus exist to trick and tempt holy men from the path of true righteousness. The tengue takes our protagonist to be a yamabushi monk and starts plaguing him. But all is not as it seems, as the man claims he is no monk and seeks to strike a deal with tengu. The tengu agrees to the man’s proposal, but still all is not as it seems. Or is it? As Shawna wrote in the editorial caption for this one: “We live in a world of illusion, and things are not always as they seem. But sometimes they are.” Art to this one was provided by Paul Lee, which marks his eighth illustration in the magazine.

So that wraps up this issue, as well as 2003. And my favorite story? “Romanticore” by Tim Pratt. And my favorite artwork? Scott Grimando’s illustration to the same story. Next time around I’ll kick off the 2004 publishing year when I discuss the February 2004 issue.

Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: October 2003 (Issue 55)

Part fifty-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 October 2003 issue.

This issue puts ROF in its ninth year of publication, and Carina Gonzalez’s name has returned in the masthead. The cover to this one is by Luis Royo, which marks his eleventh illustration. It’s another one of the now infamous RoF chicks in chain mail covers, featuring a woman warrior up to her thighs in the water.

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

In the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers the movie, Underworld; in the past lives column, Emma Bull discusses how to dress for fairs on a budget; in the folkroots column, Heniz Insu Fenkl discusses mermaid lore; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews The Light Ages by Ian R. MacLeod, The Etched City by K.J. Bishop, Kissing Carrion by Gemma Files, and Paul Witcover reviews Celtika: Book One of the Merlin Codex by Robert Holdstock, Lords of Rainbow by Vera Nazarian, and The Witch Queen by Jan Siegel; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the art of Jeffrey Jones; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits for the PS2, Final Fantasy: Origins for the PS2, X2: Wolverine’s Revenge for the PS2, Xbox, and PC, Run Like Hell for the Xbox, Wizard of the Coast’s Urban Arcana Campaign, and Monster Smackdown for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG line.

On to the fiction …

The lead story is “Okra, Sorghum, and Yam” by Bruce Holland Rogers, which marks his sixth appearance in the magazine. This story is a rare African folk tale about a princess who is sent by her father to spend the summer with an old man in order to learn wisdom. As you might expect, there is a twist. This one was podcasted on the PodCastle website under its 11/10/08 entry. Art to this one was provided by Mona Caron.

Next up we have “In the Forest of Forgetting” by Theodora Goss, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one is a story about a surreal journey through the forests of one’s woman mind as she is dying from cancer. In the last issue, I mentioned that Richard Parks had a story called “Worshipping Small Gods,” and that he released a short story collection through Prime Books with the same title. So what a coincidence that Theodora released a short story through Prime Books called In the Forest of Forgetting. Art to this one was provided by Lori Koefoed, which marks her sixth illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have “The Doorman Gunner” by Michael Bishop. This one is a rare zombie tale in ROF. I haven’t read much in this area, but I love the concept behind this one. It deals with an American soldier who dies in service during the Vietnam War but comes back and continues serving. He keeps his intelligence and memories, and his views are morbid to say the least. Much of the tale is about this doomed soul trying to find his final release, and it’s told through the perspective of a medly of characters, including soldiers, a pilot, a priest, and a prostitute. Art to this one was provided by Dave Leri, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.

Then we have “The Day Pietro Coppino Spoke to the Mountain” by William Shunn, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This one takes place in Italy during the 1800s. The story deals with an eccentric master sculptor who is on the verge of creating his greatest masterpiece, scultped from the purest block of marble he’s ever beheld. The sculpture itself is of Pluto from Roman mythology spiriting Persephone away to the underworld. But at the beginning of the story, something is terribly wrong with the sculpture. Persephone’s fingers have started to droop. We go on to learn Pietro lost his wife some twenty years earlier in a cave-in at one of the quarries where the marble comes from. Shortly afterward, Pietro & his son took the time to speak to the king mountain, because in this world there is a bit of holy connection between the sculptors and the mountains that provide the marble to sculpt with. But Pietro has continued to bear a grudge about his wife’s death, and this is causing the Persephone to wilt. When Pietro’s son learns of his father’s defiance, he takes him to speak to the mountain once more. There is a story of love vs. forgiveness, or as Shawna puts in her editorial caption honor vs. glory. Art to this one was provided by Paul Lee, which marks his seventh illustration in the magazine.

After this we have “Runesmith” by Harlan Ellison & Theodore Sturgeon. This marks Ellison’s second appearance in the magazine, both of them reprints. For Sturgeon, it marks his first, although it’s posthumous, since he passed away in 1985. It should also be noted that this story is dedicated to the memory of Cordwainer Smith. It was originally published in the May 1970 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. As to the story itself, this one is a post-apocaylptic tale about a man who was duped into using black magic to bring about the end of civilization, and now the creatures who tricked him are trying to use him to bring their dark masters into the world. To date, this is the last story to be reprinted in ROF. To date, it’s also the oldest story to be reprinted in the magazine. Art to this one was provided by Patrick Arrasmith, which marks his eleventh illustration in the magazine.

After this we have “Deep in the Woods of Grammarie” by Michael Swanwick. This one features seven short-short fairy tales, some of them retellings, such as Jack & the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood. Each story has its own little illustration, and I believe this is the first story to have multiple illustrations. A series of illustrations were provided to this one by Mona Caron, making it the second story she illustrated for the magazine.

Finally we have “Strings” by Karen Traviss, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. This one delves into Greek mythology, as is a retelling of the story Orpheus & Eurydice. In this version, however, when Eurydice is bitten by the snake, instead of killing her it causes her to go deaf. The deafness renders her immune to the charms of Orpheus’ lyre, which allows her to see him for the monster he is. When she eventually does die and goes to the underworld, Orpheus once again goes after her. But this time, instead of a rescue mission its tone is more of an attempted kidnapping. Art to this one was provided by Stephen Johnson, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.

So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “The Day Pietro Coppino Spoke to the Mountain” by William Shunn. And my favorite artwork? Dave Leri’s illustration to “The Doorman Gunner” by Michael Bishop. Next time around I’ll put a cap on 2003 when I discuss the December issue.

Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: August 2003 (Issue 54)

Part fifty-four in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction in the back issue of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I’ll be slicing and dicing the August 2003 issue.

The cover to this is by RoF’s longtime book reviewer, Gahan Wilson. It depicts Harry Potter conducting a book signing. This cover was nominated for a 2004 Chesley Award for Cover Illustration. This is the first issue to feature as many as eight separate works of fiction …even though the cover notes there being “7 new stories.” Doh! A look at the masthead also reveals that Carina Gonzalez’s name is once again mysteriously absent.

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

The movie/TV column makes its return, as Resa Nelson covers the movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen; in the folkroots column, Kristen McDermott discusses Shakespeare’s folklore and the English holiday cycle; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson discusses the success story of Harry Potter, while Paul Witcover reviews Fitcher’s Brides by Gregory Frost, Tapping the Dream Tree by Charles de Lint, The Ogre’s Wife by Richard Parks, and Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards: Exploring the Wonders and Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings by Michael N. Stanton; in the artist gallery, Jane Frank covers the art of John Berkey; in the past lives column, Emma Bull provides a list of suggestions for the forthcoming summer for those interested renaissance fairs, civil war reenactments, and so on; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb for the Xbox, Kung Fu Chaos for the Xbox, Skies of Arcadia Legends for the Gamecube, Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven for the PS2, Gladius for the PS2, Winds of War for the PC, an expansion of the real-time strategy game, Heroes of Might and Magic, The Arms and Equipment Guide for D&D, and Amplitude for the PS2.

On to the fiction …

The lead story is “Worshipping Small Gods” by Richard Parks, which marks his twelfth appearance in the magazine. This one is a short tale about a saint that seeks to serve the will of the buddha by bending a god to his will so that the god will build a bridge from one mountain to the next. Of course, the god has other ideas and a battle of wills and patience ensues. It’s also worth noting that in 2007, Richard put out a short story collection through Prime Books called Worshipping Small Gods, which obviously includes and was named after this tale. Art in the magazine was provided by Laurie Harden, which marks her tenth illustration in the magazine.

Next up is “Kristen With Caprice” by Alan Smale, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. This one is another shorter tale (when eight stories have to share space in ROF you shouldn’t expect too many long ones). Basically, a couple has broken up and when the ex swings by the apartment to pick up the last of his stuff, he finds his former girlfriend has a pair of rather small goats. But these goats are more than they seem, and perhaps enough to mend a relationship seemingly broken beyond repair? Well, I’m not telling. This story appeared on the podcast magazine, PodCastle, as part of their 4/27/10 broadcast. Art to this one was provided by Mary LaRue Wells.

Following this we have “Does He Take Blood?” by Karen Traviss, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. This one is a light piece taking place in an earth where humans and demons are living side by side. This particular piece focuses on a demon too old to fly who has been put in a retirement home. The conflict in this one stems from the fact that retirement homes are human concepts, and no self-respecting demon would want to spend its last days in such a manner. Art to this one was provided by Toran Kotter, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.

Then we have “The Ghost Girls of Rumney Mill” by Sandra McDonald. This one deals with the ghosts of children who for one reason or another have yet to move on from this world. The ghost girls have their place where they dwell, the ghost boys have theirs. With children, this is how it should be. But everything is thrown into question one day when a ghost boy wearing a dress shows up to Rumney Mill, wanting to stay with the girls. Why? Because he honestly believes he was meant to be a girl. What follows is a powerful story of tolerance concerning gender and sexuality, a theme that doesn’t seem to be explored too often in speculative literature through children. It should also be noted that this short was on the short list for the 2004 James Tiptree Jr. Award, and was reprinted in the James Tiptree Award Anthology 1: Sex, the Future, and Chocolate Chip Cookies, edited by Karen Joy Fowler, Pat Murphy, Debbie Notkin, and Jeffrey D. Smith. It was also the first story published in Realms to make the short list for this award. Art to this was provided by Melissa Ferreira, which marks her third illustration in the magazine.

After this we have “Down With the Lizards and the Bees” by Tim Pratt, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. This delves into Greek mythology by taking the tale of Orpheus & Eurydice and twisting it around utterly, placing it in today’s world, and depicting a gay man who travels into the underworld to bring back his lover. There are other clever tweaks of the tale along the way, clever enough that this tale was nominated for the 2004 Gaylactic Spectrum Award for Best Short Fiction. Art to this one was provided by Scott Goto, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.

This story is followed by “The Brician Saint” by Kage Baker, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. In this one we have a trio of soldiers who have stolen a small but valuable holy statue following a recent battle. As the story unfolds, we are given suggestions that the statue may be more than it seems, and perhaps the god this holy statue depicts is taking vengeance on these man for their outrageous audacity …or perhaps not. Some men can be skeptical, even to their graves. The story wraps up with a rather nice twist. Art to this one was provided by Dave Leri.

The penultimate tale in this one is “Seamstress” by Sarah Prineas. According to Carina Gonzalez’s old slush site, this is one of her slush survivors. Going by the list here (and I don’t know if it’s comprehensive), it may be her first slush survivor, since I’m uncertain if “Lindeman’s Life” was pulled from the slush by Carina or her predecessor, Rebecca McCabe. As to the story itself, this one is rather clever look at what goes on behind the fairy tales. To be more specific, have you ever wondered how the Fairy Godmother comes up with these different items that the characters in these tales need? What if instead of that wonderful wave of wand that just makes everything appear out of thin air, the items were produced in what is basically a sweat shop? I’ll stick in an observation that is just occurring to me now, as I’m realizing that a lot of the stories excel at turning conventions on their heads. This tale is no exception. Art to this one was provided by Lori Koefoed, which marks her fifth illustration in the magazine.

Finally we “Turnings” by Laura Ann Gilman. This one is the shortest tale of the issue. It deals with a woman with sorcerous connections to the earth and a man with sorcerous connections to the air falling in love, and how this love is as two ships passing in the night. Art to this one was provided by Sheila Rayyan, which marks her second illustration in the magazine.

So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “The Ghost Girls of Rumney Mill” by Sandra McDonald. And my favorite artwork? Dave Leri’s illustration to “The Brician Saint” by Kage Baker. Next time around I’ll do some literary gnawing upon the October 2003 issue.

Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: June 2003 (Issue 53)

Part fifty-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 discussing the June 2003 issue.

The cover to this one is by Kinuko Y. Craft. It depicts Eleanor of Aquitaine on horseback.

This marks our first post-Letters Page issue. When I came to this magazine this feature was already defunct, but I’ll miss reading the letters in the back issues. Another change this issue is that the Contributors Page has moved from the back of the magazine to the front. Also, I’ll note that Carina Gonzalez’s name is mysteriously absent from the masthead.

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

In the folkroots column, Ari Berk writes about the mythical white stag; in the past lives column, Emma Bull discusses time travel etiquette at Renaissance festivals and such; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey, Mysteries of Time and Spirit: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and Donald Waldrei, arranged and annotated by S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz, Schalken the Painter and Others by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, assembled and commented upon by Jim Rockhill, Tales of the Lovecraft Mythos, edited by Robert M. Price, and Paul Witcover reviews White Apples by Jonathan Carroll, Leviathan 3, edited by Jeff VanderMeer and Forrest Aguirre, and Meditations on Middle-Earth, edited by Karen Haber; in the artist gallery, Jane Frank discusses the Haggard Project, in which today’s leading illustrators capture the spirit of H. Rider Haggard’s novels in a gallery of cover paintings; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews Dark Cloud 2 for the PS2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Player’s Handbook for the BtVS Roleplaying Game, the dungeon module Necropolis from Necromancer Games, an imprint of White Wolf, and The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Adventure Game: The Two Towers. There is no movie/TV column this issue.

The lead story is “Seeds-for-Brains” by David Barr Kirtley, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. It also marks the 300th story to be published in the magazine. This one is a rather fun retelling of the Headless Horseman story, told from the perspective of the Headless Horseman. Over the years Realms of Fantasy has published a quite a number of retellings of fairy tales and legends, but this is the first time the magazine published a retelling of the Headless Horseman. Of course, it should come as no surprise that I’m not going to reveal any more of how this one is different from the traditional tale. Art to this one was provided by Scott Groto.

Next up we have “The Man Who Did Nothing” by Karen Traviss, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one is a rather rare horror tale to appear in ROF’s pages, and much of theme can be gathered from the title. Basically, it’s about what happens when good men do nothing while the world goes to pieces around us. In a nutshell, the people in a city are starting to riot because they want a middle-aged man to be evicted. Why? Because they’re convinced he’s the anti-Christ. As you might expect, the local politicians hardly take this claim seriously, even when things start turning violent. A rather chilling tale, one that was selected for inclusion in Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror 17, edited by Ellen Datlow & Kelly Link and Gavin Grant. Art to this one was provided by Michael Gibbs, which marks his tenth illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have “Crossing Into the Empire” by Robert Silverberg, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. It also marks the second tale of his to be reprinted in the magazine. It was originally published in David Copperfield’s anthology, Beyond Imagination, in 1996. This one is an odd but engaging tale about a medieval city that periodically comes unstuck in time and forms a sort of gateway to modern Chicago at regular intervals. Merchants from Chicago then enter the portal with everyday items such as cans of Coke and compasses and trade them for precious jewels, rare volumes, etc. Each side is getting a wonderfully unique item, so both parties are happy. Of course, only a very few people ever go through the portal, because you must be properly prepared to go into this city, meaning you must know the language, the customs, etc. Also, these Chicago merchants are believed to be sorcerers, and so some quarters fear them. Top this off with the fact the portal tends to close after a couple of days, and this trading expedition is every bit as dangerous as it is lucrative. Now imagine you’re one of the merchants and a monkey wrench is thrown into this situation, and you’ll get an idea of where this story goes. Art to this one was provided by Todd Lockwood, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine. This illustration won the 2004 Chesley Award for Interior Illustration. It is the second illustration in RoF to win this award, and both times Todd Lockwood was the artist.

After this we have “Pinioned” by Gabriel Edson. This one is a magic realism tale about a woman who can transform back and forth between a swan and a human woman through the use of her fabulous feathered cloak. Years back her husband captured her by capturing the cloak and keeping it locked away so she couldn’t escape. They’ve since had a child and have been happily married for years …or have they? This one is a sad tale about love and obsession can become so easily confused. Art to this one was provided by Gabriel Edson.

Then we have “Alephestra” by Bruce Holland Rogers, which marks his fifth appearance in the magazine. As with many of Rogers’ tales in ROF, this one is on the short side. Basically, it’s the tale of a goddess who was forgotten because she disappeared among the world of the mortals. Not so much living among the mortals, mind you, but the world. What threw me for a quick loop early was the choice to follow the path of Roman mythology as opposed to Greek mythology. I didn’t have a problem with it, I just didn’t expect it. Art to this one was provided by Sheila Rayyan. This illustration was nominated for the 2004 Chesley Award for Interior Illustration. To learn the winner, see a couple of paragraphs above.

The penultimate story in this is “A Fault Against the Dead” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman. This one is an urban fantasy tale about a young woman able to talk to ghosts. But the constant company has her on the breaking point, and everything threatens to blow up when a stalker starts pursuing her …while the ghost of one of his victims is keeping her company. Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his nineteenth illustration in the magazine.

Finally we have “The Drowned Mermaid” by Christopher Barzak. This one is a powerful magic realism tale about a world where the mermaids have returned and are enticing the humans “back to the sea where they belong.” Enter a married couple whose daughter has run away. One possibility is that she’s joined the mermaids, although there’s no way to be certain. At the beginning of this story, the mother comes upon an unconscious mermaid that has washed ashore. Although there are procedures for this sort of thing, mom chooses to take the memaid back to her beach house and take care of it. Dad doesn’t exactly approve, and this becomes a source of friction between them. Anyway, as Mom takes care of the mermaid we gradually come to understand how fragile she is both emotionally and mentally since the loss of her daughter, and the mermaid, although a different species represents a chance to be Mom again. It’s rather sad and tragic tale, something Chis has a knack for (Chris knows me well enough to know that’s a compliment!) Art to this one was provided by Chris Cococzza, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.

Now, normally this is the part where I say, “So that wraps up this issue.” But this time I first have to give a shout-out to Chris Barazk for his role in my RoF Retrospectives. I doubt Chris is even aware of this, but an innocent comment on his blog has extended this whole retrospective series by quite a bit. You see, when I first started these retrospectives, it was my intention to do this series up until the April 2005 issue, or the last issue before I came aboard. But early on during this retrospective series I happened to be reading Chris’ blog one day, and he mentioned my ROF Retrospectives …except he mentioned that I was blogging about each issue right up to the present. When I read that I stopped and thought to myself, “You know, that’s actually a good idea. I don’t know why I didn’t decide to do that from the beginning.” So I picked up his innocent mistake and ran with it. So if it wasn’t for Chis, these retrospectives would be over in another eleven issues. Instead, there are still another thirty-two retrospectives remaining (and counting). So those of you enjoying these retrospectives should thank Chris for extending this series for quite some time yet. I, however, curse the day Mr. Barzak was born, because these retrospectives, while interesting to write, are time-consuming and my own personal albatross. Damn you, Chris!

So that does wrap up this issue. And my favorite story? *Grumble, grumble* “The Drowned Mermaid” by Christopher Barzak. And my favorite artwork? Todd Lockwood’s illustration to “Crossing into the Empire” by Robert Silverberg. Next time around I’ll discuss the August 2003 issue.

Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: April 2003 (Issue 52)

Part fifty-two 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 April 2003 issue.

The cover to this one is by Donato Giancola, which marks his second illustration in the magazine. It depicts a white-bearded wizard with strands of light coming out of his fingers.

April 2003 marks another end of an era for the magazine. This time I refer to fact this was the last issue to include the Letters Page. Karen M. Keen therefore holds the honor of being the last person to have a letter published in ROF. Also worth noting is that at the end of each Letters Page, the following note was included: Your letters are welcome. Send them to: [address]. Or better yet, email to: [email address]. This issue is no exception, which means the note was included by accident or the decision to discontinue the Letters Page was reached between issues.

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

A new column is introduced with this issue called Past Lives, written by Emma Bull. As Bull explains in this first column, the editors at RoF approached her about writing a column about Renaissance fairs, and she expanded upon this idea, so that she could take readers back to past lives of other milieus. Much of the inaugural column focuses on the Society for Creative Anachronism, or the SCA, a society dedicated to recreating life in the Middle Ages …but with indoor plumbing. As to the rest of the nonfiction, in folkroots, Terri Windling writes about changelings; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 15, edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, The Mammoth Book of Horror 13, edited by Stephen Jones, Dark Terrors 6, edited by Stephen Jones & David Sutton, Keep Out the Night: 12 Stories Weird and Grim, edited by Stephen Jones, Beware! edited by R.L. Stine, and Paul Witcover reviews Summerland by Michael Chabon, Dragonstar by Barbara Hambly, and The Alchemist’s Door by Lisa Goldstein; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the art of William Kaluta; and in the games column Eric T. Baker reviews Legia 2 for the PS2, Arx Fatalis, an RPG for the PC, Dragon’s Lair 3D for the Xbox, the RPG supplement, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Director’s Screen, The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal, a Morrowind Expansion for the PC, and Campaign Cartographer 2 Pro for the PC. There is no movie/TV column this issue.

On to the fiction …

The lead story this issue is “The Ice is Singing” by James Patrick Kelly, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. As it happens, last night I attended the monthly KGB Fantastic Fiction Reading Series, held the third Wednesday of each month in the KGB Bar in NYC. One of the two readers there was James Patrick Kelly, who read two shorter works. One of them was “The Ice is Singing.” Go figure. Anyway, “The Ice is Singing” is a rare horror piece in ROF. It starts out with a man doing some innocent iceskating, when underneath the ice of the lake he notices a dead man, face and hands pressed against the ice. If that isn’t strange enough, he’s the only one who seems to notice this figure. From here, things grow more eerie as realization of what is happening slowly dawns on the protagonist. Art to this one was provided by Laurie Harden, which marks her ninth illustration in the magazine.

Next up is “Blink” by Thomas Seay. Like the previous work, this one is a short piece about a dying man whose life is flashing before his eyes. The problem is the flash seems to be caught in a repeating loop of sorts. Saying much more would ruin this one, so I’ll have to leave things at that. Art to this one was provided by Michael Gibbs, which marks his ninth illustration in the magazine. This illustration also won the 2004 Spectrum Gold Award in the Editorial Category. It is the first RoF illustration to snag this award.

Then we have “Lost Men” by Billie Aul. This one is an urban fantasy tale dealing with post-Flood world that has caused all the magical races–dwarves, elves, gnomes, vampires,etc.–to come out of hiding from underground. In this particular tale, we’re introduced a supernatural detective who is hired to investigate the case of some disappearing lovers. As you might imagine, the supernatural beasties figure into this one rather heavily. Art to this one was provided by Hugo Martin, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.

Following this is “Moonblind” by Tanith Lee, which marks her tenth appearance in the magazine. This makes Tanith the second person to reach this milestone, Richard Parks being the first. So far, this is my favorite story of hers to appear in the magazine. This one features a rare werewolf tale. More specifically, it focuses on the hunters of these werewolves, dangerous men who live for the Hunt and are greatly revered. The protagonist a gifted hunter who is perhaps a little too in love with the hunt, as he grows to realize there is nothing in life that he loves but the Hunt–not his wife, not his friends. not his mount nor his hunting hounds. Only the Hunt, which is rather perverse since the one source of his love is attached to the creatures he lives to kill. Everything is truly thrown into question when he comes upon a baby werewolf …in human form. As Lee so often does, she keeps it about the characters and manages to avoid predictability in her endings. In the bargain, she achieves something powerful. Others thought so too, since this piece was selected for inclusion in Year’s Best Fantasy 4, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer. Art to this one was provided by Paul Lee, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.

After this is “Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters” by Tim Pratt, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This one is a piece of superhero fiction that does an excellent job of deconstructing the genre. Early on we’re introduced to the protagonist who is a metamorph (i.e. shape changer). He used to work for a secret agency in the government, and early on he is brought back into the fold, because his abilities are needed. I don’t want to ruin too much about this one, but basically there is a super-villainess on the loose, and she’s got the suits worried. To stop her, they want to counter her with the greatest superhero ever, none other than Captain Fantasy. The problem is that Captain Fantasy is suffering from acute short-term memory loss. Basically, whatever new memories he forms are forgotten five minutes later. But the suits believe that with a metamorph impersonating Captain Fantasy’s dead sidekick, it wil rouse Captain Fantasy into action (medical cases are cited to back this claim). From here, the story takes off with a lot of fast action, complex characterization, and clever plotting. But as I touched on before, the true appeal of this piece is the way Tim deconstructs the superhero genre. He takes apart the campiness and silliness that sometimes plagues this genre, and provides thoughtful explanations as to why these superheroes behave as they do. Come the end of the story, he’s really turned the superhero genre on its ear while still managing to tell a story that fits right into it. This one was podcasted on the PodCastle website under its 7/15/09 entry. Art to this one was provided by Joel F. Naprstek, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.

Finally we have “Dusi’s Wings” by Maya Lassiter (not to be confused with an earlier ROF story called “Dusi” by Devon Monk). I actually have an unusual connection to this story: in 2001, I attended the inaugural Orson Scott Card’s Literary Boot Camp with this author. She wrote this story during that week of class and the whole class (along with OSC) critiqued it. The rest as they say is history. As to the story itself, it deal with a young woman living on the streets and making a living off her music, as well as a fallen angel who seeks to feed off her soul. To do this, the angel seeks to seduce her by pretending to an attractive human male around her age and using memories of her past that she has buried for years. It seems to be working too, in fact the angels knows it is …but all that careful planning becomes threatened what he starts to care about more than a good feeding. Art to this one was provided by Michael Kerr, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.

So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters” by Tim Pratt. And my favorite artwork? Michael Gibbs’ illustration to “Blink” by Thomas Seay. Next time around I’ll discuss the June 2003 issue.

Until then …

Realms of Fantasy: February 2003 (Issue 51)

Part fifty-one 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 February 2003 issue.

The cover to this issue features another photograph from the LOTR movies, the second cover to do so. It also marks the fourth media cover RoF has used.

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

In the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; in the folkroots column, Heinz Insu Fenkl writes about fortune cookies; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Hauntings by Vernon Lee, assembled by David G. Rowlands, Things That Never Happen by M. John Harrison, Blood Song: A Silent Ballad by Eric Drooker, and Paul Witcover reviews The Lady of the Sorrows by Cecila Dart-Thornton and The Scar by China Mieville; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber writes about the art of Darrel Anderson; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game, The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game from Decipher Games, Icewind Dale II for the PC, Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2, and The Mark of Kri for the PlayStaton 2.

On to the fiction …

The lead story is “Fable from a Cage” by Tim Pratt, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. As the title notes, this one is a fable, though far from a traditional one (something that is noted in the story). There are really two stories taking place in this one. There is the story of a thief who becomes ensnared by a fey to help her complete her ancient mission. There is also a secondary story–told in quick scenes–that features the man telling the primary story. How these stories intersect is rather interesting, and leads to a dark and satisfying conclusion. Others must have thought so too, since it was selected for inclusion in Year’s Best Fantasy 4, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer. Art to this one was provided by Lori Koefoed, which marks her fourth illustration in the magazine.

Next up we have “Stegosaurus Boy” by Steven Popkes, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. This tale combines a number of different elements into what can only be termed as a literary stew. Picture a white boy of 13, just entering the throes of adolescence. This boy has a major fascination with dinosaurs, Stegosaurus being his favorite extinct beastie. Now let’s set the story down in Alabama in the 1960s, right in the throes of the Civil Rights movement. Our protagonist is at that age where he starts thinking for himself about weighty subjects, race among them. His mother is gone, so with just one parent his father’s views and opinions hold all the more weight. And his father’s views are complex. He walks the fine and tricky line of racism, sometimes seeming to sympathize with black people while other times seeming quite content with the status quo. One of their cousins is a member of the KKK, and when the boy asks his father why he never joined the KKK, his basic response is “I was never asked.” But we’re shown it’s really more complicated than this; refusing such a request can be dangerous to one’s health. As if all this isn’t complicated enough, let’s factor in that each year there is family reunion, and one branch of the family is black, a result of some slavemasters raping their slaves back in the days of slavery. But wait, there’s more. The boy wakes up one night during the full moon and discovers that he’s a stegosaurus. It turns out this is a special form of lycanthropy that runs through the entire family, as in all the branches. The change manifests itself during adolescence, and each person in the family will change into whatever animal s/he took a special liking to during his/her formative years. Dad is an allosaurus, for example, and their cousin in the KKK (who was also at the family reunion) is a wolf. This is a story about change and acceptance, of right vs. wrong, of family loyalties and the many shades of black & white (no pun intended) during times of social upheaval. It’s also one hell of a juggling act on the part of the author. Art to this one was provided by Chris Cocozza.

Following this we have “A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” by Carrie Vaughn, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. I must admit that ever since I started this retrospective project, I’ve been anticipating reading this one. You see, this piece has a bit of a reputation …an infamous one. Long before I started working at ROF, I knew about this story. At first I knew about it because Carrie and I are both graduates of the Odyssey Fantasy & Science Fiction Writing Workshop, so I learned something of the tale’s content through these channels. But then I heard about this story again …and again …and yet again. I actually knew the ending to this one in advance, as over the years I’ve been exposed to a number of conversations about this very tale, in particular its ending. Let’s just say that if you don’t know the ending going in, it might shock you. I’ve spoken to some who like this ending (and for the record I’m among them), and others who found the ending so offensive they stopped reading the magazine. And no, I’m not just making this up. Given this, even though I still have a few issues left to read in this project before I’ve read everything (eight issues and change), I have no qualms over awarding this tale the unofficial title of “Realms of Fantasy’s Most Controversial Story.” Considering the content of the previous story, I also find this tremendously ironic. As to the story itself, I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I will relate a bit of the premise. It takes place in medieval Britain but gives off a high fantasy vibe. A unicorn hunter purchases a young virginal girl from her mother and proceeds to use the child as bait to lure unicorns out of hiding. To those unfamilair with traditional unicorn mythology, female virgins attract unicorns. Anyway, the operation proves a smashing success, as the hunter amasses bundles of loot, killing unicorn after trusting unicorn. Years pass, and as the virginal girl grows older she starts attracting older and more illustrious unicorns, which are far more valuable. Along the way, she’s also become quite fetching. And the hunter finds himself conflicted, battling between his love of the hunt and his growing attraction toward this unblemished beauty. I’ll stop right here before I risk giving away the ending. And don’t worry, even if you think you’ve figured it out, you haven’t! Instead, I’ll share with you what Shawna said to me when I mentioned to her that this story has a bit of an infamous reputation and raised some reading hackles: “That’s one of the things I loved about it–the unicorn is the sacred cow of fantasy.” Art to this one was provided by Stephen Johnson, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.

Then we have “Return Stores” by Karen Traviss. This one delves into an area you don’t read much about in fantasy: dockyards. In this piece we’re introduced to a young man whose grandfather had been a welder in the Navy dockyards. It turns out he was fired for stealing from the dockyards, but until his dying day he proclaimed his innocence. When the young man finds his grandfather’s old bugle and several other items from his Navy days, it prompts him to seek out his grandfather’s surviving friends. This in turn leads to an investigation to learn the truth about his grandad’s thefts, and in the bargain he learns about an old legend and a mysterious song on the bugle that, if played, could reveal the truth about his grandfather. One problem: no one seems to know how the song goes. Art to this one was provided by John Berkey, which marks his ninth illustration in the magazine.

Last but not least we have “Here After Life” by Devon Monk, which marks her fifth appearance in the magazine. In this one we meet a man on the verge of death. Or to put it more accurately, we meet several versions of the man. While Jim clings to comatose life in a hospital bed, we’re introduced to five projections of himself of varying age, from newborn infant right up to his current 38 years. These various projections hold a bit of discourse about how to proceed, and being as Jim has changed quite a bit over the years, he has quite a bit of difficulty agreeing with himself. But an agreement must be reached while Jim’s body is still alive, and time is running out. Of course, given the story’s content, it begs the question of whether there is truly a fantastical tale. After all, this could just be dream, right? It’s a fair argument if this occurs to you as you’re reading this, but come the end of the tale the author answers this possible question in resounding fashion. Not that I’m going to tell you how she answers it or what that answer is. Art to this one was provided by Patrick Arrasmith, which marks his tenth illustration in the magazine.

So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? I had to give this one more thought than usual (many worthy candidates!), but in the end I’m going with “Stegosaurus Boy” by Stephen Popkes. And my favorite artwork? Lori Koefoed’s illustration to “Fable from a Cage” by Tim Pratt. Next time around I’ll discuss the April 2003 issue.

Until then …