Retrospectives: 1998
Realms of Fantasy: December 1998 (Issue 26)
Part twenty-six 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 slicing and dicing the December 1998 issue.
The cover to this one is by Michael Whelan, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine. It depicts Michael Moorcock’s albino prince, Elric of Melnibone, left his vampiric blade, Stormbringer, in triumph. This is the second cover to feature the albino prince, and the first one was also by Michael Whelan. The artwork is nice enough, although Elric is somewhat more muscular than I’m used to picturing. I’ll attribute this to Stormbringer providing him some particularly powerful soul-energy to feed upon.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Exorcisms and Ecstasies by Karl Edward Wagner, edited by Stephen Jones, Death Stalks the Night by Hugh B. Cave, edited by Karl Edward Wagner, The Door Below by Hugh B. Cave, and Jeanne Cavelos reviews Heartfire by Orson Scott Card; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez covers the Highlander TV series; in the folkroots column, Terri Windling writes about how artist, Brian Froud, brings folklore to life; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the art of Doug Beekman; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews the rpg Night of 1,000 Screams, the trading card game Hercules: The Legendary Journeys; Get Medieval! for the CD-Rom; the rpg City O’ Gloom: A Campaign Setting for Deadlands, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Core Rules Version 2.0, and the rpg Epiphany: The Legends of Hyperborea. It should also be noted that this marks Dan Perez’s last issue on the movie/TV column. His ran last from the February 1996 issue through the December 1998 issue, with him handling this column in most of these issues.
On to the fiction …
Leading things off was “The Pliable Child” by Michael Libling. This is an interesting little tale about a young child who becomes whatever people want. She’s not a genie, mind you, more like a piece of clay that molds to one’s desires. I enjoyed this one, and given the girl’s power, I can’t say I was surprised that there was a decided religious angle to the story. Art to this one was provided by Charles Demorat, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.
Next up was “Wotan’s Pass” by David Hoing. This is another religious story, dealing with piousness, envy, and the old ways vs. the new. One tidbit I found very interesting in this piece was the idea of converting the god as opposed to his follower(s). Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his ninth illustration in the magazine.
Third in the batting order was “Innamorata” by Lisa R. Cohen, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This tale deals with a man who is inhabited by and ultimately shares a rather symbiotic relationship with an alien presence he stumbles upon in a forest. The connection between the protagonist and the alien presence is so personal that it resembles something very close to love, and in some ways transcends it (at least as we mere humans understand the idea). Personally, I considered this piece science fiction. If so, it begs the question as to why Shawna considered it fantasy, and hence suitable to Realms of Fantasy. And I think I have the answer. To date, I’ve read four pieces (including this one) in various issues of Realms of Fantasy that I consider to be science fiction, and another one that sort of walks the line. Four of these stories have explored a common theme in one way or another: love. So. Ever hear the expression the magic of love? Love …magic …fantasy. Simply put, I’d say there are certain speculative stories that Shawna feels are fantasies due to how the love element is handled, regardless of what the supporting elements in the tale might be. I’m not arguing with this stance either. Love isn’t logical, but there’s a certain elemental logic to the simple breakdown I provided above. Does that mean every speculative story dealing with love qualifies as fantasy? Certainly not. But some are, even if they don’t seem like fantasy at first blush. It all depends on what your definition of fantasy is. All you have to do is read the Letters Page each issue to see how widely such a definition can vary. Art to this one was provided by Jon Foster, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
The next story is “The Mongols Among the Stars” by Martha Bayless. Of course, if you look at the TOC page, it would have you believe this story was written by regular fiction contributor, Peni R. Griffin. This calls for a ”D’oh!” The story itself feels like a Far Eastern folktale, as Chinggis Khan and his army climb into the very sky itself, with the intent of conquering the moon and stars and planets. Art to this one was provided by Janet Aulisio, which marks her twelfth illustration in the magazine. It also moves her back into sole possession of having the most illustration published in the magazine.
Then we have “Going Vampire” by Leslie What, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. This one combines Hollywood and vampires to explore, of all possible things, love. Talk about your unlikely recipes! Art to this one was provided by John Hanley.
Finally we have “Old Times” by James Sallis. This one is a short-short, and is hard to discuss without giving the whole thing away. So I’ll provide a tiny teaser by saying it deals with one of those passing daydreams that so many of us have experienced from time to time. The length is perfect for this one, as it gets in and gets out before the idea is over-explored. This story lacked artwork, making it the first story published in the magazine without an illustration.
So that wraps up this issue, and also wraps up 1998. And my favorite story? Well, science fiction or not, the story was very compelling, so I’m going with “Innamorata” by Lisa R. Cohen. And my favorite artwork? Janet Aulisio’s illustration to “The Mongol Among the Stars” by Martha Bayless. Next time I’ll kick off the 1999 publishing year by discussing the February 1999 issue. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: October 1998 (Issue 25)
Part twenty-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 1998 issue.
The cover to this one is by Luis Royo, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine. It features a beautiful maiden mounted on a unicorn, casting a spell against a dragon while a man roots through a treasure chest.
There are a couple of noteworthy happenings in the masthead. Christina Krug’s title has changed from Graphic Designer back to Assistant Art Director. Also, under Copy Editors, Laura Cleveland is listed for the first time. I want to mention this because these days Laura has a bigger role at Realms, that of Managing Editor. There was a stretch of time where Laura wasn’t with the magazine at all, and when she returned, I remember Shawna mentioning how glad she was to have Laura back as Managing Editor. I’m not arguing either. She seems really organized, and ever since Laura returned to take over as Managing Editor, the amount of free copies I receive with each issue has increased, and they always find their way to me earlier than ever before. Cheers, Laura.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews The Complete Pegana–All the Tales Pertaining to the Fabulous Realm of Pegana, edited by S.T. Joshi, The Encyclopedia Cthuluiana–Expanded and Revised Second Edition by Daniel Harms, The R’lyeh Text, “researched, transcribed and annotated” by Robert Tuner (meant to be a follow-up to The Necronomicon), and Jeanne Cavelos reviews Flanders by Patricia Anthony; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez covers John Carpenter’s Vampires; in the folkroots column, Terri Windling writes about the magical lore of birds; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the art of James Warhola; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews the PC game, Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven, the rpg, City of Lies: A Campaign Setting for Legend of the Five Rings, the rpgs Hercules: The Legendary Journeys & Xena: Warrior Princess, Return to the Tomb of Horrors: An Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Adventure, and the rpg Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade from White Wolf Publishing.
On to the fiction …
The lead story in this issue is “Armageddon’s Rose” by Christopher Mowbray. Just about everyone knows that one of the most cliched story ideas one can visit in fantasy is that of Adam & Eve/the Garden of Eden. But as everyone also knows, even what is seemingly the most cliched idea is worth reading about if the author can bring a worthwhile spin to the story. Mowbray does just that in this Garden of Eden tale. It’s rather on the short side, so elaborating more than this would give everything away. Art to this one was provided by Patrick Arrasmith.
Then we have “I Met a Traveler From an Antique Land” by David Sandner, which marks his second appearance in the magazine, and his first solo work. This one is a piece of dark fantasy that has a bit of a psychadelic quality to it that I rather enjoyed. It’s a twisted and sad love story, and while the author refers to the creature in the story as a vampire (a fair labeling), the front cover uses a teaser of “Zombie Love” in reference to this tale. It really does contain a lot of zombie qualities too, so this strikes me as a rather fair label as well. And if you consider it a zombie tale, it would mark the first zombie tale to appear in RoF. Art to this one was provided by Eric Dinyer, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
Next up is ”The Secret in the Chest” by Fiona Kelleghan, which marks her first fiction tale. This one is a fairy tale about a damsel in distress, and features some clever plotting as the author decides to take on many of the traditional conventions found in these sorts of stories. Art to this one was provided by Steven Adler, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Alice” by Peni R. Griffin, which marks her fourth story to appear in the magazine. This modern-day piece deals with the everyday mysteries that surround us, the ones we take for granted or fail to notice at all, and the prices we must pay to unravel them. Art to this one was provided by Mary O’Keefe Young, which marks her eleventh illustration in the magazine. It also puts her in a tie with Janet Aulisio for most illustrations in the magazine.
Following this is “The Inner Inner City” by Robert Charles Wilson, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This story is a reprint, and was originally published in Northern Fright 4 from Mosaic Press in September 1997. As was the case with his other two stories in RoF, this one is loaded with thoughtful material, mixed with healthy doses of paranoia. Wilson’s stories are refreshing in a way I don’t encounter too often in fantasy. I read lots of stuff that is fun (and even more stuff that isn’t). I read some stuff that challenges your Emotional Quotient, or EQ. But it’s rare that I encounter fantasy stories that challenge your IQ. Science fiction does this plenty, but not so much with fantasy (braces for a series of posts seeking to prove me wrong). This time Wilson takes on religion, presenting a scenario where a group of academics make a cash bet where each one must come up with his/her own religion. Where it goes from here is pretty wild. This story was nominated for the 1998 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction. Art to this one was provided by Jeff Potter.
Finally we have a young adult story by Jim Van Pelt called “Home.” The illustration features an adolescent boy running for dear life from a giant robot. Readers of speculative literature often equate robots to science fiction. Usually this is accurate, but there are exceptions. This is one of them. We don’t know the story behind the robot or the things it can do, so the explanations could easily be fantastical instead of scientific. And without explanations, the arguments for fantasy become that much stronger. Art to this one was provided by Walter Velez.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “I Met a Traveler From an Antique Land” by David Sandner. And my favorite artwork? Luis Royo’s cover illustration. Next time I’ll put a cap on 1998 by discussing the December issue. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: August 1998 (Issue 24)
Part twenty-four 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 August 1998 issue.
This issue features a first in terms of covers. The cover features Lucy Lawless in her role as Xena Warrior Princess. This is the first issue of Realms of Fantasy to feature a fantasy star from television, as opposed to reprint or original fantasy artwork. Given that Xena is wearing her standard attire, I suppose you could arguably lump this into the same sort of vein as the chicks in chain mail cover, but I choose to think of this one as one of RoF’s media covers.
Also, a look at the price shows that it’s increased from $3.50 to $3.99. There would not be another price increase until the August 2009 issue.
Something in the Letters Page also caught my attention. There is a letter from Deborah Therese D’Onofrio, whose story, “Miss’ippi Snow,” appeared in the April 1998 issue. This is the first time a fiction contributor had a letter appear in the Letters Page. Basically, it expresses her appreciation for being published in RoF, and her admiration for the artwork. Speaking as an editor, I always find these sorts of letters extremely gratifying.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Irrational Fears by Williams Browning Spencer, The Great War: The American Front by Harry Turtledove, Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Jeanne Cavelos reviews Dragon’s Winter by Elizabeth A. Lynn; in the movie/TV column, newcomer Stephen Lynch discusses the various animated fantasy movies of filmmaker, Ray Harryhausen; in the Folkroots column, Terri Windling discusses how dusk, dawn, and the days of the dead provide doorways into other worlds; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber discusses the artwork of Brom; and in the games column, newcomer Eric T. Baker reviews the Xena trading card game, 2.0 version of the gaming tool, WebRPG, Tales form the Infinite Staircase: An Advanced Supplement for the Planetscape Product Line, and Dragonlance: Fifth Age: A Saga Companion.
On to the fiction …
The lead story is “Flower Kiss” by Constance Ash, which was nominated for a Nebula in 2000 for Best Short Story. It marks the third story in Realms to be nominated for the Nebula, and with good reason. Taking place in modern West Africa, this folk tale features a particularly exotic (to me) and engaging milieu, as it tells the story about of a young woman who struggles to keep the traditions of her family against her oppressive and wicked step-family who seek to steal everything she has. Quite unlike anything that’s been published in RoF before. Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his eighth illustration in the magazine.
Next up was “And Now Abideth These Three” by Sherwood Smith, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This middle-grade fantasy is about a pre-teen girl living among the rich of Hollywood and Malibu and such, only she’s an outcast among her classmates because she’s not rich like they are. At a classmate’s birthday party there is a pond with little fairies that this girl can see, but most others can’t. This is an honest and believable tale that teaches a valuable lesson about making assumptions. Art to this one was provided by Steven Adler, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
Then we have another romp through Hollywood in the form of “Dr. Rumpole” by S.P. Somtow. Basically, this story is Hollywood meets Rumplestiltskin. Only instead of spinning straw overnight, our Rumplestiltskin-like character turns unsalvageable scripts into Oscar-winning masterpieces …overnight. And like the original fairy tale, there is a price to be exacted for his services. The story has a nice current of humor throughout, and when you factor in the seedy underbelly of Hollywood into the mix, it makes for quite a fun read. Art to this one was provided by David Beck, which marks his eighth illustration in the magazine.
Next up is “Happy Ending” by James Van Pelt. This modern-day story has a metafictional flavor to it, and the author draws on his extensive experience as both writer and writing teacher to spin a fascinating tale about a high school teacher (and writer) and a troubled student of his. I don’t want to ruin the ending, even though the “ending” isn’t really the ending. By this, I mean the author tells the story out of sequence, so what would be the end to a traditional story isn’t quite the end here (nor should it be). I would imagine this was a tough story to write, but the author pulls it off brilliantly. Fans of the movie MEMENTO should like this one. Art to this one was provided by Greg Carter, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
Finally we have “Greed” by J. Michael Matuszewicz,a high fantasy tale about a barmaid and a wizard on a quest. Like “And Now Abideth These Three,” this story plays with expectations, because all is far from what it seems, though this doesn’t become apparent until close to the end. Art to this one was provided by John Montelone, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? Part of me feels guilty for not choosing ”Flower Kiss.” I mean, it was nominated for a Nebula for crying out loud. But I can’t deny what the geek centers of my brain are telling me. So the honors must go to “Happy Ending” by James Van Pelt. Just a riveting tale ”beginning” to “end.” And my favorite artwork? I declare our first tie in this area, between David Beck’s illustration to “Dr. Rumpole” by S.P. Somtow, and Greg Carter’s illustration to “Happy Ending” by James Van Pelt. Next time I’ll discuss the October 1998 issue. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: June 1998 (Issue 23)
Part twenty-three 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 June 1998 issue.
The cover illustration to this one is by Ken Kelly. It features the male equivalent of the chick in chain mail cover, i.e. the bare-chested barbarian raising his axe in triumph.
Also, a quick glance at the masthead reveals the return of Steven Vann as Art Director. Christina Krug, who was for a time the Assistant Art Director and then had her title changed to Graphic Designer, remains in the masthead under this latter title.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Paris in the Twentieth Century by Jules Verne, Dawn Song by Michael Marano, Old Man’s Beast by H. Russell Wakefield, and Jeanne Cavelos reviews a new volume that collects two of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novellas, Smith of Wooton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez covers Tarzan and the Lost City; in the Folkroots column, Terri Windling covers feline tales in mythology; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the art of Jim Burns; and in the games column, Mark Sumner reviews the computer games, USCF Chess, Chessmaster 5500, Combat Chess, and Power Chess. I should also note that with Karen Haber handling the artist gallery this issue, it marks a little bit of the changing of the guard. Until this point, it was mostly different people handling the column each issue. Terri Windling did a few, as did Jane Frank. But there was no regular columnist. But Karen has since written more artist gallery pieces than anyone else for the magazine, by a rather wide margin. So her first article in the magazine is worth noting. Also, besides Karen joining the magazine, it should also be noted this issue marks Mark Sumner’s last issue as the games columnist. He was the first and only columnist for this section until this point, with a very respectable run from October 1994-June 1998.
Moving on to the fiction …
The lead story is “Meeting the Messenger” by Don Webb, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This marks the first piece of Cthulu fiction (a creation of H.P. Lovecraft’s, to anyone not in the know) to appear in the magazine. I rarely see Cthulu submissions to the magazine, which is probably for the best, since Shawna once told me she’s not the biggest fan of this sub-genre. I’d imagine that she chose to take this particular piece because it manages to capture some of the eldritch mystery of Lovecraft while successfully mixing it with modern technologies, like computers & email. Art to this one was provided by John Snyder.
Then we have “Kin to Crows” by Christopher Rowe, a dark fantasy tale dealing with a charming young man whose hubris leads to his seeming undoing, only to lead to an unusual sort of rebirth. This one was all about character and milieu (deep country south), and it leads to a rather abrupt but appropriate ending. Art to this one was provided by David Martin, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.
Third is “I Bring You Forever” by Tanith Lee, which marks her sixth appearance in the magazine. This high fantasy tale is set in the same universe as her Flat World novels, and it deals with a queen who wishes to achieve immortality, only to have her wish granted in a most unusual way. As is the usual case with Lee, the story is rich in language and milieu. Art to this one was provided by Carol Heyer, which marks her seventh illustration in the magazine.
Next we have “Moments of Truth” by Alan Smale, a heartfelt tale about an old woman with a certain power. On the surface, it seems like she has telepathy. But it isn’t quite this. Instead, when moments of silence descend upon conversations, she has the unique gift of being able to read information from that silence, to glean the innermost truths of the speakers with a fairly high accuracy. Lots of subtext in this one, and it’s handled very skillfully. Art to this one was provided by John Berkey, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
Following this we have “Protocols of Consumption” by Robert Charles Wilson, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. Like his previous tale in RoF (“The Perseids”), this one features a lot of paranoia, mixed with a lot of thought-provoking ideas. The underlying premise that he plays with that I found so fascinating is that information is exchanged on a chemical level, so what happens when all these manmade chemicals are dumped into the earth? What sort of messages are relayed, and how are they distorted? Wild stuff. Art to this one was provided by Eric Dinyer.
Finally we have “Steel Penny” by Janni Lee Simner, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. Like her other story in RoF (“Sarah’s Window”), this is a middle-grade fantasy that deals with the fey. But Simner isn’t just recycling the same old story. This is a very touching tale about a young girl babysitting her baby sister. When the baby is stolen by the fey, it becomes a story of sacrifice, revolving around promises and love, which ultimately leads to a clever and touching solution. Art to this one was provided by Janet Aulisio, which marks her eleventh illustration in the magazine. It also puts her in the lead for most illustrations in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “Steel Penny” by Janni Lee Simner. And my favorite artwork? Carol Heyer’s illustration to “I Bring You Forever” by Tanith Lee. Next time I’ll go on about the August 1998 issue. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: April 1998 (Issue 22)
Part twenty-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 1998 issue.
The cover to this is another chicks in chain mail cover. It’s by Luis Royo, which marks his third illustration in the magazine. It features a woman warrior in a winter land with her male companion in the background. Based on their clothing, I imagine both of them are quite cold!
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews One Day Closer to Death by Bradley Denton, The Wild Road by Gabriel King, and Jeanne Cavelos reviews The Gratitude of Kings by Marion Zimmer Bradley; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez writes about actress, Hudson Leick, in Xena: Warrior Princess; in the Folkroots column, Terri Windling writes about stories of winter lore; in the artist gallery, Terri Windling covers the art of Alan Lee; and in the games column, Mark Sumner reviews Total Annihilation for the PC, Uprising for the PC, Dark Reign for the PC, and Myth: The Fallen Lords for the PC.
On to the fiction …
The lead story in this issue is “Unicorn Stew” by William Eakin, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine, and also his fourth Redgunk, Mississippi tale. This story struck me as particularly poignant, and as Eakin did with his mummy tale, he deals with unicorns in a rather untraditional way. Without ruining anything, I’d say this story is about tragedy, sacrifice, love, and second chances. After “Lawnmower Moe,” this has been my favorite Redgunk tale so far. Art to this one was provided by Joel Naprstek, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
Next up was “Egyptian Motherlode” by David Sandner & Jacob Weisman. This tale featured a rather wild mix of elements, ranging from Egyptian mythology, rap music, pyschadelic drugs (and others), and spiritual enlightenment. And for those of you that are wondering, “Egyptian Motherlode” is the name of a band in this story. Art to this one was provided by Michael Gibbs, which marks his 4th illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Juanito, the Magic Beans, and the Giant” by Carrie Richerson, which marks her second appearance in Realms of Fantasy. This story was really entertaining, featuring a mix of Aztec mythology (something I see a fair amount of in the slush, btw), alternate history, and a reinvention of Jack and the Beanstalk. It sounds a bit absurd, I’m sure, but I assure you it’s a seamless blend, replete with excellent world-building, smooth pacing, and a satisfying ending. Very skillfully done. Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his seventh illustration in the magazine.
Following this was “Miss’ippi Snow” by Deborah Therese D’Onofrio, a surrealistic tale about a nurse who falls in love with soldiers she’s tending, but then Death takes them away. Ultimately, this causes her to fear falling in love. I won’t give away the ending, but if you don’t pay attention in this one you’ll miss the fantastical element. Art to this one was provided Janet Aulisio, which marks her tenth illustration in the magazine, pulling her into a tie with Mary O’Keefe Young for most illustration in the mag.
Finally we have “Tiger, Tiger” by Severna Park. This one features a really cool premise, as we see a policewoman in India hunting after a reincarnated serial killer who used to be a tiger. It draws on the characters’ pasts and steeps you in the milieu to really bring this one together. Featuring a lot of extremely short scenes, it moves at a very fast clip. Many of the stories in this issue strike me as particularly ambitious, and this one is no exception. Others must have thought so too, because “Tiger, Tiger” was Long Listed for the Locus Award for Best Short Story in 1999. Art to this one was provided by Charles Demorat, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? Lots of good ones to choose from, but I’m going with “Juanito, the Magic Beans, and the Giant” by Carrie Richerson. And my favorite artwork? Luis Royo’s cover illustration. Next time I’ll delve into the June 1998 issue. Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: February 1998 (Issue 21)
Part twenty-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 tackling the February 1998 issue.
The cover to this one is by Stephen Youll. It features a demon on his demon-horse.
A quick glance at the masthead reveals that Pamela Norman’s brief run as Art Director has drawn to a close. There is no one in her place listed as Art Director, but the previous Assistant Art Director, Christina Krug, is now the Graphic Designer.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews Son of Rosemary by Ira Levin, Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn by Robert Holdstock, The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman (I should note that every once in a while this column will tackle something YA or middle-grade, like this), and Jeanne Cavelos reviews The Conjurer Princess by Vivian Vande Velde; in the movie/TV column, Dan Perez covers Conan on the small screen; in the Folkroots column, Terri Windling writes about the golden arrows of Eros: mythic tales of passion and desire; in the artist gallery, Jane Frank discusses the art of Richard Bober; and in the games column, Mark Sumner reviews Final Fantasy VII for the Playstation, and the card game, Portal, from Wizards of the Coast.
On to the fiction …
This is a very important issue in the magazine’s history and evolution, and the reason behind this can be found in the lead story, “Lost Girls,” by Jane Yolen. “Lost Girls” marks Yolen’s third story in the magazine. It also marks the first original story printed in Realms of Fantasy to receive a Nebula nomination. In fact, Yolen’s story takes things a step further by winning this award in 1999 for Best Novelette. It marks the first major award the magazine ever won, and to this day it remains the sole Nebula Award winner to be printed in the magazine (a crying shame if you ask me, but I digress). As to the story itself, “Lost Girls” is a complete reinvention of the Peter Pan mythology, turning everything inside out, but conveying the lovable charm of the world of Nevernever Land. There’s a reason this story won the Nebula. Art to this one was provided by Annie Lunsford, which marks her sixth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Lustman” by Pat York, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. In her editorial byline for this story, Shawna wrote the following: “Yes, there’s a hologram in this story, and it’s set in the future, too. But if you don’t think it’s a fantasy, then you’ve never been in love.” And that pretty much sums it up. If you discount the love factor in this story as a fantastical element, it’s straight science fiction. If, otoh, you look at it the way Shawna did, then this is indeed a fantasy story, about the fantasies we create in our minds and hearts when we’re completely and head over heels in love. Either way, this is a good story, and I’m glad I had the chance to read it. Art to this one was provided by Mary O’Keefe Young, which marks her tenth illustration in the magazine. This makes her the first artist with ten illustrations in the magazine.
Then we have “Tithing Night” by Louise Cooper, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. This was a high fantasy tale relying on mood and tension. A family waits in their home with a stranger for the tithing night, which comes around once every seven years, when a mysterious presence comes to the village and exacts its price in the form of one person it takes away. In return, the village receives the force’s protection and blessing. As is the usual with Cooper, the tale is rather dark. Art to this one was provided by John Montelone.
Batting fourth we have “Fata” by Peni R. Griffin, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. This was a rather short tale, only about a page, dealing with a fey-type creature that is having an affair with a mortal man. All seems well and fine in this easygoing tale …until the man’s mortal lover shows up on the scene. Art to this one was provided by J.K. Potter, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
The last story is the “Queen of Yesterday” by Sally McBride. This was a dark tale about a woman trying to learn her strange and mysterious origins from her vampiric-like mother in the hopes this will enable her to come to terms with her life. Art to this one was provided by Alan Pollack, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
And that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? No surprises here. I’m going with “Lost Girls” by Jane Yolen. And my favorite illustration? Stephen Youll’s cover. Next time I’ll discuss the April 1998 issue. Until then …
