Retrospectives: 2002
Realms of Fantasy: December 2002 (Issue 50)
Part fifty(!) 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 share some thoughts regarding issue the December 2002 issue.
Wow. Fifty issues (not to mention fifty retrospectives). Definitely one of those milestones achievements for a magazine. Good stuff. The cover to this issue is by Luis Royo, which marks his tenth illustration in the magazine. It features a scantily clad woman warrior in the rain with a bunch of owls in the background.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson discusses how the fantasy mini-series experienced a rebirth in the 1990′s that is still ongoing; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews The Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman, The Center Cannot Hold by Harry Turtledove, The Circus of Dr. Lao by Charles G. Finney, In the Garden of Poisonous Flowers by Caitlin R. Kiernan, and A Walking Tour of the Shambles by Gene Wolfe and Neil Gaiman, illustrations by Randy Broecker and Earl Geier, cover by Gahan Wilson (i.e. the reviewer). The other half of the book reviews are handled my Paul Witcover, which marks his first issue as one of RoF’s adult book reviewers, a position he still holds as I write this. The first books Paul reviewed are The Translator by John Crowley, A Scattering of Jades by Alexander C. Irvine, and Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David. In the folkroots column, Ari Berk & William Spytma write about the Wild Hunt; in the artist gallery, Julie E. Czerneda writes about the art of Luis Royo; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews Children of the Sun: A Dieselpunk Roleplaying Game, the real-time strategy game, Warcraft III, Shinobi for PlayStation 2, The Book of Challenges for Dungeons & Dragons, and Dramatis Personae: Campaign Ready NPCs.
On to the fiction …
The lead story in this issue is “Vida” by Leigh Kennedy. In this one, a girl’s mother is murdered by her stepfather right at the beginning of the tale. The incident is so traumatic that the girl’s mind ends up retreating into a strange dream realm that is more than a simple dream realm in order to cope with what has happened. As you might imagine, it becomes a story about whether she can mentally, emotionally, and spiritually recover from this brutal event. Art to this one was provided by John Picacio, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.
Following this we have “Seven Brothers, Cruel” by my good buddy, David Barr Kirtley (although this was published some years before we knew each other). This one is a high fantasy story that kind of has a YA feel to it. At the story’s onset, it deals with a subject rather familiar to high fantasy fans: the oppressed damsel, seeking a brave knight to take her away from her cruel family. Further familiarity is provided by the introduction of the brave, strong, and handsome knight who wishes to make his mark on the world and seeks to do the noble thing by taking his newfound love away from this horrible situation. Anyone familiar with ROF’s fiction should realize Shawna isn’t a big fan of cliched fiction. Neither am I for that matter. Attacking cliches is another matter. Personally, I love it when an author takes a genre cliche and turns it on its head. Not only does it mock the cliche, but when done right it provides the reader with something at once familiar but fresh. If I were to point to one reason why Shawna bought this piece (and why I would have in her place), I’d say it’s this, because this tale takes several unusual but believable deviations from the usual route. The fantastical element in this one is somewhat brief and with a few minor alterations this story could have taken place back in the medieval times of our own world. But the idea that he reinvents is one so ingrained (or should I say “so cliched”) in the fundamental fabric of traditional high fantasy that this story can only be told as a fantasy tale to achieve the proper level of effectiveness. And given how how the author goes about deconstructing this cliche, additional fantastical elements probably would have detracted from this story instead of adding to it. Art to this one was provide by Kyle Anderson & Myunghee Lee. For Kyle, it marks his second illustration in the magazine; for Myunghee, it marks his first.
Next up is “Moira” Lois Tilton, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. This is the second tale I’ve seen in the magazine that provides a remix of the Trojan War, the first being Richard Parks’ “Kallisti.” The similarities end there however, as “Kallisti” explores a lot of the events leading up to the war, while “Moira” explores a lot of the events following the war. In this case, we’re introduced to several children from some of the war’s notable heroes. This strikes me as a big risk on the part of the author, but all is well since I’d say she pulls this off just fine. Art to this one was provided by Gary Lippincott, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Strife Lingers in Memory” by Carrie Vaughn, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. Like Kirtley’s piece, this one is high fantasy that attacks some of conventions of the genre, and like Tilton’s piece the bulk of this piece takes place after a war. Assume for a moment that the Big Epic Fantasy Tale has reached its conclusion. The evil has been vanquished at great cost. The hero and his love can now rule the kingdom in piece. This is basically where Vaughn’s story starts, i.e. where the rest of these tales normally end. This is possible because Vaughn explores the cost . Not the cost of lives lost in the war, nor the cost to the royal coffers. No, instead she explores the personal cost, the emotional toll the heroes must pay for such decisive and storied victory. Because really, if you must fight overcome such overwhelming evil, doesn’t it stand to reason that happily ever after must come with cost? Vaughn proves it does. Art to this one was provided by Paul Lee, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Dawn, by the Light of a Barrow Fire” by Patrick Samphire, which marks his first publication. In this one, an archaelogical team uncovers the bones of a prehistoric child. Based on the damage to the child’s skull, it seems clear it died in some unfortunate accident. Even more unfortunately, one of the people on the dig has recently lost his own child in an accident and he’s on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Finding these bones only serve to compound matters. What follows is a mystical encounter that transcends the barrier of time itself as two men from vastly different eras meet and find they share a common bond. Art to this one was provided by Eric Westbrook.
Finally we have “It Comes and Goes” by Robert Silverberg, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This one is a reprint, and was originally published in the January 1992 issue of Playboy. It was reprinted in Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror 6, edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling. The story itself is pretty straightforward and absolutely compelling. Tom is a recovering alcoholic. One day he’s walking by a house and glimpses a naked and stunningly beautiful woman in the doorway. Things get progressively more strange as sometimes the house isn’t even there. Other times he witnesses animals being lured inside the house and never coming out. Doors open and close by themselves. An occupied tricycle disappears into the house as well. And every so often the beautiful woman is there, beckoning him to enter. All this threatens to drive poor Tom back to his drinking, as it seems like the only safe solution to his unhinging mind. Poor guy …but a great story. Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his eighteenth illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue, as well as 2002. And my favorite story? “It Comes and Goes” by Robert Silverberg. And my favorite story original to Realms of Fantasy? “Strife Lingers in Memory” by Carrie Vaughn. And my favorite artwork? Gary Lippincott’s illustration to “Moira” by Lois Tilton. Next time I’ll kick off 2003, when I take on the February 2003 issue.
Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: October 2002 (Issue 49)
Part forty-nine 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 ruminating upon the October 2002 issue, which means RoF has reached its eighth year of publication.
The cover to this one is by Donato Giancola, which depicts a woman in steel plate armor.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers M. Night Shymalan’s Signs; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews The Blues Ain’t Nothin’ by Tina L. Jens, Dark Universe by William F. Nolan, The Emperor of Dreams: The Lost Worlds of Clark Ashton Smith, edited by Stephen Jones, and Paul Di Filippo reviews Once …, by James Herbert, Face by Tim Lebbon, and Knight Fantastic, edited by Martin Greenberg and John Helfers; in the folkroots column, Terri Windling writes about the many incarnations of interpretations of the tale of Bluebeard; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the artwork of Omar Rayyan; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews Dungeon Siege from Microsoft, the Exalted RPG supplement, Savage Seas, from White Wolf Publishing, the RPG, Mechanical Dream, the Hackmaster RPG supplement, Little Keep on the Borderlands, and the 7th Sea RPG supplement, Mightier than the Sword. It’s also worth noting that this is Paul Di Filippo’s last issue as a book reviewer for RoF. He had a respectable stint, from April 2000 issue through October 2002, a run of sixteen issues.
On to the fiction …
The lead story is “Action Figures” by Mark Bourne. This one is a superhero piece dealing with Superman. Superman is never mentioned, nor are any of his arch-enemies, nor Metropolis, the Daily Planet, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olson, or any other name or place associated with Supes. Yet whenever Superman is being discussed, we know it’s him, and we know we’re in Metropolis. Credit the author with some clever touches that make it abundantly clear to the reader very early on. So while this is a piece about Superman, it only deals with him peripherally. Instead, we’re introduced to some of the everyday citizens of Metropolis. We see how their lives intertwine, and while none of them have a personal relationship with the Big S, the author uses these people to demonstrate how Superman impacts the lives of everyone in Metropolis. It’s an interesting read, i.e. reading a story about the most iconic superhero of all time when the story isn’t really about him. Art to this one was provided by David Seeley, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.
Next up is “In the Witch’s Garden” by Naomi Kritzer, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. This one is a science-fantasy retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale, “The Snow Queen.” It’s been so long since I’ve been exposed to the original story that I’m afraid I don’t remember how this version is different. I can take some educated guesses, but I can’t be certain. With that in mind, it’s best not to say anything more about this piece, for fear of ruining all the interesting twists. Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his seventh illustration in the magazine.
Following this we have “Half of the Empire” by Bruce Holland Rogers, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. This tale features a Far Eastern flavor, telling of a man in search of simple pleasures who finds himself presented with opportunities to gain so much more than he ever imagined. It’s a rather short tale, and as is Rogers’ MO with such stories in ROF, there are some rather logical if unexpected plot twists that go into this one. Art to this one was provided by Mahendra Singh, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Honeydark” by Liz Williams, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. In this one we’re introduced to a man of power fleeing Constantinople for political reasons. He takes lodging with an unusual family, particularly their daughter. If I tell you how she’s unusual it really does give the whole story away, but before I move on I’ll tell you this story was reprinted in Year’s Best Fantasy 3, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer. Art to this one was provided by Melissa Ferreira, which marks her second illustration in the magazine.
After this we have “The Pond in 3-D” by Bruce Glassco, which marks his sixith appearance in the magazine. I can think of no way to describe this one but a modern-day take on The Creature in (of?) the Black Lagoon. Art to this one was provided by Laurie Harden, which marks her eighth illustration in the magazine.
Finally we “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” by Elizabeth Counihan. This one mixes a lot of different elements into the proverbial stew. At first it feels like a fairy tale. Then it feels like high fantasy. Then some science fictional elements are introduced that make me call this science-fantasy. It’s a rather bizarre tale about a princess who is married to a strange creature that is a beast by day and a man by night. She is horrified by one and quite attracted to the other (guess which is which!) Eventually she becomes pregnant with her husband’s child and is separated him. What follows is a wild tale of her quest to be reunited with him, as she journeys through space and time. Art to this one was provided by Scott Grimando, which marks his seventh illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story. “Action Figures” by Mark Bourne. And my favorite artwork? Scott Grimando’s illustration to “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” by Elizabeth Counihan. Next time around I’ll polish off 2002 when I discuss its December issue.
Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: August 2002 (Issue 48)
Part forty-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 be tackling the August 2002 issue.
The cover to this one is a reprint by Stephen Youll, which marks his third illustration in the magazine. It depicts a man and woman in heroic poses with a castle in the background.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers the movie, Reign of Fire; in the folkroots column, Heinz Insu Fenkl writes about the connection between man and clay in creation myths; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews The Invisible Eye by Erckmann-Chatrian, The Floating Cafe by Margery Lawrence, Brushfire: Illuminations from the Inferno by Wayne Barlowe, and Paul Di Filippo reviews Expecting Beowulf by Tom Holt, Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKillip, and Fire Bringer by David Clement-Davies; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the artwork of Frank Frazetta; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews the RPG, The Sorcerer’s Soul, the RPG source book, Exalted: The Dragon Blooded from White Wolf Publishing, the RPG, The Ebon Mirror, from the Penumbra line of Dungeons & Dragons products, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Grandia II for the PC and Xbox, and Circus Maximus for the Xbox.
On to the fiction …
The lead story is “The Fence at the End of the World” by Melissa Mia Hall. This one is an unusual tale about a pair of young sisters who live in a house that is on the edge of existence. The mother has passed on, but her spirit remains among them, issuing constant warnings to not go beyond the fence. But being cooped up can get to us all, and when one of the sisters decides to ignore mom’s advice, all bets are off. Art to this one was provided by Laurie Harden, which marks her seventh illustration in the magazine.
Next up is “Where Angels Fear to Lunch” by Fraser Sherman. This one features the classic dick from the detective tales, with a customer coming into his office with an unusual case at the beginning of the story. The catch? This particular private eye is also the Wandering Jew. And his client? An angel, of course, and he claims someone is out to kill him. Of course, as with any mystery, it turns out to be somewhat more complicated than that, and mysteries, theologies, and betrayals combine for a most unusual climax. Art to this one was provided by Hugo Martin.
Following this we have “The Librarian’s Daughter” by Carrie Vaughn. This one is a high fantasy tale about a girl who wears the skin of a horse that once belonged to an evil wizard. She was very close to the horse before its death, and wearing the skin allows her to tell prophecies. But while keeping this connection to the horse is wonderful, it also sets her apart from everyone else. For a young woman, this can be difficult, and everything is thrown into question when she encounters a charming thief who stirs up feelings that make her consider what it might be like to lead an ordinary life so she might be with him. Yet walking away from who she is can be hard …about as hard as it is for a young thief to stop stealing. Yet there is a compromise of sorts, or more accurately, an inevitable ending that doesn’t become known until the last dark sentence. Of course, I like dark, so this didn’t bother me. 
Art to this one was provided by Mark Harrison, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “The Witch’s Bicycle” by Tim Pratt. This one is a zany YA tale about a witch who tries to maintain her youth by manipulating some modern-day teenagers to her will. Simply put, awkward boy likes girl. Awkward boy is also being bullied, and Bully happens to like girl as well. Girl likes awkward boy of Bully, and Bully is intent on making life even more miserable for Awkward Boy. Witch uses her magic to stoke the fires of the classic love triangle, so that it unfolds in the classic manner of centuries ago, wherein the combatants do lethal battle for the heart of the girl. Such combat and its results allow the witch to maintain her beauty. All very logical, yet it leads to a rather surprising conclusion. The word I would use to describe it is …real. Very very unexpected. Art to this one was provided by Michael Kerr, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
After this we have “Woewater” by Liz Williams, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. In this dark fantasy tale, a man must spend the night in a manor he believes to be haunted by a were-creature. This one is all about playing with reader expectations, and to say more would give this one away. Art to this one was provided by Lori Koefoed, which marks her third illustration in the magazine.
Next up we have “How it Ended” by Darrell Schweitzer, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. In this one we meet a knight who has taken part in the Crusades, but is now entering the latter years of his life. As to what it’s about beyond this, I’ll steal Shawna’s editorial caption: “If your death is a waste and your life is a dream and a sin, how can you ever achieve redemption?” Obviously this story attempts to answer that, and in so doing it was selected for inclusion in Year’s Best Fantasy 3, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer. Art to this one was provided by Paul Lee, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.
Finally we have “A Taste of Damsel” by Tom Gerencer. In this one, we’re provided a lighthearted read about a dragon who has been asleep for centuries and wakes into modern times. He happens to be a talking dragon, and rather than going on rampage of flames and feasting, he decides to engage the first guy he sees in conversation, trying to undestand what the hell has happened. Silliness ensues, along with some silly results. Art to this one was provided by Christopher Schenck.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “The Witch’s Bicycle” by Tim Pratt. And my favorite artwork? Stephen Youll’s cover. And my favorite artwork original to this issue? Lori Koefoed’s illustration to “Woewater” by Liz Williams. Next time around I’ll offer some thoughts on the October 2002 issue.
Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: June 2002 (Issue 47)
Part forty-seven 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 we’re getting into the June 2002 issue.
The cover to this one is by Todd Lockwood, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine. It depicts a woman warrior-mage, standing over a vanquished machine.
I noted last issue that the editorials reached their (unfortunate) end, so this marks the first issue without them. In the masthead, since Rebecca McCabe has now officially moved on, this is the first issue without her name appearing in the masthead as either editorial assistant or assistant editor since April 1995, the magazine’s fourth issue. The Carina Gonzalez era is now well underway. Also, I’ll note that Laura Cleveland’s title has changed from Associate Editor to Managing Editor in the masthead.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers the Dinotopia mini-series; in adult books, Gahan Wilson reviews Demons by John Shirley, Crouching at the Door, edited by Jack Adrian, Beneath the Moors and Darker Places by Brian Lumley, Islandia by Austin Tappan Wright, and Paul Di Filippo reviews Haussmann, or the Distinction by Paul LaFarge, Coup de Grace and Other Stories by Jack Vance, and Fluid Mosaic by Michael Arnzen; in the folkroots column, Helen Pilinovsky writes about the reality of fairy tales; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the artwork of Todd Lockwood; and in the games column, Eric T. Baker reviews Final Fantasy X for the Playstation 2, Gorasul: The Legend of the Dragon for the PC, the RPG, Sorcerer and Sword, the boxed set, The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Adventure Game, the D&D adventure source book, Deathright, for the Kingdoms of Kalamar supplement, and the adventure source book, Time of Tumult for White Wolf’s Exalted world. Also introduced in this issue is short-lived nonfiction feature called What I’m Reading, in which a popular fantasy author writes about s/he is currently reading. In this issue, the author of this feature is Charles de Lint.
Now to the fiction …
The lead story is “Boulder Country” by Steven Popkes, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. In this one, Popkes takes the political figure Janet Reno–most visible during the Bill Clinton era–and posits an alternate reality wherein she was never part of Bill Clinton’s cabinet, and was instead a judge. From here, he takes this version of Janet Reno and takes through a surreal adventure through a rather strange world. Pretty out there. Art to this one was provided by Allen Douglas, which marks his second illustration in the magazine and his first solo illustration.
Following this we have “The Run of the Fiery Horse” by Hilary Moon Murphy, a Far Eastern tale about a young girl born under the sign of the Fiery Horse, which according to the astrological charts will make her very difficult to raise. As you might expect from a Fiery Horse, the girl has a strong will and she enjoys running, which means she doesn’t want to have her feet wrapped in the ancient Chinese tradition, which keeps the feet of the girl forever small and dainty, but also seriously impairs the ability to walk. Enter the soul-eating serpent who gobbles peoples souls through their dreams. The Fiery Horse is a particularly tasty soul, and the serpent is eager to taste it. It proposes a deal to the young girl, which she accepts, this being she will go seven years without having her feet wrapped, but at the end of this time he gets to eat her soul. Seven years is a long time away to a little girl of seven (eight?), and so she accepts. A fun read, if I do say so myself. This one was podcasted on the PodCastle website under it 4/15/08 entry. Art in the magazine was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his sixteenth illustration in the magazine and put him in sole possession of most illustration to appear in RoF.
Next up we have “Into the Dark” by Patrice Sarath. This one is another fey tale, something I’ve seen a lot of in ROF’s pages. I like the angle the author takes though. We’ve all heard about the human baby that is stolen by the fey and replaced with a changeling. This story takes that idea a step further, exploring what would happen if the parents raised the changeling as if were their own flesh and blood. The story starts when the changeling is about thirteen or so, and while it looks like a human, we soon realize something isn’t quite right. From here, revelations and characters being put through the proverbial emotional ringer follow, leading up to an ending that takes no prisoners. If I could use one word to describe this one? Unflinching. Art to this one was provided by Toran Kotter, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.
After this we have “Leeward to the Sky” by Devon Monk, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. In this one, Devon takes a stab at high fantasy, which is something different from her previous publications in the magazine. Here we meet an old woman who is too broken down to weave her magic anymore. Yet she also weaves the sails for the ships that sail from port, and does it so skillfully that the townspeople see a kind of magic in this. She is feared but also revered, an essential part of the community but not exactly the kind of person invited over to dinner. But everything about who she is and what she’ll do is put into question when a mountain man comes into town and does what no one else will: looks upon her as a woman. Not the sort of high fantasy I encounter too often, but it successfully achieves its aim at challenging assumptions. Art to this one was provided by Laurie Harden, which marks her sixth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “Lindeman’s Life” by Eric M. Witchey. Lindeman is a building. Yes, a building. The whole story is told through Lindeman’s perspective, right from when he was first constructed, to replace the “old-timer” next to him. Eventually Lindeman become the old-timer, as a new building is built to replace him. Somehow, this tale manages to avoid being preposterous, and also becomes rather powerful in the bargain. Art to this one was provided by Chuck Demorat, which marks his eleventh illustration in the magazine.
Finally we have “Even Small Prayers” by Kathryn J. Brown. This one is an urban fantasy tale that interweaves the stories of a goddess who borders on forgotten with that of three friends. The goddess feeds on prayers, and is desperate for a mere crumb, let alone a temple of worshippers. Meanwhile three friends find themselves in a heap of trouble from being intertangled with the world of sex, drugs, and music. In the end, one man’s willingness to believe proves the difference as to whether or not the goddess and all three friends will be saved. Art to this one was provided by Mike Kerr.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “Lindeman’s Life” by Eric M. Witchey. And my favorite artwork? Todd Lockwood’s cover. And my favorite illustration original to Realms of Fantasy? Allen Douglas’ illustration to “Boulder Country” by Steven Popkes. Next time around I’ll discuss the August 2002 issue.
Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: April 2002 (Issue 46)
Part forty-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 discussing the April 2002 issue.
The cover to this one is by Scott Grimando, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine. It features a woman who is entwined by serpent and holding a flaming sword.
This retrospective marks one of those milestone issues for the magazine. Why? Well, we have a couple of firsts, and a couple of lasts this issue that are worth mentioning. Let’s start with the lasts. This issue marks the last editorial we ran. It also marks the last issue Rebecca McCabe appears in the masthead as Assistant Editor. Fittingly then, the last editorial is written by none other Rebecca McCabe, which was her third editorial in the magazine. In it, she addresses the rumors of missing manuscripts that had been directed toward her, and defends herself and her work over the course of almost eight years as assistant editor. I found this goodbye to be both thoughtful and eloquent.
Now let’s talk about the firsts. This marks the first issue that my direct predecessor, Carina Gonzalez, appears in the masthead. While she took over for Rebecca, and I in turn took over for Carina, Rebecca and I were and are listed as Assistant Editors (Rebecca started off as Editorial Assistant before being given the sexier title of Assistant Editor), while Carina is listed as Editorial Intern. Why this is, I don’t know, but her responsibilities were similar to ours. Either way, this issue marks an official passing of the torch. What it also marks is the first time there has been a significant change in the editorial fiction department.
To me, this is very important, which is why I feel compelled to go on at some length. Shawna is the editor, and since the fiction is arguably the most important feature of the magazine, this magazine is a reflection of her tastes more than anyone else’s. But let’s not forget that it was and is her tireless assistants who wade through the slush, and what we pass along from the slush is a reflection of our tastes. What Shawna takes from our selections for publication isn’t only what she considers worthy of the magazine, it’s also where her tastes and ours intersect. Those intersections can be viewed as glimpses into the tastes of her assistants. And since no two people share the exact same tastes, the kinds of stories we’ve passed (and will pass) along to Shawna will sometimes differ. I couldn’t tell you all of Rebecca’s slush survivors, but if I read an author bio and it mentions this is the author’s first publication, or that before this publication the author only had small press credits, it’s quite likely these authors were slush survivors. Same thing goes for authors from Carina’s era, and I’ve read a number of her slush survivor tales before I started these retrospectives. And having read these tales, I can tell both Rebecca and Carina’s tastes are somewhat different than my own. Not better or worse, just different. What this means (to me anyway) is that when these editorial changes take place, while the vision of the magazine remains Shawna’s, subtle shifts in some of the fiction we publish will take place. I mean, how can they not? If Rebecca, Carina, and I all have somewhat different tastes, it stands to reason that Shawna’s tastes will intersect with ours in different ways. This in turn will lead to some different types of slush survivors being published, which will lead to a slight shift in the the flavor of the magazine. Let me reiterate that these changes would be subtle. Everything remains a story that Shawna likes, but a different assistant editor means that sometimes a different kind of story is being brought to her attention. Let me be very clear here, as what I’m discussing can be a touchy subject if misinterpreted. I’m not talking about the abilities of the various editors, nor am I talking about the merits of the various stories we’ve passed along to Shawna that have been published. I’m just talking about how different stories will ring the bells of different readers, and how this could influence the personality of a magazine. It’s certainly so for editors, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t be the case to a lesser extent regarding assistant editors. As to who is better at their job and who pulled out the best slush survivors, well, you may feel free to debate such things among yourselves, but for the purposes of these retrospectives I have no interest in going down that road. The last tidbit I’ll mention before moving along (finally!) is that any subtle shifts in the magazine’s personality probably wouldn’t show up for some issues yet, since we always have stuff in inventory.
One other change I’ll note is that in the masthead, Ryan Costa’s brief run as Graphic Designer is over. Replacing him is Jennifer Schneider.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows:
In the folkroots column, Ari Berk writes about the alphabets of the northern world; in the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson writes about the top 10 high fantasy movies; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews American Empire: Blood & Iron by Harry Turtledove, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson, The Zippy Annual by Bill Griffith, Algernon Blackwood, An Extraordinary Life by Mike Ashley, and Paul Di Filippo reviews Fantasy of the 20th Century by Randy Broecker, Book of the Dead by E. Hoffman Price, Ill Met By Moonlight by Sarah Hoyt, and The Crow Maiden by Sarah Singleton; in the artist gallery Terri Windling discusses the art of Kay Nielsen; and in the gaming column, Eric T. Baker reviews the RPG, Sorcecer, the RPG, Swashbuckler, Tangled Strands, an adventure module for the RPG, 7th Sea, and the RPG book, Hackmaster GM Guide, which is part of the Hackmaster RPG game that is a parody of Dungeons & Dragons, the RPG, The Wheel of Time, based on the NY Times Bestselling series of novels, New York by Night, a City Source Book for the RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade, the multi-player online RPG, Fighting Legends, and the real-time strategy game, Battle Realms for Ubi Soft.
Now, on to the fiction …
The lead story is “Kallisti” by Richard Parks, which marks his eleventh appearance in the magazine. This one is a piece of Greek mythology that deals with some of the key events leading up to the Trojan War, revolving most notably around Paris, Eris, and the Apple of Discord. We also witness a chunk of the fallout based on Richard’s ideas, and it leads to a twist ending that left me nodding my head. I was expecting it, but was pleased nonetheless, since it struck me as the best possible ending and I was hoping the author would go here. Art to this one was provided by David Seeley, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
Following this we have “Hubris” by James Patrick Kelly. This also deals with Greek mythology and at the same time is a cross with metafiction, as it becomes a cross between modern literature and a man’s encounter with the Greek Muse. Saying more would give too much of this one away. Art to this one was provided by Patrick Arrasmith, which marks his ninth illustration in the magazine.
After this we have “Honeysuckle Flowers” by Katya Reimann, a high fantasy tale set in the same universe as her trilogy of novels known as the Tielmaran Chronicles. This one revolves around the tale of two lovers, and the woman is a witch. The princess of their homeland is going to be married soon, and the lovers’ lives are thrown into chaos by the arrival of her husband-to-be, who foolishly wishes to hunt in the Changing Lands, a magical land where no one returns from. And his appointed guide into these lands is the witch’s lover. Things are made even more complicated by the fact that the witch has been summoned to attend the princess, which would force her to leave her lover. Everything finally comes to a head in the Changing Lands in unexpected fashion. Art to this one was provided by Scott Grimando, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine. And while we’ve had an artist with two interior illustrations in the same issue (Greg Carter, December 2000), this is the first issue where an artist had his work appear both on the cover and as an interior illustration.
Then we have “The Rose in Twelve Petals” by Theodora Goss. I actually attended the Odyssey Writing Workshop the same year as Theodora (or Dora, as many of us call her), back in 2000. I believe that she is the first Odyssean to crack the pages of Realms of Fantasy. There have been a ton of Clarionites (Clarioners?) published in the magazine, but the Clarion workshop is far older than Odyssey. So this is kind of cool for Odyssey, as it was less than ten years old at the time. Of course, you deserve the whole story behind this one. Dora did indeed attend Odyssey, but she also attended Clarion in 2001. In fact, if memory serves correctly, Shawna actually discovered this story while teaching at Clarion that summer. She read Dora’s story and liked it so much she decided to take it for the magazine. This was her first published story, so it’s a pretty good way to break in! But it gets better. “The Rose in Twelve Petals” was also selected for inclusion in Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror 16, edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling. Dora has certainly been one of the magazine’s biggest discoveries, as she’s since gone on to publish a host of short stories, and she’s been nominated for both the Nebula and World Fantasy Award. As to the story itself (he said, treating it like an afterthought!), it’s a very unusal retelling of Sleeping Beauty. As you might expect, it’s told in 12 parts, and the rose plays an important part. Art to this one was provided by Stephen Johnson, which marks his third illustration in the magazine.
Next up we have “Field of Angels” by Lauren Halkon, a bizarre high fantasy tale that deals with warring factions striving for the possession of various angels. It’s a tough one to describe beyond that, so I’ll simply steal Shawna’s editorial caption for this one: “Is it a fair trade–the food of the spirit for the hunger of the soul?” Art to this one was provided by Lauren Halkon
Now we turn our attention to “The Djinn Who Lives Between Night and Day” by Bruce Holland Rogers, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This one is a short tale, and there isn’t much to say about it except that it deals with a djinn whose actions are so ambiguous he might be evil, or he might be good. It’s really left to the reader to decide. Art to this one was provided by Mahendra Singh, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.
Finally we have “The Veil Beyond the Veil” by William Shunn, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. This one takes an unusual look at the afterlife, as a woman finds herself being reincarnated again and again. But usually the greatest changes is that she keeps coming to life in different worlds. Wild stuff. Art to this one was provided by Greg Carter, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? I’m a big fan of Homer’s Illiad, so I’m going with “Kallisti” by Richard Parks. And my favorite artwork? Stephen Johnson’s illustration to “The Rose in Twelve Petals” by Theodora Goss. Next time I’ll get into the June 2002 issue.
Until then …
Realms of Fantasy: February 2002 (Issue 45)
Part forty-five 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 issue. This time around I’ll be delving into the February 2002 issue.
We have another first with the cover. There have been media covers before– In the past the magazine has featured TV programs and mini-series as covers, but this marks the first time it’s depicted a movie. And which movie is it? Just one of the most commercially successful–fantasy or otherwise–of all time: Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring.
Inside, Shawna offers a rather poignant editorial, as she writes about the then recent events of 9/11. So while this is the February 2002 issue, it would’ve hit newstands in December 2001. No doubt she had already handed in her editorial for the December 2001 issue, which hit the stands in September 2001. So I’d imagine this issue marked her first chance to write about the events in question.
A rundown of this issue’s nonfiction is as follows: In the movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; in the folkroots column, Heinz Insu Fenkl discusses the origins of the literary vampire; in the adult books column, Gahan Wilson reviews A Pleasing Terror, The Complete Supernatural Writings by M.R. James with Christopher & Barbara Roden as general editors, Mrs. Amworth by E.F. Benson, Shadows and Silence, edited by Barbara & Christopher Roden, The Golden Gong and Other Nightpieces, edited by Jessica Amanda Salmonson, The Haunted Grange of Goresthorpe, which is the first publication of the first ghost story ever written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Paul Di Filippo reviews The Beasts of Barakhai by Mickey Zucker Reichert, The Bone Doll’s Twin by Lynn Flewelling, The Rundelstone of Oz by Eloise McGraw, and Discovering H.P. Lovecraft by Darrell Schweitzer; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the work of Donato Giancola; and in the games section, Eric T. Baker covers the role-playing video games Art of Magic: Magic and Mayhem and Throne of Darkness, the paper-and-dice RPG supplemental pack, Weep, to the rpg game, Unknown Armies, the RPG and collectible card game, 7th Sea, The Forgotten Realms campaign for 3rd edition D&D, the Ravenloft campaign, reintroduced under White Wolf Publishing (formerly published by TSR), the RPG, Temple of the Troll God from Fast Forward Entertainment, and the RPG, Coin’s End for Kenzer and Company’s Kingdoms of Kalamar setting.
On to the fiction …
The lead story is “Fable For Savior and Reptile” by Steven Popkes, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. As the title suggests, this story is a fable. It examines the relationship between that of Jesus and a turtle that talks to him. Such a description may make this sound like a silly story, but I assure this isn’t the case. It starts with the two of them meeting when Jesus is a young boy and it takes us through Jesus’s life, up through his crucifixion, with the “savior” and the “reptile” meeting again and again. The entire tale is told from the pov of the turtle, and offers a very unique spin on the tale of the Christ. Others must have thought so too, as it ended up being reprinted in Year’s Best Fantasy 3, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer. Art to this was provided by Michael Gibbs, which marks his eighth illustration in the magazine.
Next up we have “The Burning Man” by Paul Melko. This one is a high fantasy tale about a man who dares to sleep with a wizard’s wife. In retaliation, the wizard curses the man to burn for 1,000 years. Nothing can put the fires out, and the man is left screaming day and night. In addition, the wizard also curses his wife, leaving her frozen in their bedchamber, forcing her to listen to his lover’s constant screams outside their castle for the duration of the curse. From here, Melko tells several different stories as a thousand years pass and what happens around the burning man during this time. It’s worth noting that the burning man committed adultery, and yet the author manages to paint him as a sympathetic character. The last sentence in this one is cut off due to a printing error (as is the last sentence of Brian Plante’s “Magic 101″) and you have to wait until the Letters Page of the following issue to read it. Thankfully, I was aware of this and had the subsequent issue on hand, allowing me to read the last line (and that of “Magic 101″) without missing a beat. Art to this one was provided by Kyle Anderson.
After this we have “Dark Seed, Dark Stone” by Jane Yolen, which marks her fifth appearance in the magazine. The fantasy element in this one shows up late, as it tells the tale of two warring tribes through the eyes of a young woman. Toward the end, the ghost of the young woman’s father comes to her, demanding she kill the son of one of his enemies from the other tribe. In standard fantasy fare, this is the sort of request that the character honors. But Yolen is hardly your standard author, and so she takes this request in a rather different direction. Art to this one was provided by Scott Grimando, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine.
Then we have “The Muse” by Lillian Stewart Carl. This one takes place in modern times, and it depicts a middle-aged woman on vacation in Scotland. The magical element in this builds slowly, as the protagonist finds herself drawn into a bizarre entanglement with a local fey. We’ve run a lot of fey stories over the years, and I’d say a big reason why is that the authors always manage to find ways to bring new twists to these stories. This story is no exception. We’ve all heard about the human that stays too long in the world of the fey, but how about the fey that stays too long in the world of Man? Look no further than this story. Art to this one was provided by Eric Dinyer, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine. Following this we have “The Sea-Maid” by Catherine Wells, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one takes the tale of the Little Mermaid and plunks it firmly in modern times. What’s interesting is that our first-person narrator is aware of this story, and remarks on it several times as he tells us his story. It’s sort of like “This can’t be happening, but is,” as he finds himself pulled along in an inevitable tide. There are some nice characterizations in this one, the modern day touches are inventive enough that I found it a worthwhile retelling. Art to this one was provided by Web Bryant, which marks his fifteenth illustration in the magazine and pulls him into a tie with Janet Aulisio for most illustrations to appear in RoF.
Finally we have “Magic 101″ by Brian Plante. This one is wacky. Here we have a college student who is working a nightshift at the local radio station, playing songs from the sixties. He’s more of a modern rock n’ roll guy and is part of a band, but the gig means $$$. Meanwhile, he’s given an assignment in psychology class to design, conduct, and write up an original experiment. The easiest way to explain what our protagonist comes up with is this passage from the story: “‘I’m trying to demonstrate what’s known as False Memory Syndrome.’ That’s like when you tell a kid that some teacher molested him when he was in kindergarten, and then he grows up thinking he remembers stuff that never really happened.” With this idea in mind, the protagonist convinces the other members of his band to help him record a song that sounds like it was from the 60s. They name it “Crying Shame” and call the pretend band the Poppycocks. Then our protagonist plays it on the radio station during his deejay gig. Soon people start calling in, requesting the song. He even goes so far as to ask people about their memories from the 60s concerning this song. And sure enough, False Memory Syndrome kicks into gear. Soon enough, “Crying Shame” is the most popular song at the station. Then one weekend it’s “Twin Spin weekend” at the station, which meant you have to play two songs in a row by each artist. So the protagonist and his buddies, compose a second song by the Poppycocks: “I’ll Give You a Ring.” Things go on like this, building and building, until there is supposed to be a live concert, featuring various oldies bands. And wouldn’t you know it, the Poppycocks are scheduled to be a part of it! And wouldn’t you know it, I’m not going to tell you what happens next! Art to this one was provided by Chuck Demorat, which marks his tenth illustration in the magazine.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? “Magic 101″ by Brian Plante. And my favorite artwork? Web Bryant’s illustration to “The Sea-Maid” by Catherine Wells. Next time around I’ll get into the April 2002 issue.
Until then …
