Tales of the Talisman Volume 8, Issue 4 | |||||||
edited by David Lee Summers | |||||||
Hadrosaur Productions, 101 pages | |||||||
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A review by Sandra Scholes
The stories also focus on the technology level of the day in Victorian London, and in this genre's case there is also steam power
and clockwork automatons. Other technology features too, not just clockwork machinery. There are dolls, automatons, robot-like
people and animals, even though clockwork and steam do appear in a variety of stories, there are many ideas conjured up by some of
the most interesting writers out now. From steampunk to fantasy, horror and science -- fiction for many, the Victorian age wasn't
a great time to live if you were a woman, or of an ethnic background as prejudices lurked rather openly. Air pollution clouded
the city, crime rates were high, a great many ordinary people were poor and lived in squalid conditions, but this doesn't have
to be included in the stories to make them believable. David Lee Summers has a higher purpose in mind and the stories reflect his keen vision.
Patrick Thomas, author of Dead to Rites, Rites of Passage and his "Dear Cthulhu" column appears in several
books for Dark Quest Books, gives out his best advice for two people, one a cosplayer who is into a girl called
Bridesmaid. He's trying to impress her, passing himself off as a time traveller, and Peeping Thomasina who goes to buy a dirigible
and a camera so she can peep on her next door neighbour.
Summers reviews some of the latest novels and e-books in the cosmos. He has six to choose from and gives fair enough criticism
to them all. Tendrils and Tentacles, The Donuts of Doom by ME Brines, FishPunk by Rick Novy, Serpent Queen
by JA Campbell, Dreamwielder by Garrett Calcaterra and Out of the Black Forest by FJ Bergmann.
The likes of Denise Dumars and James Webster have written some well thought-out poetry, from ballads to haiku and all have the
steampunk elements in them that give the impression they are from another time where technology had started to advance even though
the period was the Victorian Age.
"Automatic Heart" by Denise Dumars blends the humanity aspect with the mechanical in this particular poem. "Time Vortex" by James Webster
advises that a time machine be sent back into the past, but that no one who goes there can do anything to affect the future. When he
refers back to a maiden voyage, he reveals it was a great success, but Dumars leaves you wondering what happened later. "Clockwork"
by Neil Weston tells the story of the Clockwork Kimono droid. She is a work of beauty and exact science that can dazzle and
enchant, but people lose interest eventually. "Why the Scientist Owns a Persian Carpet" by NE Taylor suggests that if you have a
carpet like this one and you have what it takes to be a scientist if you would do what he did. "Exterminator Blue" by David S Pointer
shows what can happen during the American Civil War if they had used pump action laser pistols. "Canton Air Wares" by WC Roberts
invites us to the radio waves where some entity warns of times yet to come.
"The Ghost of Sarah Winchester," by Gary Every
This is a Gothic tale of a woman whose husband dies and she, to avoid seeing ghosts, has her mansion adjusted so that she could
not possibly see them from any corner of the house. Robbie has lost his wife, and still yearns for her, but an instant of space
pirates takes his mind off of his misery. This story starts out by being normal, and brings us a natural feel-good ending to
it which is unexpected.
"Lost and Found," by OM Grey
Bones and Robbie are having a discussion about the lack of research that goes into some of the old Penny Dreadful
stories of Victorian times. OM Grey takes us through the kind of lives these men would have had if they spent their entire time
in a dirigible seeing the same old faces, and the boredom that comes with being away from home. They aren't bored for very long however.
"Into the Wind's Teeth," by Tom Lynch
It's just another normal day in the air for the crew of the HMS Windskiff, and they need to be on their guard for any enemies
that could strike at any moment. Captain Lucien Carroll soon realizes that their day will be anything but normal when they
run into a disturbance that threatens their very existence. The further you read, the more the story gives its secrets away, and
you get to see the crew of the HMS Windskiff fight to stay alive. There is a great feel of danger and a sense that all might not
be well for the crew, but as with every story, you live in hope.
"Murder on the Feng Shui Express," by Jason Andrew
Illustrator Neil T Foster establishes this story as the picture depicts the Victorian interest in Chinese design aesthetics
and philosophy. Jonathan Heller, the son of Jebbidah Heller the famed monster killer and valet Jiao share an intriguing conversation
on a train, but when a murder occurs, there are only so many suspects who could have killed Mr Shihuo. There is more to this
mystery than Jonathan thinks at first, and Jiao makes a perfect partner to help him solve the case. Unlike some of the stories in
here there is a strong fantasy element in it that underlies the basic murder story.
I was impressed by the cover art, editorial, poetry and fiction in this magazine as it has an excellent production quality to
it that shows immediately. Readers of Science Fiction Trails will enjoy this, while others who have never read it will
enjoy it for its originality.
Sandra is currently posting on Twitter as @sandrareviewer and finding that there's too many people on there to chat to when she could be writing. When she has chance, she writes for The British Fantasy Society, Fantasy Book Review and Quail Bell Magazine. Magazine. |
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