Scales by Anthony G. Williams
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
Journalist Matt Johnson is beavering away one evening in his study, when a mysterious buzzing noise fills the room. Shortly
thereafter an explosion destroys the building. When he wakes up in hospital it becomes clear that some time has passed, and his life has
been radically altered. Upon arrival for treatment, he was suffering from severe and extensive burns, and was not expected to live.
But Johnson's body has been repairing itself, rebuilding him from the inside out.
Electric Velocipede #10
reviewed by David Hebblethwaite
Tim Akers gets the magazine off to a strong start with "A Walking of Crows," a murder mystery set in a mechanical world:
young Jeremy travels to the city to find out who would want to kill his scientist father and destroy his work -- and why -- but
soon finds himself in over his head. There is some wonderfully vivid imagery, such as
the extended description of the city of Veridon as well as more subtle touches, such as the use of organic
metaphors where we might use mechanical ones. What's more, the mystery element of the story works well against the fictional
background.
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
Performed by the author
an audio review podcast by AudioFile Magazine
The tales found in this short story collection will alternately delight you, frighten you, and maybe even creep you out. There is such a variety that you're sure to find something that will grab your attention and not let go.
Click on cover/link to get the MP3 podcast file.
Pixar Short Films Collection
a DVD review by Rick Klaw
Before Pixar created their masterpieces like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles,
they honed their craft on a series of short animated films. Between 1984 and 1989, the studio produced five
shorts: "The Adventures of André & Wally B." (1984) -- technically this film was made when they were just a
division of Lucas Films, "Luxo Jr." (1986) -- the source of Pixar's lamp logo, "Red's Dream" (1987), "Tin
Toy" (1988) -- the first completely CG film to win an Oscar, and "Knick Knack" (1989).
Antediluvian Tales by Poppy Z. Brite
reviewed by Jakob Schmidt
Written before Hurricane Katrina, the book is quite slim.
But what is striking about these stories
is that they are about everyday life events, small epiphanies, sometimes vaguely magical, more often quite mundane. They're all set
in and around New Orleans, and most of them are about the Stubbs family, which features heavily in her recent work.
It is a book of small thresholds, about how life may change in very small, but irrevocable ways.
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The Metatemporal Detective by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Steven H Silver
This is a collection of short stories, many of which follow Sir Seaton Begg, a detective in
the vein of Sherlock Holmes or Sexton Blake, and an albino, Monsieur Zenith. The two men play a game of cat and mouse throughout
the collection, sometimes in opposition to each other and at times on the same side. For all of Begg's detecting abilities, however,
he is never quite sure of Zenith.
New Writings in the Fantastic edited by John Grant
reviewed by Mario Guslandi
As stated in the introduction, the book tries to show "the full scope
of what the literature of the fantastic can do" by assembling an impressive amount of brand new short stories (forty-one,
to be precise) by both well known authors and newcomers. According to the editor, the reader is bound to fall in love at first
sight with some stories and to hate other pieces because they are "uncomfortable, edgy, even outright offensive." Indeed.
The Clone Alliance by Steven L. Kent
reviewed by Michael M Jones
In the far future, war has broken out across the arms of the Milky Way Galaxy, as the Unified Authority fights against the
secessionist Confederate Arms Treaty Organization and the fanatically religious Morgan Atkins Believers (or Mogats). Caught
in the middle of this galaxy-wide conflict is former UA soldier and occasional war hero, Wayson Harris, the only Liberator-series
clone known to still be alive. Wayson, fully aware of his clone status unlike the millions of other clones populating the UA
armies, has, over the course of his adventures, become a rebel and a wild card.
Kaleidotrope, Issue 3, October 2007
reviewed by Rich Horton
This is another small 'zine, physically resembling for example Electric Velocipede: 8.5"
by 14" paper folded and saddle-stitched, with cardboard covers. It features quite a few stories, but most of them quite short,
and a large selection of poems.
There is also an article about Doctor Who, and a parody horoscope column, and lots of art, including a comic strip.
New Arrivals
compiled by Neil Walsh
New arrivals at the SF Site office include the latest from Orson Scott Card, J.V. Jones, Piers Anthony, Charles Stross, as well as forthcoming books from Eric Brown, Chris Roberson, Elizabeth Moon, Gail Z. Martin, and much more.
Babylon 5.1
TV reviews by Rick Norwood
Rick has some thoughts on the new season's TV series, particularly Heroes and
Journeyman. He also gives us a list of SF on TV in December.
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