The Wild Swans by Peg Kerr
reviewed by David Soyka
The novel links 2 seemingly disparate narratives, recounted in alternating chapters. Both are love stories,
one a retelling of the eponymous Hans Christian Andersen story, the other
a depiction of 80s New York City gay culture on the eve of the AIDS epidemic. Both are also fairy tales,
featuring banished characters who are redeemed through strenuous trials of their courage and faith.
Corrupting Dr. Nice by John Kessel
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Kessel's clever vision of the social transformations worked by the novel's
time travel core are meant to amuse rather than to educate -- he's satirizing, but not darkly.
Victoria found it to be one of the most enjoyable reads she has had in some time.
The Pure Product by John Kessel
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Although a number of the stories here deal with Hollywood
and the images that Hollywood produces, other stories
are set far from the realm of cinema. Steven see this
collection as a good example of John Kessel at his finest.
Landscape of Demons by Gabriel Devlin Kessler
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
There is no gore here. There are no brains splattered, no hearts ripped beating from chest,
no loathsome monsters -- not in a literal sense. The violence and horror are of the more personal,
less visible kind. Given the choice of living out Steve Goldblatt's life, though, I would opt
for a quick death. Anything to escape the appalling suffering he internalizes, storing it up for later.
Off Season by Jack Ketchum
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Something deadly is prowling the area. Something lethal is preying on the good people of Dead River.
And even the few who suspect there may be a problem have sadly underestimated the extent of the danger.
Before it's all over, many will pay a terrible price for that poor judgment.
Tales of Wonder by Mark Twain edited by David Ketterer
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
He was a man who used his razor wit to expose much of what he saw as inhumane and degrading in the society of his time. Some of his
more caustic material remain very topical even today. This volume collects a score of tales,
some exceedingly obscure, bearing a number of science fiction tropes, from time travel
to telephone-marriage to miniaturisation akin to that in Isaac Asimov's The Fantastic Voyage.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
reviewed by Stephen M. Davis
Charlie Gordon is a retarded worker in a bakery, who sweeps floors, acts as the butt for other's jokes, and
struggles to learn to read under the guidance of Alice Kinnian. His situation takes a dramatic turn when he
undergoes brain surgery designed to help reorder his brain tissue and to grant him intelligence.
Low Red Moon by Caitlín R. Kiernan
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
Deacon Silvey doesn't want to help the police solve their latest crime, mostly because he knows the trouble it'll bring him if
his wife finds out. They want him to accompany them to an apartment where a brutal murder has taken place, and use his special
powers to see the killer. He's done with that, he has a wife and a baby on the way, but a monetary bribe convinces him to take
a quick look.
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Threshold by Caitlín R. Kiernan
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Looking over the last 100 years the number of authors who write literary horror can be counted on
one hand. At the top of that shortlist is this writer, the most singular voice to enter the genre
since Neil Gaiman popped up in graphic novels and Stephen King made movies live inside books. In the long run,
her stunning fiction may have a more lasting effect than either of these publishing giants.
Candles For Elizabeth by Caitlín R. Kiernan
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
The stories in this chapbook are Caitlín R. Kiernan stories and that makes
them vitally important to the horror genre. There is no need to repeat the
list of woes striking the horror fiction field. Before things can begin to
look up again, true originals like Kiernan are going to have to get the credit and readers they deserve.
Silk by Caitlín R. Kiernan
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Call it "gothic horror," but don't even think of grouping it in your mind
with Dracula, haunted castles and things that come out only in the absence
of light. This is something far more terrifying than that.
Junkies, incestuous psychotics, and sadists
wait behind every turn of the page. Surviving them will make you stronger...
if you survive.
Killer Karma by Lee Killough
reviewed by Sherwood Smith
Our ghost doesn't remember his name, where he is, where he was, how he got
there. All he remembers is the pain. He can feel his own body -- there's no
evidence of a bullet wound on his head -- but no one sees him or hears him.
He's got his clothes on, but no ID, no money -- no cell phone. All he knows
is that he was murdered, and he feels a driving sense of urgency.
Graven Images edited by Nancy Kilpatrick and Thomas S. Roche
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Perhaps the most disturbing story is Lois Tilton's "The Goddess Danced," which presents a view of modern
India as alien to mainstream American thought as any culture created by science fiction authors. Meena falls into
a downward spiral, not of her own making, but she continually makes the best of her situation and retains the faith her
mother passed on to her.
In the Shadow of the Gargoyle edited by Nancy Kilpatrick and Thomas S. Roche
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Although a gargoyle is technically a grotesque sculpture
used as a drainspout, the editors have expanded their definition to include all sorts of grotesque sculpture.
The authors have not only taken this to heart, but have pushed it to see how inclusive it could be, resulting
in a wide range of gargoyles from masonry to flesh and blood.
Same Difference and Other Stories by Derek Kirk Kim
reviewed by David Maddox
The internet has allowed a plethora of aspiring artists to post their comics and cartoons for all to see. This isn't always a good thing, but
a few jewels are hidden amongst the myriad of autobiographical, poorly sketched rants out there. This collection is one of those jewels.
Kim's artwork can be seen in full color glory at www.smallstoriesonline.com and he keeps the site updated with serials and stand-alone strips
on a (most of the time) regular basis.
The Wild Road and The Golden Cat by Gabriel King
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
If you're a cat lover or enjoy animal-based fantasy, read both books -- you'll find well developed
and complex animal characters that aren't tainted with human motives and reasoning. However,
understand that for this pleasure you will have to put up with a certain amount of mystical
dross, that may enhance the mystery of cat-ness, but other times obscures it.
The Wild Road by Gabriel King
reviewed by S. Kay Elmore
Kay's take on this novel is one of a story about the overwhelming instinct to survive against
insurmountable odds. The characters grow, mature, and realize that the survival of their best and
brightest -- perhaps even the whole cat species -- depends on completing their quest.
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