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Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Issue #24

Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Issue #24
Neo-Opsis Science Fiction
A single issue of Neo-Opsis Science Fiction is priced at $7.95 within Canada (price to the US is $10, price overseas is $13). A subscription (3 issues -- one-year) is $22 within Canada (price to the US $25 CDN, price overseas $33 CDN).

Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Website

A review by Sandra Scholes

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In the latest issue of Neo-Opsis, Karl Johanson discusses the use of Jack the Ripper in popular TV series and movies. The character has been in several pieces of literature; Robert Bloch's Wolf in the Fold is a good example of placing a real-life character in a future situation with created characters. Here someone else takes the blame for a series of murders. His early tale, Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper, sets the scene for an interest in the character before he appeared on Star Trek and later, cult sci-fi TV series Babylon 5 in an episode called "Comes the Inquisitor" where Minbari Dalenn is given a psychological evaluation by the Vorlons who have employed Jack the Ripper to do it. Jack, like other fictional characters, is one we consider intriguing yet brutal person who committed such evil crimes.

Neo-Opsis contains letters to the editor, "A Walk through the Periodic Table" on potassium, News & Reviews and the latest convention news at Tsukino-Con 2013, VCon 2013, and GottaCon 2014. Guy Immega, Alison Pentecost, Sarina Dorie, Vaughan Stanger, Leslie Lupien and Andrew Bryant are in charge of the fiction in this issue which comes across as varied and sometimes comical. "Why Did the Vampire Cross the Road (and Other Stories That Could Result in Death)" by Sarina Dorze considers the thoughts of immortal Alexandre Leblanc who has gone through three hundred years of sadness about losing his wife, leaving him with a need to die. When Alexandre visits a gypsy fortune teller, he hopes she can give him a way out of his immortality. Lucky for him there is one, but he has to visit a vampire to do it, and tell her a joke in order to make her laugh. What might seem a daunting task turns out to be a way he can meet another immortal who understands how he feels.

Karl Johanson's cover for this issue is an obvious example of less being more as the colours are dark and deep, much like the stories inside the magazine. The otherworldly alien craft sneaking in over an outpost could be due to the suggestion of an imminent invasion of another world with twin moons. In Guy Immega's "Change of Heart" an Investment Angel watches over mortals he considers good for his business. He comes across something that can benefit him as he is just as mortal as they are and he needs a distraction to while away the days rather than the hours. For Vaughan Stanger's character in "In Every Dream Home" losing his wife was the worst thing that could happen to him, but with the new state-of-the-art gadgetry and technology, he can re-make her as perfect as she was when alive, but there is one snag. Leslie Lupien's "Doomsday in a Cone" has a retired professional astronomer thinking he has set in motion the end of the world. Therese Arkenberg's "Sibial in Exile" is about Alvery Klept, a man who is interested in art at a newly opened exhibition. The other stories are well written, but this one is readably original, warm, it slides into your heart and gives a fuzzy feeling once it's been read.

Neo-Opsis is a magazine of science fiction that has its letters page, stories, articles, reviews and information on the latest conventions as well as further news readers can immerse themselves in. Neo-Opsis is the thinking man and woman's magazine.

Copyright © 2014 Sandra Scholes

Sandra has been published in many fanzines, magazines and on websites for the past fifteen years, but has only been a writer for eight. Her work has been in Albedo One, Hellnotes, Love Romance Passion, Active Anime, Love Vampires, The British Fantasy Society and many, many more.


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