OBIR: Occasional Biased and Ignorant Reviews reflecting this reader’s opinion.
ON SPEC MAGAZINE issue #130, Vol. 34 No. 4.
Publisher: The Copper Pig Writer’s Society. Managing Editor and Art Director: Diane L. Walton.
Issue Designer: Jerry LePage. Poetry Editors: Celine Low & Colleen Anderson.
Fiction Editors: Barb Galler-Smith, Virginia O’Dine, Constantine Kaoukakis, Susan MacGregor, Ann Marston, Krystle McGraith, A.J. Wells, Diane L. Walton, Dan Gyoba, Ethan Zou, Alyssa Kulchisky, Celine Low, Lareina Abbott, Cheryl Merkel, Jade Mah-Vierling, Asley Alton, Jessica Zdril, Thomas Schwarz, & Lorina Stephens.
Cover Art: Dragon Reader– by Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk
FICTION:
Stone Tablets – by Kevin Cockle
Premise:
Who knew studying prize fighters’ techniques would solve everything?
Review:
I suspect the title is in reference to the ten commandments, or by extension, to the immutable laws of nature which govern the universe. They are why, in my opinion, theoretical physics mostly describes impossibilities that cannot exist in our reality. Thus, time travel, faster than light travel, and their ilk belong in the realm of fantasy rather than science fiction. Still, a lot of SF readers prefer to believe it is merely a matter of sufficient technological development which will inevitably transform fantasy into hard science. I don’t think so.
This story takes a hard science approach to number crunching human pastimes into insights which would make my objections irrelevant. If successful, the implications would be staggering. To call it a paradigm shift would be putting it mildly. The result would appeal to a lot of people or to put it another way, to the majority of survivors. I find the prospect terrifying. A most unsettling story.
The Snarling Stars – (poem) by Tara Campbell
Premise:
Dare we fear the stars?
Review:
A poem about lust and beauty and greed and seduction. Though mostly utilizing mythological tropes, I have the feeling the lesson is more about the future we long for than any nostalgic fantasies we have in mind.
We Invited the Harbingers to Dinner – by Sarah Totton
Premise:
A formal dinner at home can be quite the finishing class.
Review:
A short story in which each character introduced is a harbinger for those yet to appear. This imparts a cascading tumult to the parade of decidedly odd participants. A comedy of manners and errors. Strikes me as a parody of many a mystery plot albeit with a touch of the macabre. Both outrageous and understated at one and the same time. Enjoyably amusing.
Raofin’s Daughter – by J. A. Legg
Premise:
Never trust a jinn.
Review:
A haunted morgue and a missing child. Lovecraft could do something with that. Most writers can. What makes this story stand out is a cultural setting I know little about. Takes place in Bangladesh. What contributes most to the refreshingly original ambience of this story is the fact that Raofin operates entirely within the parameters of his cultural reality. His expectations and difficulties are subtly different from what I, imprinted on the western culture, would normally anticipate.
For example, that his wife would be upset with him comes as no surprise. But, living with a large, extended family, he must intimately cope with the reactions of multiple relatives, a subsidiary task abnormal to my mind but something he takes for granted and pivotal to preserving his sanity.
Even the nature of the threat feels unique. Not trolls or wizards, but one or more jinn. Raofin has known of their presence in the neighbourhood since his own childhood, and because of this, is handicapped by a lifetime of suppressed terror now threatening to burst into the open. Consequently, his rationalizations and proposed tactics, while striking me as delusional, make logical sense in the cultural context.
Add to this a sophisticated portrayal of his dire mental state, his thoughts tumbling in conflict as if trying to tear each other to pieces, and you have a powerful tale about inner torment driven by fear. I’m rather glad I don’t believe in jinn. Makes for a great story, though.
Angakkuq – (poem) by Shantell Powell
Premise:
Life in an iglu is precarious.
Review:
I confess to being puzzled. I’m not sure what the description describes. It is vivid and striking, yet goes beyond traditional belief into the surreal, as far as I can tell.
Resorting to Google translation, I discover that the non-English words are apparently from the Inuktut language. Now the poem makes more sense, but not entirely in a logical way. There’s still a level of meaning which escapes me. I guess I’m too literal-minded to interpret a spirituality alien to my experience. A good poem all the same, in that images evoked linger in my mind’s eye and are not easily forgotten.
Taking Root – by Jeanna Cammarano
Premise:
Going hiking not much fun during an extinction event.
Review:
The Earth is dying. Everything is covered in ash. The air is poisonous. A dying mother struggles to walk to the glade in the forest her daughter used to love, a glade where the mother had spread her daughter’s ashes. A pilgrimage of sorts. To what end? The end of everything.
A bleak, melancholy tale. Life can no longer offer hope. Maybe death can take its place? The mother clings to that thought. We will all run the gamut of last thoughts, if fate grants us the time. Consider this story a dry run, a practice session, offering lessons to be learned. Quietly powerful, the impact of this story.
La Fiera di Mezzanote – by Hava Steinmetz-Cumbo
Premise:
Is a magical fair an ephemeral amusement or a permanent trap?
Review:
Leandra and her brother Luca grew up with tales of the Midnight Fair which can be entered only once every seven years. You must do something silly to get in. On the appropriate date, wait till the church bell begins to toll 24 times at midnight, climb upon the statue of Neptune rising from the fountain in the town square, and plunge into the fountain on the last ringing of the bell.
Poor Luca grew up to be a troubled lad incapable of success in anything. He became obsessed with the legend of the fair. One night Leandra was startled to see him climb upon Neptune. He disappeared before she could reach him. Now, seven years later, she plans to go after him and bring him back. Trouble is, few ever return.
The Midnight Fair is a magical place, something cheerfully pagan, a kind of paradise. Unfortunately, once reached, it isn’t fully realized from an intruder’s point of view. The two realities slide past each other. I see it as a metaphor for the sort of wishful-thinking fantasies people entertain when life is going sour. If only I could do this. If only I could be that. If I abandon my life here and move to Los Angeles I’ll live happily ever after, etc., etc.
The story is rich in imaginative detail which enliven Leandra’s hopes and frustrations as she searches for Luca. It does, indeed, seem like a magical place. However, I was ambivalent toward Leandra’s goal, wasn’t sure I wanted her to succeed. I was far more interested in learning whether Luca had managed to enjoy his new life or was desperate to escape. The resolution of Leandra’s quest made perfect sense in the context of the metaphor and is something to be taken to heart. All in all, a pleasingly pleasant fairy tale despite its darker aspects. A lot of craftsmanship went into its composition. Quite enjoyed it.
Shambolic Manor – by Cat Girczyc
Premise:
The Hippie movement lingers on in more ways than you think.
Review:
Terese has a problem. A certified rental agent, her company deals with unusual properties. In this case, Shambolic Manor, housing 12 students at the University of British Columbia. Seems their ongoing party atmosphere is being spoiled by weird emanations from a bedroom haunted by student party animals from 1968. To the modern kids, the psychedelic lightshow, incense, and relentless beat of 1960s music is maddening. They want it stopped.
As someone who was 16 during the Summer of Love and who attended UBC in the late 1970s amid a student population still determined to be hip and cool more-or-less Hippie style, this is a delightful story which brings a flood of good memories. Heck, I used to wear purple velvet bellbottoms, for goodness’s sake. Had shoulder-length curly hair. Though I was but a weekend-Hippie at best back then, today I thoroughly identify with the emanations in this story if only out of nostalgia. The RCMP interrogation on UBC’s famed nudist Wreck Beach is a nice local touch. I remember they used to patrol there all the time. Probably still do.
Anyway, a spritely blast from the past. Had a good time reading it.
Under a Strawberry Moon – (poem) by Crystal Sidell
Premise:
When is a siren not a siren?
Review:
When she answers your call. This is not without its perils.
Push Hands – by Jack Powers
Premise:
What happens after all the cockroaches disappear?
Review:
Since nobody knows what happened, conspiracy theories abound. Rationalizations. Desires. Weirdness. You know, what humans are capable of.
Helen identifies with cockroaches as victims. Her boyfriend Jeremy prefers to side with the exterminators. This creates an enormous gulf between them. Rather odd, since the topic under contention no longer exists anywhere on Earth.
Offhand, I’d say this is a metaphor for the tendency of humans to argue for argument’s sake regardless of relevance to the real world. In our divisive age, this has become our biggest problem, for it hinders our ability to unite in solving the real problems threatening our existence.
Superficially silly, this story may offer a resolution to the problem of whether we follow the cockroaches into oblivion. Read it and find out.
By the way, a nice touch to have the cockroaches disappear, given their fabled reputation of being the one creature likely to survive nuclear war or an asteroid strike. Really does emphasise how mortal everything is. And what do we do about it? We squabble. Figures.
NOTE: And now, to my great distress, I confess I am too tired to continue this review. Apologies to the contributors I missed. They are:
Toll of the Tides – by Tom Brennan
What We Cultivate Will Love Us – (poem) by Crystall Sidell
Muddy Memories – by Dana Vickerson
A Ballad in Ten Acts – by Dave Côté & Pascal Raud. Translated by Margaret Sankey.
At the Death, A Moon Daisy Plucked in Sijo (for Jeungjomo) – (poem) by E J Delaney
Carol of the Hells – (poem) by Mike Rimar
NON-FICTION:
“The Road Ahead” – Editorial – by Diane L. Walton
Not good news. Modern hard times hitting On Spec as well as everybody else: revenue and grant funding is on the decline, production and distribution costs increasing, and survival is becoming problematic. Time for donors and patrons to step forward. On Spec is a Canadian institution. It deserves to survive.
Interestingly, the next submission period to be announced will ask for Canadian writers only. I think I know why, but it is mere speculation on my part, so not valid to write here. I will simply say I wish all best results for On Spec in their fund-raising.
“Journey to Another World” – Author Interview with Hava Steinmetz-Cumbo – by Roberta Laurie
Hava admits his inspiration for La Fiera di Mezzanote was, in part, his own experience of moving to Japan on impulse without doing proper research on what he was getting into. He makes many interesting observations on what it’s like to live there. Also has a lot to say about his creative process.
Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk Retrospective
Twelve full-colour reproductions of beautiful On Spec covers by Lynne. Lo and behold, she was the cover artist for the first issue in the Fall of 1990. I think I still have that issue tucked away somewhere.
Comic & Bot: “Surrender, Earthlings” & “Larry” – By Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk
Always entertaining and fun to see.
CONCLUSION:
I kick myself that I didn’t leave enough time to complete this review. In theory I could write all night and post this in the morning to meet my deadline, but these days I’m only good for a limited number of hours of creative effort before brain fog descends. Truth is I’ve been devoting most of my thinking time to revising my novel. That’s my #1 priority on my bucket list. Everything else suffers.
Next week, hopefully I’ll have guest reviewer lined up. If not, there’ll be no review. I promised myself I’d only write a review (complete or not) every second week. Got to get my novel done.
That said, I hope I have reviewed enough of this issue to convey how innovative and intelligent the writing is. The editors have a knack for picking high quality Speculative Fiction. On Spec is well worth subscribing to. May it continue to infinity and beyond!
Check it out at: < On Spec #130 >