OBIR: Occasional Biased and Ignorant Reviews reflecting this reader’s opinion.
Pulp Literature Magazine #46 – Spring 2025
Published by Pulp Literature Press, Langley, British Columbia, Canada, Spring 2025.
Editor in Chief: Jennifer Landels; Senior Editor: Sierra Louie; Acquisitions Editor: Mel Anastasiou; Poetry Editors: Daniel Cowper & Emily Osborne; Copy Editor: Amanda Bidnall; Proofreader: Sierra Louie; Graphic Design: Amanda Bidnall & Sierra Louie; Cover Design: Kate Landels.
Cover art: Towton – by Steve R. Gagnon
Interior Illustrations – by Mel Anastasiou
The Storm Tastes of Freedom – by Finnian Burnett
Premise:
More than one way to escape an abusive father.
Review:
A flash story in 5 brief acts, starting with the last and working towards the beginning. It emphasises the vast gulf between hope and despair that all victims struggle to bridge, to go from one to the other, but in which direction? A powerful story. Not easy to forget.
Feature Interview – Pulp Literature interviews Finnian Burnett
Review:
Finnian reveals they like to leave their readers unsettled. I’ll say. This applies to all of their writing, of any length. They recommend flash fiction as a worthwhile exercise in spontaneity which keeps the “fun” in writing. Also offers much advice how to transform, through judicious editing, one’s outburst into something polished and worth reading. “Polished” in the sense of deft, concise description with immediate impact. There are reasons why their lectures on the joy of writing are so well attended (as at the When Words Collide Festival, for example). Finnian is a superb example of a writer who both entertains and inspires.
The Kingfisher Poetry Prize
Winner:
Apiography: A Fragment – (poem) by Sandra Kasturi
Premise:
A new way to look at bees.
Review:
An original glimpse of a status bees deserve but have never obtained.
First Runner-up:
Hideaway – (poem) by Angelle McDougall
Premise:
Experiencing nature.
Review:
An evocative snapshot of the fear and exhilaration nature engenders.
Second Runner-up:
What Else Am I Wrong About? – (poem) by Nicole Moen
Premise:
A leaf is more than a leaf.
Review:
A clever metaphor calling upon us to question our values. Subtle, yet brilliant.
Honourable Mention:
My Dad John (Jack to Mom) Gives Medical History – (poem) by Callista Markotich
Premise:
Medical history equals loaded questions.
Review:
It’s the loaded answers we tend to be afraid of. Good point. Something to consider when coping with the unthinkable. Useful advice.
The Extra Takes the Castle (Part 1): Fire at the Castello – by Mel Anastasiou
Premise:
The first part of the second novel of Mel Anastasiou’s The Monument Studio’s Mysteries series. Two young Vancouver girls, Frankie Ray and Connie Mooney, struggle to succeed in prewar Hollywood where even something as basic as survival is never guaranteed.
Review:
The book is off to a terrific start with several intriguing revelations and a dangerous situation with the potential for catastrophe for all concerned. As was evident in the first book, the primary attraction for the reader in this series is the minutiae of custom and behaviour in a high-pressure environment. Today, in Hollywood, the pressure remains as high as ever, but the way of life has changed radically. Consequently, this blast from the past is quite charming. Even the uncomfortable situations feel comfortable. But maybe that’s just my reaction, one driven by nostalgia.
The story is character driven, and the constant scheming of all the Hollywood “types” striving to succeed, while pleasing to etiquette masters such as Machiavelli, is nevertheless softened by a willingness to co-operate and help one another to get over the hurdles. All the wannabes are enthused by a “success is just past the next unexpected opportunity” mythos. Like the original Curly of the Three Stooges, they never give up. This makes it easy to identify with the characters no matter what shenanigans they get up to.
In short, this series is addictively entertaining and hard to put down. A pleasure to read.
Chardi Kala for the Modern Dirtbag – by Kiran K Basra
Premise:
What happens when the mind of a mind reader enters the mind of another mind reader?
Review:
This is the clash of two gifted individuals who have no self-respect let alone respect for each other. Both are of the same culture, but a generation apart. Most intriguing of all, the supernatural elements lie within the realm of Sikh belief. This lends an exotic flavour to a reader as ignorant as me. This story is a lot of fun to read, despite its underlying serious themes, because it is reminiscent of a battle between witches. In other words, something of a modern fairy tale, and like all fairy tales, well worth pondering. It speaks to fears we all share.
Well done.
The Myth of the Familiar – by E.C. Dorgan
Premise:
Beware the unfamiliar.
Review:
For millennia a mythmaker has been baking and sharing emotions which inspire myths. She’s good at her job, though is beginning to find it a tad boring. Then something unanticipated occurs and the world is changed forever.
A simple concept, but refreshingly different. A fantasy becomes a bit of a horror story that some will find amusing and others sad. Me, I like it. However, I’m a sucker for original concepts. Of course I like it. Not least for a touch of the surreal. This story is pleasing on many levels.
Playdate – by Patrick Barb
Premise:
What if your little boy’s imaginary friend turns out to be real?
Review:
A subtle story, built on many nuances. A parent’s worst fears, naturally, but also concerns I’d never previously thought about, being shallow minded and all. Nevertheless, I see how the story reveals how easy it is to be led into worsening difficulties, especially when fueled by a desperate need to deny what is happening. A good psychological study of victimhood this tale, with an interesting science fictional aside offering a matter-of-fact interpretation for them as prefer such. Still, has the impact of a horror story, of the sort that convinces you not to have children. And convinces me not to believe in the supernatural. That’s asking for trouble. But I have a nagging suspicion my lack of belief wouldn’t do me any good if actually confronted by the supernatural. So, I look at this story as a warning. Makes me think, it does.
The Suicide Mission – by KR Segriff
Premise:
Cyborgs make good secret agents. Or do they?
Review:
The two main characters may be cyborgs, or possibly AI-directed humanoid robots. Either way, like many humans, they think too much. Or, perhaps, being what they are, it is only natural to constantly analyse their ever-changing situational awareness. Not good programming, whatever it is. They need to focus on the matter at hand. Real agents on active duty don’t have time to whine.
Given that we are likely to create AI in imitation of ourselves, there is every likelihood they will be as capable of being consumed by petty, self-centred emotion as we are. I think that’s the point of this story. On another level, it’s a good spoof of the James Bond genre. Overall, quite entertaining. Offers the possibility AI may turn out to be no worse than we are. That’s a comforting thought.
The Orangery – by Mark Gallacher
Premise:
Is doubling the average life expectancy a good thing?
Review:
James, the inventor of prolonged life, has six siblings, or had. Marianne just died. After the funeral, the family in its myriad generations gathers at the clan mansion. James has trouble remembering the names of his great-great-grandchildren. Heck, half the time he gets his sisters mixed up. AI implants will help him remember, but only if he asks. It shames him to ask.
This story awakens the fear of aging which plagues us all, especially when you’re young. But, as I know from my own experience, plunging into one’s second childhood can be a glorious renewal, a form of rebirth that makes life fresh and invigorating. I’m 74 and having a lot of fun… so far. Not sure how I’ll be feeling at 174. In this story ennui constitutes a reason to go on living. Makes sense to me. Quite plausible.
To put it another way, if you want to prepare your mindset to handle your future aged self, this story is an excellent trigger for meditation. How will you cope? You’ll need to figure that out sooner than you think. That’s one of the joys being a senior. Giving advice no one will ever follow. You never did, so why should they? Every elder is a Cassandra at heart.
In short, this story is about relationships as seen from the other end of the telescope. Just consider yourself lucky you can focus at all. Kind of gleeful. Like converting the telescope into a kaleidoscope. Can’t see worth a darn, but it sure is pretty.
Do I know what I’m talking about? Probably. Seniors are no more delusional than anyone else. And my meandering response is an example of the kind of contemplation this story provokes in the reader. There’s a lot to unpack. That’s what makes it so interesting.
The Jack Whyte Storyteller Award – Surrey International Writers Conference 2024
Second Runner up:
Darth Vader vs Testicular Cancer – by Mike Carson
Premise:
Can a high school teacher who is both a Sci-Fi nerd and deeply religious cope with the students of today?
Review:
Or, can someone whose ideals were formed in the past fit in with today’s “woke” educational system? Not easily, to put it mildly. The setup is, one hopes, meant to be an exaggeration, a parody of modern cultural clashes. As such, it is light-hearted, amusing, and very topical.
It reminds me of the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle (it used to be on TV all the time when I was a kid), featuring Glenn Ford confronting hostile students. Mind you, that movie was deadly serious. Very little in the way of humour, but totally on target given contemporary paranoia about juvenile delinquency.
Whereas this story focuses on a lack of communication based on the teacher’s intense fear of saying something that will offend people, particularly if it sets online influencers on a rampage against the school board. No joy in going viral, it seems. A very modern form of paranoia, if you ask me. Practically unique to our times.
What is the solution? Possibly that of a Geography teacher I had in the 1960s. In his last year before retirement he was inebriated every single day. Consequently, his class was a great place to goof off without fear of punishment. On the other hand, I didn’t like failing a test because I had filled a map of Africa with the countries’ current names as opposed to the obsolete colonial names shown in our decade-old school atlas. Taught me something about education. Not sure what, though.
Point is this story is a lot of fun to read.
The 2024 Raven Short Story Contest – by Shanley Kearney, Emily Groot
First Place:
The Mall We Deserve – by Shanley Kearney
Premise:
What if the town mall is your only refuge from what life has become?
Review:
A poignant story, considering that giant malls on the outskirts of town are no longer prospering. Amazon rules the roost. Many wax nostalgic for the life-style malls used to offer. In this case, a near-utopian 1980s mall designed to set one’s nostalgia sense vibrating.
Certainly, mall culture affects its addicts. At the very least, a fun place to hang out, one which offers a sense of community in that you’re liable to meet many of your neighbours and fellow students or workers. At its best, a modern version of an agora or souk. But is it real? As real as the ”real life” outside? And what are the consequences of interaction between the two?
We all know that change is inevitable, so the life and death of mall culture is a natural process. This story poses the question, is that a good thing or a bad thing? And if you discover the answer, what are you going to do about it?
This is a good example of authentic science fiction extrapolating from current trends in order to motivate us to question our future. As usual, we wonder if it is too late to come up with a proper course of action. And might not the cure be worse than the disease? Up to us to find out.
Runner up:
Providence – by Emily Groot
Premise:
Can love survive reality?
Review:
It is the year 1849.Two young men, Anselm and Henry, work in a mine next to Lake Huron in Upper Canada. So far, they have kept their forbidden love for each other a secret. The onset of a cholera epidemic threatens to expose them. What to do?
Life is often, by its very nature, a question of love and death. No answer is a permanent solution. But this story does offer advice useful to everyone regardless of their sex and gender preferences. In that sense, a universal application fundamentally optimistic in nature. Quite a feat. I’m impressed.
The Drift (Part 2) – (graphic art) by Jordan Bray
Premise:
An enigmatic figure guides an adventurer through a surreal underworld filled with ruins and monsters.
Review:
Ten pages of what appears to my untutored eyes to be pencil or charcoal sketches. I like the details and the atmosphere. Not quite sure what is going on other than some sort of quest, but the art work definitely stirs my sense of wonder. It flows like a storyboard for a film by Fritz Lang in his expressionist period. In other words, a visual treat. I love it.
Their Grandfather’s Chair (Part 2) – J.M. Landels
Premise:
To quote the opening: Previously: Sisters Branwen and Irdina have been sent across the Clearwater Sea on a mission to soften their grandfather’s heart and loosen the Mageguard web that entangles his throne. The moment they set foot in Rheran, they become separated when a cadre of Mageguard mistakenly arrests Branwen. Her letter of introduction exonerates her but earns her an unasked-for escort directly to the Bastion without Irdina, who disappeared when the crowd panicked. Meanwhile Irdina is hidden from the Mageguard by Glaignen, the envoy sent to meet the sisters, and the Leisanmira seer Nourd. While Irdina follows Glaignen through the hidden passageways of Rheran to the Bastion, Branwen is already there, awaiting an audience with her grandfather, the Prince High.
Review:
The above gives you some idea of the complexity of the character interaction and plot. Sound confusing? Not when you read the text of the story. The sisters are very much in the moment, constantly embraced by a rich tapestry of details which are the hallmark of this kind of “other realm” fantasy. As someone who tends toward Lovecraftian cosmic horror and the surreal in fantasy, this novel excerpt I find not quite to my taste, but I have to admit Landels is topnotch at appealing to her target readership. The ornate style is exactly what her readers are looking for. The ambience. The environment in which the characters function. The mood.
I confess I am not capable of writing in this manner. I lack the level of craftsmanship required. I’m more of a “then the monster stepped on my spaceship” sort of writer. Rest assured Landels’ style is far more subtle than mine, more immersive. I believe her fans will be very pleased with this new work. I won’t be surprised if they elect to purchase the POD novel once it is published. Once you find a favourite writer, you always want their books in your collection. Landels is that sort of author.
CONCLUSION:
Pulp Literature Magazine is renowned for its wide variety of genre fiction reflecting the pulp fiction of old but with modern sensibilities and sophistication. Always a good read.
Check it out at: < Pulp Literature #46 >
