Fear-inducing weaponry, steampunk cockroaches, bottled cities, martians, living books, wicked fathers, the dismantling of Earth, frogs and a telepathic dog…is this some SFF acid trip?

No! That, plus wicked fathers, alien invasion, economics, Lemony Snicket and so much more await you in this issue of Lightspeed Magazine.

Lightspeed Magazine is a monthly e-magazine featuring new and reprint science fiction and fantasy stories, author spotlights, feature interviews and exlusive novellas and book excerpts. I have only recently become aware of the way in which Lightspeed is structured and I have to admit that I very much enjoy what they do. John Joseph Adams gives a nice editorial intro for the month, the fantasy and science fiction stories are filed under their respective headings, and each author spotlight features interview questions geared specifically for the story in the issue. I love that. The stories printed in Lightspeed are released on their website throughout the month for you to read for free. It is quite an amazing concept really and I applaud them for that. By doing so they become this amazing repository for short fiction. Exclusive to each paid issue is a novella and a novel excerpt. By way of disclosure I generally don’t read novel excerpts unless I am planning on reading the novel and want an early sample but I think it is great that one is included as an extra every month for those who purchase the magazine.

The January 2013 issue was very, very good with a number of high-quality engaging short stories and a novella that has me wanting author Judith Berman to expand on the rest of the story. Maybe I can lead a Wool-style campaign to get her to write more. Hmmmm….

At any rate, I have structured this review to include a small quotation from each short story followed by my non-spoiler overview or impression of the story, the grade I give my experience of the story, and the date it will be released for you to view online. The stories that have a highlighted title are already available and you can travel directly to that story by clicking on said title. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the stories that Lightspeed offers online. Yes, its like a free hit of crack. But getting high on story is a good thing, right kids?

Continue reading Lightspeed, January 2013. Issue 32 →

When I saw the wintery blue glow of Nick Deligaris’ cover image for Prime Books’ Season of Wonder anthology I knew it would have to be an early Christmas gift to myself. And why not? Seasonal genre reading to celebrate the holidays? This one was a no-brainer. Given the fact that most of our Christmas season has felt like early Spring, immersing myself in winter-themed short fiction seemed like the right prescription for an injection of Christmas spirit. And in many ways it was.

I read the first third of the book during these warmer days and Paula Guran’s selections (mostly) did an admirable job of making me feel as if I were being told tales on a cold winter’s night. The last two thirds of the book were read after winter finally arrived (just in time for Christmas). While there were a few selections that I felt did not fit well with the proposed theme of the anthology, there were several really nice stories and a few outstanding ones that make me pleased with the time spent reading.

Continue reading Season of Wonder ~edited by Paula Guran →