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standback's review
4.0
Standout stories in this issue are:
Talking To Dead People, by [a:Sarah Pinsker|6683690|Sarah Pinsker|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1391970984p2/6683690.jpg]: Two college friends go into business building perfect recreations of murder scenes. Portrays an odd situation, teases it out, and then stabs at the heart.
This story had me constantly thinking of the wonderful [a:Karen Joy Fowler|1448|Karen Joy Fowler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1194620963p2/1448.jpg]. To some extent, for the subject matter - Eliza and Gwen's houses bear a strong resemblance to the murder-mystery dollhouses of [b:Wit's End|2725134|Wit's End|Karen Joy Fowler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437719454s/2725134.jpg|2750737]. But more than that, it's the understated prose bringing to life such strong characters and emotions; the tiny snapshots that hold such personalities and intriguing observations.
Pinsker is a marvel with short stories; her pieces are always rich and alive, and they tend to pack a real punch as well. I'm delighted to see her in F&SF
The Dunsmuir Horror, by [a:David Gerrold|5786|David Gerrold|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]: Another of Gerrold's semi-autobiographical rambling stories, but this one really worked for me where others in this style didn't. One of the topics here is telling reality from imagination - which is very, very on point in a story that blurs the lines between the two.
Still full of digressions, but almost every single one of them seems to have a point. Many of them have some intriguing, offbeat insights; that these are utter nonsense is half the fun.
----
The issue is full of a wide variety of very good stories, of all different types and styles.
The Green-Eyed Boy, by Peter Beagle, is a prequel for Schmendrick, of [b:The Last Unicorn|29127|The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1)|Peter S. Beagle|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1358147318s/29127.jpg|902304]. Typically for Beagle, the story is heartfelt and gripping.
The Voice in the Cornfield, the Word Made Flesh, by Desirina Boskovich, is quite wrenching - I'm not entirely sure whether it's meant to be a horror piece; it keeps jumping to horrible things very quickly, but there's rather more coming about here than just horror.
A Melancholy Apparition, by Ian Creasey, is a ghost story through a decidedly non-modern point of view. I found it a refreshing treatment - the characters are religious and moralizing, but their beliefs are reflections of their moral sense, rather than religion acting as an arbitrary dictator. Good to see.
The Sweet Warm Earth, by Stephen Popkes, is an entertaining piece of a crime enforcer's run-in with a modest horse whisperer. Vivid and well-told.
The Further Adventures of Mr. Costello , by David Gerrold, is very enjoyable for delving deep into a society of traders and farmers, and the uneasy dance they begin with a newcomer, who's either the biggest idiot or the biggest swindler ever to visit the planet.
---
I liked having a special section for Gerrold - although I do wish the article about him had been less simple bibliography (with effusive praise, of course, and yet--), and more a consideration of his contributions and body of work. I'd definitely be happy to see more author-spotlight issues.
---
Those Shadows Laugh, by Geoff Ryman, was the one sour note in the issue for me. It was extremely well-written, but my hackles rose at the naked utopianism of the piece.
Ryman's Colinas are eternally cheerful and joyous, appear to suffer from no want or strife, and overall just seem tremendously simple. I cannot buy this as utopia; as worthy of the longing the protagonist expresses. This culture seems to have nothing to say beyond how serene and happy and live-in-the-moment they are. It's a society lobotomized, and then exoticized to present that blankness as perfection.
---
All in all, another fine issue. As always, the variety is magnificent, and the quality is excellent.
Talking To Dead People, by [a:Sarah Pinsker|6683690|Sarah Pinsker|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1391970984p2/6683690.jpg]: Two college friends go into business building perfect recreations of murder scenes. Portrays an odd situation, teases it out, and then stabs at the heart.
This story had me constantly thinking of the wonderful [a:Karen Joy Fowler|1448|Karen Joy Fowler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1194620963p2/1448.jpg]. To some extent, for the subject matter - Eliza and Gwen's houses bear a strong resemblance to the murder-mystery dollhouses of [b:Wit's End|2725134|Wit's End|Karen Joy Fowler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437719454s/2725134.jpg|2750737]. But more than that, it's the understated prose bringing to life such strong characters and emotions; the tiny snapshots that hold such personalities and intriguing observations.
Pinsker is a marvel with short stories; her pieces are always rich and alive, and they tend to pack a real punch as well. I'm delighted to see her in F&SF
The Dunsmuir Horror, by [a:David Gerrold|5786|David Gerrold|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]: Another of Gerrold's semi-autobiographical rambling stories, but this one really worked for me where others in this style didn't. One of the topics here is telling reality from imagination - which is very, very on point in a story that blurs the lines between the two.
Still full of digressions, but almost every single one of them seems to have a point. Many of them have some intriguing, offbeat insights; that these are utter nonsense is half the fun.
----
The issue is full of a wide variety of very good stories, of all different types and styles.
The Green-Eyed Boy, by Peter Beagle, is a prequel for Schmendrick, of [b:The Last Unicorn|29127|The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1)|Peter S. Beagle|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1358147318s/29127.jpg|902304]. Typically for Beagle, the story is heartfelt and gripping.
The Voice in the Cornfield, the Word Made Flesh, by Desirina Boskovich, is quite wrenching - I'm not entirely sure whether it's meant to be a horror piece; it keeps jumping to horrible things very quickly, but there's rather more coming about here than just horror.
A Melancholy Apparition, by Ian Creasey, is a ghost story through a decidedly non-modern point of view. I found it a refreshing treatment - the characters are religious and moralizing, but their beliefs are reflections of their moral sense, rather than religion acting as an arbitrary dictator. Good to see.
The Sweet Warm Earth, by Stephen Popkes, is an entertaining piece of a crime enforcer's run-in with a modest horse whisperer. Vivid and well-told.
The Further Adventures of Mr. Costello , by David Gerrold, is very enjoyable for delving deep into a society of traders and farmers, and the uneasy dance they begin with a newcomer, who's either the biggest idiot or the biggest swindler ever to visit the planet.
---
I liked having a special section for Gerrold - although I do wish the article about him had been less simple bibliography (with effusive praise, of course, and yet--), and more a consideration of his contributions and body of work. I'd definitely be happy to see more author-spotlight issues.
---
Those Shadows Laugh, by Geoff Ryman, was the one sour note in the issue for me. It was extremely well-written, but my hackles rose at the naked utopianism of the piece.
Ryman's Colinas are eternally cheerful and joyous, appear to suffer from no want or strife, and overall just seem tremendously simple. I cannot buy this as utopia; as worthy of the longing the protagonist expresses. This culture seems to have nothing to say beyond how serene and happy and live-in-the-moment they are. It's a society lobotomized, and then exoticized to present that blankness as perfection.
---
All in all, another fine issue. As always, the variety is magnificent, and the quality is excellent.
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