Parsec is a UK-based quarterly magazine of short fiction edited by Ian Whates. It regularly features a wealth of names from the UK scene alongside new and upcoming authors. The spring edition is a strong issue, the majority of stories are well-written, so I’m going to highlight the five I found most noteworthy and memorable.
‘Picture Postcards’ by Emma Coleman was my absolute favourite. I was riveted by this story from start to finish, and although it takes place in a familiar, even old-fashioned setting, it was extremely well constructed, perfectly paced, and genuinely spooky. With touches of folk horror, it involves a bicycle tour, two young lovers, and a series of sinister picture postcards sent by him (enroute) to her (back home). I won’t give away anymore as it will ruin the tale for future readers, needless-to-say on the strength of it I ordered a copy of Coleman’s collection, The Glasshouse.
‘The Manktelow Timepiece’ by Simon Bestwick is a fun tale about an ornate, gold watch which takes on a life of its own across the generations, and its agenda is far from benign. The story within a story structure worked well as a setup for this rather involved short (ala Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner), told to young Tim by a long-in-the-tooth shopkeeper. It feels a bit like a Tales of the Unexpected episode, focused around a central idea and driven by a fate beyond human control. It also ties into an earlier Bestwick tale (also published by Parsec) which established the setting of the story, a fascinating and uncanny no-mans-land in a British city. You don’t need to have read the earlier tale to enjoy this one
‘Seagifts’ by CL Hellisen is a luxuriant first-person narrative about a young kraken and its human companion. They have grown up together from early infancy and cannot imagine ever being parted, but what will the future hold when the tentacled one grows large enough to kill – even bring down whole ships – and how will the two ever say goodbye? The language is opulent, rich with imagery and atmosphere, and draws you in close to the emotional action. I was bewitched.
In some ways, Dave Blake’s ‘Small Gods and Little Demons’ felt a little long.I did get a bit lost in the winding narrative, but the underlying events and ideas were compelling. It takes place in an old society in which deities need to be caught and trapped, then worshipped, in order to gain their favour (and the benefits that gods and goddesses can provide). They are kept in ‘spirit cages’ and provide the life essence for communities, especially the ‘catchers’ who hunt them. But for Linsa’s family, they learn the hard way about what happens when a caged god dies, and how this has a devastating knock-on effect for the entire village. Perhaps the only way to survive is to capture another one!
You wouldn’t expect anything else but a great story from Stan Nicholls, and that’s exactly what ‘Dreaming in Babylon’ is. A cyberpunkesque account of a future, simulated London in which citizens have no idea the world is fake. This city is not created easily, and the Overseer must ensure everything continues to run smoothly. Only, there are worrying glitches in the sky and he is concerned that freethinkers will realise the truth.
OK, this may be a well-worn Sci-Fi trope, but it’s always a fascinating one and how the author deals with it is the important thing. Well, Nicholls does well in presenting the machine behind the reality as far from slick, but the thing which makes this one stand out from the crowd is the ending, which I was hoping would be something worthwhile given the familiar nature of the story. I was not disappointed.
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