This is another strong issue of Wyldblood, with a good mixture of fantasy and sci-fi.
It begins with a quirky and lighthearted story called ‘Boggle Dog and Blue Cat’ by Mark Rigney, a post-climate-disaster tale of scarcity and nostalgia where the sudden appearance of a robotic cat and dog makes for some interesting ethical decisions in a farming community. The erstwhile toys are a welcome distraction and entertainment for the hardworking citizens, but when one of them turns out to be more trouble than it’s worth, they must choose between the comforts of the past and their future survival.
Second up is ‘Two Percent’ by Liam Hogan, a mind-bending account of two astronauts hurtling towards a black hole and their efforts to calculate a means of escape. The science and characterisation blend nicely in this one, and the final, climactic scenes are really well done, giving us not only some edge-of-your-seat action but a whole load of physics-based psychology as well.
Steve Burford’s ‘The Art of War’ follows Kelly, a war artist with a difference who encounters an alien POW and (naturally) attempts to sketch him. This leads to a series of unique interactions, and then some deadly misunderstandings. I really enjoyed the sheer alienness of the aliens in this one.
Next up is ‘Song of Unmaking’ by Jacey Bedford, a unique story about an attempt to harness the kinetic power of song…and then use it as a weapon. I wasn’t fully gripped by the narrative, which meandered a little, but the central idea kept me interested until the end.
‘Maiden of the Rock’ by Holley Cornetto is a more straightforward affair. It follows Liam on asea voyage to discover a siren he was infatuated with as a child. What makes it stand above the rest is how the author blends the boy’s love for the legendary Lorelai with the grief he still feels for his late mother. Subtly done and powerful to read.
The sixth story was my favourite. In ‘Coblyn’ by JL George we witness the decline of Myra as she struggles to cope with a very real ‘beastie’ that she unwillingly inherits from a stranger one day.
This is the ‘coblyn,’ an almost indescribable little creature that only she can see, but none-the-less clings permanently around her neck, sucking the life out of her. It could be an allegory representing the psychological demons we carry with us, or a kind of modern-day portrayal of elfshot, but in the end it doesn’t really matter as the portrait of Myra and her pocket-sized parasite is a delight to read just taken at face value.
Last in line is ‘The Obscurists’ by M. Luke McDonell, a slightly confusing story involving newly-invented teleportation stations. People use this technology to find and ‘tag’ important historical places and artefacts. This Pokemon Go like activity is played out online for big bucks as two sets of rivals vie for supremacy in the latest round. The main protagonists, Taran and Sierra, are charming in their hidden love for each other, but are drawn even closer together when Taran’s many allergies prove too much and Sierra must come to his aid. An entertaining closer.
Issue #17 is out in July, and submissions are currently being accepted. Definitely worth a purchase and/or a subscription.
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