Alan catches up on the latest edition of Wyldblood magazine.
The Quiet That Awaits Us Then / M. Shedric Simpson
The opener is a short fantasy story of war and magic. A vast army, led by Tara’s mother, is on the march to Ersath-Altan, prepared to bring down the kingdom in vengeance for the death of Tara’s brother. Her mother is determined and ready to kill even the innocent people of the kingdom. Tara means to prevent this, even if it means bringing down the last star in the sky and plunging the world into darkness with a powerful, sacrificial spell. The two are at odds, one belligerent, the other conciliatory. Who is correct? The relationship between mother and daughter is the main appeal, together with strong characterisation.
Dreaming of Electric Wombs / Gideon P. Smith
Maternal and paternal feelings are expected for parents. But when you have a sentient nanny bot to do all the hard work, this can play havoc with the sentiment. So, when Elsa’s nanny, M4rie, is let go, her own mother needs to step in and fill the gap – which doesn’t go well. M4rie, on the other hand, is left without the child she has learned to love, and bots are not allowed to have their own children – the law and their own preprogrammed emergency protocols ensure it. What’s best for the child is not considered, until a simple internet search by M4rie gives her an idea, and a possible route back to Elsa. An exciting story of bot consciousness.
Trouble at Clackhammer / Cheryl Sonnier
Something strange is happening in the village of Clackhammer, but only Meg can see it. She can see Mayor Arsenault’s sickly aura spreading, detaching and entering the bodies of the other villagers, poisoning them to accept his domineering ways. But Arsenault is not quite what he seems, and has gained the unusual nickname of Arsenic. As he and his gang set off to destroy the cottage of the local giant, Delphinia, Meg sees an opportunity to bring him down and regain the good graces of her family and friends. An atmospheric story with fairytale vibes.
Blood of the Hierophant / Karl Dandanell
King Darayus has been violently usurped by his brother, the Great Kurush. Much to the disbelief of the current Hierophant, Anahita, and her estranged son. They alone hold the secrets of the inner holy sanctum, which Kurush believes contains treasures beyond imagining. As they are forced to lead him to the loot, the king demands that Anahita petition the goddess and grant him a new fate, changing his own past so that he was always destined to be king. The goddess can, no doubt, achieve this feat, but can Anahita weave a different spell right under his nose, without sacrificing herself and her son? An enjoyable read with some good world building packed into it for such a short piece.
Old Souls and New Algorithms / Ide Hennessey
Does the body remember even when the mind forgets? Or when the mind is deliberately wiped? Glin, carer to Earth’s comet-affected children, is banking on it as she tends to the children whose minds will eventually be erased and replaced, to prevent them taking their craziness into adulthood. Then she receives a visit from a not-so-unfamiliar stranger with a shocking message about this so called ‘cure.’ As Glin sets out to discover the truth, she realizes it must lie in her own memories – but where exactly they are to be found is anyone’s guess. A complex, convoluted and disturbing tale.
The Stardust Obsidian / Chase Anderson
The ‘boy’ spends all his time in the lab, watching scientists perform experiments on the gyphons they have created. The creatures are being designed, and honed, to have their minds merged with a ships computer. A ship designed to carry the race away from a post-climate-crisis Earth. The scientists treat the boy like a naïve and uneducated child, which he believes himself to be, until he has an unusual encounter that reveals his true nature to everyone, and helps him achieve his dream of becoming a ship’s pilot. A deceptive story with an unreliable narrator that will keep you guessing until the end, and even after it.
Yoruk / Scott Payne
A trickster narrative which appears to go down the traditional path, but surprisingly does something rather different. A couple must make the perilous journey across a fae-infested desert, to the city of Yoruk, accompanied by their daughter. To achieve this they hire Wilt, a local and magical guide, who can protect them with warding spells. Little do they know, however, that Wilt will do almost anything to increase the two silver pieces they have given her for payment, including stoking their fears with stories of the wicked fairies. But young Hilka begins to smell a rat, and decides to set a trap. That’s when everything starts getting a little strange.
Adios, Algeria / Alan M. Fisher
There are crazy goings-on at Andy’s house, as he and his friends witness the world around them slowly disappearing, as if people and places are being deleted, or ‘switched off.’ Is it God’s doing, the government’s, aliens? Or is everyone inside a simulation which is being wiped? Solipsistic Andy concludes that he is the only real person and everyone else, every ‘thing’ else is merely a projection, as he watches the blankness get closer and closer in this end-of-the-world drama. Fun, thought-provoking and easy to read.
Death and Silence / Dale Parnell
“Never doubt that the most terrifying sound you’ll ever hear is nothing at all.” This is exactly what happens to Alix when his entire family are lost to him in a tragic accident. Death comes to call then, calm and philosophical, but also Death’s cousin, Silence. Follow her where she means to lead you and you may end up in a very dark and lonely place, or accept that life is life and needs to continue – which is Death’s view. As Alix struggles to decide, he requests of Death a meeting with his loved ones – which could be a final farewell, or a union. Only time will tell. A poignant and appropriate closer to this edition.
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