This is definitely a keeper to shelve next to David Alexander Smith's Future Boston (1994).
Monsters are hot. King Kong stamped across the cinema in 2005. Marvel Comics is resurrecting great old Jack Kirby monsters. And Dark Horse Press is doing a line of novels based on the monstrous buddies from Universal films: the Wolfman, Frankenstein, and their kin.
In line with this trend arrives a volume titled Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales (Agog! Press, trade paperback, AUS$32.95, 352 pages, ISBN 0-9580567-4-9). Edited by Robert Hood and Robin Pen, with a wonderful cover by Bob Eggleton, this volume is as gigantically good as its role models. Over two dozen well-done stories, as well as some poems and a fine essay on the history of daikaiju ("giant monsters” in Japanese) bulk this volume out to Godzilla proportions.
Many of the authors naturally enough put a humorous spin on these campy creations, either subverting pre-existing monsters or inventing parodic examples of their own. The title alone of Adam Ford's witty “Seven Dates That Were Ruined by Giant Monsters” is indicative of a certain slant. But there are plenty of stories that treat the themes seriously, such as George Thomas's “Requiem for a Wild God."
If you've ever had a hankering to see Chicago destroyed (Stephen Mark Rainey's “The Transformer of Worlds") or learn what a North Korean Commie monster might look like (Cody Goodfellow's “Kongmin Horangi: The People's Tiger"), then you've come to the right place!
Single-author Collections
Much like Italo Calvino with his Italian Folktales (1956), Robert Coover turns—or returns—to a primal wellspring of story-telling in his latest collection, A Child Again (McSweeney's, hardcover, $22.00, 276 pages, ISBN 1-932416-22-6). Here, you'll discover masterful metafictional recastings of such Ur-fiction as “Little Red Riding Hood” (Coover's “Grandmother's Nose"); “The Pied Piper” ("The Return of the Dark Children"); and “Casey at the Bat” ("McDuff on the Mound"). The effect of these modernizations is at once ultra-contemporary and ancient. The reader feels that he or she is connecting with old, old myths, yet filtered through Coover's taut prose, keen postmodern wit and narrative hijinx.
Coover's genius is on display right from the first story, “Sir John Paper Returns to Honah-Lee,” which takes the sixties bit of musical fluff known as “Puff, the Magic Dragon” and distills a touching story about age and loss of innocence and rejuvenation from the pop treacle. Coover's opening sentences are all hook and heart and mystery. Consider this one from “Playing House": “Once there was a house, whispers someone in the dark (we are learning about another house, our own house, the one in which we live), and it had windows everywhere and walls as thin as skin and it was full of light.” Who wouldn't want to continue reading after that? In story after glorious story, he recaptures a childhood innocence not untinged with rueful adult wisdom. And of course, we hear echoes of Coover's past themes here, from baseball (The Universal Baseball Association, Inc. [1968]) to suburbia (John's Wife [1996]) to politics (The Public Burning [1976]).
As artifact, this book is exemplary. A chunky hand-filler with marvelous endpapers, the book also features an exterior pocket containing fifteen oversized playing cards with text that can be reshuffled to make a never-ending story titled “Heart Suit,” about the fabled King of Hearts and his missing tarts (in all senses of the word). McSweeney's proves that its program to reinvigorate literature for the twenty-first century extends to presentation as well as content.
Karl Schroeder has established a fine reputation on the basis of three recent novels: Ventus (2000), Permanence (2002), and Lady of Mazes (2005). But he's been having fine short stories published since the early 1990s, and now many of them are on display in The Engine of Recall (Robert J. Sawyer Books, hardcover, $19.95, 228 pages, ISBN 0-88995-323-6). Stephen Baxter's introduction to this volume makes a good case for Schroeder's unclassifiability strictly as a “hard SF” guy. A story like “Hopscotch,” for example, exhibits a contemporary setting and a characterological examination of what drives people to seek out the paranormal. Two stories involving the freelance trouble-shooter Gennady Malianov—"The Dragon of Pripyat” and “Alexander's Road” (the latter original to this volume)—reflect a Warren-Ellis-style, day-after-tomorrow edginess. But of course, Schroeder can certainly handle space opera tropes magnificently, as witnessed by such pieces as “Halo” (life around a brown dwarf star) and “Solitaire” (a woman partners with an enigmatic alien). In short, Schroeder has any number of impressive, black-hole-tipped arrows in his copious quiver.
By the way: Rob Sawyer has lent his name to this imprint from Red Deer Press for the purpose of highlighting both Canadian authors and hard SF. A commendable mission, involving, no doubt, lots of unpaid work on his part. Please offer him your support.
Paul McAuley's Little Machines (PS Publishing, hardcover, $50.00, 328 pages, ISBN 1-902880-94-3) reflects the mid-period work of a master. McAuley has now honed his skills and imagination to the point where he can turn his hand to any type of story and instantly stamp it as his own. The seventeen stories in this limited-edition collectible volume range the gamut from alternate history ("The Two Dicks” and “Cross Roads Blues,” starring Philip K. Dick and musician Robert Johnson respectively); to character studies such as “I Spy"; to hard SF such as “How We Lost the Moon, a True Story by Frank W. Allen.” McAuley examines a world made over by the arrival of “Alien TV” (and its sequel, “Before the Flood"). He indulges in Pynchonian conspiracies in “The Proxy.” And he gets inside the head of a deluded righteous murderer in “The Secret of My Success.” But no matter what the topic, treatment or themes, he exhibits a broad intelligence, superb narrative gifts, and a wry sense of how the world works.
Copyright © 2006 Paul Di Filippo
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SF CONVENTIONAL CALENDAR
by Erwin S. Strauss
This is the last call for the Los Angeles area World SF Convention, LACon IV. Plan now for social weekends with your favorite SF authors, editors, artists, and fellow fans. For an explanation of con(vention)s, a sample of SF folksongs, info on fanzines and clubs, and how to get a later, longer list of cons, send me an SASE (self-addressed, stamped #10 [business] envelope) at 10 Hill #22-L, Newark NJ 07102. The hot line is (973) 242-5999. If a machine answers (with a list of the week's cons), leave a message and I'll call back on my nickel. When writing cons, send an SASE. For free listings, tell me of your con 6 months out. Look for me at cons behind the Filthy Pierre badge, playing a musical keyboard.—Erwin S. Strauss
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AUGUST 2006
3—6—PulpCon. For info, write: Box 90424, Dayton OH 45490. Or phone: (973) 242-5999 (10 AM to 10 PM, not collect). (Web) pulpcon.org. (E-mail) [email protected]. Con will be held in: Dayton OH (if city omitted, same as in address) at the Convention Center. Guests will include: to be announced. Annual meet for collectors of old-time pulp magazines.
4—6—OtaKon. otakon.org. Convention Center. Baltimore MD. Anime. “Convention of Otaku Generation.” 25,000 expected.
4—6—Anime Overdose. aodsf.com. [email protected]. Cathedral Hill Hotel, San Francisco CA. Anime.
4—7—MythCon (405)325-1918. mythsoc.org. Univ. of Okla., Norman OK. Mythopoeic Society annual con. Tolkien, etc.
11—12—MechaCon. mechacon.com. Hilton, Lafayette LA. Limit Break Cosplay, J. Seth, Doug Smith. Mecha/anime.
11—13—ArmadilloCon. (512)477-6259. armadillocon.org. Doubletree, Austin TX. Czerneda, Gill, Friesner, Hogan.
11—13—ConGlomeration. conglomeration.org. Louisville KY. Harry Turtledove, Omar & Sheila Rayyan, S. & S. Francis.
11—13—Horrorfind Weekend. (443)465-0645. horrorfindweekend.com. Marriott, Hunt Valley (Baltimore) MD. E. Lee.
11—13—PiCon. pi-con.org. Best Western Sovereign, West Springfield MA. Jacqueline Carey (author, “Kushiel” series).
17—20—Creation Star Trek, 217 S. Kenwood, Glendale CA 91205. (818)409-0960. creationent.com. Las Vegas NV.
17—2
0—GenCon, 120 Lakeside Ave. #100, Seattle WA 98122. (206) 957-3976. gencongamefair.com. Indianapolis IN.
18—20—BuboniCon, Box 37257, Albuquerque NM 87176. (505)266-8905. Wyndham. Bova, Cogswell, Mattingly, Lowe.
18—20—Finland Nat'l. Con, c/o TSFS, PL 538 20101, Finland. finncon.org. Helsinki Finland. Jeff VanderMeer.
18—21—DiscWorld Con, Box 102, Royston SG8 7ZJ, UK. +44 (0) 7092 394-940. dwcon.org. Hinckley UK. Pratchett.
19—20—Fanex, 9721 Britinay Ln., Baltimore MD 21234. midmar.com. Embassy Suites No., Baltimore MD. Horror film.
23—27—LACon IV, Box 8442, Van Nuys CA 91409. [email protected]. Anaheim CA. Willis. WorldCon. $175+ at door.
24—27—France Nat'l. Con, c/o AAAA, 34 rue Juan Juars, Bellaing 59135, France. [email protected].
25—27—JVL-Con, 1316 Monterey Ln., Janesville WI 53545. (608)290-7025. si-fi-nut.com/jvl-con. Ramada. S. Keach.
25—27—Creation StarGate SG1, 217 S. Kenwood, Glendale CA 91205. (818) 409-0960. creationent.com. Chicago IL.
26—27—Creation BattleStar Galactica, 217 S. Kenwood, Glendale CA 91205. Contact as above. Hilton, Burbank CA.
26—28—Dimension Jump, Box 35, Hitchin SG4 9XZ, UK. reddwarffanclub.com. Moat House, Peterborough UK.
27—Sep. 3—Bill Blair Birthday Celebrity Cruise. (818)797-4635, x130. alienactor.com. Texas to Jamaica. B. Blair.
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SEPTEMBER 2006
1—3—Fan Expo. hobbystar.com. Toronto ON. Shatner, Nimoy, Stewart, Ryan, Masters, Sorbo, Durance, Kidder, Spiner.
1—4—DragonCon, Box 16459, Atlanta GA 30321. (770)909-0115. dragoncon.org. Gaming, comics, SF, fantasy. Huge.
1—4—CopperCon, Box 62613, Phoenix AZ 85082. (480) 949-0415. coppercon.org. Mission Palms, Tempe AZ.
1—4—Anime Fest, 3001 S. Hardin Blvd. #110, PMB 108, McKinney TX 75070. (972)569-8995. Indianapolis IN.
2—4—KumoriCon. kumoricon.org. [email protected]. Doubletree Hotel/Lloyd Center, Portland OR. Anime.
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AUGUST 2007
2—5—Archon, Box 8387, St. Louis MO 63132. archonstl.org. Collinsville IL. 2007 No. American SF Convention. $60+.
30—Sep. 3—Nippon 2007, Box 314, Annapolis Jct. MD 20701. nippon2007.org. Yokohama Japan. WorldCon. $180+.
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SCIENCE FICTION SUDOKU SOLUTIONS
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[Back to Table of Contents]
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NEXT ISSUE
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER DOUBLE ISSUE
Our special October/November Double Issue, always one of the most eagerly anticipated issues of the year, is jam-packed with as many stories as we can possibly fit into it, including the best work by both rising new stars and some of the Biggest Names in the business.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER LEAD STORIES
One of our most popular and prolific writers, Robert Reed, brings us our lead story for October/November, with an intense and fascinating look at a society where the invention of the “ripper” opens the universe to colonization and makes it possible for every man to be the ultimate ruler, literally the father, of his own world—but at a rather dark and disturbing price. This will be one of the most talked-about stories of the year, so don't miss it! Then another of our most frequent contributors, William Barton, gives us our vivid cover story for October/November, sweeping us along with a group of boys playing in the woods who find adventures stranger and more dangerous than they could possibly have imagined, as they explore the fabulous realms to be found when you venture “Down to the Earth Below.” These two huge novellas alone will give you hours of great reading—but that's not even close to being all we have in store for you in this special issue!
ALSO IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
Sturgeon Award-winner Michael F. Flynn, one of the mainstays of our sister magazine Analog, makes a too-rare appearance in these pages with the story of an all-swallowing enigma that leads us to an appreciation of “Dawn, and Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth"; Nebula-winner Pamela Sargent revisits a Famous Film Icon for the true story of what happened “After I Stopped Screaming"; new writer Ron Collins, making his Asimov's debut, shows us that “1 Is True"; renowned British writer Ian Watson advises us about “Saving for a Sunny Day, or, The Benefits of Reincarnation"; Melissa Lee Shaw shares her house with more than just abandoned pets in the unsettling “Foster"; James Van Pelt provides a moving portrait of “The Small Astral Object Genius"; veteran writer Kit Reed takes us to a sinister family reunion with “Biodad"; and Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winner Carol Emshwiller examines the surprising elements that go into the psychological makeup of “The Seducer."
EXCITING FEATURES
Robert Silverberg's “Reflections” column warns us about the importance of “Making Backups"; Norman Spinrad's “On Books” column muses about “The Big Kahuna"; and James Patrick Kelly's “On the Net” column unveils “The Secrets of the Web Masters (Part One)"; plus an array of poems, puzzles, and other features.
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Visit www.dellmagazines.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.
Asimov's SF, September 2006 Page 22