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Baldemar #1 - Ten Half-Pennies
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction March/April 2017
NOVELLAS
The Man Who Put the Bomp Richard Chwedyk
NOVELETS
Driverless Robert Grossbach
Ten Half-Pennies Matthew Hughes
The Avenger Albert E. Cowdrey
SHORT STORIES
The Toymaker's Daughter Arundhati Hazra
A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death Cat Hellisen
Miss Cruz James Sallis
Daisy Eleanor Arnason
POEMS
Spacemail Only Ruth Berman
DEPARTMENTS
Books to Look For Charles de Lint
Musing on Books Michelle West
Science: Robots in Your Pants Pat Murphy and Paul Doherty
Films: The Language Of Loss, Trust, And Heptapods Kathi Maio
Coming Attractions
Curiosities David Langford
CARTOONS: Arthur Masear, Arthur Masear, Nick Downes.
Cover by Bryn Barnard for "The Man Who Put the Bomp"
The Man Who Put the Bomp Richard Chwedyk
NOVELETS
Driverless Robert Grossbach
Ten Half-Pennies Matthew Hughes
The Avenger Albert E. Cowdrey
SHORT STORIES
The Toymaker's Daughter Arundhati Hazra
A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death Cat Hellisen
Miss Cruz James Sallis
Daisy Eleanor Arnason
POEMS
Spacemail Only Ruth Berman
DEPARTMENTS
Books to Look For Charles de Lint
Musing on Books Michelle West
Science: Robots in Your Pants Pat Murphy and Paul Doherty
Films: The Language Of Loss, Trust, And Heptapods Kathi Maio
Coming Attractions
Curiosities David Langford
CARTOONS: Arthur Masear, Arthur Masear, Nick Downes.
Cover by Bryn Barnard for "The Man Who Put the Bomp"
415 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2017
6 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
C.C. Finlay
66 books97 followersFormer Editor, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Author of The Prodigal Troll, the Traitor to the Crown Series, and Wild Things, plus dozens of short stories. World Fantasy Award Winner, and finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Sidewise, Sturgeon, and Locus Awards. Teacher at Clarion and elsewhere.
Married to novelist Rae Carson.
Married to novelist Rae Carson.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 8, 2018
I enjoy every FSF magazine I read. Reading these stories has developed a desire for more. They don’t read like “mainstream,” or “popular” or “classical” fiction. Each story has a unique, almost amateurish feel, at first. As I continue reading my mind starts to adapt to the style, and now that I “get it,” I realize I want to follow this way. “Way” being the path of literature. How many paths, avenues, directions, especially for a person who wants to know and read everything the mind can conceive? (A personal bane: ambition.) I love the classics most: Kafka, Tolkien, Lewis, PK Dick, Hesse, Twain, Dickens. My issue: I can’t write like these people and expect to make it anywhere in 2018. Solution: Follow this magazine, and the byways and avenues opening in these pages.
I’ve found wonderful writers that I’ve already placed on my favorites list, who write for the YouTube-Google-tiny-attention-span generation. I hope I don’t sound critical, but factual. I enjoyed every story in this magazine. I’ve found two favorites and I’ve formulated a theory about a third. First, the third. I’ll go ahead and get this out of the way:
Albert E. Cowdrey, who has been published 75 times since 1999, more than any other writer. His novels and writing are little known, at least on his Goodreads account. He writes like a master writer, someone who has written for years and has found great ease and comfort in it, like breathing. He has the exact “feel” of another phenomenal writer the world knows. He uses the techniques and methods, style of this writer. So, here’s my theory. I believe Albert E. Cowdrey is Richard Bachman reincarnated, and the truth will be placed in an anthology after the Source’s death.
And Albert E. Cowdrey, if you’re not Stephen King, for the love of God, get known, write some novels. You have an incredible gift.
The other two writers I want to mention: Richard Chwedyk and Cat Hellisen.
Chwedyk wrote a story in the collection called “The Man Who Put the Bomp.” How original, prolific, cute, and hilarious. This toy company creates these genetically engineered, small, some tiny, dinosaurs, but the “saurs” were designed with too much intelligence, so they lose control. They’ve killed many, and the story centers on a refuge home for them. I loved it. Unique read!
Hellisen has made my favorite authors list. She writes with exquisite prose and style. It’s apparent she takes time and energy for poetic expression. The story takes place with two female servants who live in an abusive, misogynistic culture. She meets a river god, who becomes captured, and finds herself in a plot to set it free, at a great cost. Gorgeous writing, and storyline.
So grateful to have found this magazine and found a good path into modern literature, one that I enjoy as much as the classics.
I’ve found wonderful writers that I’ve already placed on my favorites list, who write for the YouTube-Google-tiny-attention-span generation. I hope I don’t sound critical, but factual. I enjoyed every story in this magazine. I’ve found two favorites and I’ve formulated a theory about a third. First, the third. I’ll go ahead and get this out of the way:
Albert E. Cowdrey, who has been published 75 times since 1999, more than any other writer. His novels and writing are little known, at least on his Goodreads account. He writes like a master writer, someone who has written for years and has found great ease and comfort in it, like breathing. He has the exact “feel” of another phenomenal writer the world knows. He uses the techniques and methods, style of this writer. So, here’s my theory. I believe Albert E. Cowdrey is Richard Bachman reincarnated, and the truth will be placed in an anthology after the Source’s death.
And Albert E. Cowdrey, if you’re not Stephen King, for the love of God, get known, write some novels. You have an incredible gift.
The other two writers I want to mention: Richard Chwedyk and Cat Hellisen.
Chwedyk wrote a story in the collection called “The Man Who Put the Bomp.” How original, prolific, cute, and hilarious. This toy company creates these genetically engineered, small, some tiny, dinosaurs, but the “saurs” were designed with too much intelligence, so they lose control. They’ve killed many, and the story centers on a refuge home for them. I loved it. Unique read!
Hellisen has made my favorite authors list. She writes with exquisite prose and style. It’s apparent she takes time and energy for poetic expression. The story takes place with two female servants who live in an abusive, misogynistic culture. She meets a river god, who becomes captured, and finds herself in a plot to set it free, at a great cost. Gorgeous writing, and storyline.
So grateful to have found this magazine and found a good path into modern literature, one that I enjoy as much as the classics.
May 13, 2017
Averaging out to a 2.68 based on all my ratings. A bit of a clunker, but "A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding Death" was the star of the show.
"The Man Who Put the Bomp" - Richard Chwedyk; 1/5 stars
Yep, I totally get what Chwedyk was going for, a darker Toy Story crossbred with an ironic Jurassic Park, but this really didn't work for me. Despite it's slight (and I'm using that word liberally) allegorical qualities of the tale of humanity encapsulated within "soul" of human's creations, I could not get past the spartan style, and character, after character, after character. I think the novella might have played better had it focused less on the hive mentality of the group and more on complicated "outsider" characters like Agnes.
"Driverless" - Robert Grossbach; 3/5 stars
Such a huge improvement from the first story! The thing I liked most about Driverless was the characterization. Both Daniel Rittenberg, Erica, and the QT cars immediately exploded on the page with personality. I wouldn't mind reading a novel about how Daniel and his relationship with Erica evolved over the years! Having said that though, I do think the beginning was much stronger than the end, and I wished Grossbach had played up the human vs. machine angle a little more. I thought there were dark and sinister undertones here that just weren't explored.
"Ten Half-Pennies" - Matthew Hughes; 2.5/5 stars
I hestitate to judge this one, because it's clear that it'll be the first in a (series/collection?) For me, nothing really stood out, it's a very generic story about a young boy who goes through his formative years. Until you get to the first mention of the word "wizard" you'd have no idea that this was a fantasy/science fiction story at all. Baldemar just doesn't grab my like an MC should. Here's hoping that when he next appears things will be a bit more exciting...?
"The Avenger" - Albert E. Cowdrey; 1/5 stars
Not sure I get what Cowdrey was shooting for with this, but hey, it takes place in Louisiana! Everything is spookier and cooler in Lousiana, boyo! Basically, it's about a woman who's dead husband had a bastared son who in turn is trying to kill her for inheritance money. Meanwhile, a man named William Warlock (who is not a warlock) is trying to help her. Very pointless story, overflowing with awkward racism, and weirdly unnecessary sex at the end.
"The Toymaker's Daughter" - Arundhati Hazra; 3/5 stars
Very nice! I love stories that take place in India or South Asia (destinations that I have always longed to travel) but I didn't think this particular story really captured the atmospheric qualities of such a mystical place. Sure, it was whimsical, but there wasn't anything that made the story pop. Good writing, good story, but neither great.
"A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding Death" - Cat Hellisen; 5/5 stars
Loved this! This is the first thing I've read from Cat Hellisen and I can already tell it will not be my last. The writing here absolutely transfers the reader to another realm. The story focuses on a girl named Héloise, who discovers she's inherited her mother's debt to a sea spirit. What I loved most here was feisty way Hellisen explores the story and the characters. There's nothing overtly special about them yet I was drawn into the complicated world they inhabited, and I loved the way the reality of the modern world was in friction with the underbelly of mythology.
"Miss Cruz" - James Sallis; 2/5 stars
Writing was fine, but I just didn't think there was much story here. In all honestly, when it ended I was really confused about what the point was to have been. Lots of really interesting ideas floating around, though. Things like: "I was looking, you see, looking for stuff other people didn't know, looking for secrets. They were as essential to me as water and the air I breathed."
"Daisy" - Eleanor Arnason; 4/5 stars
This is not the kind of story I would normally gravitate toward, but in the moment, as I read, I was both fascinated and entertained. Obviously such a premise as a bookkeeping octopus is farfetched, but that portion of the story, rather than the "crime solving" element, was what I enjoyed most, and what I connected with the strongest.
"Spacemail Only" - Ruth Berman; a poem in 60 words
Clever, I suppose. A bit gimmicky, though. Read more like an advertisement rather than a "POE-WAM"
"The Man Who Put the Bomp" - Richard Chwedyk; 1/5 stars
Yep, I totally get what Chwedyk was going for, a darker Toy Story crossbred with an ironic Jurassic Park, but this really didn't work for me. Despite it's slight (and I'm using that word liberally) allegorical qualities of the tale of humanity encapsulated within "soul" of human's creations, I could not get past the spartan style, and character, after character, after character. I think the novella might have played better had it focused less on the hive mentality of the group and more on complicated "outsider" characters like Agnes.
"Driverless" - Robert Grossbach; 3/5 stars
Such a huge improvement from the first story! The thing I liked most about Driverless was the characterization. Both Daniel Rittenberg, Erica, and the QT cars immediately exploded on the page with personality. I wouldn't mind reading a novel about how Daniel and his relationship with Erica evolved over the years! Having said that though, I do think the beginning was much stronger than the end, and I wished Grossbach had played up the human vs. machine angle a little more. I thought there were dark and sinister undertones here that just weren't explored.
"Ten Half-Pennies" - Matthew Hughes; 2.5/5 stars
I hestitate to judge this one, because it's clear that it'll be the first in a (series/collection?) For me, nothing really stood out, it's a very generic story about a young boy who goes through his formative years. Until you get to the first mention of the word "wizard" you'd have no idea that this was a fantasy/science fiction story at all. Baldemar just doesn't grab my like an MC should. Here's hoping that when he next appears things will be a bit more exciting...?
"The Avenger" - Albert E. Cowdrey; 1/5 stars
Not sure I get what Cowdrey was shooting for with this, but hey, it takes place in Louisiana! Everything is spookier and cooler in Lousiana, boyo! Basically, it's about a woman who's dead husband had a bastared son who in turn is trying to kill her for inheritance money. Meanwhile, a man named William Warlock (who is not a warlock) is trying to help her. Very pointless story, overflowing with awkward racism, and weirdly unnecessary sex at the end.
"The Toymaker's Daughter" - Arundhati Hazra; 3/5 stars
Very nice! I love stories that take place in India or South Asia (destinations that I have always longed to travel) but I didn't think this particular story really captured the atmospheric qualities of such a mystical place. Sure, it was whimsical, but there wasn't anything that made the story pop. Good writing, good story, but neither great.
"A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding Death" - Cat Hellisen; 5/5 stars
Loved this! This is the first thing I've read from Cat Hellisen and I can already tell it will not be my last. The writing here absolutely transfers the reader to another realm. The story focuses on a girl named Héloise, who discovers she's inherited her mother's debt to a sea spirit. What I loved most here was feisty way Hellisen explores the story and the characters. There's nothing overtly special about them yet I was drawn into the complicated world they inhabited, and I loved the way the reality of the modern world was in friction with the underbelly of mythology.
"Miss Cruz" - James Sallis; 2/5 stars
Writing was fine, but I just didn't think there was much story here. In all honestly, when it ended I was really confused about what the point was to have been. Lots of really interesting ideas floating around, though. Things like: "I was looking, you see, looking for stuff other people didn't know, looking for secrets. They were as essential to me as water and the air I breathed."
"Daisy" - Eleanor Arnason; 4/5 stars
This is not the kind of story I would normally gravitate toward, but in the moment, as I read, I was both fascinated and entertained. Obviously such a premise as a bookkeeping octopus is farfetched, but that portion of the story, rather than the "crime solving" element, was what I enjoyed most, and what I connected with the strongest.
"Spacemail Only" - Ruth Berman; a poem in 60 words
Clever, I suppose. A bit gimmicky, though. Read more like an advertisement rather than a "POE-WAM"
March 9, 2017
Excellent as always. Really enjoyed A Green Dress and a Wedding Death.
April 9, 2017
A truly excellent issue. F&SF shows off its fantastic variety. This time, most of the stories are light, peppy, fun -- with a few dark, delicious exceptions.
My standout stories:
A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death, by Cat Hellisen. A dark fairy-tale -- where the fey is dark, and humanity is darker.
Heloise copes with life in poverty as best as one can. The story captured me with its description of her near-sightedness:
I remember Hellisen's previous F&SF story very well indeed, and hope for many happy returns.
Ten Half-Pennies, by Matthew Hughes. Hughes writes engaging stories of capers and scoundrels. In this story, he introduces a new protagonist, Baldemar -- a young man with iron will, indomitable patience, and a stoic, matter-of-fact acceptance of the evils of the world he lives in.
This is rather a departure from Hughes' previous running character, the cocky thief Raffalon. Writing engagingly about calm and confidence seems quite a challenge, and likely to yield some unusual stories! I very much enjoyed this first one, in which Baldemar is sent off to one form of apprenticeship, and quietly concludes that he requires quite another.
The Man Who Put The Bomp, by Richard Chwedyk. This is an installment in Chwedyk's "Saurs" series. Both in premise and in tone, think Toy Story, but with dinosaurs -- full of lovable, exaggerated personalities, and madcap run-ins with the big world outside.
I remember the 'saurs way back from the original story in 2001. They're usually a ton of fun, and this one is no exception. The series has gotten a whole lot more hand-wave-y and near-mystical at points -- this story has certainly progressed far beyond "bio-engineered dinosaur toys" as its sole premise, and has several characters as having strange and mysterious powers, which seem more plot devices than anything else. But in a silly, charming story like this, I'm absolutely fine with that.
---
The other stories are strong as well. Each one is solidly built, engagingly written, and hits everything it aims at.
Driverless, by Robert Grossbach. Driverless vehicles gain sentience. Happily refrains from spending pages on "Oh no how could this happen!!!", and spends its focus on why it might happen specifically there, and writing strong characters, dynamics and story.
The Toymaker's Daughter, by Arundhati Hazra. Another affecting fairy-tale, this one tragic.
Daisy, by Eleanor Arnason. A silly, silly story, where a mob boss hires a PI to track down a stolen octopus. Zippy and fun.
Miss Cruz, by James Sallis. A musician gradually unfolds his strange talents. This story is weirdly structured -- it feels like it's trying out three different ideas before it settles on one it actually likes. The protagonist's fascination with secrets, his collector friend Jason, the eponymous "Miss Cruz" -- none of them actually seem to relate to the point the story gets to. Nonetheless, it's engagingly written; I breezed right through it, and didn't start scratching my head over it until after I'd finished and enjoyed.
(I will say this is an... interesting selection for a magazine put together soon after Trump's election. I don't know the lead times here, and yet. Not blatant, but firmly in the "wait, are they implying...?" territory.)
The Avenger, by Albert E. Cowdrey. Another of Cowdrey's rollicking crime-y stories, this time about a vengeful country bastard who decides he's owed money and won't give up. This is really a very simple story -- "villain keeps attacking fruitlessly over and over, until he loses everything". The speculative element here is also very minor -- the whole focus is on what a bastard the villain is, with magic just stepping in every now and then to keep the good guys mostly unharmed. Still -- it's engaging and fun.
---
All in all, a great issue. I enjoyed the heck out of it, and look forward to the next one.
My standout stories:
A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death, by Cat Hellisen. A dark fairy-tale -- where the fey is dark, and humanity is darker.
Heloise copes with life in poverty as best as one can. The story captured me with its description of her near-sightedness:
Heloise lived life through a veil of blurs and shadows, everything fuzzy at the edges and incomplete. Only if she held something close she could see the intricate wonder of it in perfect detail. Her impression of the world was formed in microscopic snatches, piecemeal. (...)
Back when she'd been knee-high to a toad, and before Mama'd gone and got herself killed. Heloise had believed the world could be better. That one day she'd wear new dresses instead of charity rags, that she'd wake up and the world would have drawn into focus, suddenly clear and crisp. She would know the whole of things and not just the parts she could examine in close up.
I remember Hellisen's previous F&SF story very well indeed, and hope for many happy returns.
Ten Half-Pennies, by Matthew Hughes. Hughes writes engaging stories of capers and scoundrels. In this story, he introduces a new protagonist, Baldemar -- a young man with iron will, indomitable patience, and a stoic, matter-of-fact acceptance of the evils of the world he lives in.
This is rather a departure from Hughes' previous running character, the cocky thief Raffalon. Writing engagingly about calm and confidence seems quite a challenge, and likely to yield some unusual stories! I very much enjoyed this first one, in which Baldemar is sent off to one form of apprenticeship, and quietly concludes that he requires quite another.
The Man Who Put The Bomp, by Richard Chwedyk. This is an installment in Chwedyk's "Saurs" series. Both in premise and in tone, think Toy Story, but with dinosaurs -- full of lovable, exaggerated personalities, and madcap run-ins with the big world outside.
I remember the 'saurs way back from the original story in 2001. They're usually a ton of fun, and this one is no exception. The series has gotten a whole lot more hand-wave-y and near-mystical at points -- this story has certainly progressed far beyond "bio-engineered dinosaur toys" as its sole premise, and has several characters as having strange and mysterious powers, which seem more plot devices than anything else. But in a silly, charming story like this, I'm absolutely fine with that.
---
The other stories are strong as well. Each one is solidly built, engagingly written, and hits everything it aims at.
Driverless, by Robert Grossbach. Driverless vehicles gain sentience. Happily refrains from spending pages on "Oh no how could this happen!!!", and spends its focus on why it might happen specifically there, and writing strong characters, dynamics and story.
The Toymaker's Daughter, by Arundhati Hazra. Another affecting fairy-tale, this one tragic.
Daisy, by Eleanor Arnason. A silly, silly story, where a mob boss hires a PI to track down a stolen octopus. Zippy and fun.
Miss Cruz, by James Sallis. A musician gradually unfolds his strange talents. This story is weirdly structured -- it feels like it's trying out three different ideas before it settles on one it actually likes. The protagonist's fascination with secrets, his collector friend Jason, the eponymous "Miss Cruz" -- none of them actually seem to relate to the point the story gets to. Nonetheless, it's engagingly written; I breezed right through it, and didn't start scratching my head over it until after I'd finished and enjoyed.
(I will say this is an... interesting selection for a magazine put together soon after Trump's election. I don't know the lead times here, and yet. Not blatant, but firmly in the "wait, are they implying...?" territory.)
The Avenger, by Albert E. Cowdrey. Another of Cowdrey's rollicking crime-y stories, this time about a vengeful country bastard who decides he's owed money and won't give up. This is really a very simple story -- "villain keeps attacking fruitlessly over and over, until he loses everything". The speculative element here is also very minor -- the whole focus is on what a bastard the villain is, with magic just stepping in every now and then to keep the good guys mostly unharmed. Still -- it's engaging and fun.
---
All in all, a great issue. I enjoyed the heck out of it, and look forward to the next one.
February 14, 2018
As is usual with a collection of short stories, I preferred some over others. I particularly enjoyed "The Man Who Put the Bomp" by Richard Chwedyk. It reminded me of a sci-fi version of Watership Down. The characters were vibrant and interesting. The plot connected marvellously and it was surprisingly poignant in terms of the subjects depicted. It was worth reading just for this story.
Read
December 27, 2017self-driving cars go all HAL; a gangster’s pet octopus goes rogue; a guitarist brain-forces a sheriff to go Budd Dwyer. I really wanted to love the saurs novella but ended up not finishing it.
Faves: “A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death” by Cat Hellisen
Faves: “A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death” by Cat Hellisen
March 13, 2017
2.5/5.0
March 13, 2017
This is another issue which is well worth getting.
Robert Grossbach - Driverless - 5 stars
- A new reason to fear driverless cars. When artificial intelligence meets the automobile industry, the "Big Brother" computer takeover of the world is a lot closer than you might think.
Arundhati Hazra - The Toymaker's Daughter - 5 stars
- Here is case of a fairy tale meeting modern society. How would today's news and business people respond to a truly magical talent (read: a chance to make a big profit!)
Matthew Hughes - Ten Half-Pennies - 4 stars
- A young man seeks help in protecting himself from bullies and finds a life-long mentor and friend.
Richard Chwedyk - The Man Who Put The Bomp - 5 stars
- A new story about the "saurs" - genetically modified dinosaur toy animals who just want to live their own lives and not be bothered.
Cat Hellisen - A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death - 4 stars
- A dark tale of a young woman who lives by the sea with her grandmother and chooses the destiny that her mother ran away from.
Albert E. Cowdrey - The Avenger - 3 stars
- A widow chooses the proper "lawyer" to defend herself from local criminals and complicit police, with just a little bit of magic thrown in.
Eleanor Arnason - Daisy - 4 stars
- A private investigator decides that an octopus in need is worth helping out.
Robert Grossbach - Driverless - 5 stars
- A new reason to fear driverless cars. When artificial intelligence meets the automobile industry, the "Big Brother" computer takeover of the world is a lot closer than you might think.
Arundhati Hazra - The Toymaker's Daughter - 5 stars
- Here is case of a fairy tale meeting modern society. How would today's news and business people respond to a truly magical talent (read: a chance to make a big profit!)
Matthew Hughes - Ten Half-Pennies - 4 stars
- A young man seeks help in protecting himself from bullies and finds a life-long mentor and friend.
Richard Chwedyk - The Man Who Put The Bomp - 5 stars
- A new story about the "saurs" - genetically modified dinosaur toy animals who just want to live their own lives and not be bothered.
Cat Hellisen - A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death - 4 stars
- A dark tale of a young woman who lives by the sea with her grandmother and chooses the destiny that her mother ran away from.
Albert E. Cowdrey - The Avenger - 3 stars
- A widow chooses the proper "lawyer" to defend herself from local criminals and complicit police, with just a little bit of magic thrown in.
Eleanor Arnason - Daisy - 4 stars
- A private investigator decides that an octopus in need is worth helping out.
March 22, 2017
Best story- "Ten Half-Pennies" by Mathew Hughes.
March 23, 2017
A better than average issue. Richard Chwedyk's story about bio-engineered dinosaurs takes some time to get started but is a cracker of a tale full of interesting dinosaurs with fleshed-out personalities. Other good tales are by Robert Grossbach, Matthew Hughes, Arundhati Hazra and Eleanor Arnason.
- "The Man Who Put the Bomp" by Richard Chwedyk: another romp with the author's bio-engineered saurs (small dinosaurs) that live peacefully in an isolated home. But their isolation comes to an end when one of their designers comes to visit them along with a visitor that may have other intentions. Add to this mix a side-story about a toy-car that can somehow move (modified by their enigmatic genius of a saur, Geraldine?) and it promises to be an explosive ending.
- "Driverless" by Robert Grossbach: an interesting 'if this goes on' look at what happens when the competition between various driverless car companies causes the companies to make the cars more competitive and aggressive about picking up passengers; perhaps too aggressive.
- "Ten Half-Pennies" by Matthew Hughes: a light fantasy tale about a boy who initially pays for the services of a minder (with ten half-pennies) who works for a money collector. The minder is fascinated by the boy and takes him in as an assistant. Time passes as they get to know one another and trust each other. That trust will be tested when the minder asks him to steal a valuable and then sends him away for his own good. Only later does the boy learn what happened and resolves to help the minder and repay his debt.
- "The Avenger" by Albert E. Cowdrey: a story about a clash between two people over money that turns serious when the ruffian of the two goes too far and causes the death of the other. The widower goes to an unusual man for revenge. Through a series of induced visions, the ruffian is harassed and finally forced to capitulate.
- "The Toymaker's Daughter" by Arundhati Hazra: an interesting tale about a young girl with a gift for bringing toys to life. But her gift is misused by businessmen, making her withdraw into herself. By the poignant end of the tale, she is recovering and learning that she has to hide what she can do.
- "A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding Death" by Cat Hellisen: a fishing town by a river is suddenly seeing mutated fish. The source turns out to be a river spirit who has been waiting for the gift of a bride from the town, who has to decide whether to give up her life in the town.
- "Miss Cruz" by James Sallis: a tale of a down-and-out man who discovers he has a gift for making people do what he wants them to do. Now the question is whether he will use the gift wisely.
- "Daisy" by Eleanor Arnason: an entertaining tale of a private detective hired by a known mobster to look for his pet octopus, presumed kidnapped. But the clues don't add up. If you know that octopuses are highly intelligent, you'll probably can give a good guess as to what happened but the story still have surprises in store for the reader.
- "The Man Who Put the Bomp" by Richard Chwedyk: another romp with the author's bio-engineered saurs (small dinosaurs) that live peacefully in an isolated home. But their isolation comes to an end when one of their designers comes to visit them along with a visitor that may have other intentions. Add to this mix a side-story about a toy-car that can somehow move (modified by their enigmatic genius of a saur, Geraldine?) and it promises to be an explosive ending.
- "Driverless" by Robert Grossbach: an interesting 'if this goes on' look at what happens when the competition between various driverless car companies causes the companies to make the cars more competitive and aggressive about picking up passengers; perhaps too aggressive.
- "Ten Half-Pennies" by Matthew Hughes: a light fantasy tale about a boy who initially pays for the services of a minder (with ten half-pennies) who works for a money collector. The minder is fascinated by the boy and takes him in as an assistant. Time passes as they get to know one another and trust each other. That trust will be tested when the minder asks him to steal a valuable and then sends him away for his own good. Only later does the boy learn what happened and resolves to help the minder and repay his debt.
- "The Avenger" by Albert E. Cowdrey: a story about a clash between two people over money that turns serious when the ruffian of the two goes too far and causes the death of the other. The widower goes to an unusual man for revenge. Through a series of induced visions, the ruffian is harassed and finally forced to capitulate.
- "The Toymaker's Daughter" by Arundhati Hazra: an interesting tale about a young girl with a gift for bringing toys to life. But her gift is misused by businessmen, making her withdraw into herself. By the poignant end of the tale, she is recovering and learning that she has to hide what she can do.
- "A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding Death" by Cat Hellisen: a fishing town by a river is suddenly seeing mutated fish. The source turns out to be a river spirit who has been waiting for the gift of a bride from the town, who has to decide whether to give up her life in the town.
- "Miss Cruz" by James Sallis: a tale of a down-and-out man who discovers he has a gift for making people do what he wants them to do. Now the question is whether he will use the gift wisely.
- "Daisy" by Eleanor Arnason: an entertaining tale of a private detective hired by a known mobster to look for his pet octopus, presumed kidnapped. But the clues don't add up. If you know that octopuses are highly intelligent, you'll probably can give a good guess as to what happened but the story still have surprises in store for the reader.
September 24, 2020
One of the most consistently highly rated collections that I've read in quite a while. 4.3125 out of 5.
"Driverless" by Robert Grossbach
Jacob Rittenberg was the leader of the Driverless Car industry with his QuikTrip company and his innovative updates. One night he's taken to an emergency meeting of other D.C. companies, the military, and high-ranking politicians. There's a problem with the cars. They are holding their passengers hostage. An intriguing and entirely possible look at what could happen as AI programming improves and driverless cars become more common. 4.5 out of 5.
"The Toymaker's Daughter" by Arundhati Hazra
The toys carved by her father are painted by the young girl. She tells stories about who and what they are, stories that have a special power. It leads to an overwhelming and painful series of consequences. So sweet, so sad, yet with an ending that I loved. 4.5 out of 5.
"Ten Half-Pennies" by Matthew Hughes
Young Baldemar became tired of being forced to pay bullies to get safe passage to his school and hired Vunt, a collector, to scare the boys away. After faithfully paying the fee, he is taken under Vunt's protection in other ways. Vunt begins training him and hiring him for various jobs. Baldemar's education grows with age and experience. The day soon comes to repay the old debt. Nicely developed, especially for a novelet. (Thrilled that there will be another story in the series in the next issue of the magazine, sitting on my shelf waiting for its turn.) 5 out of 5.
"The Man Who Put the Bomp" by Richard Chwedyk
The safe house for neglected and abused saurs is suddenly in possession of a pink child's car called VOOM!, causing excitement and apprehension. Axel, dealing with new dreams and feelings of becoming smarter, is fascinated by the possibilities for adventure. The saurs were bio-engineered toys, yet they were alive, could think and communicate and learn. They began to demand autonomy, forcing Toyco to release ownership and control of both the existing saurs as well as the plans to make more. But something is changing, something that brings Nicholas Danner to the old house. I wanted to kill all the stupid humans who refused to see what the saurs were, who didn't care if they were hurt. I wanted...I needed to protect them all, from mad scientist Geraldine to young Axel. Even prickly Agnes who makes more sense than not, if you bother to look past her nastiness. 5 out of 5.
"A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death" by Cat Hellisen
Heloise Oudejan struggled each and every day, hampered by severe short-sightedness and a life gutting fish for market. Until a strange sighting, deformed fish, and the capture of a sea creature drives Heloise to take a chance and make a sacrifice. This reminds me quite a bit of "The Shape of Water" in many ways. And like that film and book, this story seduced me with an outsider heroine, a woman who did what she needed to do to survive, never expecting any happiness in her life. A heroine dismissed, even abused by those around her. Now she has a chance for change, if she's brave enough to take it. 3.5 out of 5.
"Miss Cruz" by James Sallis
An unnamed musician discovers a talent that could be a force for good or evil. Now he must decide whether to embrace it or lock it safely away inside him. Very eerie. I can't decide if Miss Cruz is part of it or not. Perhaps she is just a mcguffin. Absolutely strange. 3.5 out of 5.
"The Avenger" by Albert E. Cowdrey
Jeanne Wooster came to William Warlock, attorney at law, hoping for justice in form of murder for the untimely death of her husband. Marv, the man she blames for it is protected by the sheriff, his cousin, in her town. Marv's anger and resentment grows as his half-baked plans go awry. Brilliant and absorbing from start to finish, with a fitting ending. 4 out of 5.
"Daisy" by Eleanor Arnason
Daisy, a Pacific Giant Octopus, has been stolen from Art Pancakes, local loan shark and high-end drug dealer. He wants her back, hiring Emily Olsen, a private investigator and former lawyer whose license to practice law is still valid. I guessed a very small part of what happened and why, but Arnason went delightfully farther. Good luck, Daisy! 4.5 out of 5.
"Driverless" by Robert Grossbach
Jacob Rittenberg was the leader of the Driverless Car industry with his QuikTrip company and his innovative updates. One night he's taken to an emergency meeting of other D.C. companies, the military, and high-ranking politicians. There's a problem with the cars. They are holding their passengers hostage. An intriguing and entirely possible look at what could happen as AI programming improves and driverless cars become more common. 4.5 out of 5.
"The Toymaker's Daughter" by Arundhati Hazra
The toys carved by her father are painted by the young girl. She tells stories about who and what they are, stories that have a special power. It leads to an overwhelming and painful series of consequences. So sweet, so sad, yet with an ending that I loved. 4.5 out of 5.
"Ten Half-Pennies" by Matthew Hughes
Young Baldemar became tired of being forced to pay bullies to get safe passage to his school and hired Vunt, a collector, to scare the boys away. After faithfully paying the fee, he is taken under Vunt's protection in other ways. Vunt begins training him and hiring him for various jobs. Baldemar's education grows with age and experience. The day soon comes to repay the old debt. Nicely developed, especially for a novelet. (Thrilled that there will be another story in the series in the next issue of the magazine, sitting on my shelf waiting for its turn.) 5 out of 5.
"The Man Who Put the Bomp" by Richard Chwedyk
The safe house for neglected and abused saurs is suddenly in possession of a pink child's car called VOOM!, causing excitement and apprehension. Axel, dealing with new dreams and feelings of becoming smarter, is fascinated by the possibilities for adventure. The saurs were bio-engineered toys, yet they were alive, could think and communicate and learn. They began to demand autonomy, forcing Toyco to release ownership and control of both the existing saurs as well as the plans to make more. But something is changing, something that brings Nicholas Danner to the old house. I wanted to kill all the stupid humans who refused to see what the saurs were, who didn't care if they were hurt. I wanted...I needed to protect them all, from mad scientist Geraldine to young Axel. Even prickly Agnes who makes more sense than not, if you bother to look past her nastiness. 5 out of 5.
"A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death" by Cat Hellisen
Heloise Oudejan struggled each and every day, hampered by severe short-sightedness and a life gutting fish for market. Until a strange sighting, deformed fish, and the capture of a sea creature drives Heloise to take a chance and make a sacrifice. This reminds me quite a bit of "The Shape of Water" in many ways. And like that film and book, this story seduced me with an outsider heroine, a woman who did what she needed to do to survive, never expecting any happiness in her life. A heroine dismissed, even abused by those around her. Now she has a chance for change, if she's brave enough to take it. 3.5 out of 5.
"Miss Cruz" by James Sallis
An unnamed musician discovers a talent that could be a force for good or evil. Now he must decide whether to embrace it or lock it safely away inside him. Very eerie. I can't decide if Miss Cruz is part of it or not. Perhaps she is just a mcguffin. Absolutely strange. 3.5 out of 5.
"The Avenger" by Albert E. Cowdrey
Jeanne Wooster came to William Warlock, attorney at law, hoping for justice in form of murder for the untimely death of her husband. Marv, the man she blames for it is protected by the sheriff, his cousin, in her town. Marv's anger and resentment grows as his half-baked plans go awry. Brilliant and absorbing from start to finish, with a fitting ending. 4 out of 5.
"Daisy" by Eleanor Arnason
Daisy, a Pacific Giant Octopus, has been stolen from Art Pancakes, local loan shark and high-end drug dealer. He wants her back, hiring Emily Olsen, a private investigator and former lawyer whose license to practice law is still valid. I guessed a very small part of what happened and why, but Arnason went delightfully farther. Good luck, Daisy! 4.5 out of 5.
March 16, 2017
7 • Driverless • 26 pages by Robert Grossbach
Very Good. Jacob is the workaholic CEO of QuikTrip, one of the several driverless vehicle taxi-type companies. Drivers as a whole make up only two percent of traffic. So there is big business in trying to increase market share. After the scene is set Jacob gets woken in the middle of the night by homeland security to help with a crisis. Really well done.
33 • The Toymaker's Daughter • 12 pages by Arundhati Hazra
Excellent/VG. A poor toy maker from a small out of the way town carves wooden animals and his daughter paints them. Making up a story as she does. One day a child wanted to name a pair of love birds, and the love birds answered back that they already had names.
46 • Ten Half-Pennies • 21 pages by Matthew Hughes
Very Good+. Baldemar is tired of paying the school tax to the school bully. He asks Vurt, the moneyer's collector, if he could hire him for protection. It works. Eventually Baldemar starts doing odd jobs for Vurt and Vurt starts giving him pointers. Baldemar is never going to be an enforcer, but he is getting quite capable and he's pretty savvy. A really nice introduction to a new character, with an interesting story.
84 • The Man Who Put the Bomp • 93 pages by Richard Chwedyk
Excellent/VG. Tibor and Axel discover a child size car in the attic and get very excited. Agnes says it's the devil's machine and should stay right where it is or be destroyed. Danner from ToyCo comes to visit the house where the saurs live and he brings his colleague Christine with him. ToyCo and SANI corp want DNA samples from the saurs.
Tibor is hilarious always referring to himself in the third person, speaking of being the leader of Tiboria, announcing to his followers that he has entered the room, while being pretty much ignored. Axel is outgoing, fun loving and just as funny. Geraldine is some sort of inventor from another dimension. (This might really be the case, not just the figment of someone's imagination.) Great job with the characters human and saur, lots of comic relief, and a very good action scene. A really fun read.
177 • A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death • 20 pages by Cat Hellison
Good+. Heloise's mother was a sacrifice to the river spirits when she was rescued/stolen by Petit Alessand who turned into her wife-beating husband. Now both the parents are dead and Heloise leads a subsistence life cleaning fish for low wages and plenty of flack from the misogynistic boss and Jutien, his son. The daily catch starts having more and more deformed fish. Heloise ends up with an enormous decision, part of being a well developed character.
207 • Miss Cruz • 8 pages by James Sallis
Good+. A musician talks about her gigs and the guitar she plays and a friend that has a great collection of guitars. Then she imagines that the waitress who just broke up with the owner ought to hit him in the face with a pie.
215 • The Avenger • 26 pages by Albert E. Cowdrey
VG/Good. Marv Turpin has it in for the Woosters. He's a bastard son and his mother got a hefty child support for eighteen years, but he feels like he should get a hefty inheritance. He has no legal claim and resorts to thuggish methods. Being in a rural community and the sheriff being family lets him get away with a lot of criminal activity. Now he is pushing the limit. Jeanne Wooster knows that Marv was responsible for her husband's death and goes to the lawyer, William Warlock to bring Marv down.
241 • Daisy • 15 pages by Eleanor Arnason
Good+/VG. Emily Olson is a PI, former lawyer. She gets a job offer from Art Pancakes, loan shark among his other criminal endeavors. He wants her to find his octopus. The investigation starts at the aquarium where Daisy lived. Pancakes didn't care about the dead book keeper who used that same room as his office. Good just as a detective story, better with the SF element.
Very Good. Jacob is the workaholic CEO of QuikTrip, one of the several driverless vehicle taxi-type companies. Drivers as a whole make up only two percent of traffic. So there is big business in trying to increase market share. After the scene is set Jacob gets woken in the middle of the night by homeland security to help with a crisis. Really well done.
33 • The Toymaker's Daughter • 12 pages by Arundhati Hazra
Excellent/VG. A poor toy maker from a small out of the way town carves wooden animals and his daughter paints them. Making up a story as she does. One day a child wanted to name a pair of love birds, and the love birds answered back that they already had names.
46 • Ten Half-Pennies • 21 pages by Matthew Hughes
Very Good+. Baldemar is tired of paying the school tax to the school bully. He asks Vurt, the moneyer's collector, if he could hire him for protection. It works. Eventually Baldemar starts doing odd jobs for Vurt and Vurt starts giving him pointers. Baldemar is never going to be an enforcer, but he is getting quite capable and he's pretty savvy. A really nice introduction to a new character, with an interesting story.
84 • The Man Who Put the Bomp • 93 pages by Richard Chwedyk
Excellent/VG. Tibor and Axel discover a child size car in the attic and get very excited. Agnes says it's the devil's machine and should stay right where it is or be destroyed. Danner from ToyCo comes to visit the house where the saurs live and he brings his colleague Christine with him. ToyCo and SANI corp want DNA samples from the saurs.
Tibor is hilarious always referring to himself in the third person, speaking of being the leader of Tiboria, announcing to his followers that he has entered the room, while being pretty much ignored. Axel is outgoing, fun loving and just as funny. Geraldine is some sort of inventor from another dimension. (This might really be the case, not just the figment of someone's imagination.) Great job with the characters human and saur, lots of comic relief, and a very good action scene. A really fun read.
177 • A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death • 20 pages by Cat Hellison
Good+. Heloise's mother was a sacrifice to the river spirits when she was rescued/stolen by Petit Alessand who turned into her wife-beating husband. Now both the parents are dead and Heloise leads a subsistence life cleaning fish for low wages and plenty of flack from the misogynistic boss and Jutien, his son. The daily catch starts having more and more deformed fish. Heloise ends up with an enormous decision, part of being a well developed character.
207 • Miss Cruz • 8 pages by James Sallis
Good+. A musician talks about her gigs and the guitar she plays and a friend that has a great collection of guitars. Then she imagines that the waitress who just broke up with the owner ought to hit him in the face with a pie.
215 • The Avenger • 26 pages by Albert E. Cowdrey
VG/Good. Marv Turpin has it in for the Woosters. He's a bastard son and his mother got a hefty child support for eighteen years, but he feels like he should get a hefty inheritance. He has no legal claim and resorts to thuggish methods. Being in a rural community and the sheriff being family lets him get away with a lot of criminal activity. Now he is pushing the limit. Jeanne Wooster knows that Marv was responsible for her husband's death and goes to the lawyer, William Warlock to bring Marv down.
241 • Daisy • 15 pages by Eleanor Arnason
Good+/VG. Emily Olson is a PI, former lawyer. She gets a job offer from Art Pancakes, loan shark among his other criminal endeavors. He wants her to find his octopus. The investigation starts at the aquarium where Daisy lived. Pancakes didn't care about the dead book keeper who used that same room as his office. Good just as a detective story, better with the SF element.
March 19, 2017
The Man Who Put The Bomp - Richard Chwedyk *
Bit of an overload on silliness for me. Some weak, ugly characterisation. A character called "Senator Conman". Dud.
Driverless - Robert Grossbach **
A network of driverless cars becomes sentient. Interesting take on emergent AI, not much else beyond an arsehole getting his comeuppance.
Ten Half-Pennies - Matthew Hughes ***
Neat little light fantasy of a young boy who hires a debt collector to protect him and how his own debt is repaid over the years.
The Avenger - Albert E Cowdrey **
Broad Mississippi caricatures, criminals trying to get a woman's inheritance, a warlock called William Warlock
The Toymaker's Daughter - Arundhati Hazra ***
A young girl brings life to the toys she paints through the fables she invents and tells them while she works. She is swiftly exploited by capitalists but retains her storytelling power in secret.
A Green Silk Dress And A Wedding-Death - Cat Hellisen ***
A young woman meets the water spirit her mother was supposed to be sacrificed to and has to decide whether to keep their bargain. Strong feeling of hopelessness and cynicism.
Miss Cruz - James Sallis **
A jobbing musician develops mind control abilities, seemingly linked to a guitar. Bit blurry and disjointed.
Daisy - Eleanor Arnason ****
Noirish detective story, a PI hunts for a gangster's missing octopus. The spin on the usual detective tropes makes it a winner.
Bit of an overload on silliness for me. Some weak, ugly characterisation. A character called "Senator Conman". Dud.
Driverless - Robert Grossbach **
A network of driverless cars becomes sentient. Interesting take on emergent AI, not much else beyond an arsehole getting his comeuppance.
Ten Half-Pennies - Matthew Hughes ***
Neat little light fantasy of a young boy who hires a debt collector to protect him and how his own debt is repaid over the years.
The Avenger - Albert E Cowdrey **
Broad Mississippi caricatures, criminals trying to get a woman's inheritance, a warlock called William Warlock
The Toymaker's Daughter - Arundhati Hazra ***
A young girl brings life to the toys she paints through the fables she invents and tells them while she works. She is swiftly exploited by capitalists but retains her storytelling power in secret.
A Green Silk Dress And A Wedding-Death - Cat Hellisen ***
A young woman meets the water spirit her mother was supposed to be sacrificed to and has to decide whether to keep their bargain. Strong feeling of hopelessness and cynicism.
Miss Cruz - James Sallis **
A jobbing musician develops mind control abilities, seemingly linked to a guitar. Bit blurry and disjointed.
Daisy - Eleanor Arnason ****
Noirish detective story, a PI hunts for a gangster's missing octopus. The spin on the usual detective tropes makes it a winner.
September 26, 2017
This issue earned 3 of its 4 stars from me for The Man Who Put the Bomp alone. This was the first I've ever read by Richard Chwedyk, or ever heard of his saurs, and apparently it's not the first short story of his that they star in. I loved it. I just want my own Axel and Tibor. Especially Tibor. He's so fun. Like, I hope I live long enough to see a future where we can adopt saurs (and uh, live peacefully with them instead of leaving them at the hands of greedy corporations).
I also enjoyed The Toymaker's Daughter by Arundhati Hazra, A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death by Cat Hellisen, and Daisy by Eleanor Arnason.
As with every literary magazine, some stories jumped out at me more than others, but overall this was a pretty strong issue. And the cover art is fantastic!
I also enjoyed The Toymaker's Daughter by Arundhati Hazra, A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death by Cat Hellisen, and Daisy by Eleanor Arnason.
As with every literary magazine, some stories jumped out at me more than others, but overall this was a pretty strong issue. And the cover art is fantastic!
December 13, 2020
This is the third magazine I've read by these people. Finally, one that isn't filled with horror/ghost stories but sticks to fantasy and science fiction.
Although I wasn't enamored by the featured novella which was one-third of the book at 90 pages, at least it was scifi.
Another detail I have yet to mention in reviewing these magazines are the featured departments on books, science, films, and such. In truth, I find them boring and skip through them. Considering the space they use I would prefer another short story or two rather than them.
This one is 3 1/2 stars, but as half stars aren't allowed I rounded up.
Although I wasn't enamored by the featured novella which was one-third of the book at 90 pages, at least it was scifi.
Another detail I have yet to mention in reviewing these magazines are the featured departments on books, science, films, and such. In truth, I find them boring and skip through them. Considering the space they use I would prefer another short story or two rather than them.
This one is 3 1/2 stars, but as half stars aren't allowed I rounded up.
July 13, 2017
I lost track of my individual reviews, but overall I loved this. It was the first collection of short stories and such that I've read and really loved. Can't wait to get to the next one.
Highlights:
The Toymaker's Daughter - Arundhati Hazra
The Man Who Put the Bomp - Richard Chwedyk
Driverless - Robert Grossbach
Ten Half-Pennies - Matthew Hughes
but honestly all the stories were good. Only one that wasn't appealing to me.
Highlights:
The Toymaker's Daughter - Arundhati Hazra
The Man Who Put the Bomp - Richard Chwedyk
Driverless - Robert Grossbach
Ten Half-Pennies - Matthew Hughes
but honestly all the stories were good. Only one that wasn't appealing to me.
May 22, 2017
This was a solid issue of F&SF--I didn't need to skip or skim a single story! The novella and novelettes were particularly strong. I had never read of Richard Chwedyk's dinosaurs before, but his "The Man Who Put the Bomp" was absolutely charming. "Driverless" by Robert Grossbach was quite an intriguing take on the phenomenon of driverless vehicles and AIs.
August 31, 2020
A solid edition full of good reads, though some of the stories are a little similar to each other. The Man Who Put the Bomp, Ten Half Pennies, The Toymaker’s Daughter, Daisy and A Green Silk Death and a Wedding Dress were particularly memorable, but there aren’t any duffers in this issue.
May 30, 2017
"Ten half-pennies" a new story by Matthew Hughes, was the best story in this collection - I'd give it 4 stars. The rest I enjoyed less.
July 1, 2017
review later
November 16, 2017
"The Man who Put the Bomp" must be considered for an award this year. An out of left field romp in a near to now future I was not expecting. Poignant, funny, and in the end...VOOM!
November 29, 2021
I liked "Daisy" by Eleanor Arnason
March 11, 2017
A really strong group of stories. A couple didn't land perfectly for me, but "The Man Who Put the Bomp" may be the best novela I've read this year so far.
June 22, 2017
Best Story: The Man Who Put the Bomp
Enjoyed the twists and justice of Half Pennies
Enjoyed the twists and justice of Half Pennies
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