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Flotation Device: A Charity Anthology
Twenty Fantastical Stories from the Glasgow Science Fiction Writers Circle. All proceeds to support charities fighting COVID-19/coronavirus
- GenresFantasy
ebook
Published March 23, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 23, 2020
Beyond Hadrian’s Wall in the cold, savage windswept north, a group of nice authors in the Glasgow SF Writers Circle have banded together to produce a fantasy anthology in aid of some charities that help the neediest in our current crisis. There’s a variety of jolly good fiction, some very short, so I’ll pick out a few personal highlights from the 20 stories.
Typical! Just when Princess Rosalva is due to set off on an epic three-year quest to slay the dark god of the Orcs and save her kingdom, she gets pregnant by the Chosen One, a gawky farm boy called Ben. The mighty wizard Farigh isn’t pleased at his plans being ruined but the Princess has a plan B. Cameron Johnston skilfully mocks secondary fantasy fiction in ‘Of Gods And Monsters’. Epic Pooh, anyone?
‘Some Of The Great Old Ones Are On The Pitch’ by Brian M. Milton is pretty much summed up in the title but it’s well done.
‘Sugar Coated’ by Don Redwood is a Christmas story. Sabrina Knight goes to her cousins every year to play with their wonderful toys for they are very rich. They ask her the question every poor kid hates: what did you get for Christmas? Lying, she invents the most wonderful PlayStation ever. Her cousin says they got that, too, and goes off to fetch it. Not sure if this is fantasy or Science Fiction but I enjoyed the premise.
‘Threnody’ by Hal Duncan is a sort of prose poem about a bee on Mars in which words fall over themselves to delight in ‘the infinitesimally fine frolicking of quarks those monkeys prattle of as reality.’ Duncan wrote ‘The Land Of Somewhere Safe’ which I reviewed for SFCrowsnest and enjoyed enormously, despite the profane language.
‘Nelson’s Blood’ by Richard Mosses is a slightly mad story of rough Glasgow youths drinking the potion in the title and having a sailing ship/shopping trolley battle with a rival gang. Different and great fun.
‘The Snow Baby’ by Jenni Coutts is the story of Aari, his younger brother Lumi and their pet wolf, Talvi, who live in a Trullo in a village in the mountains where their tribe keeps yaks. Lumi was born a snow baby, an albino, and should have been cast out as, according to legend as they bring the wolves. Written in a clean, simple style, this charming fairy tale passed a pleasant half-hour and would make a nice Disney film.
People go to fantasy conventions in all kinds of costumes nowadays so it would be easy for real pagan deities to turn up and not be noticed, which is exactly what they do in ‘All The Way To The Dead Dog Party’ by E.M. Faulds. An enjoyable yarn told almost entirely in dialogue and I never guessed who the saint was until the reveal when it was obvious.
‘The Worms Of Talay’ by T.H. Dray is a prose poem in the mode of Hal Duncan’s piece with rich descriptions in the style of Jack Vance, poetic turns of phrase and even the odd rhyme. It makes for a pleasant read.
Filmland is a DVD store-cum-cafe and our hero works the evening shift there. The trouble starts when a strange girl comes in. After I had finished ‘Filmland’ by Stewart Horn, I realised that it was a pretty straightforward scary horror story but the first-person narration makes it so immersive you get carried along.
Allie is a student in Glasgow and her main aim in life is not to be what her family expects ie the same as them, single mothers with a few brats in tow or ‘normal’. Her life is complicated by something haunting her, something terrifying and the urban fox which seems to be keeping it away. ‘Ancient History’ by Elaine Gallagher is an effective fantasy where the back story hinted at in the title is cleverly revealed at the right time.
I enjoyed ‘The Sea Calls Its Own’ by Christopher Napier because the relationship between son and father struck a chord. Our hero has his PhD and is soon flying off to Australia to work but pays a last visit to his old Dad on the Scottish coast. His mother, a mysterious character, died long ago. The fantasy element was predictable, at least to me because I’ve read something similar before. The slightly strained conversations between a son and his stoic old father, a Celt not given to showing emotion, were well done and a refreshing change. I find the modern trend for wearing your heart on your sleeve and talking about how you ‘feel’ rather tiresome and much prefer the old way. Keep a stiff upper, chaps!
The book closes with ‘Where I Went On My Holidays’ by Ian Hunter in which a boy tells of the adventure he and his sister Ellie had with their Uncle Jack, an old fool who hints that he’s centuries old and has fought mummies and zombies. He takes them to the seaside in this likeable romp. Ah, the seaside. Will we ever see it again?
Many of these stories have not appeared elsewhere before, a few have. Like all anthologies, it’s a mixed bag but on the whole an enjoyable one and, like all anthologies, it gives you a chance to sample new writers and chase up further works by the ones you like and it’s for charity.
Typical! Just when Princess Rosalva is due to set off on an epic three-year quest to slay the dark god of the Orcs and save her kingdom, she gets pregnant by the Chosen One, a gawky farm boy called Ben. The mighty wizard Farigh isn’t pleased at his plans being ruined but the Princess has a plan B. Cameron Johnston skilfully mocks secondary fantasy fiction in ‘Of Gods And Monsters’. Epic Pooh, anyone?
‘Some Of The Great Old Ones Are On The Pitch’ by Brian M. Milton is pretty much summed up in the title but it’s well done.
‘Sugar Coated’ by Don Redwood is a Christmas story. Sabrina Knight goes to her cousins every year to play with their wonderful toys for they are very rich. They ask her the question every poor kid hates: what did you get for Christmas? Lying, she invents the most wonderful PlayStation ever. Her cousin says they got that, too, and goes off to fetch it. Not sure if this is fantasy or Science Fiction but I enjoyed the premise.
‘Threnody’ by Hal Duncan is a sort of prose poem about a bee on Mars in which words fall over themselves to delight in ‘the infinitesimally fine frolicking of quarks those monkeys prattle of as reality.’ Duncan wrote ‘The Land Of Somewhere Safe’ which I reviewed for SFCrowsnest and enjoyed enormously, despite the profane language.
‘Nelson’s Blood’ by Richard Mosses is a slightly mad story of rough Glasgow youths drinking the potion in the title and having a sailing ship/shopping trolley battle with a rival gang. Different and great fun.
‘The Snow Baby’ by Jenni Coutts is the story of Aari, his younger brother Lumi and their pet wolf, Talvi, who live in a Trullo in a village in the mountains where their tribe keeps yaks. Lumi was born a snow baby, an albino, and should have been cast out as, according to legend as they bring the wolves. Written in a clean, simple style, this charming fairy tale passed a pleasant half-hour and would make a nice Disney film.
People go to fantasy conventions in all kinds of costumes nowadays so it would be easy for real pagan deities to turn up and not be noticed, which is exactly what they do in ‘All The Way To The Dead Dog Party’ by E.M. Faulds. An enjoyable yarn told almost entirely in dialogue and I never guessed who the saint was until the reveal when it was obvious.
‘The Worms Of Talay’ by T.H. Dray is a prose poem in the mode of Hal Duncan’s piece with rich descriptions in the style of Jack Vance, poetic turns of phrase and even the odd rhyme. It makes for a pleasant read.
Filmland is a DVD store-cum-cafe and our hero works the evening shift there. The trouble starts when a strange girl comes in. After I had finished ‘Filmland’ by Stewart Horn, I realised that it was a pretty straightforward scary horror story but the first-person narration makes it so immersive you get carried along.
Allie is a student in Glasgow and her main aim in life is not to be what her family expects ie the same as them, single mothers with a few brats in tow or ‘normal’. Her life is complicated by something haunting her, something terrifying and the urban fox which seems to be keeping it away. ‘Ancient History’ by Elaine Gallagher is an effective fantasy where the back story hinted at in the title is cleverly revealed at the right time.
I enjoyed ‘The Sea Calls Its Own’ by Christopher Napier because the relationship between son and father struck a chord. Our hero has his PhD and is soon flying off to Australia to work but pays a last visit to his old Dad on the Scottish coast. His mother, a mysterious character, died long ago. The fantasy element was predictable, at least to me because I’ve read something similar before. The slightly strained conversations between a son and his stoic old father, a Celt not given to showing emotion, were well done and a refreshing change. I find the modern trend for wearing your heart on your sleeve and talking about how you ‘feel’ rather tiresome and much prefer the old way. Keep a stiff upper, chaps!
The book closes with ‘Where I Went On My Holidays’ by Ian Hunter in which a boy tells of the adventure he and his sister Ellie had with their Uncle Jack, an old fool who hints that he’s centuries old and has fought mummies and zombies. He takes them to the seaside in this likeable romp. Ah, the seaside. Will we ever see it again?
Many of these stories have not appeared elsewhere before, a few have. Like all anthologies, it’s a mixed bag but on the whole an enjoyable one and, like all anthologies, it gives you a chance to sample new writers and chase up further works by the ones you like and it’s for charity.
June 13, 2020
This anthology from the members of the Glasgow SF Writers' Circle was put together quickly after the start of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, in aid of various charities. All the authors donated their stories, so all the money (minus PayPal fees) went to the chosen charities. Given the cause, how could I refuse?
There's quite a variety of stories here, light and dark, and of varying lengths. The opener, Of Gods and Monsters was strong, with a modern take on a fantasy Quest, where the princess gets pregnant with the Chosen One's child and the Mighty Wizard storms off in a huff, so they have to find another solution. Sweet and funny, a fun way to start the collection.
Other highlights included The Map, or a Pocketful of Dog's Teeth about a carny and their con trick against a punter; Amaranth, a metaphor for depression wrapped in a superhero story and The Snow Baby about a boy and his younger brother who's been hidden from the rest of the village for fear they'll kill him, which turned out better than I was expecting.
Some stories are short but pack quite a punch, such as The Anniversary by Ruth EJ Booth. Christopher Napier's The Sea Calls its Own is longer, but has father-son feelings going on, and an end that punched me in the guts.
There are some well known names in here, such as Hal Duncan, with Threnody. I'm sorry to say that having read several pieces by Duncan in different collections, I've never entirely clicked with his style. Neil Williamson also contributed a story: Rare as a Harpy's Tear, which is lyrical and melancholy.
I'm saving my favourite story for the end though. I must proclaim an interest here, in that I know Brian Milton personally and he's a lovely chap, but I always perk up when I see a new story by him. His style is whimsical and light, but always full of heart. Here, he contributed Some of the Great Old Ones are on the Pitch, a story in broad Scots about a kerfuffle at a Partick Thistle football game. And, because some people apparently found this difficult to interpret, he's provided a translation into the Queen's English on his website. Heartily recommended if you need a smile today.
This is a good collection, with many of its stories based in Glasgow or Scotland, and for a good cause. Definitely worth your money and your time.
There's quite a variety of stories here, light and dark, and of varying lengths. The opener, Of Gods and Monsters was strong, with a modern take on a fantasy Quest, where the princess gets pregnant with the Chosen One's child and the Mighty Wizard storms off in a huff, so they have to find another solution. Sweet and funny, a fun way to start the collection.
Other highlights included The Map, or a Pocketful of Dog's Teeth about a carny and their con trick against a punter; Amaranth, a metaphor for depression wrapped in a superhero story and The Snow Baby about a boy and his younger brother who's been hidden from the rest of the village for fear they'll kill him, which turned out better than I was expecting.
Some stories are short but pack quite a punch, such as The Anniversary by Ruth EJ Booth. Christopher Napier's The Sea Calls its Own is longer, but has father-son feelings going on, and an end that punched me in the guts.
There are some well known names in here, such as Hal Duncan, with Threnody. I'm sorry to say that having read several pieces by Duncan in different collections, I've never entirely clicked with his style. Neil Williamson also contributed a story: Rare as a Harpy's Tear, which is lyrical and melancholy.
I'm saving my favourite story for the end though. I must proclaim an interest here, in that I know Brian Milton personally and he's a lovely chap, but I always perk up when I see a new story by him. His style is whimsical and light, but always full of heart. Here, he contributed Some of the Great Old Ones are on the Pitch, a story in broad Scots about a kerfuffle at a Partick Thistle football game. And, because some people apparently found this difficult to interpret, he's provided a translation into the Queen's English on his website. Heartily recommended if you need a smile today.
This is a good collection, with many of its stories based in Glasgow or Scotland, and for a good cause. Definitely worth your money and your time.
April 21, 2020
Great collection of stories from Scottish authors with stories based throughout the country. Not all stories hit home for me, but those that did did so with great skill in telling a story with a word limit. 5 stars goes towards the work put in by everyone and that it is for a charitable cause in all sales going towards Coronavirus relief.
February 20, 2021
An anthology showcasing the work of the Glasgow SF Writers Circle, which has some extremely talented authors. Inevitably I liked some stories more than others, but the overall quality was very high and there’s a great variety of genres, story lengths and mood.
August 26, 2020
Rating is totally biased because I have story in this. The rest of my GSFWC pals have done great stuff and I'm delighted to be counted amongst this lineup.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews