 |
| Publisher/Creative Director - John Harlacher Editor - Marvin Kaye |
Today, O Wondrous reader of the 21st century, we continue to seek out that which is most weird and unsettling, for your own edification and alarm...ALL WRITERS OF SUCH STORIES ARE PROPHET...
Weird Tales was the first storytelling magazine devoted to the realm of the dark and fantastic...90 Years of Weird Tales!Soooo, how does a reviewer go about reviewing a magazine... Of course, it's no different...Just Start Reading... Turning to the first page, you'll see the above...which includes that Weird Tales is having an anniversary! Well, this is my first read, not because I've never read many of the authors that write scifi, fairy tales, fantasy, etc., but as you know, I'm normally reading books constantly... So, I thought I'd do this a little different--a lot different...
First, let me say that this is a truly outstanding genre writers magazine! Writers can contribute! Each mag will have a theme, so more than likely if you are writing in scifi-fantasy, you're going to have ample opportunities to submit items...Check submission guidelines, first, of course!
You've already seen just one book review from this edition by Jon Koons...
and a sample of covers from Cover Artist Extraordinaire Margaret Brundage...
But the truth is that this barely touched the surface. I don't normally talk about cost, but for under $10, this magazine has an amazing number of short stories, poems, Interviews, poetry and, like I said, book reviews... In this issue, there are 19 fiction stories of various length, for instance!
Enter The Den to find reviews--longer than what I write! Wow! This issue includes, in addition to the one mentioned above...
Doctor Who: Shada: The Lost Adventure by Douglas Adams, by Gareth Roberts, reviewed by Jon Koons
Goblinproofing One's Chicken Coop and Other Practical Advice in Our Campaign against the Fairy Kingdom by Reginald Bakeley, reviewed by Dick Baldwin
Pure by Julianna Baggott, reviewed by Jon Koons
 |
| Design Director is Jeff Wong Contributing Artists include Jill Bauman, Marc Bilgrey, Tessa Farmer
Don't mind telling you that the artwork in this magazine is extraordinary in my opinion. Each article has appropriate complementary designs. Sure, some of them are weird, right? Like this little Cover gem that has fairies tying up a monster! I don't know whether he's shooing them away or trying to capture one...but it's clear who is winning, of course!
And check out these cute page-fillers that helps decorate and organize pages...I loved the layout/art support completely! 
Let's spend a little time with the fiction... Of course I can't review all of the stories, but I do want to give you a taste of quite a number to give you the flavor of presentations... There were some that I absolutely adored and I just might do a single review for several...So keep watching...
Ok, Weird #1...Peter Beagle shares, "The Queen Who Could Not Walk" In some country, unnamed due to age and lack of maps available at the time, there is a king and queen who reigns... The weird part? They can have their reign stopped at any time--and when they leave the position, they become beggars... Now, the King was "kicked out" first so his Queen began reigning on her own. She could not walk and the King had quite a lovely wheelchair made for her. Fortunately when she was kicked, she was at least allowed to take her chair. Everything they had enjoyed during their time leading was left. In fact, this king and queen ruled graciously and even the servants told them that they were better rulers than those they served, deserved... The Queen was nearly helpless after she left and would sit without food or drink, until a beggar woman started to help her... I'm not quite sure why this tale was written because everybody knows that kings and queens never ever die or get kicked out, right? It does have a moral of forgiving...and I must say it had a very happy ending for those who get kicked out of the castle and their jobs, if it wasn't a fairy tale... LOL
~~~
Magpied, Weird Story #2, by Tanith Lee, was an old tale replayed, quite interestingly... Some of you may remember the original, but there's much more drama this time... This tale tells of a young stranger who came into town, no matter what town that it was, and was told of the danger there and that he should beware... Why? Well all of the young people would drink and party each night, then sleep all day... So the young traveler offered...to play on a magical pipe and...
This reed with speed, such is its sway, Will subdue, And mesh in a net like a debt they That harm you... To wit, each chit and child uncouth, Snared in steel, And locked as in jail...Now somewhere along the way, rats became like their children since their real children were gone and couldn't come back... imagine that--they loved them best!
~~~
Now you might think this is coming to an end...but it just isn't true...
Weird, I know, but this tale continues... Tomorrow with Fae For a Day for Halloween!
And if this hasn't been weird enough...hurry back for more!
|
No comments:
Post a Comment