Into The Dark (Polestars Book 9) by Patrice Sarath (book review).

The Polestars’ collections from NewCon Press are books of short stories by one author featuring their best work. This bundle from Patrice Sarath opens with ‘Murder On The Hohmann,’ billed as a homage to Agatha Christie, Conan Doyle, and other mystery writers. The murder of the most irritating passenger on a slow freighter from the asteroid belt to Earth plunges a few passengers into crisis. The tale has a solid science fiction background and is neatly done. She outsells everything except the Bible and Shakespeare, making her a good writer to aspire to.

‘The Star Seed Witches Meet At Midnight’ is a look into the dark side of family life, in this case in a small town. A group of modern-day witches perceives an opportunity to extort money from a bitter, helpless old lady and her unruly son, but things do not go as planned. The story doesn’t feature any endearing characters, yet it offers a genuine perspective on the struggles faced by numerous individuals.

When Merritt Crane discovers the freighter Godolphin drifting in space, it appears to be a promising opportunity for a salvage operation in ‘Pilot’s Forge’. Unfortunately, as the ship navigates in and out of D-Space, Merritt Crane finds himself passing through a doorway into another world. It’s Earth, small-town USA, and there’s a pretty lady in trouble. Originally published in ‘The Mammoth Book Of Time Travel Romance,’ this story certainly meets the expectations. It’s a heartwarming tale with all the ingredients of a popular movie. Someone should snap it up.

Randy Mulvaney snaps ‘Joe Fledge’s Jump’ while attempting to photograph the space bridge he’s working on for his son. Fledge attempts suicide by leaping naked from an airlock, but finds rescue. He inadvertently establishes a record for the longest unsuitable spacewalk, a feat that, in the era of the Internet, may inspire others to strive to surpass it. I doubt any old-time SF writers could have imagined such a scenario, but times are changing.

The world of ‘Spider’ shares many characters with ‘Murder On The Hohmann’, serving as a prequel. Avoid reading ‘Spider’ first to avoid spoiling ‘Murder’. Dirty work is afoot on the Bifrost Mining Station in the asteroid belt, a setting where no one is safe. These ruthless private enterprises in space stories contrast sharply with the more pleasing, benevolent, state-led future imagined in Star Trek’ but seem more likely now.

‘Blood On The Snow’ purports to be a werewolf tale and a tribute to M.R. James, known primarily for his ghost stories, correct? On her monthly outing during the full moon, a man rescues Vasa Vasiliayevna from a trap, enabling her to resume her life as a wealthy and independent woman. But who is he? Both the doctor and the major eagerly court her, becoming entangled in the story. The tone of this film was reminiscent of an old Hammer horror film, with a high level of entertainment value, but the mansion didn’t burn down at the end. Disappointing. The mansion always burns down at the end of Hammer films.

Every smart writer includes a story to lure you into buying her novels. Red Ned Mederos and the Sea Girl of Port Saint Frey might do the job.  It provides background for Sarath’s ‘Tales Of Port Saint Frey’ duology, highlighting Red Ned’s crime that led to his fortune. This works fine as a standalone, though the lead character is not lovable. His assistant features in another story, ‘Theo Ballinchard And The Oranges Of Possibility,’ which tells how he learnt to be unobtrusive when young and then developed the skill to the level of complete invisibility later, a useful talent. Thieves, unlike children, should be both unseen and unheard.

‘A Prayer For Captain La Hire’ is a historical short story set a few years after the fall of Joan of Arc and features characters you can look up on Wikipedia. Captain La Hire receives a message from Gilles de Rais asking for help. He dutifully seeks out his old comrade and finds dark deeds afoot. The narrative is gloomy yet grounded in historical fact.

I was very impressed by Patrice Sarath’s quiet, intelligent prose and liked most of the stories, especially the science fiction. There are several modern weird tales, usually short, but she does those well, and some readers may prefer them. Others feature dark fantasy that verges on horror. Variety is the spice of life, and Into the Dark provides a good mix of speculative genres in stories that will interest you, move you, surprise you, or just give you a warm glow.  They were worth collecting.

Eamonn Murphy

December 2024

(pub: Newcon Press. 250 page small enlarged paperback. Price: £13.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-914953-91-0)

check out websites: www.newconpress.co.uk and www.patricesarath.com