The Magazine Of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Nov/Dec 2023, Volume 145 #770 (magazine review).

Many Science Fiction authors consult experts to help them with technical details when the direction of their writing takes them away from their area of knowledge. Often, they will give them an acknowledgment along with others who have assisted in the development of the book, such as editors and agents. It is harder to do that with a short story. The lead story in this issue of MFSF ‘The Many Different Kinds Of Love’ has solved that problem.

Geoff Ryman has written this novella with David Jeffrey. Ryman is a talented, award winning writer and Jeffrey is a professional designer of underwater craft. This piece marries the skills of both men. Yo’all is the AI intelligence controlling an exploratory vessel in the seas in the ice moon Enceladus. The AI is constructed from samples of the personalities of thousands of humans. For eighty years it has been mapping the southern hemisphere of the moon and searching unsuccessfully for life but, for the last ten years, there has been no contact with Earth. Then contact resumes but without the correct permissions. This is a complex and fascinating story and by itself is a good reason for buying this issue.

There are other good things in this issue which includes a group of items involving dragons. J.A.Pak’s novelet ‘Portrait Of A Dragon As A Young Man’ is a prequel to the story that appeared in an earlier issue. Here, the dragon Faine is injured in a fight with another dragon. He is found by Meena and transforms himself into a human. She takes him home and nurses him to health. In this biographical piece, Faine tells of his time with Meena.

Immediately following this story is the poem ‘Orchid Dragon’ by Mary Soon Lee. Though the context of the poem is very different, I am reminded of the superb flower dragon paintings created by Margaret Walty. Another of Mary Soon Lee’s poems, ‘Phoenix Dragon’ follows ‘Orchid Dragon’ and next is ‘Twelve Aspects of the Dragon’, a short piece of prose by Rachael K. Jones.

Strong emotions often form the basis for a successful story. ‘Karantha Fish’ by Amal Singh is driven by Kalpana’s love for her uncle, who has contracted Boromi’s flu. The only cure is the Karantha fish. The issue is that to her family, eating anything from the sea is an anathema. Karantha, though, is prepared to break the rules and do penance for her sin if it saves the uncle’s life.

‘Los Pajaritos’ by Sam W. Pisciotta uses both love and grief as a focus for the story. After the death of his wife, the narrator builds a sparrow. In a world where they are extinct, his is a mechanical one but he has to make it as life-like as possible. He is motivated by his love for his wife and is a way of assuaging his grief and letting the past go.

Guilt is at the heart of ‘Prisoner 121 Is Guilty’ by Renee Pillai. Mari has defied her father by refusing the man of his choice. That is a sin and it has to be punished. In a highly class-divided society, it is Mari’s under-maid and friend that has to bear a punishment that will kill her. It is the guilt of knowing she has effectively killed her friend that haunts her.

Often a sign of a good story is one where the main character changes as the result of events. ‘Longevity’ by Anya Ow is one such. In a future where Ruhe is a Forever. Her biosystems are updated at intervals to extend her life. She is comfortable with that and assumes that everyone wants to be a Forever. Then she has to deal with Kasey who is accused of vandalism. Kasey is a rebel and doesn’t want an extended life. Ruhe’s friendship with the girl and her life choices help her to see her own life from a different perspective.

A lot of fantasy draws on folk tales. ‘The Pigeon Wife’ by Samantha H. Chung is developed from a Korean folk tale. Many girls have a pigeon husband to work and earn money so they don’t have to. In many respects they are like the selkie in that to trap one you wait for the man to transform into a bird, then steal and hide his clothes. As the setting is contemporary America, the dynamics and outcome are different.

For those who enjoy subtle horror, there is ‘All That We Leave Behind’ by Charlie Hughes. The members of a book group meet to discuss the book of the stories title. No-one admits to having selected it and when the author arrives, the perceptions the reader has, change.

As usual, there are other stories, poems, reviews and articles making up another well –balanced issue.

Pauline Morgan

January 2024

(pub: Spilogale Inc. 260 page A5 magazine. Price: $10.99 (US), $11.99 (CAN). ISSN: 1095-8258)

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