Galaxy Science Fiction - November, 1954 Retro Review

In my latest retro-review on Black Gate, I'm discussing the November, 1954 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. The issue contains one of my favorite Galaxy stories of all time - "The Music Master of Babylon" by Edgar Pangborn. Check it out!

Galaxy Science Fiction Retro-Review - October, 1954

My latest retro-review is up at Black Gate! This one covers the October, 1954 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. Check it out!

Retro-Review - Galaxy - September, 1954

There's a new retro-review on Black Gate. In this article, I'm reviewing the September, 1954 issue. Check it out!

Galaxy Science Fiction - July, 1954 - Retro Review

I've got another review of Galaxy Science Fiction up at Black Gate! This one is of the July, 1954 issue. There's an exciting tale from Robert Sheckley, a cool alien story from Clifford D. Simak, and the continuation of Gladiator at Law by Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth. Check it out!

Galaxy - November, 1953 Retro Review

My latest review of Galaxy Science Fiction is available at Black Gate.  This review covers the November, 1953 issue.  There are some good stories within from Michael Shaara and Roger Dee.  Check it out!

Galaxy October, 1952 Retro-Review

My latest retro-review of Galaxy is up at Black Gate here.  This one covers the October, 1952 issue, featuring "Baby is Three" by Theodore Sturgeon, one of the best stories I've ever read.  Check it out!

Retro Review - Galaxy, June 1951

I have a new retro-review up at Black Gate.  Today, I'm covering Galaxy's June, 1951 issue.  Take a look!

Star Trek Into Darkness

A couple of weekends ago, my wife and I went to see the latest Star Trek movie, "Star Trek Into Darkness".  Not to spoil anything, but if you're wondering what's in the darkness, it's action.

Someone bombs a secret Federation installation in London, leading to a manhunt for a rogue Starfleet agent.  The agent transports himself to an isolated region on the Klingon home world, likely to escape incarceration.

Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise have orders to approach the Neutral Zone and fire photon torpedoes at the agent's location.  Rather than complying, Kirk chooses to go directly to the Klingon world to apprehend the rogue agent.

The agent reveals his motives, and the crew soon finds themselves in mortal danger. 

Throughout their plights, the crew faces one action sequence after another.  There are countdowns to explosions, a chase through warp, and massive destruction.  There are also a number of references to the Star Trek series/movies that fans would enjoy.

I liked the movie, but it felt like there was too much action.  I would rather have had more character development.  I had some sense of who the characters were, but part of that is based on my familiarity with the Star Trek franchise.  Spock probably had the most depth, seconded perhaps by Kirk, but there wasn't time to see too much beyond that.  I was a bit confused by the references to the friendship between Kirk and Spock; I didn't really see much evidence of a friendship, other than their light banter.

The first part of the movie felt surprising, but the latter half became more predictable.  It was good, however, to involve the Klingons (they do look cool), and I'm sure they will become the focus of the next Star Trek movie.  That would be better than trying to remake the horrible Star Trek IV movie.  (If that's the only idea on the table at some point in the future, that's the point to stop.)

Seeing this action flick from the Star Trek universe makes me cringe a little because I'm concerned the next Star Wars trilogy may be similar.  I don't want a hyped-up, hollowed-out version of Star Wars.  Forget the prequels, I'm talking about the original trilogy; those had a great story, and though there was action, it wasn't all about making 3D viewers ooh and ah.  Sure, a 3D light saber is probably going to be employed, but there has to be a good story as well, especially over the length of three movies.  I hope Lucas can go back into his 1970's mindset and that J. J. Abrams can draw upon some of the magic from Lost.  Combine that with modern technology, and it could be a really cool trilogy.  Or it could be like Star Trek and just be some good action films.  But even that would be better than the prequels, so maybe that's not so bad.

Retro Review: Galaxy Science Fiction, February 1951

My review of Galaxy's February, 1951 issue is up on Black Gate: http://www.blackgate.com/2013/05/28/galaxy-science-fiction-february-1951-a-retro-review/

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

This weekend, my wife and I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  Neither of us have gone to the movies to see anything in 3D, so we thought we'd try it out.  Honestly, I think I could have watched it in 2D without missing anything significant.  But I'm not a 3D fan, so take that with a grain of salt.

As for the movie itself, I felt like it moved too slowly.  Beyond that, I disliked the added dialogue.  By that, I don't mean that the dialogue needed to match the book verbatim, but the additional verbiage was full of bad jokes.  For example, Bilbo refers to something as being crochet, and one of the dwarves says he loves that game, if you've got the balls for it (or something along those lines).  Gandalf relays a tale of the Took who could ride a horse and how he decapitated an enemy in battle, knocking the head into a rabbit hole (which I think is directly from the book); then he adds, "And the game of golf was invented as well."  Golf - in Middle Earth?  By far, the worst offender was the goblin king, who traps the party and asks what Gandalf will do, and when Gandalf responds physically, the goblin king replies, "That'll do."  Oh, it was horribly cheesy.

Now, I did like some aspects: I liked the scene with Bilbo and Gollum, and I liked seeing Erebor in all of its splendor.  Oh, and the plot with the Necromancer was intriguing; that's one thing I wish had been explored a bit more within the novel.

How would I rate the movie?  Well, it wasn't bad.  But it wasn't good either.  It's not a movie I feel like I need to see again anytime soon.  And it gives me pause on whether or not to see parts two and three in theatres.  Because with a young family, three hours out of the house is a luxury, so we're very cautious in how we use it.

Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday, I took a vacation day to go to a picnic with my daughter’s preschool class. Since I had the day off, I thought it would be fun to see the new Winnie the Pooh movie that afternoon. The kids were still napping mid-afternoon, so the four of us went to the 6:40 showing.

My wife and I hadn’t tried taking the kids to the movies before. Elora’s three and a half, so I wasn’t concerned about her age. William, however, is only 21 months old, and he doesn’t like to sit still for long periods of time unless he’s doing something.

With the expectation that I would only see ten minutes of the movie, we bought lots of candy and a fair amount of popcorn, along with a “small” fruit drink that was large enough for three people. We put Elora in a booster they had at the theatre while William had his own we brought from home. Then we passed out the candy, and the previews started soon afterward.

Each time the green preview screen popped up (the one indicating the preview is for all audiences, etc.), William would say, “Uh-oh.” Perhaps he thought the film was broken.

Surprisingly, the kids did well throughout the movie. William wanted out of his seat toward the end, so I let him stand in the row (we sat in the first raised row, so he could watch the movie through the railing). Since we almost had the theatre to ourselves, I didn’t mind too much while they explored the place during the credits.

I liked the movie. It seemed to be similar in theme to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from 1977. The kids really enjoyed it, too. I even heard Elora laughing at times (she especially liked it when Pooh’s tummy growled). If you’ve got little ones, I recommend this one; it’s entertaining and also the right length.

Next up for the family – Captain America. Yeah, right.

Black Gate 15

The latest issue of Black Gate recently arrived. The immense tome is now the standard size, much to the chagrin of mail carriers everywhere. For those who love adventure fantasy, however, it is a welcome change for the bi-annual publication.

This is one of the best issues I’ve read. There is a mix of old and new writers, and there is even a theme around strong female protagonists (or “Warrior Women” as John puts it). If you’ve read Black Gate in the past but have fallen away from it in recent times, this is an excellent issue to jump back in with. If you’ve never read Black Gate, check them out.

Because this issue is so immense, I felt that I could not reasonably review every story contained within its pages. Instead, I’ll focus on my five favorite stories. By the way, I’m not counting the novel excerpt of The Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones within my list of five, despite how entertaining I found it, since it’s only an excerpt. I’ll have to get the book and read it sometime soon. If you like adventure fantasy, you should probably add it to your reading list as well.

Alas, even in my attempt to narrow down to five, I’ve been unsuccessful. There are so many great stories in this issue! So here are my favorite six:

“The Vintages of Dream” by John R. Fultz – A thief infiltrates a sorcerer’s home, knowing the mage to be quite wealthy. He steals enchanted bottles that contain the sorcerer’s dreams and then departs to sell them at expensive prices, saving only the most intricate bottle for himself.

I had the pleasure of hearing Fultz read this tale at last year’s World Fantasy Convention. I recall him saying he would just plough through, or something to that effect, and off he went. This is a great tale with a great ending. But then, the quality should be of no surprise to anyone familiar with Fultz’s other tales.

“Cursing the Weather” by Maria V. Snyder – Nysa serves tables for Gekiryo Lady, taking what little she earns to purchase medicine for her dying mother. When a weather wizard comes to town, he becomes a regular patron and seems to enjoy forcing Nysa to question the things around her, including her own life.

Snyder’s characters jump to life in this tale that explores superstition and magic. Very enjoyable.

“World’s End” by Frederic S. Durbin – Kian seeks to do the god Arhazh’s work by slaying a princess at World’s End. The princess Erhin seeks a crown at World’s End. Their paths seem certain to converge, but the monkey-god who follows Erhin pleads with her to return from her journey prematurely, even if greater gods demand more from her.

This was another tale I heard in part directly from the author at the Black Gate reading at the World Fantasy Convention. When I read it, I could hear Durbin’s voice for the monkey-god and even recall the way he would change his face as he read the part. The tale is full of action, with a bit of humor thrown in as well. It is a very fast read.

“Groob’s Stupid Grubs” by Jeremiah Tolbert – Groob the goblin leaves his mate’s nest to search for food. They live deep within a mobile city – a mechanical monstrosity that devours entire towns while the residents within scavenge what comes their way. While on his search, Groob avoids attackers and ends up being hoisted to the higher realms of the city where goblins seldom go.

I rank this as third best in the issue. It’s quirky, funny and very imaginative. The uniqueness of the tale makes it so refreshing.

“The Lions of Karthagar” by Chris Willrich – As two great armies converge on Karthagar -- one from the east and one from the west -- a weather mage from each army leads the way. Blim the Damp forges ahead for his princess and is surprised to discover a beautiful mage who does not share his language. The two explore Karthagar together, leaving Blim torn between duty and his romantic interest in the other mage.

This was my second favorite tale of the issue. Normally, I praise Willrich for his outstanding creativity that always leaves me gasping. His creativity certainly abounds in this tale, but what struck me even more was his character development. I also have a soft spot for light romance in fantasy, and I was completely drawn into Blim’s struggles. I think readers of Willrich’s Bone and Gaunt series will be quite pleased with this one.

“The Oracle of Gog” by Vaughn Heppner – Lod has survived as hunters’ bait and seeks to end his slavery. Meanwhile, the Nephilim, Kron, comes to his master – the terrible Firstborn named Gog – who has peered into the future and sees a threat. Kron’s mission is to eliminate that threat, while Lod’s mission is to simply survive in his newfound freedom.

This was my favorite tale within the issue. Heppner’s narrative style wrapped me into each scene and into the characters’ minds. I hope to see more stories of Lod in future issues.

Stephen King On Writing

Of the many gifts I received on Christmas, one of the ones I enjoyed the most was "On Writing" by Stephen King. This is actually the tenth anniversary issue of the book. Part memoir, part writing advice, King shares everything succinctly (he describes the explanation for brevity in one of the forewords).

I enjoyed this book for several reasons, but what I liked the most was his candor. I felt like he had brought me next to his writing desk to tell me about the craft and his life with amusing and somewhat surprising detail.

The majority of his writing advice served as reminders for things I had learned from other sources, primarily that writing should be concise. He makes some good points against adverbs, especially dialogue attribution (such as he said vehemently). I try to avoid passive voice as much as possible, but I do admit a fondness for adverbs and adjectives; nothing excessive, certainly, but as I’ve pointed out in a past article, I can only be so brief before my thoughts are no longer conveyed. That said, I understand much more about the give and take between author and reader after reading this book, so perhaps that knowledge will keep my adverbs at bay.

I don’t read a lot of writing advice books, so I can’t really stand behind any single book and proclaim it as crucial for good writing. I do think that King’s book makes a lot of great points for consideration for new authors or authors (like me) with some credentials to our names. This probably isn’t something that an author of multiple published novels would need because he/she has likely already figured things out, but I would guess that it would still be an entertaining read, one that would give a sense of comradery with a prolific author.

I recommend picking this up if you have the chance. More than likely, you’ll learn something or be reminded of something. If nothing else, I think you’ll find it a great read. Go ahead and pull up a chair next to Mr. King. He’s ready to share his thoughts with you.

Black Gate Issue 14

I always enjoy receiving the latest issue of Black Gate, and I wish they came more often. Still, a gigantic version was a nice surprise for Issue 14, and it’s taken me quite a while to read through it. My only quibbles were the use of the scantily clad female imagery at the end of the stories; they just seemed to give the issue a cheapened feel. Also, I would have preferred something less revealing for the illustration to “Devil on the Wind”. I’m coming from a viewpoint of wanting to see Black Gate continue to gear itself towards a wide audience, age-wise, which I think has been done well to this point (such as providing warnings for stronger content).

Issue 14 had a mix of old and new authors, and I’m sure many Black Gate readers will be enthusiastic about the return of Morlock via “Destroyer,” a great novella by James Enge. My favorite story within the issue is “The Word of Azrael” by Matthew David Surridge. This was like a novel or series of novels condensed down into a single story in an impressive way; the world building was fantastic. I also want to mention another great read within the issue – “Folie and Null” by Douglas Empringham. This was a story that read really well; the narrative and flow were exceptional.

If you haven’t read this issue yet, you’re missing out. This is a good one.

Fantasy & Science Fiction, January/February 2010

“The Long Retreat” by Robert Reed – Lieutenant Castor is one of the closest assistants to the ailing emperor. Only a small entourage remains of the army as they retreat from the enemy. When it seems they cannot retreat anymore, Castor learns that the empire is much larger than he imagined.

The story had an intriguing premise with realistic characters. It was too difficult for me to wrap my mind around the plausibility of the empire, so I never felt fully grounded to the plot.

“Bait” by Robin Aurelian – Navin and his family go on a hunting trip for fantastical game. Navin, who hates these trips, has a knack for attracting pests. During the trip, he draws the attention of a rare parasite that threatens to take over his body.

“Bait” was a nice, quick read that was a tad grotesque at points.

“Writers of the Future” by Charles Oberndorf – As part of his world tour, the narrator attends Magnus Esner’s writing workshop. He learns about how to write stories readers can interact with, which is the standard of this distant future, where the line between man and machine is so blended, it’s difficult to identify where consciousness ends.

Oberndorf presents several complex ideas in this tale. It made me think about my own writing and the conveyance of ideas.

“Songwood” by Marc Laidlaw – Spar the gargoyle seeks passage oversea by stowing himself aboard a vessel. He discovers that the ship’s feminine figurehead is alive because it is made of songwood. The two converse secretly, finding they share a special bond though one is wood and one is stone.

This was my favorite story of the issue. A love story in fantasy form, I found it engaging and touching.

“Ghosts Doing the Orange Dance” by Paul Park – The narrator investigates his family’s past, trying to understand the mysteries of his life.

I had a difficult time following this story. It was full of excerpts and other narration compiled together into one tale. I think it makes a good study for writing techniques (which were very impressive), but it didn’t hold my interest.

“The Secret Lives of Fairy Tales” by Steven Popkes – A retelling of five familiar fairy tales.

This was a fun read, and I liked how Popkes tied the tales together.

“The Late Night Train” by Kate Wilhelm – As the sole caretaker for her aging parents, the narrator feels trapped between her abusive father and passive mother.

I connected with the protagonist’s pain, the unbearable situation she endured each day. Well written and surprisingly realistic.

“Nanosferatu” by Dean Whitlock – Hugh Graeber strives to create the perfect drug: a panacea that requires a lifetime prescription. His researchers design nanobots that improve health dramatically, but they never die.

I really enjoyed the change in narration in this piece, and I found myself admiring the writer’s skills as much as the story itself.

“City of the Dog” by John Langan – The narrator finds what he thinks is an injured dog while accompanying his girlfriend, Kaitlyn, to a club. Kaitlyn refuses to wait for him while he goes to inspect the wounded animal, a mistake that he later regrets when Kaitlyn disappears.

This story moves very fast, but the timing is great. Aside from being too explicit at times, I thought highly of it. I loved the eeriness and the ending.

This Crooked Way

I recently finished reading "This Crooked Way" by James Enge. I actually won the copy as part of a contest on Black Gate by answering Morlock trivia questions (I think I only missed one), thus proving my Morlock fan status quantitatively.

After a deadly encounter with a stone beast, Morlock the Maker discovers that his horse, Velox, has disappeared. There are traces that suggest the beast devoured Velox, but Morlock discerns that the clues are false, a ruse that is clearly the work of another maker. Out of a sense of loyalty (and having nothing better to do), Morlock begins a long search for his steed.

During his travels, Morlock discovers the shell of his mother, who has been confined to mortal life through an anti-death spell. Only by recovering her other parts can Morlock hope to give his mother rest. Unfortunately, he also has to contend with the spell’s caster… his father, Merlin.

"This Crooked Way" is an entertaining and exciting novel. This is a must read for those who enjoy Enge’s stories, several of which you’ll find within (in slightly altered form). Actually, this is a must read for those who enjoy adventure fantasy. Imaginative, witty and surprising.

Great work, James!

Heroic Fantasy Quarterly - Issue 2

“The Hand of Afaz” by Euan Harvey – Farid apprehends Hasan, who is accused of patricide. Hasan tells Farid that he is innocent, but Farid doesn’t want to believe his testimony, even though he can tell that Farid isn’t lying. Farid decides to investigate the matter further, trying to understand how to best serve Afaz and his superior without bringing shame to their House.

I liked the protagonist’s inner struggle through the story, and how he changes over time. Well written and engaging. I’d like to read more stories about Farid.

“Monster in the Mountains” by William Gerke – A man with a monstrous appearance named Gowther seeks shelter from a winter storm with a farmer and his family. Repulsed by his visage, they order Gowther to stay in the attached barn. During the night, the farmer tries to kill Gowther, and though Gowther is peerless in strength, he struggles against the farmer. After the fight, he learns that something on the mountain possesses the farmer, so Gowther departs from the house to seek the source of evil.

This was my favorite story in this issue. The details were vivid; I felt like I was there. Nice tension towards the end of the story to build up to the climax.

“The Waking of Angantyr” by Marie Brennan – Haunted and pestered by spirits of murdered men, Hervor seeks to silence their voices by traveling to their gravesite. Through the use of dark arts, she’s able to communicate openly with them at last to find out how she might finally be rid of them. The answer from the men’s leader, Angantyr, confronts her with a difficult reality and a path towards doom.

This tale is a retelling of an Old Norse poem (from the Poetic Edda). I might have liked it more if it had continued; at the point that the story ended, too little had been concluded. Likely this would have been difficult to do while staying somewhat true to the original poem, but I didn’t feel like there was enough plot churning with this one.

Fantasy & Science Fiction - October/November 2009

It took me a while to read through the gigantic sixtieth anniversary issue. Congratulations to all of the staff over the years for keeping the magic alive for so long.

“The Far Shore” by Elizabeth Hand – After his termination as a ballet instructor, Philip finds sympathy from his friend Emma. She suggests that Philip should spend some time at Camp Tuonela, a rustic camp that Emma and her husband own. Philip hadn’t returned to the camp since his youth, and he decides that perhaps the change in scenery might clear his mind of his recent dismissal. Though Philip is supposed to be the only one wintering at the camp, he soon discovers an aloof, adolescent boy of unknown origin.

This was a little predictable, but it moved at a good pace. I couldn’t really identify with the protagonist, so I never felt connected with the story.

“Bandits of the Trace” by Albert E. Cowdrey – Professor Keyes has been trying to find a hidden treasure, but his sleuthing skills are rather limited. When one of his students displays a knack for crossword puzzles, he decides to see if the student can decipher a decades-old clue to the treasure’s location.

This reminded me of “The Overseer” in the telling, with a story written within the story. “Bandits of the Trace” is not as engaging as “The Overseer,” but it’s still a good read.

“The Way They Wove the Spells in Sippulgar” by Robert Silverberg – The narrator tells of his investigation into the mysterious disappearance of his brother-in-law, Melifont. He journeys to the city of Sippulgar, a place filled with so many religions that he finds it difficult to traverse the streets without becoming blocked by ceremonious parades. His investigation takes him to the temple of a religion Melifont co-founded, but he’s unable to accept the eye-witness testimony of the religion’s new leader. To believe the leader’s story would mean that Melifont had some degree of authenticity, a point that the narrator finds implausible.

This was my favorite story of the issue. I guess I’m a sucker for a good sleuthing tale, but there’s just something about how a detective story unfolds that I find appealing. Yes, this is a fantasy tale, but it’s an investigation in fantasy, and I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice.

“Logicist” by Carol Emshwiller – When an instructor takes his students to watch a battle, he unexpectedly finds the enemy coming after them. During his retreat, the instructor wanders into an alien land, the land of the enemy, where he tries to use his logical skills in understanding his predicament and the people he meets.

I was a little jarred by the protagonist’s constant list-making, but it fits with his character. My main qualm was that I never felt grounded in the setting. I just felt lost. Maybe that was the intension, but it just made me apathetic about the characters.

“Blocked” by Geoff Ryman – A casino owner in Cambodia prepares for an imminent alien attack (according to the world governments) by selling his business and moving his family underground. Relocating causes the children to reminisce of a time when their father abandoned them and their mother moved them to Cambodia from Europe, and these negative emotions affect the former casino owner, giving him doubts about sealing them away in the confinement of the underground.


This tale had great tension. I could feel the protagonist’s dilemma in hiding in the cramped quarters of an electronic advertisement overload. Very intriguing.

“Halloween Town” by Lucius Shepard – Clyde Ormoloo tries to escape from the world after a head injury causes him to peer into the dark makeup of each person. He becomes a citizen (probationary for six months) of Halloween, a town that lines a river at the bottom of a deep gorge. The longer Clyde stays in town, the more oddities and dangers he observes, especially in those who run the town.

I haven’t read of such unique scenery for quite some time; it’s highly captivating. The overall tone of the story was that of morose depression shadowed in gloom, but it works. At times, I got tired of the protagonist’s nihilistic philosophy or dark view of humanity, but overall, I could tolerate him. I would have enjoyed this piece much more without the explicit scenes.

“Mermaid” by Robert Reed – A young man’s car breaks down outside Jake’s home, and though Jake has no interest in helping the young man, he does have an interest in the young man’s companion, a girl who seems underage. Jake learns what he can of his unexpected visitor, leveraging the help of a retired detective. He pursues his investigation relentlessly, but what is Jake’s true motivation?

This was a pleasant Reed piece, but not one that will likely stick with me for a long time.

“Never Enough Blood” by Joe Haldeman – Xenobiologist Travis Dobb wears many hats in his authoritative role on the planet Runaway. When he’s called in to the scene of a young woman’s apparent murder, he finds himself inadequate in the role of solving the crime, but that doesn’t stop him from trying.

A quick read, “Never Enough Blood” has a great science-fiction world and an unpredictable plot. I hope to see more of Haldeman’s work in future issues.

“I Waltzed with a Zombie” by Ron Goulart – Hix, a B-movie scriptwriter, meets with actress Marlys Regal after she asks him to do some detective work. She informs him that well-known actor named Alex Stoner died and was brought back to life in order to complete the shooting for a new film. Hix hopes to uncover this scandal in order to bring publicity to his idea for a new musical titled I Waltzed with a Zombie.

There’s a lot of humor in this story, especially around Hix’s character. I found it really amusing.

“The President’s Book Tour” by M. Rickert – In a small town, the survivors of war only give birth to children suffering from extreme physical disorders, likening them more as monsters than people. When the president stops in town to promote his book, they try to find the good in his speech, of the beauty he sees in their children. The president then decides to live in the community, though his motivations for doing so are not as benign as they appear.

I felt like Rickert was trying to make a political statement, perhaps about environmentalism (based on statements about “green” and destroying vegetation), but I couldn’t discern any clear statement. Perhaps this piece spoke against environmentalism, perhaps for it, or maybe it was about war or the deceit of politicians. Even when I wasn’t searching for a point to the tale, I couldn’t get a sense of what was happening – why these children were misshapen or why the president wanted to marry one of the children. I suppose the whole thing was just over my head.

“Shadows on the Wall of the Cave” by Kate Wilhelm – When Ashley and her cousins Nathan and Joey are children, they often play in a small cave near their grandparents’ home. One day, while the three of them are pretending to be in a pirate cave, Ashley finds herself enveloped in darkness. When she finally escapes, they can’t locate Joey. Ashley and Nathan have no explanation for Joey’s disappearance, other than what she experienced, and years later, Nathan is determined to reenter the cave to search for clues and prove his innocence. Though Ashley is terrified of what might await them, she agrees to return in hopes of understanding what happened to Joey.

This story took an unexpected turn, one that I found refreshing. I really felt pulled into the story and the struggles of the characters. It’s a great tale.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #23

“Between Two Treasons” by Michael J. DeLuca – Periphas leaves his centaur master, Eurytus, to infiltrate a gathering of sorcerers who hope to gain enlightenment in defending their home nations against the centaurs. Though Periphas has lived with the centaurs for most of his life, the longer he remains with his own kind, the more he struggles between serving Eurytus and saving humanity.

This was one of the best stories I’ve read in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. The fantasy world is unique, and I found the interactions between Periphas and Eurytus intriguing. Nice pacing as well. At some point soon, I’m going to check out DeLuca’s “Of Thinking Being and Beast” that appeared in Issue #9.

“Oil Fire” by Kate MacLeod – Bearing the mark of an exile for theft, Puabi hides in the houses of the dead while continuing to read from the priests’ library, immersing herself in the ways of magic. When the father of her dearest friend, Enanatuma, dies, Puabi reveals herself for only the second time since her banishment ten years ago. Enanatuma asks for help in securing her household, but Puabi’s only solution is through the unpredictable magic she wields.

I liked the consequences of magic in this story. There are no simple solutions in life, and deceit and manipulation cause only further grief. Clever and thought-provoking.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

I just came out of seeing “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”. I think a viewer’s opinion on the movie will depend heavily on how much he or she enjoyed the television show.

I’m probably in the target audience for this movie. The cartoon came out when I was around seven or eight years old. I collected the toys, quoted the taglines and wanted to be one of them. “Yo, Joe!” was one of the coolest phrases I’d ever heard.

The movie tried to capture all of that and bring it back relatively unchanged. This isn’t a movie that tries to make a realistic what-if scenario, like “Batman Begins”. This is about a cartoon in live-action form. You don’t ask questions about how a terrorist organization builds an enormous military base beneath the polar ice cap. You don’t think twice about how people walk away from spectacular car crashes or how futuristic/implausible many of the weapons and machinery are (after all, a caption indicated that this was the near future).

One thing I didn’t really like were the camera shots during fight sequences. It seemed like the cameraman was taking a few punches, too. I hope this doesn’t become the new trend of action movies: to violently shake the camera while carnage ensues.

Ah, but this is G.I. Joe, after all. We must have fights, we must have explosions, and we must have over-the-top plotlines that leave gaps. Someone has to give the obligatory, “Knowing is half the battle” (which I felt Dennis Quaid did with utmost dignity). And of course they have a colossal underwater base! They’re Cobra! (Incidentally, does anyone else understand why Cobra Commander became evil? I didn’t quite understand his motivation. Crud, there I go thinking again!)

It’s best to let go of logic and pretend you’re eight again; otherwise, I think you’ll be disappointed. The eight-year-old in me thought it was great, recalled many of the toys I collected (and still keep in the basement) and thought the characters were really cool. Balance that with my current age (32), and I think it’s a good movie so long as I don’t analyze it (or think about how many scenes were stolen from other movies – did anyone else feel like they were watching the Millennium Falcon escaping from the second Death Star?).

I’m sure I’ll have a few laughs with others about some of the logistics, but I had fun watching it. I’d recommend it for any Joe fans out there. Just don’t think like an adult.