A to Z Reviews: “Black Box,” by Peter J. Wacks

A to Z Reviews: “Black Box,” by Peter J. Wacks

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A to Z Reviews

Peter J. Wacks’ short story “Black Box” appeared in the 2023 anthology High Noon on Proxima B, edited by David Boop, a collection of stories that mix tropes of the Western with science fiction to varying results. Unfortunately, spaceships are horses, planets aren’t ranches, and treating them as interchangeable results in stories that feel as if they were written for the early to mid twentieth century pulps. “Black Box” falls into that category.

“Black Box” is set in a world where spacecraft are used to travel between planets, but once landed, horses are used to cover the terrain rather than motorized vehicles. The Crystal Colony, the solar system’s governing organization, has sent multiple ships to visit a planet (or planetoid, Wack’s terminology changes). After a ship from the planetoid opens fire on them they shoot it down a dn discover that the pilot is the sole survivor of the planetoid, which has apparently suffered an apocalyptic war amongst its inhabitants. The survivor doesn’t view himself as a member of the Crystal Colony and refused to help with their inquiries.

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Goth Chick News: Somebody at Mattel Is Getting Fired

Goth Chick News: Somebody at Mattel Is Getting Fired

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Though this sounds like something I would plot to do to get around Black Gate Big Cheese John O’s moratorium on any of my content that isn’t family friendly, this is for real, and I’m not responsible.

You can’t spit a piece of gum these days without hitting some type of promotion for the upcoming theatrical adaptation of the musical Wicked. There is the Aldo Wicked shoe collection, the Vera Bradley Wicked cosmetic bag, Wicked makeup, perfume and coasters – and that’s just what I found doing a quick search. Considering the film about to be released is part one of two, the Hollywood promo machine is just warming up.

What all these items have in common is that they are marketed toward adults. The list of items aimed at kids is even longer, starting, of course, with dolls. However, there is one unintentional crossover item that will likely go down as the collectible of the decade.

Unfortunately, instead of getting a promotion for a level of buzz money simply can’t buy, the responsible party over at Mattel will likely be filing for unemployment before the holidays.

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Ellsworth’s Cinema of Swords: Arthur and Out

Ellsworth’s Cinema of Swords: Arthur and Out

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Tristan & Isolde (20th Century Fox, 2006)

Greetings, friends, and welcome to the last Ellsworth’s Cinema of Swords article, at least for a while.

I’ve enjoyed hanging out with you here on the regular, but circumstances have changed for Your Cheerful Editor, and my writing output must adapt to accommodate them. For a good while, I had reached an equilibrium in my writing, balanced between work for the day-job at Larian Studios, making progress on my nine-volume Musketeers Cycle of Alexandre Dumas translations, and churning into the 21st century for the Cinema of Swords review series.

But life is change: I’ve finished the Dumas translations, we’ve gone into pre-production on Larian’s next game, and perhaps most significantly, my health is not what it was, as over the last year, in addition to the other indignities of late middle age, I’ve developed late-onset asthma. And it’s hit pretty hard, diminishing my energy and forcing a decline in productivity in my side projects.

In addition to these articles for Black Gate, for a year or three I’ve been making two weekly postings over on the Substack platform, one for the Musketeers and one for Swords. I’ve had to face the fact that it isn’t sustainable and I need to get off that treadmill. So, both Substack series have been suspended, and likewise this is my last regular article for Black Gate.

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Chess in Sword & Planet Fiction, Part III: From Zelazny to Infinity

Chess in Sword & Planet Fiction, Part III: From Zelazny to Infinity

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Pawn to Infinity, edited by Fred Saberhagen with Joan Saberhagen (Ace Books,
June 1982), and Unicorn Variations by Roger Zelazny (Timescape Books,
February 1984). Cover artists: unknown, and Gerry Daly

Pawn to Infinity: Ace Books, 1982, cover artist unknown, though this is a very cool cover. Although not Sword & Planet specifically, this is definitely the greatest collection of fantasy and SF stories to involve chess or a chess like game ever published.

There are many great stories in here, and at least two masterpieces: “The Immortal Game” by Poul Anderson, and “Unicorn Variation” by Roger Zelazny. There are other fine stories by Fritz Leiber, Fred Saberhagen (who also edited the collection) and George R. R. Martin. There’s a great old Ambrose Bierce story in it called “Moxon’s Master.”

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What I’ve Been Reading: November, 2024

What I’ve Been Reading: November, 2024

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So, I managed to actually read a few books since September’s What I’ve Been Reading. That was while listening, yet again, to Tony Hillerman’s fantastic Navajo Tribal Police series. I never tire of those. And I’m now listening to The Caine Mutiny – great novel, movie, and even play. Gotta do a major piece on that some day.

I tried to listen to my current Malazan Book of the Fallen, but it’s 44 hours long! I simply couldn’t make myself tune in on something that long. I may try again, or just read it (I’d read all the prior books).

PORT OF SHADOWS – Glen Cook

I’m a huge Glen Cook fan. Hopefully you saw my Q&A with him earlier this year. While it was focused on his fantastic Garrett, PI, series, I did work in a little The Black Company. Last year, I listened to the entire series; except for Port of Shadows. I had bought the hardback when it came out in 2018, but had not read it yet. I wanted to read it, rather than listen.

Ala Raymond Chandler, this was created out of three short stories, published in 2010, 2011, and 2014. It takes place between the first two in the series: The Black Company, and Shadows Linger. There are two stories going on set in different times, and I didn’t see the link-up until about two-thirds of the way through the book. You’ll probably get it a lot sooner.

It was good to read about this incarnation of the Company, and I enjoyed it. Recommended for Black Company Fans. If you’re new to the series, I would definitely start with the first volume, and you could read this second.

If you read my Q&A (you DID, right???), you know that the next three volumes are completed, with a fourth in progress. Still hoping they get published soon.

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A Dark, Forbidding, Action-packed Experience: The ShadowDark RPG

A Dark, Forbidding, Action-packed Experience: The ShadowDark RPG

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Back in December I received the ShadowDark RPG from the fine folks at The Arcane Library. This game looks wonderful, so far, and the production values are second to none. Thick, durable paper; library-sewn binding; clear, readable font selections with good white space. All these little things make for a better user experience.

I’ve had the pleasure of playing this game with its creator, Kelsey Dionne, whom I consider to be a wonderful creative force in the TTRPG (tabletop role playing game) industry. She has carved out her own niche in the hobby, presenting a dark, forbidding, action-packed experience.

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Romancing the Planet: The 23rd Hero by Rebecca Anne Nguyen

Romancing the Planet: The 23rd Hero by Rebecca Anne Nguyen

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The 23rd Hero (Castle Bridge Media, August 13, 2024)

Hybrids are hardly unknown in the long history of fantasy and science fiction literature. It could easily be argued that the genre itself is a hybrid. In the case of Rebecca Anne Nguyen’s The 23rd Hero, this mixing of literary media is an essential element, baked in from the ground up.

The story begins by wearing its dystopian stripes firmly on its sleeve. The characters we meet in near-future Vancouver, including our hero, Sloane Burrows, live in a world of ecological collapse. Outdoors, everyone wears a filtration mask, and the last working farm in Canada closed just months before when the last of its livestock died from drinking tainted water. The handbaskets of hell, if I may mix a metaphor, have most definitely come home to roost.

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A to Z Review: “You Go Too Far,” by Ray Vukcevich

A to Z Review: “You Go Too Far,” by Ray Vukcevich

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A to Z Reviews

Ray Vukcevich’s “You Go Too Far “ is the sort of story that makes writing these reviews difficult. The story, which appeared in  issue 17 of the second incarnation of Pulphouse Magazine, is only about 250 words long.

At its most basic, “You Go Too Far” is the story of a man receiving oral sex. The set up is a portrayal of the couple’s relationship, with the woman trying to set a romantic mood for the two of them. Told from the man’s point of view, he praises himself for his witty repartee, even as she tries to let him know that his sense of humor is more a barrier in their relationship than an endearment.

Told to him in an intimate moment, he reflects that it isn’t the first time he’s heard this sort of criticism. In fact, he understands that it can be a problem, not just in this sort of situation, but in other aspects of his life and he has attempted to rectify his short-comings, by reading books and attending seminars, although that action doesn’t necessarily mean that he fully embracing the fact that his sense of humor might actually be a problem.

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Besting the Beast and Other Fantasy Tales: Scott Forbes Crawford’s Weirdly Accessible Adventure

Besting the Beast and Other Fantasy Tales: Scott Forbes Crawford’s Weirdly Accessible Adventure

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Besting the Beast by Scott Forbes Crawford
(2024, Kindle); Cover art by Ben Greaves

Besting the Beast is Grimm-like tales for Grimdark readers

Fantasy readers often seek escapism and encounters with the unknown, but those adventures can become too weird to be accessible. Shorter forms help. Incorporating some grounding in history or reality helps too. One of the most accessible styles is the fairy tale, and Scott Forbes Crawford delivers five remarkable fun, and easy-to-read, adventures bridging the short story and fairy tale form in Besting the Beast (Aug 2024). All are rooted in Asian history/myth and feature relatable human protagonists to lead the way.

The cover art by Ben Greaves is appropriately derived from “Recovering the Stolen Jewel from the Palace of the Dragon King” (1853) by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861). Don’t let the friendly style fool you. The beasts herein are pleasantly weird and gory. Excerpts from all the stories are below so you can get a flavor of the horrific creatures and antagonists you’ll experience. Sword & Sorcery and Grimdark fiction fans will enjoy these (indeed, Besting the Beast is Grimm-like fairy tales for Grimdark readers).

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A Land Two Stars to the Left of Middle-Earth: Breath Warmth & Dream by Zig Zag Claybourne

A Land Two Stars to the Left of Middle-Earth: Breath Warmth & Dream by Zig Zag Claybourne

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Breath, Warmth, and Dream (Obsidian Sky Books, May 17, 2024). Cover uncredited

In the land of Eurola, an ancient evil preyed on the people of Waterfall. Then along came Khumalo, Amnandi, and Bog – a mother daughter pair of witches and their warrior companion – to set things right. Plotwise, it’s damn near a western. If someone were to tell you that this was the whole story of Breath Warmth & Dream, that someone would be a thief. They tried to give you a penny while palming the mountain of gold.

It starts with the characters. Read Breath Warmth & Dream and your understanding of the word “witch” will be forever changed. Mother Khumalo and her daughter Amnandi are the kinds of people you want to grow up to be, even if growing up means becoming a child again. They aren’t perfect by any means because that would be boring and Zig Zag simply doesn’t do boring. It’s an imperfect and dangerous world and they make decisions without the foresight of plot armor.

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