I decided to give it a read because it was a new Aussie speculative fiction magazine, and because, with only three stories, it was a very manageable length to read on a whim. Happily, it contained three strong stories that took me from the past to the future and then to some vampires. As usual, I've made some comments on the stories below. I look forward to reading the next issue in a few months.
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"Ryder" by Richard Harland — a story set against WWI rural Australia, following a girl who becomes interested by the unusual comings and goings of a local boy. What does he do up on the ridge with girls that aren't from around here? Who does no one ever see them again? I liked it, especially the ending.
"The Message" by Charlotte Nash — an odd tale about quantum possibilities. I felt like there was enough worldbuilding there for a novel, and that the short story didn’t explore it all in full. I wanted to know more. What we did learn was interesting but also a little confusing. The kind of story you have to properly pay attention to.
"The Preservation Society" by Jason Nahrung — vampires, blood, memories, that's what this one is about. A group of vampires gathers for an auction of a volunteer; the right to end her life. But our main character bucks the expected outcome. Although it started a bit mundanely (for a dark vampire story), I liked where it ended up.
4 / 5 stars
First published: April 2014, Coeur de Lion Publishing
Series: There will be more issues, yes. It is a magazine.
Format read: ePub
Source: Publisher's website
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