Fantasy & Science Fiction: Aug/Sept Issue

I received my first issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction in a little brown package.  The Aug./Sept. 2009 issue is smaller than I expected.  But it is delightfully thick–256 pages full of amazing stories and articles.  A golden, metallic dragon graces the cover; it sits on a beach with his head raised over tiny tents and flags, his eyes staring intently at the people beneath him.

When I first met this dragon in Sean McMullen’s novelet “The Art of the Dragon,” I liked it.  It may have been because of the narrator’s likability and his first impressions of the dragon; I too can somewhat appreciate the…thing’s taste in the arts.  But as soon as I began to enjoy the story, little things began to tug at my caution antenna–then bigger events happened.  Holocaust-like persecution, the deletion of what societies valued, the possible purpose of the dragon… In a tight, well-woven tale, McMullen establishes a relationship between the mysterious being and the hypochondriac with a doctorate in art history to explore the answer to the question: What is humanity’s purpose?

Embracing the “what if” to explore the very real–it’s one of the things I love about fantasy and science-fiction.  And each one of the magazine’s stories do just that.  No matter if you’re witnessing a hidden battle in Melinda M. Snodgrass’s “A Token of a Better Age,” or joining Lawrence C. Connolly’s “The Others” for scientific study, or being suspended in shock with Matthew Hughes’ “Hunchster,” readers will find something to identify with and explore excitingly.

They have a large selection to read from: twelve stories and one poem.  (Not too bad for $6.50, eh? I love how it’s so thick!)  With a varied collection, you can probably find at least one enjoyable story (or poem).    They are all well-written and carefully selected.  You can feel the editor’s enthusiastic decision in the re-printed stories “The Goddamned Tooth Fairy” by Tina Kuzminski and the equally enthusiastic introduction by Harlan Ellison for Jessie Thompson’s “Snowfall;” their introductions are as enjoyable as the stories themselves.

In addition to the novelets and stories, the magazine includes a section for reviews, opinions, humorous cartoons, and the very interesting “Curiosities” Section.

If you’re a fan of fantasy and science fiction (or if you want to get a delicious taste of it), I recommend picking up a copy of the bi-monthly magazine Fantasy & Science Fiction.  And definitely be on the lookout for the Aug./Sept. issue. Although this is my first experience with it, I can already tell their selection of stories and articles will be worth checking out in the future.

Writers you can find in this issue:  Sean McMullen, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Yoon Ha Lee, Lawrence C. Connolly, Rand B. Lee, Albert E. Cowdrey, Bruce Sterling, Nancy Springer, Matthew Hughes, Georges-Olivier Chateureynaud, Sophie M. White, Tina Kuzminski, Jessie Thompson, Charles de Lint, Elizabeth Hand, Lucius Shepard, Patricia A. Martinelli.

the narrator’s own likeability;