Shimmer Zine, Issue Nine. Beth Wodzinski, editor, gave me a copy in exchange for a ride to the airport from the Lincoln City Workshop. She described Shimmer as "contemporary fantasy". At the time I thought she meant a kind of urban fantasy but now I realize that I was wrong.
Shimmer is about the fantasy present in everyday life, about people in lives and places that any of us would recognize. These are people who experience something different, or odd, or magical. Since this "everyday life with non-everyday settings or experiences" is one of my big interests, I really enjoyed Shimmer and will be checking out future issues. Who knows? Maybe one day I can even have the honor of being published in Shimmer.
My favorite story was "The Hand of the Devil on a String" by M.K. Hobson.
I also enjoyed:
- "The Hummingbird Heart" by Angela Slatter
- "Maybe Blue" by Jenny Maloney
- "The Shape of Her Sorrow" by Joy Marchand
- "20th Anniversary Caveman" by Gra Linnaea
- "Distractions" by Chad Brian Henry
Weird Tales, July/August 2008
Everyone knows Weird Tales, so there's no need to describe it. As they say, "the Unique, Fantastic, & Bizarre" and that's it exactly. Overall, I thought this was a solid issue with some good stories and a fun interview with Mike Mignola!
My favorite story was "How I Got Here" by Ramsey Shehadeh. I also enjoyed "All In" by Peter Atwood along with the sense of setting and description in "Belair Plaza" by Adam Corbin Fusco and "Right You Are If You Say You Are" by Norman Spinrad.
