*Top Picks from September 2013*
"Alone, Together" by Robert Kirkman
Nightmare Magazine's September Issue
~48 mins
-- So first off, I apologize, but it couldn't be helped. There are two whole stories on the Top Picks dedicated to zombies. This first one and the last one on the list. I spaced them out so you wouldn't be totally annoyed with me. I admit, it's a pretty hackneyed trope these days, but I found something redeeming in both of these stories.
This one is the more traditional of the two, following a group of survivors as they pick their way among humanity's ruins. In its post-apocalyptic way, it's a love story and one that will tangle you intimately into the twisted desires of the protagonist. At the end I hope you'll ask yourself if you're so different from him.
"The Drove of Maris-Charlottes" by David Turnbull
Cast of Wonders Ep. 94
~29 mins
-- I loved this story! This was one of those "instant Top Picks" for me. I don't want to spoil the beautiful exposition, so I'll set the hook and let you take the bait: imagine you're a young woman trying to uphold her father's name by driving a herd of potatoes across the dusty plains. This was one of the most mature stories I've seen yet on Cast of Wonders and yet I felt like it really spoke to a younger version of myself. The action and hardship were solid and the world building was novel and well-executed. Yee-haw!
"A Short Guide to the City" by Peter Straub
Nightmare Magazine's September Issue
~33 mins
-- Frankly I don't know what to make of this story. It's part art, part horror, part culture commentary, and almost completely devoid of any true narrative. That said, it kept me intrigued all the way through. Essentially it's a tour of the districts of a post-industrial city where these various districts have fallen each into their own forms of barbarism, as dictated by their inhabitants. There are hints and suggestions of more, but I'm hoping our Synthetic Voices discussion group can help me tease those out. If you'd like a little something different from the norm, check out this one.
"Ill-Met at Midnight" by David Tallerman
Beneath Ceaseless Skies Ep. 110
~36 mins
-- Here's a fun story about assassins. Real assassins probably aren't that fun, but these are the fantastic kind that belong to assassin guilds and have loads of honor. While the ending didn't floor me, I really enjoyed the personalities of the various characters. Perhaps the narration by Tales of the Left Hand's John Meagher added something not contained completely within the written word.
"Thirty Seconds From Now" by John Chu
Escape Pod Ep. 412
~27 mins
-- I love two things about this story. First, it opens a window on the life of a talented college student as he discovers love, pain, and what he really wants from life. By the end I think too you will be very invested in his final decision.
Second, I was happy to see that even though the protagonist is not of a heterosexual orientation, that fact does not obscure the passionate, introspective writing in the piece. Stories steeped in gay culture are fine, but it's also nice to see fiction about gay characters who aren't part of some alternative or indie counterculture. It's almost a trope as often as I see it in speculative fiction.
Oh and he can see into the future, for those wondering what tropes ARE in this one. It reminds me a bit of the movie Knowing - yes, the 2009 film with Nicolas Cage, I did see it, in the theater no less!
"Dry Bite" by Will McIntosh
Lightspeed Magazine's September Issue
~58 mins
-- Here's our second zombie story, but as you'll see, the author made quite an effort to deconstruct the worn-out zombie setup and take a turn at reinventing the zombie.