No Need to Speculate
November 19, 2018
When I was a member of a science fiction writers' group there was always one topic that would liven up the conversation: what is science fiction? If Third Flatiron Anthologies' latest offering,Terra! Tara! Terror! had been around then we would have had plenty to wrangle over. There are SF stories with elements of fantasy or horror, fantasy with twists of SF, folktales, and myths brought up to date. In fact, there's the full range of speculative fiction in all its wonderful mutations.
There's some beautiful writing, such as Steven Mathes' 'Music, Dogs, True Love and a Gateway' and 'Replica' by John Paul Davies. I loved the humour of Samuel Chapman's Winter War', the concept behind 'Shadow Harvest' by Melanie Rees, the foreboding of K. G. Anderson's 'Captain Carthy's Bride' and the freshness of 'Me Too, Medusa' by Evelyn Deshane, who doesn't waste a word. If I had to decide on a favourite, I'd find it hard to choose between the characterisation and humanity of 'Father O'Neill's confession' by Jen Downes and the brilliant combination of steampunk atmosphere and folklore in 'My Lady of the Park' by Blake Jessop.
Terra! Tara! Terror! includes immortals, the undead, artificial life, environmental disasters, chatty dragons and amorous ghosts, but don't ask me to decide which ones are SF, which fantasy and which horror. Ultimately, it doesn't matter–they're all good. Third Flatiron Anthologies' books are available on Amazon (which wouldn't let me post a review because I haven't spent enough with them) and from their own website at: http:www.thirdflatiron.com
There's some beautiful writing, such as Steven Mathes' 'Music, Dogs, True Love and a Gateway' and 'Replica' by John Paul Davies. I loved the humour of Samuel Chapman's Winter War', the concept behind 'Shadow Harvest' by Melanie Rees, the foreboding of K. G. Anderson's 'Captain Carthy's Bride' and the freshness of 'Me Too, Medusa' by Evelyn Deshane, who doesn't waste a word. If I had to decide on a favourite, I'd find it hard to choose between the characterisation and humanity of 'Father O'Neill's confession' by Jen Downes and the brilliant combination of steampunk atmosphere and folklore in 'My Lady of the Park' by Blake Jessop.
Terra! Tara! Terror! includes immortals, the undead, artificial life, environmental disasters, chatty dragons and amorous ghosts, but don't ask me to decide which ones are SF, which fantasy and which horror. Ultimately, it doesn't matter–they're all good. Third Flatiron Anthologies' books are available on Amazon (which wouldn't let me post a review because I haven't spent enough with them) and from their own website at: http:www.thirdflatiron.com
Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Reviews
