Black Static 9 is packed with dark, elegant stories, but I’m going to single out Al Robertson’s Changling for mention. It arrives in a rush of suppressed emotion that clings to the narrator all the way through as it drops the trauma of the Gulf War into Mythago Wood (one could say), and it is one of the top stories in a strong issue. In case you don’t read contributor notes (or even Black Static, come to that), it should be pointed out that you’ll find another one of Robertson’s stories, Fishermen, in Interzone 221 which will be out in March.
Meanwhile, the GSFWC is meeting tonight and I’m suffocating beneath deadlines. Must… not… go… to… pub… after… meeting…
I agree. Changeling is a beautifully written and really creepy story. And Mr Robertson is covering the bases of the leading British genre mags with a story (‘Sohoitis’) in the most recent PostScripts too.
Pity you couldn’t make it to the pub last night, Jim.
Sheesh. I needed some willpower to get caught up. So I thought I’d see if they sold any in the pub… At least I stuck to soft drinks and I managed to get some work done when I got home.
You were very restrained. Unlike me. I was trying to force myself to stick to soft drinks so I’d have half a chance of not killing myself at football tonight. I failed, and expect to die. It’s me age.
Seriously, about Al Robertson’s fiction. He’s a very versatile writer that I expect – nay, demand! – great things from.
Yeah, I hadn’t realised that he’s in PostScripts – I am way behind in my reading, but I will rectify that. Maybe not until next week, though. Good luck with the football tonight. Let the spirit of Jim Baxter inspire you.