DreamForge Anvil #22, December 2025

“Darjeeling & Demons” by David Hankins

“Last Trip to the Garden Dome” by Robert E. Harpold

“The Beekeper’s Gift” by Hugh McCormack

“Dog Helps Those…” by Jane Lindskold

“Muzik Man” by Wulf Moon (second part of a serial, not reviewed)

Reviewed by Mina

“Darjeeling & Demons” by David Hankins is a charming story despite the demons in the title. I liked the unlikely hero, a middle-aged woman who must have something remarkable about her as she rescued her daughter from hell. That’s why she is now plagued by imps and a demon. But what if she can give her tormentors a choice? What if a peaceful resolution is possible even with the minions of hell? There’s a nice detail in the suggestion that the worst thing in life is believing you are worthless. A fun but not superficial read.

“Last Trip to the Garden Dome” by Robert E. Harpold is melancholic but not without hope. What do you do when the universe is being taken over by “inorganics” that reduce everything to the raw materials they can use? In the last garden dome on Mars, you save what you can so that you can replant in a future where organics will have learned how to fight back. Echoes of the Terminator but in a good way.

“The Beekeper’s Gift” by Hugh McCormack is whimsical and very short. Arlo accepts a gift, which he passes forward, and is visited by good fortune. The tale is built to feel like a bee collecting and leaving pollen at every stop. A gentle tale.

“Dog Helps Those…” by Jane Lindskold is a tale about luck. But good luck for one person creates a deficit in luck for another, so wishes must be wielded with care. This is what Sylvia learns when a chance encounter with a dog leads her to family she never knew she had. Meek and downtrodden as she is, she finally finds her voice.