“From the Archives: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame G K ‘Doc’ Tolliday D.D.”
Reviewed by Chuck Rothman
Aurealis’s October issue has two works of top quality fiction.
Monger is the guitarist for the band “Butcher’s Hook,” now washed up and out of the business. The band had been big in its day, as where the international superstar Kat Trina got her start. Now Monger is hanging out in a bar, remembering the early days, the excitement of being a rock star, and the way it all goes bad. Jason Frank‘s story takes the metaphor of the soul-sucking record business and runs with it. The fantastic element take some time to reveal itself, but it’s all to the good, as is the punch in the final line.
S G Larner shows an agricultural world trying to adjust to some dark forces in “Poppies.” Adir is having an illicit affair with his brother’s wife Zahra as their society is being warped by growing poppies for the Gloan. And when the affair is discovered, his brother takes actions to both destroy Adir and maybe even the whole village. The story is strongly emotional and the climactic scene is a powerful look at evil.
There’s also a third piece that’s sort-of fiction: “From the Archives:
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame G K ‘Doc’ Tolliday D.D.” is a little jest by editor Michael Pryor, a biography of the fictional Tolliday. It’s rather odd and much of it is taking E.E. “Doc” Smith’s bio and changing the name. Extremely slight, but short.
I was very impressed by the stories here. They weren’t breaking new ground, but were very good reading.
Chuck Rothman‘s novels Staroamer’s Fate and Syron’s Fate were recently republished by Fantastic Books. He has stories upcoming in Best of Penumbra and Third Flatiron.