Aurealis “Devil-May-Care” by Michael Gardner
“Ask Bernard” by Greg Foyster
“Pygmalion” by J. D. Moyer
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
Three male authors offer new works of imaginative fiction in this issue.
In “Devil-May-Care” by Michael Gardner, an aging rock star becomes the host of a television program that debunks people who claim to have psychic powers. His first guest is a woman he knew several years ago. Their encounter leads to a supernatural experience, revelations about the past, and a change in his relationship with an old friend.
Once the premise is established, the reader expects a typical story of magical revenge. However, the author is much more creative than that, and the plot goes in unexpected directions. The characters are fully developed, believable people, rather than just typical heroes or villains.
The narrator of “Ask Bernard” by Greg Foyster has the ability to freeze time for other people, so that he is able to take as long as needed to think about the proper response to questions and situations. When this ability changes, so that he becomes mute and unmoving during this freezing, while others stay normal, he winds up in a hospital, diagnosed with dementia.
There is more to the story than this brief synopsis suggests, but it consists mostly of the narrator relating his past and facing an uncertain future. The concept is interesting, but suffers from questionable logic. It is unclear why the narrator is able to answer any question, thus becoming famous as a quiz show winner, when his strange power only provides him with limitless time to think about the problem, and does not supply extra knowledge about it. It also strains credibility to imagine that the narrator would be declared incompetent, when his so-called dementia only effects his ability to speak, while allowing him to write perfectly well.
“Pygmalion” by J. D. Moyer features a scientist and a government agent aboard a fishing vessel, investigating the appearance of dangerous sea creatures that are obviously bioengineered. They discover the creator of the animals, as well as the likely motive, but mysteries remain.
The futuristic content is realistic and plausible. The plot raises issues of ecology and the ethics of whaling, among others. (It should be noted that the author’s afterword expresses concern for the environment, and that his work suggests that humanity may not be responsible enough to protect it without outside force.) The story holds one’s interest, but ends very suddenly. Readers may be frustrated by the lack of a full resolution.
Victoria Silverwolf reads the author biographies in order to determine their stated genders.