Aurealis #126, November 2019“Marked for Life” by J R Schuyler
[Edtor’s note: Aurealis does not publish in December and January. Its next issue will be in February of 2020.]
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
One new tale of fantasy and two original science fiction stories appear in the latest issue of this Australian publication.
“Marked for Life” by J R Schuyler begins inside a gated village. The elite among the inhabitants sacrifice members of the lower class in order to obtain magic from their blood. This allows them to wear facial tattoos that protect them from deadly beasts outside their community. The narrator, one of the upper class, witnessed such a sacrifice as a child. Once he comes of age and receives the protective tattoo, he escapes from the village with a childhood friend of the servant class, in order to ensure that his people do not sacrifice her. Unable to live outside the village due to his telltale tattoo, he journeys back alone, leading to an encounter with one of the feared beasts that leads to an unexpected fate.
The author creates a richly imagined fantasy world, and a harsh environment described in vivid detail. The story’s resolution depends on the narrator ignoring a warning he heard many times in his youth, which seems implausible.
“Cradle” by Stephen Higgins starts with alternating sections of narrative. One part depicts the sole survivor of the wreck of a starship coming out of suspended animation. The other deals with scientists discovering advanced technology deep within ancient rock. It soon becomes obvious that the starship landed on Earth long ago. What deepens the mystery is the fact that the man from the starship claims to be from Earth and speaks perfect English, just like the scientists. An explanation for the seeming paradox comes to light, but there’s another enigma waiting.
The puzzle is an intriguing one, and the solution is unique, if not very believable. The story’s twist ending strains credibility to the breaking point. The author provides some biting satire of government bureaucracy, but fails to engage the reader’s suspension of disbelief.
In “Flesh of the Other” by Eric Del Carlo, a woman is murdered and her consciousness is recorded. Several years later, the law catches up with the killer. As punishment, the authorities destroy his consciousness, and place hers inside the murderer’s body. She also inherits all his property. After learning to live in a male body, the woman begins to feel the same urges that drove the man to kill. An acquaintance from the past changes everything she assumed about the murderer, leading to the possibility of escaping a similar fate.
The idea is an interesting one, but raises questions that lessen its verisimilitude. The plot implies that one’s physical body has more power over one’s personality than one’s mind, which seems unlikely.
Victoria Silverwolf has still never been to Australia.