Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, March 2022

“Looking Glass with Golden Flecks” by A. J. Cunder

“Major Difficulties” by H. B. Stonebridge

Reviewed by Mike Bickerdike

“Looking Glass with Golden Flecks” by A. J. Cunder is a short fantasy story loosely-based on ‘Snow White’, but with notable plot differences compared to the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Fantasies based on ‘Snow White’ are not uncommon and bringing something new to the tale presents a challenge. In this treatment, the story is inverted to focus attention and sympathy on the ‘wicked’ queen, who is trapped into an unfulfilling life by her greed for foreknowledge. The shift in character focus, and reduced scope of the story work quite well here. Albeit a touch short, the tale is readable and quite engaging.

“Major Difficulties” by H. B. Stonebridge is a fantasy short story set in the bayou and the city of New Orleans. A rich businessman has apparently been murdered in his garden, and a police detective calls on his lazy cousin who lives in the swamps to use his ‘hoodoo’ skill to help solve the case. The story quickly immerses the reader with its brightly told, humorous approach, and it’s the wry, cynical outlook of the lazy protagonist that makes this tale work. The fantasy elements themselves are not especially original, but the mood and neat closure of the piece make it a decent read.

More of Mike Bickerdike’s reviews and thoughts on science-fiction can be found at https://starfarersf.nicepage.io/