DreamForge Anvil #20, Summer 2025

“The Back Room” by Alicia Adams

“It’s What’s Inside that Counts” by Warren Benedetto (reprint, not reviewed)

“Prints” by J. K. Stephens

“The House of Us” by Marisca Pichette

“The Last Mardi Gras” by Raven Jakubowski

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

“The Back Room” by Alicia Adams is narrated by the owner of a rock shop rumored to have a secret room full of magical items. A high school student, eager to locate the hidden room, has to learn patience to find it. Her relationship with the narrator develops over time.

Fitting firmly into the tradition of fantasy stories dealing with strange little shops, this version of the old theme offers little that is new in its premise. More appealing are the personalities of the two main characters. There are no surprises, but the story makes for pleasant reading.

In “Prints” by J. K. Stephens, a scientist on Mars discovers what seems to be the fossil of an ancient fish. She previously witnessed the death of a fellow explorer in an accident. Using instinct, based on her Inuit background, she follows the spirit of her dead friend to a place where she makes an extraordinary discovery.
This story mixes science fiction with mysticism in an unusual way, neither one dominating the other. Some readers may find the idea that indigenous peoples have a special kind of wisdom something of a stereotype, even if it seems like a positive one.

In “The House of Us” by Marisca Pichette, a student makes her way to an ancient castle in order to interview the inhabitants, a werewolf and a vampire. She finds out that they are not at all what she expected.

This is an extremely light story, with supernatural beings who are not threatening in any way. Fans of The Munsters and The Addams Family may get a smile out of this very gentle comedy.

“The Last Mardi Gras” by Raven Jakubowski takes place at a time in the future when New Orleans is almost completely flooded. There have also been aliens living on Earth for some time. An elderly woman lives alone in an area deserted by others. An encounter with an alien leads to an understanding between them, along with painful memories and a gesture of friendship on the part of the extraterrestrial.

In a magazine full of sentimental stories, this one stands out for adding poignancy to sweetness. The combination of multiple science fiction themes (aliens, climate change, a deadly plague) works well here. The woman’s previous relationship with extraterrestrials is surprising, but adds to the story’s emotional appeal.

Victoria Silverwolf notes that this issue is subtitled “Hidden Bonds and Shared Secrets.”