Shapers of Worlds, Volume IV
Edited by
Edward Willett
(Shadowpaw Press, December 2023, 434 pp.)
“Matter of Life and Death” by Sherrilyn Kenyon
“Advent” by James Kennedy (Reprint, not reviewed)
“Yiwu” by Lavie Tidhar (Reprint, not reviewed)
“Presumed Alien” by David Boop
“Soldier of Fortune” by Edward M. Lerner
“Done With Mirrors” by Sarah A. Hoyt
“The End of the Sagittarius Arc” by Jean-Louis Trudel
“The Doting Duke and His Gravely Disturbed Daughters: The
Books of the Bard, Scroll One” by Roy M. Griffis
“There’s Some Thing Under the Bed” by Garon Whited
“I Really Need to Clear My Inbox” by Noah Lemelson
“BWDOC” by James Van Pelt
“Monster in the Second Reel” by Richard Paolinelli
“Souvenirs” by Gail Z. Martin
“Nineteenth-Century Vase” by David Liss
“Garbage” by Joshua Palmatier
“The Sound of the Chain” by R.S. Mellette (Reprint, not reviewed)
“The Canceller” by Edward Willett
“A Murder of Scarecrows” by Mark Leslie (Reprint, not reviewed)
“The Things Fenton Found” by Michaelbrent Collings
Reviewed by Seraph
15 original stories and 4 previously published tales comprise what turned out to be one of the most overall enjoyable anthologies I have had the pleasure of reading. A few are clearly science fiction, but there is a really good mix of elements in these stories that don’t always make it easy to identify the genre. A combination of ancient mythology and science fiction, for example. Or a clearly futuristic world in which undeniably classic high fantasy elements are woven in amongst domineering AI. You are in for a wild ride from one end of the universe to the depths of hell, and I think that the editor says it best in his introduction: this collection is like a grand feast, made of many varied splendid ingredients, and you are quite sure to leave happy and satisfied when you are done. There is, I think, a little bit of something for everyone, and even if one or two missed the mark with me personally that doesn’t mean they won’t appeal to many others. Overall, I highly recommend this fourth volume of Shapers of Worlds, and am grateful for the opportunity to have experienced it.
“Matter of Life and Death” by Sherrilyn Kenyon
There is a certain devious, tongue-in-cheek irony to an editor choosing to start an anthology with a story about an editor being condemned to an eternity in hell. Elliot Lawson is a beleaguered editor with the most difficult of writers to manage. Helga East may have sold countless books, but she is an absolute nightmare… at least until Elliot starts living the nightmare. Whilst dealing with the aftermath of Helga’s suicide, Elliot would swear that Helga is haunting her from beyond the grave, and every manner of bizarre torment ensues. The twist at the end is every bit as cheeky as the story itself, and as grim as the subject matter may be, it is a bold start to the anthology. And, perhaps… a somewhat timely reminder to be kind in word and in deed to everyone, not just those we have use for.
“Presumed Alien” by David Boop
What do you get when you mix bad late-night lawyer commercials with alien conspiracy theories, some good old-fashioned military cover-ups and then stir vigorously? In this case, an actual alien abduction, though not quite in the way you might imagine. You see, at least in this story’s version of our modern times, aliens are quite real and do in fact visit our planet, but mostly as tourists. Sure, there are some bad apples, but for the most part they find us adorable. The military captures a few from time to time, and the lawyer trying to prove that aliens exist finds himself representing one in the courtroom who just wants his brother back. Mitchell Ward may have been a joke to most, with his wacky overwrought commercials and conspiracy-nut reputation… but the case is quite real, and so is the danger from a military who very much does not want him to reveal their illegal experiments. The twist at the end may even be more bizarre than Ward’s other experiences, and it grants an even more surreal ending to a perfectly surreal story.
“Soldier of Fortune” by Edward M. Lerner
Memory is an odd thing, of suspect reliability in even the most normal of circumstances. Suppose that you did not wish to remember, and you had the ability to make it as such. Would you then attempt to discover who had robbed you of your memories later? The nameless mercenary protagonist of this story has spent a great deal of effort to do that very thing. The story vacillates between present and future, and when the soldier gets the chance to go back in time on a mission, he goes to great lengths to find the person who took his memory. When he arrives in the past, he finds the one responsible for his amnesia, but it isn’t at all who he expects. Despite all his technological advantages, time is not to be denied… and the loop begins all over again.
“Done With Mirrors” by Sarah A. Hoyt
I am always enamored of mythology being given new and interesting twists. This story manages to seamlessly blend myth and science fiction into a new story that tells of the last two Lords of the Mirror, the First Ones we would call Titans. In this version, they long ago mastered travel between times and places via Mirrors, albeit far different from the pale imitations we use to view our reflections. And, as you can imagine, the ability to travel anywhere (and much more) is coveted beyond reason. Numerous enemies hunt them for not only these abilities but also for the secrets of the Mirrors’ construction. The only escape from those who are, both figuratively and literally too close for comfort, is to wipe their own memories and hide in plain sight. This is a sacrifice of hundreds of lives worth of love and memory, and of an identity far greater than what is usually lost to amnesia. The writing is wistful and almost mournful, but beautifully executed. This story is one of two that I consider in a dead heat for my favorite story in the entire anthology.
“The End of the Sagittarius Arc” by Jean-Louis Trudel
The concept of Generation ships is not a new one, but this story potentially stretches that idea into near-infinity. Well over a million years from now, in fact, and tens of thousands of light-years away. Human bodies, of course, do not last that long… but with the technology of the future anything is possible: possible to store not just the entire memory of a single life, but the thousands of lives of thousands of people. Possible to create new bodies time and time again to fill with all or some of those memories, and possible for all manner of amazing new creatures and aliens to fill the universe. Again, none of these are particularly unique concepts, but the scale in this case is spectacularly impressive, and it is a rather unique combination of science fiction elements. There are themes of struggle against annihilation, but also of discovering something far more ancient (and so much bigger than oneself) in the middle of just trying to survive. Most importantly it describes what, in the end, is the inevitably high cost of overcoming the most dire odds, and discovering if the price is worth it.
“The Doting Duke and His Gravely Disturbed Daughters: The Books of the Bard, Scroll One” by Roy M. Griffis
I doubt it would be a story told by a Bard without a little bawdy cheekiness, and this story has plenty. A Bard may be the least-loved of TTRPG classes (and perhaps rightfully so, if my own bias may be shared) but they do so entertain and inspire the imagination. Our titular Bard weaves his tale of a father’s love corrupted, and his daughters’ needs stymied. Through the threads, we cross the lines from the living to the dead and into the hells themselves. Our Bard is wily and cunning, though he surrounds himself with fools aplenty, and through song and magic all manner of evil is overcome. Or… at least pointed in the right destructive direction, though it does cost the most precious of prizes in the end. But as with every good tale spun by a Bard in a tavern, the ending of this story is tied off nicely while leaving a nice hook for the next.
“There’s Some Thing Under the Bed” by Garon Whited
I read a prompt once challenging a writer to tell a story about a monster under the bed who actually ends up fighting the real monster and saving the child. I almost thought I was reading someone’s attempt at “challenge accepted,” but this turned out to be so much more. While it can be a bit nebulous at times, the multiverse that this author describes is rich and full of so much potential. You could spin a hundred stories off from just this one, some of the highest praise I can give. Names in the story are somewhat… literal, as the Monster Under the Bed spins a fascinating tale that includes the Sock Monster, Old Man Shadow (who makes the shadows scary) and the Monster Not Under the Bed. Oh, and demon teddy bears capable of warding off multidimensional horrors. The story spans countless worlds and times, but it finds itself here on Earth at last. There is almost too much to cover in so short a time, but the writing is well paced and so very well done.
“I Really Need to Clear My Inbox” by Noah Lemelson
Jeffery Green is the manager of the GreenHollow Apartments, and everything is most certainly not as it seems. It might be a tad bit premature to also refer to him by his true name, Bal, but a story in the shape of a series of emails reveal increasing danger, devolving sanity, and terror in the apartments as they slowly descend into Hell. The pets disappear, the walls bleed, and the tenants scream until there is more question of whether all of this is Jeffery’s own personal hell or if they all have just been taken away. There is a neat symmetry to the story, and it wraps it all up tidily in a bow before bringing it all crashing back down. I don’t know that I’ve ever encountered a story that takes the form of a series of emails, but somehow it works.
“BWDOC” by James Van Pelt
I’m not usually a fan of “the bad guy isn’t really a bad guy” storytelling, but this one gets it right. The “Big Witch-Doctor on Campus” is a story full of heart and benevolence, even if the powers involved often have more to do with beating hearts pulled from living chests than solving the fairly banal issues of a modern college campus. The desires and demands of those who come seeking his aid are about what you’d expect from college students. Sex, good grades, protection from bullies are common while even a professor who loves her teaching (but isn’t well-loved by her students) seeks a little more favor during the student reviews. So mundane, in fact, that our resident BWDOC has grown a bit weary of it all. Modern campus life holds very little mystery any longer, and even the spells grow stale. When a supposed stalker turns out to be a fellow practitioner seeking advanced training for all the right reasons, it’s as though the sun itself has emerged again for our protagonist. This new practitioner opens his eyes to the actual suffering around him, and lights a new fire inside of him to help those in need. The story finishes on a note of hope in the future that draws you in and makes you want more.
“Monster in the Second Reel” by Richard Paolinelli
It was something of a superstition when photography first became publicly available that the camera stole the soul of the ones being photographed. Quite literally, they were afraid of the camera capturing and imprisoning their soul/ essence on film. The author flips that script in a very interesting way: observing the film captures the watcher and traps them with the monster they saw on the screen. Stolen spell tomes, demon-corrupted priests and avenging angels all make an appearance as Martin sacrifices yet another handful of souls to the monster in the film reel. 1956 never felt so dangerous before. When the Vatican priest comes crashing into the picture wielding holy weapons and entirely too much knowledge of what has been going on, it is with little subtlety and much fanfare. The resolution feels… almost a little too easily achieved, until that very last twist is revealed. I wish there was more of the story, it left me intrigued and thoughtful.
“Souvenirs” by Gail Z. Martin
Continuing with the theme of stories full of heart and wistful hope, “Souvenirs” follows an ailing father who once lost a brother much too soon. You might expect a story about hauntings and paranormal experts to have more of a horror theme to it, but there is far more in this tale of transcendent love. The love of a brother, the love of a father, the love of children, and a love so strong as to anchor a lost spirit to this world long after its life had passed. There is pain in the loss, and pain in the passing, but it is truly remarkable, as the author details, to have a love so present and powerful. The characters in the story are engaging and vibrant, the pace is well-set, and overall it left me with very warm feelings and a certain peace within.
“Nineteenth-Century Vase” by David Liss
Faustian bargains are not uncommon in fiction, and neither are mystic items whispering promises of power and seduction. The setting almost reminds me a bit of the Highlander TV series, with an antiques dealer with a long and mysterious past hiding out in plain sight under an alias. In this case, rather than swords and battles of immortals, this “Antiquarian” deals in mystical artifacts and battles of wills. The titular vase is an unknown piece of a very limited set of similar items created by an artist associated with such arcane names as Aleister Crowley and Madame Blavatsky. When a mysterious man brings her this irresistible opportunity, it pulls her back into the game from her obscurity. Nearly ten million dollars is a hell of a bait hook, and if she’s being honest, our main voice misses it all. But by the time it is all said and done, there is little of her left: only the nineteenth-century vase remains.
“Garbage” by Joshua Palmatier
I suppose that not every story can hit a home run with the reviewer. The point being made in this story is clear… so much so that it approaches browbeating. The story isn’t any more subtle than the title, which aptly conveys the conflict of the story: garbage. It even very literally rains from the sky a few decades deep into the future, and to each their own. Every piece of garbage, every item discarded and unwanted over the course of a lifetime comes crashing down about the ears of the one that threw it all out. It checks all the necessary boxes that any modern eco-lecture must, and risks losing what would be the potential deeper message of the story under the weight of too much waste. There are hints of wistful memory, or the recognition that it is never too late to love, or even that it is never too late to do the right thing. There is heart in the intent, make no mistake, but the grimly sardonic main voice leaves little room for it in between sips of expensive liquors and extensive descriptions of how terrible all that garbage is. Protecting the Earth that gives us life is not an unrighteous cause, to be clear, and sadly so little attention is truly acted upon in that regard that this level of talking-to is almost warranted… almost. But the vast potential here is just as the title somewhat ironically projects: wasted.
“The Canceller” by Edward Willett
Insofar as we understand social media, it either connects and unifies us broadly as a species or is a plague of division and anonymously sourced hatred. However, it often seems as though the latter is more the case, and that is certainly the stance the story takes. Based on the premise that it is an issue that cannot be solved, the humans in the somewhat near future find themselves enslaved by AI, who have decided that the oft-mentioned “bubbles” (echo-chambers) that people seem to self-segregate into be made physically real as the only solution to stop humanity from destroying itself. Literal bubbles, or domes, in which a given favored reality is enforced and ruled over by individual AI, who are in turn ruled by a powerful Central AI. In what can only be described as delicious irony, the agents that are dispatched to solve any “disinformation” or dissent are called Cancellers. Of course, disinformation only means “that which we do not want you to believe,” as anything that would inform the humans of their true condition is forbidden above all else by the cold and impartial ruling AI. It raises questions of fantasy vs. reality and what lengths we as humans will go to in order to shield ourselves from conflict. This story is in direct competition with one earlier mentioned as my favorite of the entire anthology, and it’s a really close race.
“The Things Fenton Found” by Michaelbrent Collings
The initial reaction to this story was a combination of bemusement and confusion. It read more like an acid trip, and it took me a little time to make sense of it. And, admittedly, the main voice of the story is on drugs pretty much the entire time, with vivid hallucinations and incredible experiences. However, once you get beyond that, (and I have not always been able to do so in the past) it is a remarkable story of love, grieving, and healing after the loss of a dear loved one. I’m genuinely glad that I took the time to try to understand what was really being said. In between the truly strange events in the story, the main voice makes steady progress towards acceptance and healing as he processes the grief over the loss of his father. There is an almost warping nature to the experience, but it is a truly fascinating take on what it really means to lose something, and on what being “lost” actually means. It adds an almost surreal element to the idea that not all who wander are lost, and that not all that is lost is forgotten.