On Spec #111, August 2019
“Crimes of the Genome” by M.F. Westphal
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
Seven stories by half a dozen authors appear in the latest issue of this Canadian publication.
“Crimes of the Genome” by M.F. Westphal takes place in a strange, divided future. The upper world, little seen in the story, is a place of law and order. The lower world, where semi-religious orders provide gene-splicing services for their clients, is more chaotic. The protagonist is an informal detective serving the lower world. A man who has engaged in gene-splicing unauthorized by the orders hires her to find the unknown person with whom he performed this forbidden act. The case involves a media star of the upper world, leading to multiple deaths and a violent final confrontation.
This mystery story features plenty of action and a rich, complex background. Some parts of it are difficult to follow. In particular, it is never quite clear what the gene-splicing involves, or why it is so important to keep it under the control of the orders.
“What Little Remains” by Paul Alex Gray involves a pair of supernatural creatures who wear the skins of those they have killed. The narrator, the less aggressive of the two, plans to escape the dominance of the other, who enjoys slaughtering one person after another. Their struggle involves a drug addict with whom the narrator hopes to make a new life.
The premise is a unique and chilling one. The climax of the story is dramatic, but seems to violate the rules under which the creatures operate.
In “Blue Crystal Shards” by George Nikolopoulos, the appearance of a second moon, seen only by women, makes the world a very different place. In Japan and West Africa, women now wield powerful magic, ruling empires that dominate the rest of the globe. The plot deals with two women, formerly lovers, locked in a life-and-death struggle for control of an immensely powerful artifact, one which could give one empire total control over the other, but which threatens to destroy the world. (The item may be a metaphor for a nuclear weapon.)
The author shows a great deal of imagination, but the background requires long sections of expository dialogue, in which people tell each other things they should already know. The battle of magic between the two characters involves so many different supernatural elements that it becomes overwhelming.
The protagonist of “Cold War” by Lynne M. MacLean is an ichthyologist. She discovers a dangerous new species, tropical fish infesting Arctic waters where they should not be able to survive. The reason for their existence involves international politics. In battle with the deadly animals, she receives help from an unexpected source.
The premise is a unique and interesting one, and the author is obviously familiar with the science behind it. One character is an addled old man who constantly quotes from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous narrative poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Although his frequent interruptions add an unusual flavor to the story, they have little to do with the plot or the theme.
“The Girl Who Loved Like Fire and the Blacksmith Who Was Afraid of His Heart” by Jennifer Bushroe is an allegorical fairy tale. It takes place at an imaginary time in the distant past when people literally had hearts made of gold. They were also able to take their hearts out of their bodies without harming themselves. A young woman’s heart is damaged whenever someone she loves deserts her. She has it repaired several times by a blacksmith, who is reluctant to love anyone, lest he suffer the same fate.
The story is told in a simple, direct style that matches its theme. This is a tale that could have easily become overly sentimental, but the author avoids that trap and instead creates a fable that is likely to touch the reader’s own heart.
“The Sacred Order of the Guardians of the Last Door” marks the second appearance by George Nikolopoulos in the issue. This is a brief farce about a group of clerics guarding a door through which, prophecy states, an evil being will emerge in order to destroy the world.
With names like Brother Leopold the Lecherous, and characters communicating through tap-dancing because they are under a vow of silence, you can tell this is a very silly story. The way in which the hapless hero defeats the monster is just as goofy. Readers who enjoy absurd comedy will appreciate this little joke.
“Hospice” by Leslie Brown takes place on a planet inhabited by aliens living in clans at a relatively low level of technology. When the main character breaks her ankle, the clan throws her out as useless, doomed to die as an outcast. Humans with a base on the planet take her in and heal her. She discovers other outcasts living among the humans, learning new skills from them. Her desire to create art leads to a struggle with the clans, and a change in the alien society.
The author creates a fully developed alien culture, depicting their biology and psychology in convincing detail, without excessive exposition. The protagonist thinks and acts in ways very different from those of people, but the reader is able to empathize with her.
Victoria Silverwolf thinks the cover of this issue is cute.