MindFlights Monday 3

For the third week of my MindFlights Monday, I am reviewing "Counterfeit World" by George L. Duncan.

The Spacehawks have to evaluate a new race called the Troka. Everything they have seen shows a peaceful race without any form of religion. They have advanced technology that humanity needs. But the Christians in the group have reservations about their lack of religion. It is very interesting story. Should people(or in this case a race) be taken at face value? Should a leader follow the advice of Christians or are they upset because the aliens do not agree with Christianity? This is a story that is definitely worth reading. I would like to read more stories in this series.

MindFlights Monday 2

Welcome to the second installment of MindFlights Monday, my weekly look at the MindFlights site.



This week the featured artwork is "The Appeal" by Marge Simon.



The new story on the site is "The Sixth Swan" by Kathryn Yelinek. The author tells the story of a fable, a small town, a family, swans with human eyes and teeth, and the use of natural resources. She has crafted a modern day fable that is very interesting. I think that this will be a very popular story. I liked the way the mystery unfolded. The writing was very natural. The dialogue was realistic. Anyone who has spent time in a small town will recognize a place like this.

Kathryn Yelinek is an author whose stories I am looking forward to reading in the future. After reading this story, you will be looking for more from this author. Kudos to MindFlights for publishing this tale.

Wayfarers Journal Fall 2007-"Phobos" by Stoney M. Setzer

One of the new features for The Bedford Review in 2008 is the addition of regular short story reviews. The first story featured is one that I was going to review last month.

"Phobos" is the second of Stoney Setzer's stories that I have read. My review of "The Watchman" can be found here.

This story deals with an expedition to the Martian moon called Phobos. The natives trash the shuttle and start killing the crew. The twist is all of the crew are being killed by what they fear the most. As the crew is being eliminated it becomes apparent to Travis Lyle that he is about to face his greatest fear. The fear of being alone.

Setzer does a great job of making the crews' fears believable. Overcoming your fears is something that everyone can relate to.

I am looking forward to more stories by this author.

Recommended.

For an interview with the editor-in-chief of The Wayfarers Journal follow this link.

Light at the Edge of Darkness edited by Cynthia MacKinnon

"When forced to the edge of darkness, there’s only one way back: embrace the Light."-from the editor's introduction.

I thought editor Cynthia MacKinnon's quote from the introduction did a good job of summarizing this collection. She(and the Lost Genre Guild) did a great job with this anthology. I enjoy the variety of stories. It is rare to find an anthology containing horror, fantasy, far future fiction, alien worlds and more.

Undeniable by A. P. Fuchs is not for the squeamish. Duncan James and his son are captured and tortured for their faith. The author wanted to explore how much he would be willing to endure for his faith. He does a great job conveying this to the reader. Any parent will get chills reading about Duncan's trials.

Credo features the origin of Stephen L. Rice's character-Martin. He is one of the Heralds(divinely appointed lawmen who deal with demonic attacks). Fans of westerns will be looking for more adventures after reading this story.

With the popularity of Dr. Who, it is the perfect time for Joseph Ficor's The Timeship of Semak. This touching tale of a young boy running away from his foster home and his meeting with 'Ol Bill was a favorite of mine. The writing reminds me of the work of the great science fiction writer Clifford Simak. Look up Simak's Way Station and I think you will see what I mean. I wonder if the name Semak is a tribute to Clifford? I will definitely be looking for more stories by this author.

Fans of speculative fiction will be excited by Light at the Edge of Darkness. Visit the publisher's(The Writer's Cafe) and check out their other publications.

Please visit the following sites for more information/reviews...

Wayfarer's Journal
Unseen Worlds
Just a Minute
Dorsey Publications
Virtual Book Tour de 'Net
Fiction Fanatics Only
The Bedford Review
Never Ceese
Timothy Hicks - Fantasy Thyme
Christian Fiction Review Blog
Grace Bridges
Casual Cogitation
Write and Whine
S.P. Hibbs' Journal & Musings
Lost Genre Guild Blog

Short Takes-"The Watchman" by Stoney M. Setzer

The first short story I chose to review is "The Watchman" by Stoney M. Setzer. It appeared in Dragons, Knights, and Angels(August edition, Issue 35).

From the summary page...

Glenn Sanders is a small-town newspaper editor who longs for the "big story." He gets his wish when his town is besieged by swarms of biting gnats, but it turns out to be more than he bargained for when he learns the reason for the plague.

Stoney does an excellent job of writing about life in a small Southern town. I would be surprised if he did not live in a small town. Sometimes it is hard to establish the atmosphere in a short story. Stoney makes it look easy.

Another thing I liked about "The Watchman" was the way that the Bible was refered to in the story. It was not stuck in to make it a Christian tale. Stoney made the Bible references an important and necessary part of the story.

The way this story is set up, he could easily do a series of "Watchman" stories. I would like to see the situations the different Watchmen encounter.

I will definitely keep watch for more stories by this talented author.