The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. Fifth Annual Collection
- Автор: Датлоу Эллен, Виндлинг Терри
- Год: 1992
- Язык: английский
- Год: St.Martin’s Press
- Жанр: Ужасы
Электронная книга - «The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. Fifth Annual Collection». Краткое содержание книги:
Necrofile: The Review of Horror Fiction, edited by Stefan Dziemianowicz, S. T. Joshi and Michael A. Morrison is published quarterly by Necronomicon Press. This is the first nonacademic publication in recent years (that I’m aware of) to have made a serious effort to deal exclusively with the written horror field in critical terms. The first issue, 28 pages in newsletter format, contains two essays on horror Ramsey Campbell (who will have a regular column) writes about his negative personal experiences with copy editors and Thomas Ligotti attempts a definition of weird fiction.” There’s also a serious, unhysterical review of American Psycho putting it into the context of a piece of literature (failure or not) and a piece of horror fiction; a review of Thomas M. Disch’s The M.D.; and an overall look at the first eight titles from the Dell/Abyss horror line. #2 reviews Clive Barkers Shadows in Eden, recent Ramsey Campbell works, Brian Stableford, Michael Cadnum, and Fred Chappell among others. Professional and readable. (Necronomicon Press, 101 Lockwood St., West Warwick, RI 02893. Individual issues are $2.50; a four-issue subscription is $10.00. The magazine will appear in January, April, July and October.)
The Scream Factory edited by Peter Enfantino is trying to be the professional news magazine of the horror field but so far is only partially successful. #7 covers the 1980s in horror. There are numerous lists, some illuminating and fun, others boring. Is it really necessary to list every horror novel published in the U.S. in the 1980s? The “biggest yawns of the ’80s” was interesting, as were some of the commentary on trends, hot new writers, and so forth. Usually the only fiction in The Scream Factory is the awful Wyrmwood series. Someone please kill it. #6 (to backtrack) is an all-fiction issue of the magazine—the best of the batch is the subtle and moving Douglas Clegg story. The magazine always looks good, with a readable design but the art in #6 is heavy-handed, occasionally even giving away the plot of a story. (The Scream Factory, 4884 Pepperwood Way, San Jose, CA 95124. $20 payable to Peter Enfantino for four issues.)
Crime Beat: Newsmagazine of Crime, edited by T. E. D. Klein (former editor of Twilight Zone Magazine), fills an obvious niche for true crime addicts. This stylish-looking oversized magazine has illustrations by some former TZ artists and articles ranging from America’s ten most dangerous streets, couples who kill and the story of a Jeffrey Dahmer survivor. The tough-talking style is perfect for the crime buff Found on newsstands (for subscription information, call 800-877-5303).
Carnage Flail #2, edited by David Griffin. I gave this magazine’s debut issue in 1989 a glowing review. The delayed second issue appeared in 1991 and although it looks as good as the first, there are some marked differences in content. The editorial and criticism are self-indulgent and occasionally arrogant. Griffin takes up six pages to excoriate Harlan Ellison’s piece on fans, “Xenogenesis,” and spends another six pages trashing Kathe Koja s writing in general and specifically her first novel, The Cipher. Also included is a thin interview with prominent film critic Pauline Kael that gives no insight into her taste or her writing. An experimental piece of fiction, a poem and a interesting piece by Jessica Amanda Salmonson on anthologies round out the issue. The editor needs to rethink his tone and get back on track {Carnage Hall Magazine, P.O. Box 7, Esopus, NY 12429, $4.50 payable to David Griffin, for one copy. Published irregularly).
Scavengers Newsletter, published by Janet Fox, is a monthly containing market reports, minireviews of small-press magazines, advice and letter columns. This booklet-sized 28-page magazine is invaluable for beginning writers of science fiction, fantasy or horror ($11.50/year payable to Janet Fox, 519 Ellinwood, Osage City, KS 66523).
Gila Queens Guide to Markets, edited by Kathryn Ptacek, is another monthly devoted to giving up-to-date publishing and marketing information in various genres. Magazine-sized, 24 pages ($20/year payable to the Gila Queen s Guide to Markets or Kathryn Ptacek, P.O. Box 97, Newtown, NJ 07860).
The New York Review of Science Fiction, published monthly by Dragon Press, edited by David G. Hartwell et al., makes a diligent effort to be a serious critical magazine covering science fiction, horror and fantasy. It features thought-provoking reviews, interesting but sometimes opaque articles, and best of all (for me), “Read this” sidebars—what individual writers are reading. ($25/year, $33 1st class, payable to Dragon Press, P.O. Box 78, Pleasantville, NY 10570.)
Science Fiction Eye, published and edited by Stephen P. Brown, is the most provocative and invigorating nonfiction genre-oriented magazine around. Still on an irregular schedule, the most recent issue has Bruce Sterling covering a computer game-designing conference; Richard Kadrey covering out-of-the-way music; Ta-kayuki Tatsumi, Norio Itoh and Mari Kotani writing about various science fiction topics from a Japanese point of view; and plenty of reviews, letters, and so forth (Science Fiction Eye, P.O. Box 18539, Asheville, NC 28814. Three issues lone year] $10 U.S.; $15 overseas.)
Fangoria, edited by Tony Timpone, is the queen of the gore magazines, now hvelve years old, identifiable by its gaudy, gory covers and gaudy, disgusting interiors reveling in all those gooey special effects. I love reading this on the subway. Although the magazine has always provided more coverage of the horror in film than the horror in print, in the last year it has published interesting reviews and serious articles. One issue concentrated on women in horror from “lady splatterpunks” (those who act in the movies) to those who write and edit horror fiction. Can be found on newsstands.
Gauntlet #2 Exploring the Limits of Free Expression, is an annual published and edited by Barry Hoffman. Volume 2 is much better than the first in scope and in addressing both sides of controversial issues. But a lot of the material is dated by the time each Gauntlet appears, which is a problem for any annual series. Some critics claim Gauntlet preaches to the converted. I disagree, feeling that the intention is not to preach but to inform those interested and concerned with censorship. Also, Gauntlet might provide the impetus to confront and fight censorship to those who are unaware of the problem. The fiction Gauntlet publishes rarely works for me. It generally seems heavy-handed and preachy The “Wizard of Oz” story by William Relling, Jr., was supposedly dropped from Borderlands by Avon for reasons of censorship; however, the issue seems to be one of copyright or trademark infringement, and while there’s some discussion of this, there’s not enough. The legalities may be unpleasant but these laws protect the creators of various characters. It would behoove authors to be aware that these same laws could equally protect their own writing in the future. Get your targets straight (and work to change the law if you don’t like it). Gauntlet is published each March; $8.95/year, $15/2 years payable to Gauntlet, Inc. Dept. 91 309 Powell Road, Springfield, PA 19064. ’