Realms of Fantasy August edition

[Celestial Dung]

Ok this is two issues in a row. Two issues in a row that Realms of Fantasy has not placed a dragon or a scantily clad woman on their cover. Now I'm just confounded. Is there a different art director at work here? Have they heeded the call of their many disgruntled cover readers? Did magazine sellers complain that they couldn't tell the difference between ROF and Heavy Metal? Whose to say I dont know.

This cover features a cartoonish rendering of Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz, and Gandalf as done by Gahan Wilson. It's kind of cute really. Harry Potter is dong a book signing and the two elder characters are standing over Harry waiting for their autograph. Problem? yeah you knew I had to grip about something. The problem is this edition of Realms of Fantasy contains very little information about any Facet of Harry Potter. the mag came out before Order of the Phoenix was released so naturally they couldn't do a review. So instead they do a short and irrelevant essay on what the amazing Rowling has done for fantasy. Nice but at a thousand words it's not really all that impressive.

It's a magazine's perogative, I guess, to market their magazine any way they choose. And sometimes you have to cater to popular trends in order to get your audience. But to promise a cover shot of a paticular craze only to devote a smidget of attention to it is just dishonest. I rack read Guitar World and Jimmy Page is on the cover. I open it and behold in the middle is a leghty interview with Jimmy Page. In short he's the focual point of the issue. No cheating.

Scantly clad women and harry potter have little any commen save for the exploitation of their fan base I guess.

Ok cover gripes away.

The issue itself is quite good. Folkroots is being handled by Kristen McDermott and she does a remarkable job of comparing Shakespherarn theater and Carnival. King Lear, Winters Tale, And the Tempest are very centered in the essay exploring the symbols of masks and fools. Very thorough background into solstice festivels.

The book reviews were once again a so so matter. I don't know what it is about Realms of Fantays books reviews but they never seem to excite me at all. Charles de Lint has a new...er new to Realms of Fantasy anyway...book out and htat sort of grabbed me. Richard Sparks has a new short story collection out which is worth looking into. Other then that I left the book reviews hum drum.

Movie section has a "League of Extroidnary Gentlemen" feature. Not a bad little writing, leanred that a lot of fans of the comic may be dissapointed. Dorrien Grey and tom Sawyer have been added to the cast of characters and the plot has been tweaked to promise more action and less conversation. Im still itching to see it though, just to see what kind of role Dorien Gray is going to have...

On to the meat...

Richard Parks has made himself of ROF staple by focusing on folklore motifs. "Worshipping Small Gods" takes it's muse from bhuddism as a bhuddist saint tries to get a mountain god to make a bridge for him. Bhuddist philsophy is illustrated. A fun light piece.

"Kristin with Caprice" is a love story and it just bugged me. I think Alan Smale wanted to show the symbolism of Kristen's goats and here astrological sign. It's a short relatioship story about a couple torn apart and then reconciled, perhaps. And somehow the goats were playing a part in all this althought how I'm not sure. Very little fantasy involved...this is more of a human relations story ROF tend to pop up on us. Written very well just in the wrong mag I feel. And love stories tend to suck from my perspective.

"Does he Take Blood" by Karen Travis promises world where demonds and humans coexist. The details are sketchy but somehow hell and earth have merged causing demons to co exsit with the humans. Snag for the demons, they are forced to live by earth rules. They must eat, they must get jobs, and they must eventually age. A demon in a old age home who can't fly. Done with minimum humor and much pathos. One of my favorite stories in the mag.

"The Ghost Girls of Rumney Mill" was well written if not a little bit over moralistic. Ghost boy who thinks he's a girl. One of those lesson stories Sandra McDonald does a farily decent job of character building and blending moral with story. Does a good job of describing a ghost community as their are no living characters.

the last story I read was "Down with the Lizards and the Bees" by Tim Pratt and it's still haunting me in pieces. Ex Actor has a dead friend who gives him magical advice based on the drugs provided. a great modern take on the magic the dead can provide. Best sotry in the issue it poetically deals with loss in such a way that doesn't crack you over the head.

ROF is trying to get into horror I guess. "The Briscian Saint" deals with soldies who have desicrated a holy statue. I'tsl talky with a little bit of horor action. Sort of fell flat on me as I care not for any of the characters and the ending was just miles coming.

Sarah Prineas could have written a horid moral piece. "Seamstress" is actually pretty good though. Where do ou think the fair godmother gets all those magical robes and shoes? From a Sweat Shop of cource. Love the symbolism. Where do you think our computers come from, magic? Again a finger pointing story but at least it's intellegently done and with a good word flow. I hope to see Ms. Prineas again maybe with less moral scrupals.

"Turngins" by Laura Gilman. Gag another love story. Again very little magic in it. Well worded phrases though.

Four out of seven is pretty good. John Berkey is feature artist.