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ARTICLES
11/28/08 REVIEW: Saturn's Children by George R.R. Martin
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | Obviously an homage to the fiction of Robert Heinlein, Freya is tall, beautiful, can leap tall buildings, and is built to survive anything. |
10/14/08 REVIEW: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Review by Violet Kane
  | As book buzz goes, Stephenie Meyer has earned quite a sizable amount. The Host is her first published foray into adult fiction, so I jumped at the opportunity. |
9/2/08 REVIEW: Chuck Season 1
Review by Tom McMeekin
  | Chuck is like an ultra-modern Get Smart or the Pink
Panther series. Computer tech Chuck Bartowski is forced into the world of
espionage when the nation's secrets are downloaded into his head. |
AUGUST
8/1/08 through 8/31/08: ON HIATUS
ARWZ Magazine will be on hiatus from publishing during the month of August. However, we are still accepting and very much welcoming submissions of reviews, editorials, articles and interview proposals. And, of course, the forums are still active and open for business!
JULY
7/22/08 REVIEW: Dreamsongs: Volume II by George R.R. Martin
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | Readers looking for "A little of everything" will get immense satisfaction out of the variety of stories in Dreamsongs, Volume II. We've got screenplays, Wild Cards, short stories, novellas, a Hugo nominee, a World Fantasy Award winner, werewolves, madmen, freaks of nature, angels, time travelers and aliens. How can you go wrong with that? |
7/7/08 REVIEW: The Dresden Files TV Series on DVD
Review by Violet Kane
  | My general disinterest in detective stories and crime dramas has kept me away from the Dresden Files novels, written by Jim Butcher, but when the SciFi Channel television series (based on the novels, of course) came out on DVD, I was game to give it a try. |
JUNE
6/27/08 REVIEW: Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong
Review by Violet Kane
  | I've been wanting to check out Kelley Armstrong's books for a while now, and so when I found the audiobook of Personal Demon on the shelves of my local library, I jumped at the chance. |
6/20/08 REVIEW: Dreamsongs: Volume I by George R.R. Martin
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | Mostly in chronological order, Dreamsongs includes much of his early works through the early 80s, such as "The Hero", which was sent in along with an application for conscientious objection to the conflict in Vietnam, "His Tower of Ashes" written after a bad college break-up, "The Way of the Cross and the Dragon" which was born while teaching at a Catholic School after years of being away from the fold, along with so many more tales from one of the most creative authors writing today. |
6/12/08 REVIEW: Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire
Review by Tom McMeekin
  | Mirror Mirror is a retelling of the fairy tale
of Snow White, which—like other books by author
Gregory Maguire—draws parallels between history and
legend. However, it is not entirely successful in its
endeavors. |
6/5/08 REVIEW: Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem
Review by Violet Kane
  | Lethem tells a peculiar coming-of-age tell against a hybrid science fiction and frontier background. Though not entirely to my taste, this novel is definitely worth a read. |
MAY
5/27/08 REVIEW: The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | Gregory contributes another installment to her series of fictionalized tales of the Tudor monarchy. It is yet another opportunity to show off her rare talents—to make a story even more engrossing because the audience knows how it will turn out. |
5/12/08 REVIEW: The Future Happens Twice by Matt Browne
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | There is really so much going on at once in this book, for the sake of brevity I'll stay with the basics. |
5/5/08 REVIEW: Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | Austin Grossman pens an unevenly comedic tall of an alternative reality of superheroes and super villains, with Soon I Will Be Invincible. |
MARCH & APRIL
4/24/08 REVIEW: Moonlight created by Ron Koslow and Trevor Munson
Review by Tom McMeekin
  | The plot behind Moonlight is older than some of
the ancient vampires in the show, but it still manages
to be bloody good entertainment. |
4/21/08 REVIEW: Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock
Review by Violet Kane
  | This sometimes neglected fantasy classic has the potential to reach a wider audience of new fans thanks to its recent audio release. |
4/14/08 REVIEW: Weed Species by Jack Ketchum
Review by Jeff Burk
  | If there is a Jack Ketchum (The Girl Next Door, Open Season, The Lost) book out there that does not destroy one's soul when read, I have not found it. |
4/7/08 REVIEW: Wagner the Werewolf by George W.M. Reynolds
Review by Lisa Schussler
  | As Reynolds was more widely read, in his time, than Dickens it is surprising to see that Wagner the Werewolf is the only one of his works widely available. |
3/31/08 REVIEW: A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | As regular readers may recall from my previous reviews of L'Engle's Time Trilogy, these books were among my childhood favorites. I have found these audio productions to be a great way to revisit them, and the audiobook of Swiftly Tilting Planet is no exception. |
3/20/08 REVIEW: Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Review by Tom McMeekin
  | In Stardust, a fallen star in human form calls Tristran Thorn "a clodpoll ... and a ninny, a numbskull, a lackwit, and a coxcomb."
However, author Neil Gaiman demonstrates he is none of these with his award-winning fairy tale. |
FEBRUARY
2/28/08 REVIEW: Dead Like Me Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD
Review by Violet Kane
  | The quirky Showtime series, Dead Like Me ran for two seasons, giving viewers a dose of dark humor with speculative sensibilities. |
2/21/07 REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Review by Gordon Long
  | I just sat down and read the last book of the Harry Potter series, and I find I have grown out of Harry Potter. In fact, I probably grew out of him about halfway through the series, but my enjoyment of the characters and my insatiable desire to see what happens in the end of any story kept me going. Ultimately, I was disappointed. |
2/13/08 REVIEW: Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | When Brooks' newest prequel series recently showed up on bookshelves, being billed as a great starting place for new readers, I decided to give it a try. |
JANUARY
1/1/07 through 1/31/07: ON HIATUS
ARWZ Magazine will be on hiatus from publishing during the month of January. However, we are still accepting and very much welcoming submissions of reviews, editorials, articles and interview proposals. And, of course, the forums are still active and open for business!
DECEMBER
12/20/07 through 12/27/07: ON VACATION
12/18/07 REVIEW: The Drive-In by Joe Lansdale
Review by Jeff Burk
  | In his cult classic, The Drive-In, Joe Lansdale (Nightrunners, The Bottoms) makes the horror fan's ultimate dream into a surrealistic nightmare. |
12/13/07 REVIEW: Congo directed by Frank Marshall
Review by Doug Gogerty
  | When this film first came out, I avoided it. Sometimes bad press, etc. can negatively impact an impartial viewing of a movie. For instance, Waterworld and Ishtar aren't great movies, but they are not as bad as the press would make you believe. The problem with these movies is they were expensive to make, but were not good enough to bring in the box office dollars. The same can be said of Congo. |
12/11/07 REVIEW: Gaea: Beyond the Son by P.D. Gilson
Review by Joe Babinsack
  | The premise of near future space travel, and the first mission to a planet outside our solar system is a great one. Most of science fiction is based on the premise that the stars truly will be our destiny. The details in getting there are often overlooked: it's far easier to plunk down a story somewhere "in the future" and avoid all the messiness of getting there. |
12/6/07 REVIEW: Splinter by Adam Roberts
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | Will the world end in fire? Or in ice? How about a possibly sentient comet that communicates with earthlings before bashing into the planet and tearing it apart? And what does everyone do to pass the time after the world ends? |
12/4/07 REVIEW: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | I am always interested to see how authors of predominantly mainstream fiction handle forays into science fiction. While Atwood has explored the speculative possibilities of the future in previous novels, she did not approach this novel with the acumen to tell a gripping tale. |
NOVEMBER
11/29/07 REVIEW: Battlestar Galactica Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD
Review by Roger Redmond
  | To begin with the obvious, this is not your parents' Battlestar Galactica. Some names remain the same, as do some of the most basic plot elements, but beyond that, this incarnation borrows from other science fiction and develops its own story and structure. |
11/27/07 EDITORIAL: Strike: In the end, fans will follow the writers to the edge of the universe
Editorial by Tom McMeekin
I don't like the fact that the Hollywood writers' strike will probably shorten this season for most of my favorite shows. And I think the strike is one of the nails in the coffin of network TV as we know it. However, I'm a writer at heart (if not a professional screenwriter, at least, not yet), and I support the writers' decision to walk out.
11/19/07 through 11/23/07: ON VACATION
11/15/07 REVIEW: Transformers directed by Michael Bay
Review by David Murawski
  | Flawless computer graphics endow this intensely action packed movie. Long time comic book and cartoon enthusiasts will not be disappointed in this film. |
11/13/07 REVIEW: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
Review by Doug Gogerty
  | Heinlein's classic, Stranger in a Strange Land, suffers from some things that it cannot help. It will depend upon your own boundaries on whether you can get out of it what is actually there. |
11/8/07 REVIEW: Star Trek: TNG Season 5 on DVD
Review by Violet Kane
  | I have been re-watching the seasons of Star Trek on DVD, now over fifteen years since the original airing. Upon reaching Season 5, I realized that it contains some of the most memorable episodes in the series. |
11/6/07 REVIEW: Pushing Daisies created by Brian Fuller
Review by Tom McMeekin
 | Pushing Daisies is one of the most critically-acclaimed shows of the fall television season, and five episodes in it still holds its magic. |
11/1/07 REVIEW: Serenity directed by Joss Whedon
Review by Gordon Long
  | If you don't know the background, Joss Whedon's marvelous SF series, Firefly generated a small following of fanatic fans, but failed to appeal to a larger audience. |
OCTOBER
10/30/07 REVIEW: Pandora's Closet by Jean Rabe & Martin H. Greenberg (Editors)
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. But at what cost? Pandora's Closet includes twenty or so short stories generally involving mythical objects or creatures that take over the lives of ordinary people. |
10/25/07 REVIEW: Tangerinephant by Kevin Dole 2
Review by Jeff Burk
  | Calling to mind Futurama by way of House of Leaves, Tangerinephant is the ambitious first novel from Kevin Dole 2. In the opening we meet Michael Tangerinephant, whose life has been falling apart due to being abducted by TV-addicted aliens, being the fall-man for a corporate scandal, and being in trouble with his prostitute girlfriend |
10/23/07 REVIEW: The Spiral Labyrinth by Matthew Hughes
Review by Roger Redmond
  | This is an enjoyable and quick read coming in at a slender 210 pages. The protagonist is one Henghis Hapthorn, a discriminator (read PI/detective) in a futuristic world of space travel and super speed, semi-sentient computer assistants. |
10/18/07 REVIEW: Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card
Review by Violet Kane
  | I must say that I always look forward to reading Card, knowing that his books will be reliably entertaining. Shadow of the Hegemon is no different in this respect, but I do have one criticism... Why all the children protagonists? |
10/16/06 AUTHOR Q&A: Jennifer Fallon
Original Session: 9/18/06 to 9/24/06
  | Author Jennifer Fallon recently visited the ARWZ Community Forums to answer questions from fans and ARWZ readers in an Interactive Q&A. |
10/11/07 REVIEW: All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
Review by Violet Kane
  | As Charlaine Harris is one of the major authors in the newly popular genres of urban and romantic fantasy, I knew after seeing her on the bestseller lists that she would be a must-read for any conscientious SFF magazine editor. |
10/9/07 REVIEW: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | The buzz around this series has been so enthusiastic lately that I was anxious to get started on it, and ordered the first two books together. But now that I've read the first one, I'm still debating whether to continue on to the second. |
10/4/07 REVIEW: Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan
Review by Violet Kane
  | My first experiment in reading romantic fantasy wasn't very successful, but in the interest of fairness I decided to try reading a book by an author who has made her career on writing fantasy-style romances (rather than romance writers who have dabbled in fantasy). Christine Feehan was the natural place to start. |
10/2/07 INTERVIEW: Gary Wassner
Interview by Violet Kane
  | With the release of his newest GemQuest novel, Gary Wassner is one book away from the completion of his ground-breaking fantasy series. By combining traditional epic fantasy with an edgy character-driven sensibility, Wassner has captured a dedicated fan base and has proven that talent can shine in the small presses. I wanted to know more about Wassner's background and his creative process. |
SEPTEMBER
9/27/07 REVIEW: They Live directed by John Carpenter
Review by Jeff Burk
  | In 1988, to little fanfare, John Carpenter released They Live, a film that is now a cult classic and that many consider one of Carpenter's finest works. |
9/25/07 REVIEW: In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | This novel does what readers expect from any good historical—it transports them to another time and place to challenge the imagination to experience the lives of characters in a distant past. |
9/20/07 REVIEW: Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges
Review by Mervi Hämäläinen
  | This is a collection of 116 imagined creatures, just like the title says. Borges has collected them from various mythologies and writers from Ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century. There are fantastical creatures from Kafka, C. S. Lewis and H. G. Wells as well as Pliny, the Eddas and Ovid. |
9/18/07 REVIEW: Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber
Review by Violet Kane
  | Many authors are increasingly mixing science fiction and fantasy genres in effort to create intriguing worlds more nuanced and complex than either genre offers alone. David Weber, on the other hand, is just trying to write two novels at the same time. |
9/13/07 REVIEW: The Hammer and the Cross by Harry Harrison
Review by Sabrina Spiher
  | The Hammer and the Cross posits an alternate history in which an army of spiritual Vikings, close followers of the Norse religion of the Way, led by a freed English slave and joined by other English freedmen, carve out a kingdom in opposition to the rest of England and the Catholic Church. |
9/11/07 REVIEW: Firefly directed by Joss Whedon
Review by R.T. Hughes
  | From the imaginative mind of Joss Whedon, creator of TV's Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Angel, comes the 14 episode sci-fi western Firefly. Leaving the quantum phase mechanics and deflector arrays to the various Star Trek series, Whedon combines his gift for witty dialog with in-depth characters for a series that is both exciting and comical. |
9/6/07 REVIEW: The Rent Tent by Anita Diamant
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | From the genres of family saga and biblical epic comes The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. This historical fiction novel tells the stories of the wives of biblical patriarch Jacob, as they experienced life, death and birth. |
9/4/07 REVIEW: Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | This book asks questions and gives theories and ideas on so many levels that I don't even know where to start. Like many other modern science fiction authors, Griffith uses her writing to ask hard questions. Questions that authors of 20 or 30 years might not have been able to get away with. |
AUGUST
8/30/07 REVIEW: Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts
Review by Violet Kane
  | The recent trend toward paranormal romance and romantic fantasy is difficult to ignore, and so despite my misgivings about the romance genre, I decided to pick up a romantic fantasy to see what all the fuss was about—where better to start than with the reigning queen of the romance novel, Nora Roberts? |
8/28/07 REVIEW: Hurricane Moon by Alexis Glynn Latner
Review by Mike Brendan
  | Interplanetary colonization is not a new theme to SF. It's been resurrected as of late, with Allen Steele's Coyote one of the most prominent titles. Latner makes a similar contribution with her forthcoming novel Hurricane Moon. |
8/23/07 REVIEW: The House by Edward Lee
Review by Jeff Burk
  | There are few authors in the world of horror as "hardcore" as Edward
Lee. Known for his extreme use of bloody violence, perverted sex, and every other manner of obscenity; Lee has developed his own cult-like following of avid readers. |
8/21/07 REVIEW: Warlord by Jennifer Fallon
Review by S.K. Slevinski
| In the third and final installment of her Wolfblade prequel trilogy, Jennifer Fallon delivers on reader expectations by offering a well-plotted conclusion that—true to form—doesn't neglect character development. |
8/16/07 REVIEW: Star Brigade: The New Renaissance by C.C. Ekeke
Review by Mervi Hämäläinen
  | The book begins in the year 2394. Humanity has spread throughout the galaxy and met many intelligent species, some of them friendly, some less so. |
8/14/07 REVIEW: Majestrum by Matthew Hughes
Review by Violet Kane
  | With his latest novel, Majestrum, Matthew Hughes proves that readers can trust him to provide a fantastic blend of magic, technology, humor and mystery, and all in tale that's both warmly traditional and brightly unique. |
8/9/07 REVIEW: Revenge of the Elves by Gary Wassner
Review by Andrea Johnson
| Imagine hundreds of threads going into a loom. Multiple strand braids are created, separated, rebraided, the web is formed. Colors are blended, fade, and are recreated, exposing a secret pattern, one this loom was not designed to create. From a distance, this is GemQuest. |
8/7/07 REVIEW: The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Review by Violet Kane
  | I always hear good things about Lois McMaster Bujold, but so far I've had only disappointing experiences with her books. The Curse of Chalion was no exception. |
8/2/07 REVIEW: The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | In The Boleyn Inheritance Philippa Gregory offers up an independent sequel to her historical novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, giving fans a tale of lesser known historical figures that is just as compulsively readable as her first Boleyn novel. |
JULY
7/31/07 REVIEW: Children of Chaos by Dave Duncan
Review by Mervi Hämäläinen
  | Children of Chaos is the first book of a duology and establishes well the world and the characters in it. Dodec is a dodecahedral world where the habitable Faces are surrounded by ice and mountains, which makes moving from one Face to another difficult at best. |
7/26/07 REVIEW: Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Review by Violet Kane
  | In this first volume of his Shadow series, Card revisits the Ender's Game storyline and endeavors to recapture the audience of that original novel for which he is best known. |
7/24/07 REVIEW: Brasyl by Ian McDonald
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | Coming on the heels of McDonald's hit River of Gods, Brasyl is part cyberpunk, part historical narrative, part bladerunner, part parallel universe epic, and part introduction to a culture most Americans know nothing about. |
7/19/07 REVIEW: Warlock: A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Wilbur Smith
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | One of my favorite settings for historical fiction—besides medieval Europe, of course—is Ancient Egypt. But I'll be damned if I can find many historicals or fantasies set in that milieu. So I was excited to pick up Warlock, a novel set in Ancient Egypt by a successful and established author of historical fiction. |
7/17/07 INTERVIEW: Matthew Stover
Interview by Violet Kane
  | Whenever I pick up a new and promising book, my hope is always that it will be a compulsively readable, can't-put-it-down, stay-up-past-my-bedtime, page-turning experience. The more intellectual side of me hopes that it will also be a book with enthralling characters, which drive the story forward and challenge the reader. The last new author to do it? Matthew Stover. |
7/12/07 REVIEW: Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Review by R.S. Gibson
  | This short novel originally published in 1912 tells the tale of how Tarzan came to be marooned on the shore of Africa how he was raised among the great apes and of his first experiences of the civilized world. How he then discovers his true heritage as a wealthy English aristocrat but then nobly renounces that heritage to protect the woman he loves. |
7/10/07 REVIEW: Dzur by Steven Brust
Review by Mervi Hämäläinen
  | I'm very particular about reading a series in chronological order, preferably from the point of view of the main character(s). So far, I've read only three series out of order because I didn't get my hands on them in the correct order and I wanted to read them the instant I got them. The Vlad Taltos series is one of those three and I'm delighted to see a new book out. |
7/5/07 REVIEW: Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
Review by Violet Kane
  | Pattern Recognition found its way to my reading list as do most books for review on ARWZ. There was a combination of motivating factors—it was written by one of the greats of SFF literature, it was available on audiobook... What I did not expect, however, was to enjoy it as much as I did. |
7/3/07 REVIEW: SideShow by Sheri S. Tepper
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | This is the last book in a loosely held together series that takes place in a futuristic universe. |
JUNE
6/28/07 REVIEW: A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | This book may very well be responsible for my love of reading SFF and my desire to write SFF, and so after its recent release on Audio CD, I was anxious to revisit this novel. |
6/26/07 REVIEW: Forbidden Planet directed by Fred M. Wilcox
Review by Doug Gogerty
  | Forbidden Planet is one of the iconic science fiction movies of the 1950's. |
6/21/07 REVIEW: Meq by Steve Cash
Review by Mervi Hämäläinen
  | The book starts in 1881 on a train where the main character, a twelve year old Zianno Zezen, and his parents are traveling to St Louis. |
6/19/07 REVIEW: Pan's Labyrinth directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | This is the first film I've seen to combine the dark, artsy quality I've come to expect in foreign films with the typically American drive for escapism and dazzling special effects. |
6/7/07 through 6/14/07: ON VACATION
6/5/07 ARTICLE: William Girdler: 70s Horror Icon Director
Review by Nickolas Cook
  | One of the lost icons of this time in American cinema was William Girdler. In the span of seven short years, he made nine feature films, most of them in horror, before his untimely death at the early age of thirty. |
MAY
5/31/07 REVIEW: Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | In Cetaganda, Lois McMaster Bujold creates an interplanetary world of court intrigues where empires rise and fall on genetic codes. I just wish she'd picked a different story to accompany it. |
5/29/07 REVIEW: The Prestige by Christopher Priest
Review by Violet Kane
  | The Prestige is an atmospheric novel that evokes an age of Victorian storytelling—I just wish that Christopher Priest had used a less Victorian story structure. |
5/24/07 REVIEW: Encyclopedia of the Undead by Dr. Bob Curran
Review by Lisa Schussler
  | Who do those eyes at your window belong to? Is that really just the wind rustling the curtains? Dr. Bob Curran brings us closer to the dark beings that have haunted man for thousands of years. With thorough cultural research, Curran helps us get to know vampires, werewolves, ghouls, and many other monsters. |
5/22/06 AUTHOR Q&A: Kate Elliott
Original Session: 10/17/06 to 10/23/06
  | Author Kate Elliott recently visited the ARWZ Community Forums to answer questions from fans and ARWZ readers in an Interactive Q&A. |
5/17/07 REVIEW: The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights by John Steinbeck
Review by R.S. Gibson
  | The first book which John Steinbeck read and fell in love was Sir Thomas Mallory's Le Morte De Arthur. In later life Steinbeck would write to his literary agent that he was convinced that the Arthurian myth contained important universal truths and symbols. |
5/15/07 REVIEW: Zipporah by Marek Halter
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | The second in Marek Halter's Canaan Trilogy, which details the fictionalized lives of biblical matriarchs, Zipporah: Wife of Moses lacks much of the appeal of its predecessor. |
5/10/07 REVIEW: Dream of the Dragon Pool by Albert A. Dalia
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | At first blush, Dream of the Dragon Pool seems a rather simple narrative following the poet Li Bo on his journey into exile after being expelled by the royal court. Stopping at an ancient dream temple, Li falls into a dangerous quest that he must complete, or face the anger of the spirits. |
5/8/07 ARTICLE: Films of the Fantastic at the 9th San Francisco Independent Film Festival
Article by Peter Wong
  | As a fan of films of the fantastic, I recently discovered a welcome alternative to watching yet another tiresome science fiction shoot-'em-up with ray guns. It's the small but decidedly quirky San Francisco Independent Film Festival. Every February, this film festival unapologetically screens fantasy and horror films. At Indie Fest, the originality of vision matters more than the presence of A-list talent or large budgets. |
5/3/07 REVIEW: Hidden Empire (Saga of the Seven Suns book 1) by Kevin J. Anderson
Review by R.S. Gibson
  | Hidden Empire is the first volume in Kevin J Anderson's Saga of the Seven Suns. In the future, mankind has made it to the stars with the aid of the benevolent aliens of the Idirian Empire who gave man the secret of FTL travel. As mankind has expanded across the galaxy the Idirian Empire, although still powerful, has become stagnant and begun a long gentle decline. |
APRIL
4/26/07 REVIEW: Xenocide by Orson Scott Card
Review by Violet Kane
  | This third novel of the original Ender series exists, along with its predecessor Speaker for the Dead, in the shadow of Orson Scott Card's multi-award-winning science fiction classic Ender's Game. These successor novels deserve more attention. |
4/19/07 REVIEW: Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler
Review by Violet Kane
  | As a sequel to Butler's Parable of the Sower, this novel recreates all of the best parts of its predecessors. As a stand alone, new readers will find this book absorbing on its own. |
4/12/07 REVIEW: 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | 2001: A Space Odyssey is a quick history of the first age of man. |
4/5/07 REVIEW: Wolf in Shadow by David Gemmell
Review by R.S. Gibson
  | Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this novel follows the struggles of a few good men and women to build a better world in a land plagued by lawless men and an ancient evil stirring in the North. |
MARCH
3/29/07 REVIEW: Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | Regular readers of ARWZ will recall that my first foray into Laurell K. Hamilton's world of Anita Blake was not a largely successful one, however, I felt a responsibility to give her a second chance. |
3/22/07 REVIEW: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Review by Murray Graham
  | It is a classic SF scenario—our hero Robert Neville is the last survivor of a plague that has infected earth's population and turned everyone into blood hungry monsters. |
3/20/07 REVIEW: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | In The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory brings new life into the much retold story of Anne Boleyn's rise and fall in the English court by turning to the infamous queen's sister Mary as storyteller. |
3/15/07 REVIEW: Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | This is Robinson's first novel in his Mars series about the colonization and terra-forming of Mars into a new Earth. The novel takes place over the course of about 50 years. |
3/13/06 COLUMN: Viewing List: War of the Worlds
Article by Doug Gogerty
  | In 1898, H.G. Wells wrote one of his many science fiction classics. This particular story sprang from the scientific observations of the day. The idea that canals existed on Mars became the basis for many Martian stories. Wells's War of the Worlds was one of the first. |
3/8/07 REVIEW: Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
Review by Violet Kane
  | Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman's recent collection of short stories, will find a welcoming audience among devoted Gaiman fans. However, if you've never read Gaiman, there are much better places to start. |
3/6/07 REVIEW: The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | Paolo Coehlo's The Alchemist comes to audio in an excellent production read by actor Jeremy Irons. The book itself is a charming tale, and while not inappropriately billed as fantasy, it reads much more like a fable or a children's novel. |
FEBRUARY
2/22/07 REVIEW: Empire by Orson Scott Card
Review by Violet Kane
  | Politics have always played a central role in the fiction of Orson Scott Card, but in his newest novel, Empire, Card creates a near-future America where the political landscape is a familiar one—at least until the story gets going. |
2/20/07 REVIEW: Aftermath by Charles Sheffield
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | Everyone has heard the line: "Repent! The end of the world is near! God is angry!" But what happens when the world ends because of natural causes? |
2/15/07 REVIEW: Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | This book is the first of Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series, and its appeal is clear. Set in feudal Japan and fueled by magic and imagination, this novel fills a gap in the current fantasy field which is still over-populated with medieval European style fantasy. The storyline, however, does not veer far from fantasy tradition. |
2/13/07 INTERVIEW: Matthew Hughes
Interview by Violet Kane
  | No writer exemplifies the sort of creativity and range increasingly available in alternative reality genres today better than Matthew Hughes. |
2/8/07 REVIEW: A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | Audio productions of Philip K. Dick novels are much too rare, and so this recent treatment of A Scanner Darkly is a most welcome addition to any science fiction audio library. |
2/6/07 REVIEW: The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Review by Violet Kane
  | If you're a fan of epic fantasy who has been reluctant to make the jump to try historical fiction, you may be worried that you'll get bogged down in a stuffy tale of top hats and petticoats. Never fear with Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom. Fans of epic fantasy will find a story of battles, bloodlines and clan feuds. |
2/1/07 REVIEW: Man of Two Worlds by Frank and Brian Herbert
Review by Andrea Johnson
 | I don't often enjoy books that have been written by two authors. I can usually tell where one author stopped and the other began, so it seems choppy to me. But this is a book written by two people who know each other better than most. Yes, I could tell who wrote which parts, and it's funny in a way, but it's still a damn good book, and a damn fun read. |
JANUARY
1/30/07 POETRY: The New Evolutionary Wars
by Thomas B. White
All pedestrians are lizards / disguised in trousers and skirts
1/25/07 REVIEW: Stories from the Steel Garden by Jesse Gordon
Review by Nickolas Cook
  | My first impression was that Jesse Gordon's newest novel, Stories from the Steel Garden, could be definitively stacked in the social science fiction category, an underused sub-genre, and one from which stems most classic science fiction. But upon completion, I found it, instead, to be part socio-political tract and part Quantum Physics exposition. |
1/23/07 REVIEW: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | With the conceptual vision of science fiction and the imaginative exploration of fantasy, Madeleine L'Engle's classic story of science, friendship and love moves into the future with a worthy audiobook production. |
1/18/07 REVIEW: Da Vinci Code on audiobook
Review by Violet Kane
  | In recent years, Da Vinci Code has become the defining example of "bestsellerism" in contemporary fiction. You know the type—page-turning thrillers with movie adaptation written all over them. |
1/16/07 ARTICLE: Top 10 Fantasy Worlds
Compiled by ARWZ Editors
  | Over a hundred fictional worlds vied for placement on our latest list, the Top 10 Fantasy Worlds, and the victor enjoyed the largest margain of victory yet in our Top 10 projects. |
1/11/07 REVIEW: Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | Brandon Sanderson's debut novel, Elantris, changes up the fantasy form to give fans of political fantasy a plotline that combats genre cliché. |
1/9/07 REVIEW: Lincoln in the Basement by Jerry Cowling
Review by Saundra Kane
  | Lincoln in the Basement is a well-written and creative alternative history set during the American Civil War. |
1/4/07 REVIEW: The Shards by Gary Wassner
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | If The Twins was as introduction, and The Awakening continued the prelude, then The Shards begins the battle to defeat evil, and save the world. |
1/2/07 INTERVIEW: Guy Gavriel Kay
Interview by Violet Kane
  | What happens when an email from your all-time favorite author shows up in your inbox one summer day at the library? |
DECEMBER
12/28/06 REVIEW: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | Fans of vampire fiction don't need to read a reviewer's commentary of Anne Rice's landmark novel, however, this book may hold some unforeseen surprises for fans of other alternative reality genres who may be reluctant to make the jump. |
12/26/06 REVIEW: The Dead Zone Season 2 on DVD
Review by Violet Kane
  | After a great debut season, The Dead Zone proves that it can keep up the good work, even if nothing much changes from beginning to end. |
12/21/06 REVIEW: The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | If you've been tempted to jump in and ride the fantasy tidal wave summoned by recent blockbuster movies, or if you're looking for an imaginative story to read to your older child, The Wizard of Earthsea is a perfect choice. |
12/19/06 REVIEW: The Original Masked Superhero by Isabel Allende
Review by R.S. Gibson
  | This fine novel by the Chilean author Isabel Allende covers the formative years of Diego De La Vega. It tells of his growth from childhood to a young man and how the original masked avenger Zorro came to be. |
12/14/06 REVIEW: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Review by Violet Kane
  | The first book of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, The Golden Compass is an ambitious mix of elements, which is not wholly successful. |
12/12/06 REVIEW: Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay
Review by S.K. Slevinski
 | Magic, modernity and truly compelling character conflict make this novel the first must-read of 2007 for anyone who loves to get lost in literature. |
12/7/06 REVIEW: The Awakening by Gary Wassner
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | The magic and wonder continues in Book Two of Wassner's GemQuest series, The Awakening. No need to be nervous about sequels. This isn't so much a sequel as it is a continuation of an epic story of good versus evil, love, loss, triumph, and the cruelest kind of betrayal. This is epic fantasy at its best, and on so many levels. |
12/5/06 REVIEW: The Last Battle by Chris Bunch
Review by Violet Kane
  | Re-released today in paperback from Roc, The Last Battle is the third book of Chris Bunch's Dragonmaster trilogy. It is a fast-paced adventure, but otherwise unremarkable. |
NOVEMBER
11/30/06 REVIEW: Rome Season One on DVD
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | Rome is character-driven storytelling at its zenith, as it takes a well-trod story and makes it intricately engaging. |
11/28/06 REVIEW: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Review by Violet Kane
  | Anyone looking for a good old-fashioned fantasy adventure will enjoy this protagonist-centered coming-of-age tale. |
11/23/06 REVIEW: The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | Scott Brick's voice brings some life to this otherwise concept-heavy classic. |
11/21/06 POETRY: A November, Disjointed
by David Poore
2006 Poetry Contest Winner
A clock without hands keeps time without seconds— / Moments crawl by like bubbles in a vat of molasses
11/16/06 REVIEW: Equilibrium directed by Kurt Wimmer
Review by Violet Kane
  | On paper, science fiction dystopian film Equilibrium has everything going for it—a cast of known and respectable actors, great aesthetics, excellent effects and martial arts choreography—but a profusion of clichés make this film generally predictable and uninspiring. |
11/14/06 REVIEW: The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | In his debut novel, Keith Donohue makes a contribution to the growing canon of mainstream novels with a fantastical premise. |
11/9/06 REVIEW: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Review by Violet Kane
  | Stephenson's writing style is probably the main attraction of this book. His storytelling is at once witty, hip and cynical. |
11/7/06 COLUMN: Viewing List: Godzilla
Article by Doug Gogerty
  | In September of 2006, the progenitor of the most successful science fiction movie franchises was made available for the first time on video for American audiences. |
11/1/06 REVIEW: The Twins by Gary Wassner
Review by Andrea Johnson
  | Being somewhat new to the genre of "epic fantasy," I wasn't sure what to expect with The Twins. I got more than I bargained for in one of hell of a roller coaster, and as there are soon to be four books in the series, it ain't over yet. |
OCTOBER
10/31/06 REVIEW: Neuromancer by William Gibson
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | This audiobook production of the classic cyber-punk novel is read by the author, William Gibson, providing an added bonus for long-time fans. Audiobook readers new to Neuromancer may or may not find it to their tastes. |
10/26/06 REVIEW: Heroes Die by Matthew Stover
Review by Violet Kane
  | Stover's allegiance to character over anything else combines with his skill at penning action and constructing concept to make for one of the most stunning and absorbing fantasies of this decade. |
10/24/06 POETRY: Spookhouse
by Brian Fanelli
Yellow eyes of the bony cat / Peer through the cracked windows.
10/19/06 REVIEW: Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
Review by Nickolas Cook
  | Part science fiction, part horror, and part social revolutionary tract, Perdido Street Station manages to break free from the stifling shadows of the very genres from which it's been lovingly tendered, to create a new animal of much worth. |
10/17/06 REVIEW: Spirit Gate by Kate Elliott
Review by S.K. Slevinski
| Fast on the heels of the final installment of her traditional fantasy epic, Crown of Stars, Kate Elliott takes readers to a unique new fantasy milieu. |
10/12/06 REVIEW: Dragonchaser by Tim Stretton
Review by Violet Kane
  | While Dragonchaser is by no means an untradtitional fantasy, it is a combination of traditional fantasy and adventure story elements not as often seen in the fantasy genre's mainstream. |
10/10/06 AUTHOR Q&A: David Thomas Lord
Original Session: 7/25/06 to 8/1/06
  | Author David Thomas Lord recently visited the ARWZ Community Forums to answer questions from fans and ARWZ readers in an Interactive Q&A. |
10/5/06 REVIEW: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Review by S.K. Slevinski
  | This audiobook on CD from HarperCollins is a well-done product that should please fans of the classic dystopian novel, and prove accessible to newcomers seeking to explore the roots of science fiction. |
10/3/06 REVIEW: Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
Review by Violet Kane
  | The first book of Roger Zelazny's well-loved Amber Chronicles shines when its main character takes center stage. Despite some concept-heavy middle chapters, this novel has much to recommend it. |
SEPTEMBER
9/28/06 REVIEW: The Menagerie #2: Tears of the Furies by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski
Review by Little Willow
Once again, Golden and Sniegoski have conspired to create an action-packed story that weaves classic mythology together with intrigue and suspense.
9/26/06 ARTICLE: Top 10 Science Fiction Films
Compiled by ARWZ Editors
Voting in our latest Top 10 list of the Best Science Fiction Films was the most contentious yet. Classic and contemporary favorites were in hot pursuit of one another as ARWZ readers and associates voted for their favorite cinematic Science Fiction experiences.
9/21/06 REVIEW: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
Review by Violet Kane
Speaker for the Dead shows the range of Card's talent that was only hinted at in Ender's Game.
9/19/06 REVIEW: Warrior by Jennifer Fallon
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Fantasy fans should be anxious to see what this author does next—and if they haven't yet read her novels, they should be anxious to catch up on what they've missed.
9/14/06 REVIEW: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Review by Violet Kane
Scott Lynch's much-hailed debut is a welcome addition to the contemporary fantasy scene, a story that is fresh and familiar in the right places.
9/12/06 INTERVIEW: Part II: Kate Elliott
Interview by S.K. Slevinski
With the upcoming publication of her latest book, Crown of Stars, author Kate Elliott is poised to deliver on the promises of a decade of storytelling.
9/7/06 REVIEW: Dune by Frank Herbert
Review by S.K. Slevinski
A young man comes out of boyhood to realize that his esoteric education was orchestrated by a powerful cult to prepare him for a singular destiny of incredible power... Wait! This isn't the lastest multi-volume epic of high fantasy. It's Frank Herbert's Dune.
9/5/06 REVIEW: Farscape Season One on DVD
Review by Violet Kane
In its first season, Farscape manages both to meet fan expectations and fashion its own sensibilities in splendid style.
AUGUST
8/31/06 REVIEW: Sarah by Marek Halter
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Despite the eventual—and perhaps inevitable—predictability of the plotline, this book will be worth a read to many booklovers.
8/29/06 ARTICLE: H. G. Lewis: The Return of the Godfather of Gore
Article by Nickolas Cook
Herschell Gordon Lewis, known to legions of horror fans as "The Godfather of Gore", is renowned for his outre splatter films—a gory exploitation cinema that changed the way Americans viewed their violence.
8/24/06 REVIEW: 1984 by George Orwell
Review by Violet Kane
This audiobook version of 1984 will be a welcome discovery for old fans and curious newcomers.
8/22/06 REVIEW: Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
Review by S.K. Slevinski
In the first book of his four part Book of New Sun, Gene Wolfe proves that alternative reality literature is alive, productive and needn't be complicated.
8/17/06 REVIEW: Accelerando by Charles Stross
Review by Andrea Johnson
I never thought I would say "recently published" and "one of the best science fiction books I've ever read" in the same sentence. Then I found Accelerando.
8/15/06 INTERVIEW: Jennifer Fallon
Interview by S.K. Slevinski
Australian fantasist Jennifer Fallon proves that adventure stories about kings and warriors, magic and gods, needn't be cliché, and that her characters can will the story forward without an evil dark lord in sight!
8/10/06 REVIEW: Dusk by Tim Lebbon
Review by Violet Kane
This novel promises unique future storytelling in this horror/fantasy hybrid world.
8/8/06 REVIEW: The Menagerie #1: The Nimble Man by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski
Review by Little Willow
Bad guys, beware—The good guys (and girls) have gathered in Boston, and they will defeat you swiftly and nimbly.
8/3/06 REVIEW: Wolfblade by Jennifer Fallon
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Released last January in the US—after a 2004 printing in Australia—Wolfblade is the first book in Jennifer Fallon's prequel trilogy to the to the Hythrun Demon Child books. For fans who have read either or both of her previous trilogies, Wolfblade does not disappoint.
8/1/06 COLUMN: Viewing List: Anime
Article by Andrea Johnson
Never heard of anime? Think it's weird? Fear not, here's a list of "must see" anime movies (and some tv shows) for the curious, along with some favorites for the seasoned fan.
JULY
7/27/06 REVIEW: Bound in Flesh by David Thomas Lord
Review by Nickolas Cook
Bound in Flesh, the second installment in Lord's epic vampire saga, raises him to the zenith of the modern vampire fiction mountain. Not since Anne Rice's classic Vampire Chronicles have I found myself so immersed in a fictional vampire world.
7/25/06 REVIEW: The Dead Zone Season One on DVD
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Based upon the Stephen King novel, which was earlier made into a movie of the same name, The Dead Zone is a subtle and fascinating portrait of its main character in this first season.
7/20/06 REVIEW: Black Brillion by Matthew Hughes
Review by Violet Kane
This novel shows what is new and worthwhile among the current publications in alternative reality genres, and I would recommend it to any reader who appreciates a unique perspective.
7/18/06 FICTION: What Is Is
by James R. Manton
2006 Fiction Contest Winner
In the long scope of history the way it began for us is the way all half-baked revolutions begin. But, it was a very bad revolution conducted by very bad revolutionaries. The only clue we had in the beginning was that we were firmly on the cutting edge of technology.
7/13/06 REVIEW: The Triangle directed by Craig R. Baxley
Review by Lucian Rudder
The Triangle is a three part mini-series that was made for the Sci-Fi channel. On the front of the DVD it says: "From the director of 'X-Men' and a producer of 'Independence Day.'" Right away, I was not expecting Shakespeare.
7/12/06 POETRY: Sensing the Night
by Bob Nimmo
Savouring / the soft pickling of day’s end, / the heaviness of time descend; / sun sliding seaward, / pallid orb a fickle friend.
7/11/06 REVIEW: "The Attraction" and "The Necromancer" by Douglas Clegg
Review by Nickolas Cook
The novelette format is a tricky business for writers. Too short, and a reader can feel as if it's rushed and incomplete. Too long, and it becomes perplexing as to why it wasn't written as a novel instead. Clegg, however, handles the format admirably with his newest release from Leisure.
7/6/06 REVIEW: Incubus Dreams by Laurell K. Hamilton
Review by S.K. Slevinski
As a long-time fan of epic fantasy, I'm not one to be daunted by the length of a novel. And I thought nothing of the length of Incubus Dreams when I first picked it up—but I found this novel utterly exhausting.
7/5/06 POETRY: One Night in Bombay
by Jack Cosmos
Just another night of wicked fun / On the wrong side of the Moon / On the right night in the mean streets of Bombay
7/4/06 AUTHOR Q&A: John Shors
Original Session: 6/6/06 to 6/12/06
Author John Shors recently visited the ARWZ Community Forums to answer questions from fans and ARWZ readers in an Interactive Q&A.
JUNE
6/29/06 REVIEW: American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Review by Violet Kane
In this novel, Gaiman weaves character, concept, humor and drama into a balanced whole. American Gods is precisely what an alternative reality novel should be.
6/28/06 POETRY: Madness
by Jon Ayre
For on that journey, madness waits, / To blur the lines of joy and sorrow, / To mark the days beyond tomorrow
6/27/06 REVIEW: The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker
Review by S.K. Slevinski
It is when I read books like R. Scott Bakker's The Darkness That Comes Before that I realize how rare truly good fantasy is. The opener of Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy fits that definition precisely.
6/22/06 REVIEW: Stargate SG-1 Season 1 on DVD
Review by Violet Kane
The first season of Stargate SG-1 on DVD should be a crowd pleaser for both avid science fiction fans and casual viewers, mixing series-arching stories and episodic plots.
6/21/06 POETRY: Sprite
by M. Marinda
Slow as the trickles / fast as the streams / the salmon it tickles / gives it its dreams
6/20/06 COLUMN: Reading List: Historical Fantasy
Article by S.K. Slevinski
Increasingly, fantasy novels have been ignoring wizards, unicorns, elves and fairies in favor of human characters and milieus inspired by real-life historical settings. Magic is put on the back burner while character conflicts and political entanglements drive the story.
6/15/06 REVIEW: The Crystal City by Orson Scott Card
Review by Violet Kane
Orson Scott Card's newest novel in the Alvin Maker series has everything I look for in a good fantasy story. I am hoping that new writers and currently publishing authors take his example.
6/14/06 POETRY: Late Night Drive
by Brian Fanelli
Air stinks of gasoline and dust, / as we pull into a driveway, / away from revealing city lights.
6/13/06 REVIEW: Bound in Blood by David Thomas Lord
Review by Nickolas Cook
With Bound in Blood (the first part of a proposed quintet) author David Thomas Lord shows us the best and worst faces of erotic horror.
6/8/06 REVIEW: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Review by Saundra Kane
I would recommend this book to anyone willing to commit to a long and intriguing tale.
6/6/06 INTERVIEW: John Shors
Interview by Violet Kane
In his debut novel, Beneath a Marble Sky, John Shors combines poetry, love and history for a tale captivating to alternative reality and mainstream readers alike.
6/1/06 REVIEW: The Myth Hunters by Christopher Golden
Review by Little Willow
The Myth Hunters is urban fantasy defined: detailed, engrossing, twisting the myths of yesteryear with contemporary characters.
MAY
5/30/06 REVIEW: Event Horizon directed by Paul Anderson
Review by Lucian Rudder
What is arguably director Paul Anderson's best film, Event Horizon finally gets the Special Edition DVD treatment. It is about time.
5/25/06 REVIEW: The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Tracy Chevalier shows her strength and skill—as more than simply a skilled historical novelist. The Lady and the Unicorn is one of the better novels, of any sort, I've read in the last year.
5/23/06 ARTICLE: Top Ten Characters
Compiled by ARWZ Editors
Voting in our latest Top 10 list of the Best Characters in alternative reality fiction was any character's game. The votes were split across a wide range of choices, and among multiple characters in favorite books and films. ARWZ readers and associates nominated nearly three hundred of their favorite protagonists, anti-heroes, sidekicks, villains... not to mention those who defy categorization.
5/18/06 REVIEW: Viriconium by M. John Harrison
Review by Andrea Johnson
Viriconium is like a dream, never the same place twice, always shifting, always changing. The book reads more like a biblical testament, a history of a people, than a typical collection of short stories.
5/16/06 REVIEW: Book & Audiobook: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Reviews by R.S. Gibson & Violet Kane
With Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman combines the depth of his more serious American Gods with a comedic sensibility reminiscent of his earlier Good Omens. Frothy comedy and silly supernatural slapstick are woven seamlessly around a tale of a dysfunctional magical family.
5/11/06 REVIEW: Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Review by Violet Kane
While I am sure this book will find many fans among the "beach read" public this summer, I doubt that readers looking for greater depth will find much to recommend it.
5/9/06 EDITORIAL: Why do we need "alternative reality fiction"?
Editorial by S.K. Slevinski
After compiling the votes for our list of Top 10 Speculative Fiction Novels, we got quite a few complaints. Many people asked why we needed this umbrella term. As editor for a magazine on these types of allegedly "speculative" fiction, I happen to need one.
5/4/06 REVIEW: Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Review by Violet Kane
Younger adults or newcomers to fantasy may find novelty in Eragon, but any well-read fantasy readers will find it largely imitative of old standards.
5/2/06 REVIEW: Treason Keep by Jennifer Fallon
Review by S.K. Slevinski
In her follow-up to Medalon Jennifer Fallon makes good on the promises of her first book while spinning a classic fantasy that new fans will enjoy.
APRIL
4/27/06 REVIEW: Berserk by Tim Lebbon
Review by Nickolas Cook
Tim Lebbon is building a one-man empire of stylistic horror tales within a genre that needs a shot of pure literary power. He is the needle in the arm of the genre, and Berserk is a heck of an injection.
4/25/06 INTERVIEW: David Thomas Lord
Interview by Violet Kane
As any good writer knows, inspiration is everywhere. But so is David Thomas Lord. He will be going on tour shortly to promote his second Bound installment, Bound in Flesh, due to be released in August 2006...
4/20/06 REVIEW: Ramses: Son of Light by Christian Jacq
Review by S.K. Slevinski
In the first novel of this series, Christian Jacq recreates the world of ancient Egypt in intriguing detail, but he doesn't do much for the characters.
4/18/06 REVIEW: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Review by Violet Kane
In his spoken afterword to this new, unabridged audiobook version of Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card names audio the ideal medium for his work. His classic novel certainly comes to dynamic new life in this twentieth anniversary edition.
4/13/06 REVIEW: Uzumaki directed by Higuchinsky
Review by Lisa Schussler
This Japanese horror film is based on the manga, of the same name, created by Junji Ito. It's, literally and figuratively, a twisted tale of insanity and death.
4/11/06 AUTHOR Q&A: Christopher Golden
Original Session: 3/7/06 to 3/13/06
Author Christopher Golden recently visited the ARWZ Community Forums to answer questions from fans and ARWZ readers in an Interactive Q&A.
4/6/06 REVIEW: Pavane by Keith Roberts
Review by S.K. Slevinski
In Pavane Keith Roberts tells an ambitious story about an alternate twentieth century, but it ultimately struck me as too ambitious.
4/4/06 REVIEW: The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay
Review by Violet Kane
In this novel, Kay takes readers into a Viking-like culture of his fant-historical world first created in Lions of Al-Rassan. It is his first foray out of Mediterranean-like cultures since the advent of his fant-historical work.
MARCH
3/30/06 REVIEW: Stage Beauty directed by Richard Eyre
Review by S.K. Slevinski
This film creates a fascinating world by speculating on eighteenth century English theatre culture, and creates intriguing characters in the processes.
3/28/06 AUTHOR Q&A: Tim Lebbon
Original Session: 2/28/06 to 3/6/06
Author Tim Lebbon recently visited the ARWZ Community Forums to answer questions from fans and ARWZ readers in an Interactive Q&A.
3/23/06 REVIEW: Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Review by Violet Kane
Tim Powers spins a humorous tale of time travel, sending his characters—and readers—through the centuries, but the twists and turns often led me to question where I was heading.
3/21/06 REVIEW: Love Bites by James Newman and Donn Gash. Artwork by Alex McVey
Review by Nickolas Cook
Love Bites was released as a signed and numbered (250) limited edition chapbook from Nocturne Press. The story is short and to the point. The cover art, as is usual with the talented Alex McVey, is some great looking black and white work.
3/16/06 REVIEW: Medalon by Jennifer Fallon
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Fallon's Hythrun Chronicles gets off to a great start with Medalon. In many ways it is a classic fantasy, with centuries old sorcerers, newly awakened powers and a cast of quirky gods.
3/14/06 POETRY: The Waltz
by David Poore
Ever pounding, pounding, pounding / With the notes ever resounding / Flying faster, faster, faster / All inviting a disaster
3/9/06 REVIEW: Momento Mori by Angeline Hawkes-Craig
Review by Lisa Schussler
Angeline Hawkes-Craig's tales are littered with all manner of haunting images: crumbling castles, lovers returning from the dead, disease, violence.
3/7/06 REVIEW: Wildwood Road by Christopher Golden
Review by Violet Kane
Christopher Golden brings intrigue to old-fashioned horror by complementing the unknown with the eerily familiar.
3/1/06 REVIEW: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Review by Violet Kane
This book is not particularly science fiction—or any other genre—but rather a stunning example of true alternative reality literature.
FEBRUARY
2/28/06 INTERVIEW: Tim Lebbon & Christopher Golden
Reprint
Authors Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon met up recently and, over a few beers, chatted about their new novels out now from Bantam Spectra.
2/23/06 REVIEW: Changing Planes by Ursula K. LeGuin
Review by S.K. Slevinski
This collection is a subtle genre cross-over in which LeGuin creates and explores a series of alternative reality cultures, infusing them with the weight of social and political commentary readers expect of good science fiction, as well as an emphasis on cultural world-building one typically seeks through fantasy.
2/21/06 REVIEW: Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Review by Violet Kane
Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern comes to life in this fan favorite, but apart from the concept—unique at its inception in alternative reality fiction—I found Dragonflight largely unremarkable.
2/16/06 REVIEW: The Hawk Eternal by David Gemmell
Review by S.K. Slevinski
The Hawk Eternal is a smart heroic fantasy that spices up its "battles and swords" action with the chaos of time travel and manipulation. I kept hoping to see his characters move beyond the standard, but I did not ultimately get the dimension I was looking for.
2/14/06 POETRY: The Clockwork Heart
by Murray Graham
Poor mechanical thing, no guilt I assign, / The blame to be had is entirely mine
2/9/06 REVIEW: Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
Review by Violet Kane
While not my favorite of Guy Gavriel Kay's work, Song for Arbonne is still heads above the average fantasy novel.
2/7/06 REVIEW: Fantastic Worlds edited by Eric S. Rabkin
Review by S.K. Slevinski
The works anthologized in this volume represent a collection of stories from classic authors, diverse mythologies and more modern writers.
2/2/06 REVIEW: Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
Review by Violet Kane
This book both fulfills expectations as one of the best reads in modern fantasy, and it promises juicy conflict and intrigue to come. While Martin fans may be frustrated by the absence of some characters, they will not be disappointed.
JANUARY
1/31/06 FICTION: 'Round About Midnight
by Nickolas Cook
Only one man could draw them together after the years had gotten in the way; after wives, kids and grandkids; too many days of quiet living. There wasn't but one man who could get Benny to come all the way across town, a man he loved and hated...
1/26/06 REVIEW: Blade of Tyshalle by Matthew Stover
Review by Violet Kane
Matthew Stover pens a multilayered tale of friendship and ugliness, hope and devolution. It is an intriguing intersection of alternative reality genres and themes.
1/24/06 REVIEW: Nocturnes by John Connolly
Review by Lisa Schussler
This collection of supernatural stories is a superb addition to the library of any horror fan. The stories within feature demons, lost children, heartbroken lovers, and monsters from the depths of the earth and the soul.
1/19/06 REVIEW: The Gilded Chain by David Duncan
Review by Violet Kane
Fantasy fans looking for a satisfying read, but not a multi-book epic commitment, will be pleased with this novel.
1/17/06 INTERVIEW: Part I: Kate Elliott
Interview by S.K. Slevinski
With the upcoming publication of her latest book, Crown of Stars, author Kate Elliott is poised to deliver on the promises of a decade of storytelling.
1/12/06 REVIEW: Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Swordspoint is a fantasy about adult characters, an inexplicable rarity among fantasy novels. Fans on the lookout for subtle, character-based fantasy will be thrilled to have found this book.
1/10/06 REVIEW: Eye of the Labyrinth by Jennifer Fallon
Review by Violet Kane
No writer, that I have yet read, is doing as much to bolster the best trends in mainstream fantasy as Jennifer Fallon.
1/5/06 REVIEW: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe directed by Andrew Adamson
Review by Eleanor Kane
The new movie, The Chronicles of Narnia, is a tale within a tale of four children caught in a time of wars—in their real world and the world of Narnia.
1/3/06 ARTICLE: Top Ten Speculative Fiction Novels of All Time
Compiled by ARWZ Editors
In our first Top Ten List Project undertaken since the founding of ARWZ Magazine, the results were unprecendented. ARWZ readers and associates nominated nearly two hundred of their favorite novels and trilogies.
DECEMBER
12/29/05 REVIEW: Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
Review by Violet Kane
This sequel actually tops both of its predecessors. At a point where more epic fantasy series have crested the hill and have begun their descent, Martin wows audiences with a book beyond reader imaginations.
12/27/05 REVIEW: Corpse Bride directed by Tim Burton
Review by Lisa Schussler
Tim Burton has created yet another surreal world and populated it with his bizarrely loveable characters.
12/22/05 REVIEW: King Kong directed by Peter Jackson
Review by Violet Kane
This film is so diverse in its imagery and emotion, that I hardly believed I was watching the same film by the end of it. The mood and characters evolve in ways that transport the audience both visually and emotionally to the Empire State climax.
12/20/05 POETRY: Incantations
by Stormm
Calling that, which cannot be grasped, / As though we have only but to ask
12/15/05 REVIEW: Rusalka by C.J. Cherryh
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Cherryh's Rusalka is an engaging historical fantasy. Her research into Russian folk belief is accurate and richly woven into this tale.
12/13/05 REVIEW: Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
Review by Violet Kane
If you're looking for a breather after dire-fate sweeping epics, or if you're tired of fantasy that takes itself too seriously, Pratchett will be a welcome addition to your reading list.
12/8/05 ARTICLE: The Lineage of Convention in the Modern Fantasy Genre
Article by S.K. Slevinski
The very nature of "genre" implies that conventions will be used. The modern genre of fantasy is no exception. Tolkien hand-picked conventions from an existing body of world literature to use in his books. The ones he picked survived into the genre of fantasy we see today.
12/6/05 REVIEW: Lion of Senet by Jennifer Fallon
Review by Violet Kane
This book is a welcome addition to the modern fantasy scene. It picks up on many of the best trends in the current fantasy scene, and leaves out many of its worst.
12/1/05 REVIEW: Jaran by Kate Elliott
Review by S.K. Slevinski
With the opening book of her Jaran series, Kate Elliott shows her well-developed storytelling sensibilities in both science fiction and fantasy.
NOVEMBER
11/29/05 REVIEW: Mimus by Lilli Thal
Review by Lisa Schussler
If you're looking for a great medieval story that keeps you turning pages with lots of action, likeable characters, and a few laughs, Mimus is one to go for.
11/24/05 EDITORIAL: Can Fantasy Fiction be Adult Fiction?
Editorial by Violet Kane
I understand that the world needs its Harry Potters. But does this mean that fantasy must be relegated to readers in their formative years? That there is something inherently immature in fantasy fiction? That those of us who still read it are lagging behind? We haven't grown up in our reading tastes?
11/22/05 REVIEW: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Review by S.K. Slevinski
The author masterfully weaves the lives of the characters at fictional Kingsbridge into the tides of history. He paints in exquisite detail the hardships and joys of the unforgiving medieval landscape. This is a novel about war, revenge, catastrophe and love.
11/17/05 REVIEW: Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Review by Saundra Kane
Anxiety and emotion send the hero of this book, Henry DeTamble, "time traveling"—not into a new culture or past history, but the history of his own life.
11/15/05 REVIEW: Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay
Review by Violet Kane
These two books are only the latest example of Kay’s unique and stunning skills as a storyteller. The Sarantine Mosaic is a wonderfully engaging duology and I cannot recommend it more highly.
11/10/05 POETRY: Hoping This Makes You Uncomfortable
by David Poore
Thinking outside the outside / When you're already outside the box / When there is no outside or box
11/8/05 REVIEW: Time's Arrow by Martin Amis
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Martin Amis tells the story of a seemingly ordinary man having common experiences, leading a seemingly ordinary life. But this is no ordinary biographic. The main character in Amis's novel lives life in reverse, from death to birth.
11/3/05 REVIEW: Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead
Review by Violet Kane
This book is a well-researched tour of Eastern Medieval Europe, and for that I would have to recommend it to fantasy readers looking for a change of venue from the typical Anglicized fantasy world. However, the book is not without its troubles.
11/1/05 REVIEW: Medieval Romances in translation
Review by S.K. Slevinski
This anthology is an excellent source book for modern fans of fantasy, who are interested to discover fantastical entertainments from an earlier era, to glimpse back into the historical roots of their favorite genre.
OCTOBER
10/27/05 EDITORIAL: What happened to The Matrix?
Editorial by Will Turner
The Matrix proved that a film could have both brains and brawn, a nutritious subtext combined with visual confectionary. So where did it all go wrong? How did such a fine work of balance lead to the lop-sided mess that followed? And more pertinently, what could have been done differently to salvage the soul of the first film?
10/25/05 REVIEW: Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Review by Violet Kane
Who can quibble with the genius of Kay? His characters are, no surprise, exquisite. His story is beautifully drawn with both heart and despair.
10/20/05 REVIEW: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
Review by S.K. Slevinski
In this novel, Philip K. Dick speculates: "what if" the Allies had lost World War II. An alliance of the Nazis and the Japanese now oversee government in what was the United States. The world of his characters is strangely familiar and normal, but for the jarring oddities of historical happenstance.
10/18/05 REVIEW: Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
Review by Violet Kane
If you're looking for a page-turning, big magic fantasy, then Terry Goodkind's debut novel is right up your alley. Wizard's First Rule follows the story of an unassuming woodsman who finds the forces of good and evil thrust upon him.
10/13/05 EDITORIAL: What's so bad about e-books?
Editorial by S.K. Slevinski
Doesn't the human soul connect with the passion of a story so much more when curled up on the couch, book in hand, in front of the fire, on a chilly winter's eve? As it turns out, laptops and PDAs never object to a roaring hearth. Nor do they cease to function on a chilly winter's eve.
10/11/05 REVIEW: Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
Review by Violet Kane
Martin proves that he is a modern master. Speculative fiction readers of all types will enjoy this series, and fantasy fans especially will delight in the novelty and fast-pace. The only readers who might not enjoy it are the faint of heart.
10/6/05 REVIEW: Deception Point by Dan Brown
Review by Saundra Kane
Was there ever life outside our planet? Dan Brown delivers another page turner, using a plausible premise of NASA finding proof that at one time life existed in outer space.
10/4/05 REVIEW: Ghostwritten by David Mitchell
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Ghostwritten taps into the themes and sensibilities that drive the cravings of speculative fiction readers. The great strength of this book is the vivid exploration of characters and cultures, the subtle and peculiar details that connect their lives.
SEPTEMBER
9/29/05 REVIEW: Star Trek: The Next Generation Season One on DVD
Review by Violet Kane
This DVD set will give fans of the show a dose of nostalgia along with its futuristic speculation.
9/27/05 EDITORIAL: Best of Times, Worst of Times
Editorial by Will Turner
Do the critics appreciate this year's speculative fiction films? Not a bit! They complain—rather predictably—that Hollywood has run out of ideas and so many films this year were either sequels or remakes.
9/22/05 REVIEW: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Old-fashioned utopian speculation mixes with solid prose and allegorical culture clash to create a classic of speculative literature.
9/20/05 REVIEW: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Review by Saundra Kane
This novel is the perfect book for long winter nights. It is a fantasy book that leaves you thinking: Did this really happen?
9/15/05 POETRY: The Temporary Mountain
By Will Turner
It was a pudding of mud / "No poetry here!"
9/13/05 REVIEW: Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Review by Violet Kane
Carey creates a world where Classical and Renaissance sensibilities mix, where orders of courtesans and warriors exist instead of monastic orders, where beauty is holy and where political treachery runs rampant.
9/8/05 REVIEW: Beowulf in prose translation
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Fans of old fashioned heroic fantasy in the vein of Tolkien will delight in this trip back into folkloric source material.
9/5/05 REVIEW: Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Review by Violet Kane
Lions combines the essence of traditional fantasy with a fresh cultural spin.
9/2/05 ARTICLE: Top Ten Fantasy Authors Publishing Today
Reprint
To celebrate the advent of ARWZ Literary Zine, we have decided to reprint this list for new readers to appreciate (or argue with). Here you will find our list of the Top Ten Fantasy Authors Publishing Today, originally compiled in April 2001.
9/1/05 REVIEW: Book to Movie: Timeline by Michael Crichton
Review by Eugene Neil
Fans of Michael Critchton should rest assured that the movie version has far less possibility of becoming a timeless science fiction classic than the literary work.
AUGUST
8/30/05 REVIEW: King's Dragon by Kate Elliott
Review by S.K. Slevinski
Kate Elliott opens her Crown of Stars series with a richly developed fantasy world that will both satisfy and tantalize readers.
8/29/05 FROM THE EDITOR: Welcome to ARWZ Literary Zine
Editorial by Violet Kane
ARWZ Literary Zine seeks to elevate ARWZ voices to a platform where they will have a greater say in the direction of speculative fiction.
8/26/05 REVIEW: Xena: Warrior Princess on DVD
Review by Violet Kane
Fans of the Xena: Warrior Princess television show should expect the same quality from the DVD box sets as they do from the show itself: Generally good, with shining highlights, but far from perfect.
8/25/05 ARTICLE: Top Ten Speculative Fiction Authors of All Time
Reprint
As many long time members will recall, back in 2001, ARWZ membership undertook the ambitious project of collectively compiling Top Ten lists of our favorite authors in speculative fiction.
8/22/05 REVIEW: Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD
Review by Violet Kane
Buffy may be the only television series I would recommend buying, even if you've never seen it before. Since watching the DVDs, they have become the standard against which I measure all TV on DVD box sets.
8/22/05 REVIEW: Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Review by Violet Kane
For those who have grown weary of multi-epic fantasy, George R.R. Martin has rescued the 800 page saga from its maligned status among fantasy connoisseurs! I do not exaggerate when I describe Game of Thrones as a modern classic.
The Alternative Reality Web Zine is an online literary magazine specializing in alternative reality fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, historical and cross-genres. It was founded in association with ARWZ.com and the Alternative Reality Writers' Zone. This magazine seeks to highlight alternative reality fiction in all its genres and cross genres by featuring discussion and original writing of both established authors and upcoming writers. This magazine also strives to host thoughful conversation of alternative reality literature in all its forums, giving publishing opportunities to writers and audiences alike.
ARWZ Literary Zine is available online at ARWZ.com free to readers. The magazine publishes new content (whether reviews, fiction, poetry, articles, columns, editorials or interviews) every Tuesday and Thursday. At the end of each month, the completed issue is sent free to subscribers. To subscribe, send a blank email to: arwz-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. An email message with further instructions will follow.
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Alternative Reality Web Zine: ISSN# 1559-3037
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