(Reviews)

FICTION: Aphrodisia, by Lavie Tidhar

We'd shared a hub in Tong Yun City years before, the asteroid-worm and the orbital hafmek and me—shared food and drugs and sex and minds—but we were younger then, on Mars.

POETRY: Sestina for Death , by James S. Dorr

But, ah, this is a wake and so we drink

REVIEW: This Week's Reviews, posted three times a week

Monday: Narrative Power: Encounters, Celebrations, Struggles, edited by L. Timmel Duchamp, reviewed by Anil Menon
Wednesday: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, reviewed by Niall Alexander
Friday: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, reviewed by Martin Lewis

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(Articles)

ARTICLE: Written in Maps, by Cécile Cristofari

Ever since J. R. R. Tolkien put his imprint on the fantasy genre, maps have become a staple in helping speculative fiction authors share their imagined world with the audience. Yet even as they provide this crutch to the reader, the location of maps outside the narrative raises questions about their literary significance. How does the map contribute to the creation of the invented geography? Are thematic dimensions of the narrative present on the map? And what sort of perspective does a map's author represent?

FICTION: Five Rules for Commuting to the Underworld, by Merrie Haskell

If you undertake your travels to the Underworld while you are yet a living being, you may wish to sew your mouth closed--black thread is best. It is the surest way to avoid the temptations and escape with your soul intact.

POETRY: Thrice, by Yoon Ha Lee

icebird's sharp feather / firebird's charred talon

REVIEW: This Week's Reviews, posted three times a week

Monday: Above the Snowline by Steph Swainston, reviewed by Niall Harrison
Wednesday: Toy Story 3, reviewed by David J. Schwartz
Friday: The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan, reviewed by Audrey Homan

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(Articles)

ARTICLE: An Interview with Jonathan Maberry, by John Ottinger III

Zombies aren't charming, and they don't have personalities. They're walking corpses with no higher functions. They certainly aren't romantic. What they represent in zombie fiction is a constant and universal threat that is implacable and unbearable. That kind of threat puts all of the characters under pressure, and from a storytelling point of view, characters under pressure are the only interesting ones to write about.

COLUMN: Real Action, by Matthew Cheney

Seeing Christopher Nolan's movie Inception got me reflecting on his previous summer blockbuster, The Dark Knight, a film I vehemently disliked when I first saw it in the theatre . . .

FICTION: The Big Splash, by George R. Galuschak

"I thought you might be able to help him." I tried to keep the tremble out of my voice. "Maybe reverse the aging process. You're an alien and all."

POETRY: Of Ithaca & Ice, by Ann K. Schwader

I wandered the asphodel stars

REVIEW: This Week's Reviews, posted three times a week

Monday: Red Plenty by Francis Spufford, reviewed by Adam Roberts
Wednesday: Mammoths of the Great Plains and Tomb of the Fathers by Eleanor Arnason, reviewed by Kelly Jennings
Friday: Shine edited by Jetse de Vries, reviewed by Karen Burnham

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(Articles)

ARTICLE: The X-Files: Faith and Paranoia in America, by Cynthia C. Scott

The show's real strengths weren't in the conspiracy itself, but in Mulder and Scully�s relationship and the way they bonded through the fog of obfuscation, lies, and cover ups. "The truth is out there" became the series� hopeful message: that the truth found in faith and love can never be concealed as long as the faithful are genuine in their ideals.

COLUMN: Scores, by John Clute

Rajaniemi's brilliant first novel is more device than story.

FICTION: Ghost of a Horse Under a Chandelier, by Georgina Bruce

It's easy to lose the Book because it's always changing. There isn't an author's name on the cover. And every time Zillah opens the Book it's different. Everything is different, even the title. Today, it starts like this.

POETRY: Egyptian Sparks, by Robert Borski

On the night spur / between Kharga and Kena,

REVIEW: This Week's Reviews, posted three times a week

Monday: A Dark Matter by Peter Straub, reviewed by Jonathan McCalmont
Wednesday: Inception, reviewed by William Mingin
Friday: X6 edited by Keith Stevenson, reviewed by Richard Larson

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