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Interzone # 208 - February 2007
01/03/2007 . Source: Rod MacDonald 
bi-monthly magazine: UK publisher/editor address: Andy Cox, TTA Press, 5 Martins Lane, Witcham, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 2LB. Price: £ 3.75 (UK) $ 7.00(US). ISSN: 0264-3596. Buy Interzone in the USA - or Buy Interzone in the UK  check out website: www.ttapress.com www.ttapress.com
Illustrating a story by Jason Stoddard, 'Softly Shining In The Forbidden Dark', Kenn Brown's cover art is almost reminiscent of World War I and the shape of things to come. However, Stoddard's future is far distant in time, much more distant than his Mars stories which appeared in recent 'Interzone' issues.
Kenn Brown comes from Canada and his work has appeared in many professional publications, including a rather intriguing piece in 'Scientific American'. He shows good professionalism, versatility and variety and it's good to see his art on the cover of 'Interzone'.
Should you wish to see more of Kenn Brown and his associate Chris Wren then have a look at the website www.mondolithic.com where you will experience an excellent gallery displaying a wide variety of art including some 'Interzone covers'. I particularly liked the ancient history scenes of Atlantis and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Concerning the fiction itself. Well, it is far removed from the Martian stories, so far removed that any comparison is rather meaningless. I'm not really sure what to make of it. Esoteric creatures in the far future engage in equally esoteric conversation/battle or whatever and I'm sure the whole story is to be taken as a joke.
This isn't challenging stuff. It's tedious. The slightest sense of empathy or identity with any of the characters is missing or lost. Okay, if you want to write something about the far future that's fair enough but you will lose a great deal of your audience in doing so. I must apologise for not being avant-garde enough to appreciate this story. I'm also too immersed in this time zone to be able to take myself to this unlikely future. Definitely one to miss.
On the other hand, Gary D. Leeming with 'Clouds' takes us to futuristic China. A relatively short piece, it is nevertheless descriptive and atmospheric. An inspector chases villains but becomes diverted by an old man rainmaker and clouds of nano-technology. I believe the author has a degree in Chinese studies and hopes to have a novel published soon.
We are carried into the far future again with the 'Star Necromancers' from Alexander Marsh Freed. This is more understandable stuff than that presented by Jason Stoddard and it is a bit more entertaining. I think the story could have been made simpler by reducing the analogy. Basically it's all about someone getting too big for their boots, something which has happened for thousands of years and something which will continue to happen until the time zone that Freed writes about.
'Islington Crocodiles' by Paul Meloy! Don't ask me what it's about because I haven't a clue. I started reading this story but gave up half-way through because it seemed like a lot of mumbo-jumbo. Had it been a radio programme I would have switched off.
This issue of 'Interzone' was rather disappointing in that the stories were largely without appeal. Most times when you pick up 'Interzone' you want to read it from cover to cover but this time it wasn't the case. More than likely this is no more than the sad side-effects of a Scottish winter but spring-time is just around the corner.
Rod MacDonald
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