Dark Horses 2, March 2022
This builds on the first volume of this relatively new short-story magazine; unsurprisingly, it shares some authors with Volume 1, as well as the nine-author Dark Horses collection (reviewed here). The second volume is just as strong as the first. The stories span a wide range of topics and perspectives; my only complaint is that a couple could have benefited from tighter editing. Overall, though, this was worthwhile.
Volume 2 offers up five stories. Wayne Kyle Spitzer reappears with In The Forests of the Night, a complex and layered story about post-apocalyptic encounter with a lover of art and allosaurs. Kurt Newton’s The Devil’s Playground shows that some of the dangers in a desert warzone are far older—and stranger—than the conflict itself. Death Before Birth from James Harper loops between the American suburbs and the Middle East, as another ancient evil stalks its victims. People of the Land, by Alistair Rey is a meandering tale of horror at a most unusual reform school with odd links to “the land.” Finally, the second installment of Bill Link’s A Whisperer Among The Graves continues the story of a modern ghoul.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (2 smirks, 3 pages apart)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 8/10 (4 stars)
Dark Horses 3, April 2022
Dark Horses’ third volume brings 10 stories. The volumes in the series have started to get longer: Vol. 1 was 96 pages, Vol. 2 reached 137 pages, and this weighs in at a comparatively meaty 170 pages. The good news is that there are more stories and authors to explore. The downside: some of the longer stories tend to meander, using the extra length to pack in more words rather than more substance. The collection works, overall, but this is a trend to keep an eye on.
My two favorites: Urne by Michael Fowler is a fresh take on psychopomps and their work, set in an alien nursing home. Crisply written and interesting. The Voice of Savage Wood from Tim Jefferies is a different sort of take on death and its consequences. Although a bit long and meandering at first, it comes to a nicely original twisty, uncompromising ending. The only story I really couldn’t get into was Predator In A Pinafore Dress, from Tre Luna. The idea of a sentient intergenerational brain parasite is interesting, but the story was convoluted—there’s a whole subplot about faith and the priesthood which didn’t work—and was too long for what it delivered.
In between these extremes we find a variety of styles and themes. The opening salvo comes from an increasingly familiar name, Wayne Kyle Spitzer, who continues his theme of things coming through gateways to ravage our world with Clouds. We’ll just say that bringing back hydrogen-filled dirigibles might have been a little premature. Ever been confused about who you really are? Me and No-Me by Robert Pope redeems a turgid start with an interesting twist on dueling identities. Lauren by Cameron Trost is sexy but deadly. Alexandra Amick’s The Golden Rose is a short and slyly funny meditation on mermaids and, uh, scurvy. Between Stops by John Mangio takes the reader on a slightly hallucinogenic late night trip on the subway. John Mathews’ Malpractice goes to a frightening world where being uninsured has some serious non-medical implications. Angel House from Tim Newton Anderson is a longish look at bingo, diet pills and angels.
All in all, this was a worthwhile read – the best stories were quite good, the middle ones were generally pretty strong as well, and there was only one story I didn’t think was ready for primetime. On to the next volume!
Smirk factor: Not quite all clear: 1.5 pts (No smirks; ½ point off for too many meandering stories.)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 7/10 (3.5 stars, rounded to 4)
Series Running Average: (Nine Dark Horses and Vols 1-3)
Smirk factor: 1.875/2
Immersion factor: 1.5/2
Writing quality: 1.5/2
Character/plot development: 1.25/2
Innovative/interesting: 1.375/2
Total: 7.5/10