FT#214

I've decided that since when I get a new issue of Fortean Times or Weird Tales, I always stop reading whatever book I'm book I'm reading--in this case Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell--I might as well write a review of each magazine issue. So, lets start with Fortean Times issue 214.

While it wasn't a bad issue, it certainly isn't my favorite of all time. The three feature articles are "Fox Tales," "Stoat Packs," and "Divine Monsters." Frankly, the only one I really enjoyed was "Fox Tales," which was about fox spirits/were-foxes/fox demons/etc. throughout world myth and folklore. "Stoat Packs" is a very short article on the rare phenomenon of stoats forming packs. "Divine Monsters" was about the castrati.

"Fox Tales" did provide lots of interesting folk tales about various encounters with fox creatures, which is probably why I liked it so much. "Stoat Packs," while short, did provide some information on dangerous encounters with stoat packs, but wasn't all that interesting. "divine Monsters" was full of interesting historical tidbits, but I"m not entirely sure what's Fortean about castrati.

The Fortean Bureau of Investigation and one of the forum pieces dealt with Alien Big Cats, which is at least somewhat interesting. The other forum piece was about werewolves and didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. The Hierophant's monthly rant seems to be on how conspiracy theorists are crazy and have no sense of humor. It's pretty funny, as usual. Other than that, I don't have much to say about the other regular features.


This issue gets 4 yo-yos.

The Unique Magazine

Well, it'll probably be a while before I write a another book review. Amazon shipped more of my most recent order on Sunday, and I don't want to start reading any other books, because I know I'll just put them aside when my order finally arrives. Also, I just got the latest issue of Weird Tales yesterday, and I've been busy reading it.

If for some reason you don't know what Weird Tales is, then you probably aren't much of a fan of fantasy and horror. It's just the magazine that published Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft's best known works. It's been around since the 1920s. Just read the Wikipedia article.

It's got to be one of my favorite magazines. In fact I'd say it's second only to Fortean Times on my list. It's a great magazine for anyone who likes fantasy, horror, or--well umm--weird tales.

The current issue has eight stories and five poems, all with a weird flavor. I'm not going to get into the poetry here, but I will share my thoughts on the stories.

My favorite had to be Richard Parks' "Conversation at the Tomb of an Unknown King." I thought it was kind of funny, and a bit creepy, and I liked the wight. Brian Stableford's "The Elixir of Youth" was another good one. This one wasn't funny, but it was a heck of a lot creepier, especially the ending. There was a nice Arthurian story called "Aftermath" by Tina & Tony Rath. Keith Taylor's "Corpse's Wrath" was an exciting weird adventure. Robert Weinberg's "Children of Moriah" was certainly a very strange, and disturbing, story. I liked Richard Lupoff's "Fourth Avenue Interlude," but even though it was a well told story, it lacked the weird elements I expect from a Weird Tales story. Natalia Lincoln's "Revival" didn't really grip me all that much. It wasn't a bad story, but I didn't think it was all that great either. Terry Sofian's "Blackwater Ghosts," on the other hand, just bored the hell out of me.

Besides the fiction and poetry, Weird Tales has a few other things to offer. Their editorial, "The Eyrie," provides an interesting insight into fantasy and horror. They provide reviews for many interesting books in the genre, many of them by small presses and the like. They occasionally have a non-fiction article; this issue has one on Robert E. Howard, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth earlier this year.

Weird Tales is well worth subscribing to. Their stories are usually excellent, and they have lots of other interesting features. I give Weird Tales 5 yo-yos.

A Good Distraction

Well, I still haven't finished Thomas the Rhymer. I've gotten distracted again. I have a good excuse this time, though. I just got a new issue of Fortean Times yesterday and I spent most of my time reading it.

If you've never read Fortean Times, your missing out on a great thing. I don't mind saying that I think Fortean Times is the greatest magazine in the world. Sure other magazines have stuff going for them too. Playboy has naked women. Weird Tales has weird fiction. People has stupid celebrity gossip. Fortean Times doesn't have any of that stuff (Ok, there might be the occasional naked woman).

This magazine is all about strange phenomena. This issue, number 211, isn't actually the current issue. It's a British import, so it takes a while to make its way to the States. There's an article on the theory that flying saucers are demons. There's another one on the lake monster Ogopogo. There's a piece on those lame ass Christian fundamentalists who keep trying to push "Intelligent Design" by trying to discredit evolution. There's a report on a recent trip to find the mysterious Mongolian Death Worm. Is it just me or would Mongolian Death Worm make a really cool name for a band?

Besides all that, there are tons of regular features. There's the hilarious Hierophant. The Phenomenomox comic strip is pretty funny too. I've always loved "Strange Days," which is a selection of odd and unusual news stories. As always, there are letters and book reviews.

I can't recommend this magazine enough. Pick up an issue at your local comic book store--unfortunately most bookstores and news agents don't seem to carry it. If you like it, buy a subscription. The only bad thing about the magazine is the price; it's currently $10.50 an issue in the U.S. Still it gets 5 yo-yos from me.