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Location: Australia

Member Since: Nov. 03, 2012

Chris Large

Smashwords book reviews by Chris Large

Aurealis #56 Award Winners on Nov. 25, 2012

I don't really see much point in reviewing this issue of Aurealis as it contains two stories that have already been voted on, and won, awards for fantasy and horror. That alone should speak to the quality of the writing. However Smaswords asks, and Smashwords gets... Thoraiya Dyer's fantasy, Fruit of the Pipal Tree, was solid and satisfying, with dagger-sharp hooks and intelligent plotting. I've read a lot of Thoraiya's recent work, and although my political outlook is diametrically opposed to hers, I always enjoy her stories, and appreciate her views. The second story, The Past is a Bridge Best Left Burned, was an odd one for me. I must admit to being a bit of a dunce when it comes to horror. It mostly doesn't scare me, and I find it difficult to relate to many of the concepts. Perhaps the subtext of this story about a man, haunted by his past, eluded me. I understand that the author, Paul Haines, recently passed away, and was regarded as somewhat of a maverick in the sf/f/horror writing community. I enjoyed this frank, and unsettling account of a dubious past that simply wouldn't be forgotten, or glossed over. The only real gripe I have with this issue, and past issues of Aurealis, is that the covers, enticing though they are, don't appear to bear any relation whatsoever to the content. If you're hoping, upon purchasing this issue, to read a story about a spider queen, wielding a giant two-handed great sword, you will be sorely disappointed. ;)