Interzone is British science fiction and fantasy short story magazine. I have been an avid reader of the magazine for over a decade. Recently I got a subscription and so I have decided to write a review of every issue in the hopes it will encourage you to pick it up.
This issue has an editorial by Andy Dudak. In what can be described as little more than a rant he explains how translators are better suited to writing fiction because of cultural cross-fertilization. At least, that is what I make out of it. This issue also contains a novelette by Dudak: “Salvage”. Other short stories such as “The Dead Man’s Coffee” by John Possidente and “Flyover Country” by Julie C. Day are especially noteworthy. But the quality of all stories are top-notch. I did note that most of the stories were without clear resolution, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks.
There is also a section called Interface which contains articles on current affairs and their tangential connection with Science Fiction. Aliya Whiteley explains her obsession with theme parks and how distant that is from her love of Frank Herbert’s Dune. The bottom-line is that a Dune theme park is just a bad idea. The film adaptation by Denis Villeneuve is as good as it gets.
Interzone reviews
Interzone also contains a review section, including those on novels, biographies and film. This issue contains a review of the biography on author John Wyndham called Hidden Wyndham: Live, Love and Letters by Amy Binns. The biography describes the at the time considered scandalous live-in relationship with Grace Wilson while both lived at the Penn Club. Wyndham was a man who was very private, the point that biographer Amy Binns describes him as having social camouflage to just pretend to be social. The biography receives strong recommendations.
Movie reviews include those on Lucy in the Sky, Jumanji: The Next Level, Last Christmas and The Lighthouse. Lucy in the Sky stars Natalie Portman and is roughly based on the events surrounding astronaut Lisa Nowak and her lovers quarrel with a rival. The reviewer considers the film to be exploitive appropriation of a real person’s unhappiness.
Jumanji gets a more positive review, though the reviewer shows their annoyance at the high earnings for a franchise that strictly indulges childhood memories and pop culture. The acting receives praise, as do the gags. Last Christmas gets a mixed review but the continuing disconnect between critical and audience receptions is especially noted. Emilia Clarke and Michelle Yeoh receive praise for their acting.
And so that was is – my Interzone issue # 285 Review. I think this magazine is top-notch. The new format, smaller than A4, feels especially professional as is the overall layout.
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