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Interzone # 194
01/11/2004 . Source: Rod MacDonald 
magazine: UK publisher/editor address: Andy Cox, TTA Press, 5 Martins Lane, Witcham, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 2LB. US address: Wayne Edwards, TTA Press, PO Box 231229, Anchorage, AK99523-1229. Price: £ 3.50 (UK), $ 6.00(US). ISSN: 0264-3596. check out website: www.ttapress.com
'Interzone' has gone through a Dr Who-type metamorphosis recently. It's still recognisably the same magazine it was under the ownership and editorship of David Pringle for twenty-two years but now within the Third Alternative stable, new life has been injected into its pages.
You can read all about David Pringle's experiences with 'Interzone' and some of the reasoning behind the change in a feature in this issue. Maybe such a long time in charge is endurance enough for anyone. Thousands upon thousands of story submissions from people who had never read the magazine! Nonetheless, it was a magnificent achievement! During the era that 'Interzone' reigned supreme, like meteors in the night sky, many other magazines appeared and disappeared as a fleeting flash, never to be seen again. New challenges wait for the magazine and the erstwhile editor.
What of 'Interzone' now? I don't want to compare it to the old 'Interzone' which over the years had enough peaks of excellence to make it a difficult standard to follow. I think the new 'Interzone' should be judged on its own merits without reference to the past.
Artwork must be mentioned at the outset. First impressions are important in that they colour the way the rest of the work is viewed. Tawdry drawings hardly impel the reader to examine the contents in any detail. In this case, all the artwork is of a very high standard, which is what you'd expect from Third Alternative and it certainly enhances the mood of the magazine. All of the artwork is by Edward Noon.
The stories? Four of them plus a novelette, all substantial enough to get your teeth into. My favourite of the selection was 'Enlightenment' by Douglas Smith. A strange story indeed about Earth people engaged in strip-mining planets and relocating indigenous populations.
The Be'nan are a funny bunch. Living in tall cities, they have a religious rite which involves the use of their bodies after death in the construction of a huge arc across the city. The arc is almost complete and only a few more bodies are required in predetermined poses to join up the sculpture at the uppermost point. What will happen then?
Of more immediate importance, we have the Be'nan apparent inability to defend themselves against invaders. The end is horrific in many respects but it's also thought-provoking.
Also included are 'Song Of The Earth' from Steve Mohn, 'Someone Else' by Karen Fishler, 'Dreams Of The White City' by Jay Lake and 'Air Cube', a curious and entertaining piece from Antony Mann. While the first mentioned wasn't to my personal taste, I had to admit that all stories were well crafted, free from disappointment and of a high standard.
'Interzone' also contained many reviews, articles and items you'd recognise from the previous incarnation. The only real way to judge the magazine is to read it yourself. If you're looking for pulp fiction that isn't challenging and is boringly repetitive then don't buy this. On the other hand, you may be looking for an indulgent and intelligent read. Look no further.
Rod MacDonald
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