Thorns of Nature edited by Doyle Eldon Wilmoth Jr

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Thorns of Nature edited by Doyle Eldon Wilmoth Jr
pub: http://www.specficworld.com
Electronic book (.pdf), 49 pages. Price: Free!

When I download free books, I am usually prepared for flimsy disappointment but this is a remarkably good anthology of contemporary speculative poetry.

Often listed in the same sentence as erotica by editors in their guidelines - 'We do *not* accept submissions of erotica, poetry or pornographic works' - finding high-grade speculative poetry on the Web can be difficult.

Although a few beacons stand proud of the electronic soup - ‘Strange Horizons’, ‘Chiaroscuro’ and ‘Speculon’ being but three - there is a definite lack of enthusiasm for poetic forms, which is why it was an absolute pleasure to explore this free book from SpecFic World.

Containing the work of thirty modern poets, 'Thorns Of Nature' contains work in many different styles - structured, loose, haiku, rhyming - so whatever your personal preferences, there will no doubt be something here to please you.

The authors include such notables as Bruce Boston ('Grand Master of Science Fiction Poetry'), David Kopaska-Merkel (editor of ‘Dreams And Nightmares’ - http://home.earthlink.net/~dragontea/index.html), Kate Hill (Anxiety Publications) and Cathy Burburuz (artist and editor of ‘Champagne Shivers’) plus many more respectable talents.

The best bit about this book, apart from its price tag, is that it may encourage wary readers to experiment with the exciting developments in modern forms of poetry. Under scrutiny, most people I've met that don't like poetry usually confess that the last thing they read was something like 'I Wish I'd Looked After My Teeth' by Pam Ayres. Poetry has so much more to offer than popular, jocular ditties.

The first poem in the book, 'Gaea's Revenge In The Mutant Rain Forest' by Bruce Boston, describes the response to human intrusion offered by 'angry Gaea, a fresh umbilical necklace/ coiling the pillared tendons of her neck'. 'Eon One' by SC. Virtes is a refreshingly original poem about Creation with great lines like 'creature factories painted the sky / with soft vapors becoming clouds' and raises an interesting point about the persistent existence of hunger. 'Gloria' by Sandy DeLuca, confronts unexpected death using fuzzy, rural imagery.

With such diversity of style and content, you are also almost guaranteed not to enjoy some works too - I personally don't enjoy the brevity of haiku, so 'Thunderstorm' by Kate Hill and 'Windstorm' by David Bain didn't grab me, although they are well-written. I didn't enjoy the themes of 'Warm' by John B. Rosenman (lap-dancing á’la necrophilia) - and 'Payback' by Brian Rosenberger either ('man sees nature as a whore / with her legs spread wide').

I did like ‘Dark Garden' by Michelle Scalise and 'Mother' by Tim Amzen, but again they were a little short for my tastes. Conversely, I felt that 'Tarantulas Hawk' by Ann K. Schwader and 'Poison' by Christina-Marie Umscheid were short works complemented by their brevity - the first uses snipped and stabbing language to enhance the impression of a nasty spider-bird beast, the latter is delicate with the splendor and practicality of a Victorian doctor's showcase.

No works contained between the virtual covers are entirely without merit but I definitely had favorites. 'The Breath of Giants' by David Kopaska-Merkel was a fabulous poem about shifting stones that gave me shivers and made me wish that John Carpenter had read it before making his 'Ghosts of Mars' film.

It shares a contained mood of panic with Carpenter's 'Prince of Darkness', occult elements convincingly braided with science. 'Axis' by Charlee Jacob was relatively long and evocative of Ted Hughes' work. Jacob's sense of rhythm and pace is superb and crisp imagery creates a beautiful/disturbing apocalyptic atmosphere.

'The Rush of Flood' by William P. Robertson and 'The Mystery of Jasper Dome' by Kurt Newton, focus on natural disasters affecting communities in exciting, but very different ways. Finally, 'A Daimon Hesitates at the Waters' by Ward Kelley and 'The Summons' by Cathy Burburuz, both add powerful, image-rich twists to ritual worship.

Hearty congratulations to the editor, Doyle Eldon Wilmoth Jr, for creating such a worthy tome and offering it freely to the public. I sincerely hope it is the first of many such anthologies to emerge from SpecFic World.

Lucy AE Ward

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