Clockwork Phoenix: Tales of Beauty and Strangeness edited by Mike Allen
Norilana Books, $10.95, 288pp, tp, 9781934169988. Speculative fiction anthology.
As Editor Mike Allen said in this interview, he was looking to put together an “offbeat literary anthology” with no theme. Specifically, he was looking for stories that came at him from “askew angles.” Overall, he got what he was looking for.
Perhaps the anthology would be better served (or at least better described) using its subtitle, “Tales of Strangeness and Beauty” as the title. These stories are definitely the opposite side of “a picture is worth a thousand words”, that is, the authors are all quite adept at drawing lovely pictures with their words. And if you’re looking for beautiful word pictures, this is an excellent collection. But if you’re looking for more stories, you may find the content suffering a bit. Several of the contributors were able to combine the two, drawing lovely pictures and telling captivating stories, but not all.
“The City of Blind Delight” by Catherynne M. Valente is one of those wonderful word-pictures, the image of which is fresh in my mind, though the story, if there was any, has completely escaped me.
I found John Grant’s “All the Little Gods We Are” the most captivating piece in the book. While it’s story qua story isn’t Earth-shatteringly new, the addition of a hint of parallel worlds is a good touch, and his imagery, his description of what it means to be soulmates, two halves of one whole, is absolutely wonderful.
“The Dew Drop Coffee Lounge”, by Cat Rambo, presents an interestingly odd woman doing her part to make the world a somewhat easier place to live in.
Michael J. DeLuca’s “The Tarrying Messenger” shows the difference between religion and faith.
Tanith Lee’s “The Woman” is an uncomfortable discussion of a dying world, and the lengths to which people will go to tell themselves it isn’t. It’s also an exploration of beauty, desire, and the need to win.
Vandana Singh’s “Oblivion: A Journey” is a surprisingly moving retelling of the Indian epic Ramayan. It’s a story of an eternal quest for vengeance, and the revelation that sometimes having is not so satisfying as wanting.
“Akhila, Divided” by C.S. MacCath is an interesting character study. A woman created to fight a war comes to realize there ought to be something more to her life, and she seeks salvation among those who would be her enemies.
Other pieces in the book include: “Old Foss is the Name of His Cat” by David Sandner; “Bell, Book, and Candle” by Leah Bobet; “The Occultation” by Laird Barron; “There is a Monster Under Helen’s Bed” by Ekaterina Sedia; “Palisade” by Cat Sparks; “A Mask of Flesh” by Marie Brennan; “Seven Scenes from Harrai’s Sacred Mountain” by Jennifer Crow; “Choosers of the Slain” by John C. Wright; “The Moon-Keeper’s Friend” by Joanna Galbraith; “The Tailor of Time” by Deborah Biancotti; and “Root and Vein” by Erin Hoffman.