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Editorial

Issue Seven Is Ready To Go

Yes, we know. This issue is late. I could give you all the reasons why, but in the end, does it really matter? You're here because you want to read some new fiction and maybe a review or two. You don't want excuses, you want words.

Well, they're here.

A Word About Grief.

I didn't set out to make a theme of this issue, it just happened that way. The editorial team have read a lot of stories in the past few months. Some were written by familiar names, others were submissions made by new faces, hoping to make their first break into print. A lot of the time it's tempting to go with the 'safe' option, to rely upon a name that draws readers. You know they'll deliver and possibly add an award or two to the magazine's profile.

When it comes to editing, I don't do safe (if in doubt, read Issue 11 of ASIM). I like to take risks. I like to draw attention to the unusual, the different. When choosing stories for any issue, I have one prerequisite.

Whose voice remains with me long after I've closed my computer down?

The two stories you'll find here did just that.

"The Grief Doll," by Lily Chrywenstrom is a compelling story that deals with a child's loss of her mother. Both frightening and eerie in turns, Lily weaves a story that reads like a Jewish fable. Lily is an established voice in Australian SF. A Clarion graduate, she has various writing credits to her name and is the editor of Fables and Reflections magazine. N. Joy Dodds, on the other hand, is brand new to the scene. Her story

"The Souls of Our Sons" is her first SF story to see print. Like most new authors, there's a rawness to her voice, a flexing of the creative muscles as it were. Out of the many stories we read for this issue, this one stayed with me while the others faded. There is an innocence beneath the sinister tone of this story that also deals with loss and grief but with a large dollop of revenge thrown in for good measure.

But Wait. There's More.

As well as fiction, you'll find the usual reviews, articles and interviews.

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Lyn Battersby