SFRevu has a review (hence the name) of the April-May 2009 issue of the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. By good hap, my novelette ‘One Bright Star to Guide Them’ gets a favorable mention:
The April/May 2009 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction is the first issue in its new bi-monthly double issue version. It has some fine new stories (one Hugo-worthy) and a two classic reprints.
The issue concludes with the novelette, "One Bright Star to Guide Them" by John C. Wright, which turned out to be my favorite. Thomas S. Robertson has just turned 40 and has been promoted at work. Arriving home late one night, he finds a black cat at his door. He recognizes it as Tybalt, a magical cat of his youth. When he was a boy. He and three friends, Richard, Sally and Penny had entered a fantasy world called Vidblain, "and broke the Black Mirror of the Winter King, and restored Prince Hal to his throne at Caer Pendewen". Tybalt warns him that England itself is menaced by the Shadow King and he must do battle again. But Thomas is now an adult, didn’t he put away "childish things"? I loved this story for the hints we got of a story that never existed, mentioned, in passing, in a way that makes it real. We get a great story here of Thomas, his childhood friends and how he does battle as an adult. I’ll be putting this on my Hugo short list for next year
Well, well! I cannot say I am displeased to hear the word ‘Hugo’ mentioned in the same breath with this story, which is a special favorite of mine, of any of my shorter works. I am particularly pleased with the surprise ending (‘Rosebud’ turns out to be Luke’s father!), which I rewrote at my wife’s wise suggestion at the last minute.
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
March 3, 2009 @ 10:04 am
