large size softcover, 102 pages. Reviewed by Steve Johnson.
As always I enjoyed most of this anthology. The editor has a knack of picking good authors and the work that I wasn’t crazy about isn’t because of poor quality, but over personal preferences. I didn’t much enjoy the opening story Paradigm Lost simply because it’s a serial and I dislike being left in mid-air. The characters in Underhanded didn’t grab me, and the same for The Martian Menace of 1897. Red River was very well-written and I liked it, although I know that Lyn found it a bit dark, as did Glenda. However I loved The Evolutionizer, there was a solid touch of steampunk to it as well as Weird/SF western, and the characters were great. Working the Salt Mine was quite simply terrific. Excellent plot, characters, and the last line knocked me out. Such a Cute Puppy was, well, cute and again the last lines blew me away – on this case on a tide of groans and guffaws. Lyn can think up such peculiar plots and her puns are horrific. All in all a very good issue yet again, and a tip of the hat to the half dozen short-short gunslinger tales too. I found them all well worth reading. The article at the end was interesting, I remember the series discussed which was well done, and the movie – which I thought wasn’t. So, another good issue and as I understand that Lyn has work in the forthcoming steampunk anthology from the same venue, I look forward to reading and reviewing that soon too.