Keen Science Fiction!
Issue #5, August 1996
Monthly, $4.00 per issue, $36.00 per year.
Editor Teresa Keene
P.O. Box 9067
Spokane, WA 99209-0067

This is a magazine which strives to present, in the words of the editor, "good, old fashioned...idea and character driven stories." Consider the works of Damon Knight, Isaac Asimov, and Poul Anderson as examples. This is still a young magazine and it changes from issue to issue, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes in ways that are extremely obvious--the inclusion of interior art is one of the big ways as is the addition of a review section. I mention this because if you are uncomfortable with change then you may want to look elsewhere. I mention change and I should add that it is more in the area of composition and in content than in philosophy. If you are looking for that SF that you remember, those big concept novels full of interesting people then this is the place for you.

As a side note I feel obligated to mention that I also write a review column for this magazine. Take that information however you may please.

I find the stories that editor Keene selects for publication to more than meet her stated purpose. These are stories worth reading, stories that evoke an SF of decades past, stories that involve you as a reader in the characters dilemma. These stories fall into two very general categories; problem stories where characters are forced to figure things out, using science and their brains, and twist stories, where characters and plots generally turn out in an unexpected or sideways fashion, not unlike many Twilight Zone episodes.

The Issue I have in front of me contains work by John Rosenman, who is an extremely good writer and who is beginning to sell on a pretty frequent basis, Rick Brooks, who presents a very well done tale of obsession and interdimensional travel, Bruce Talbot, who gives us a very amusing tale about language, artificial intelligence and communication. And these are just three examples of the 9 stories in this issue. This issue also contains an excellently done book review column and a non-fiction essay by Ralph Gamelli. Both of these non-fiction pieces stay within the general theme of SF as a place which should be grand in concept and full of character.

Keen SF is a digest sized magazine with, so far, pastel covers. The interior art is growing and so is the non-fiction. The fiction quality is also growing, if that is possible since the fiction quality has been very high right from the beginning. The editorial style is also obvious, but mostly in selection and presentation. Editor Keene appears to know what she is looking for and how she wants to present it and does it in a forthright manner. Keen SF is reader friendly, hard to put down and published on time; three qualities I certainly look for in any magazine. As always a sample copy works to your best advantage so you can see for yourself.

Copyright © 1996 by Steven Sawicki. All Rights Reserved.