Talebones #3, Spring 1996
$4.50 to
Patrick Swenson, Editor/Publisher
10531 S.E. 250th Place #104
Kent, WA 98031

During a break from trying to wrap-up and compile the May version of The Market List, I opened my mailbox to find Talebones #3. I intended to take a short break, for the sake of those of you who were waiting on an update that was already late, but a short break it did not turn out to be.

I was immediately impressed by the glossy cover, with its black and white cover art (shown here with the magazine's listing), the color title, and drawn into the content. Being familiar with John Everson's review of Talebones #2 that ran here in March, I wanted to skim a few of the stories, see if any caught my eye. I'm a picky reader; I expect on average to lose interest with about half the stories I see in most semi-pro and small press publications. This was not the case.

I started off with Tom Piccirilli's "Caucasus" which appears toward the end of the issue, because in flipping through the issue the illustration caught my eye. Tom's vision of Heracles, Jupiter, and the Gods of Olympus as they might exist today, told from the perspective of Prometheus, hooked me from word one.

After that, I turned back to the beginning, to James C. Glass's "Taking Charge". His main character, alcoholic Martin Osborn, seems as if he may finally turn around his losing streak . . . or maybe not. This dark, sharp, and often witty story plays out perfectly Martin's love of the bottle and love of his own architectural ideals above all else--including his wife and job security--as he self-destructively rolls along at the advice and prodding of his new found friend, Jambez Styx. Another great read.

"Curse of the Hypnotist's Wife", a very short story by Bruce Boston, has a basic plot I've seen before, but Boston's style carries even this perfectly titled work to a somewhat predictable, but thoroughly satisfying, conclusion. It's not always where the story is going, it's how the writer gets you there.

Ken Rand's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" is another story with characters from classic mythology. The story revolves around Charon, and his unexpected encounter with the modernization of Hades. Rand gives this short piece a clever, at times outright funny, voice.

"Phantom Pain" by Brian Burt is probably the darkest, sharpest piece in #3. A cop, New Orleans, and plenty of Voodoo. A great story. No need to say more.

"An Excess of Weather" by Stepan Chapman was the only story that didn't grab me at the beginning, but the piece is a quick read and has a clever ending.

The illustrations in this issue are all superb. Not a rough looking piece in the bunch. I don't pretend to have an eye for poetry, so I won't go into it. What I read, read well.

For layout, production value, and content, this issue is well worth the $4.50 cover price. If you check past reviews here and elsewhere, Talebone's record and promise of more to come in the future should place this one high on your subscription list.

Copyright © 1996 by Christopher Holliday. All Rights Reserved.