| We close for our summer vacation and Internet office refurbishment with a near "Horror Fest."
During the July 4 th weekend, Terry-Ann, dear friends Diane and Mark Bowin, and yours truly, had the pleasure of dining at El Quixote, a wonderful restaurant that could well be found someplace on Volante, certainly found within the environs of The Black Dragon Inn.
We concluded our evening catching the new Superman, a fantastic motion picture, probably a solid 7-8 on the science-fiction scale (out of a high of 10). The characterization is wonderful. A new chapter in the Superman chronology has been added. The fantasy and religious overtones are subtle but make no doubt about it, it is not pure escapism.
Sadly, while "Truth and Justice," abound, "The American Way," has been left out. One has to assume that Superman is still American and should be fighting evil.
Here is an analogy that I have yet to read: While there is no doubt that Superman was created to be a hero with Jewish overtones, the fact that he is considered a "god" should not escape any science fiction or fantasy reader.
His "child" (surprise, surprise) is a hybrid, born of a human female, sired by a god-like being.
Those are the overtones. Superman Returns is a great adventure story, perhaps a bit overdone, as was the character Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey); Lois Lane (the creators of Superman and DC Comics have this 'thing' with "LL" letters) have done a wonderful job on reviving the this super hero. I hope they will be able to continue doing a great job in the future, but I seriously doubt it. There is simply too much competition out there; the Superman of the 1970s was a motion picture king; the Superman of the 21 st century is a super pretender.
But why am I writing this semi-review: It's the "Crystals," that play so important a role in the Odan the Scribe series. So you can read into it what you want, but there is something about crystals that seem to fit into our collective memory.
Enough pontificating!
Here are some of our offerings:
Horror Tales:
Pit-a-Pat by Roderick Gladwish: Ah, our old friend, Victoria (The Shrew) is still cursed. Dr. Mason owns her soul, but she's a tough gal, having survived child birth, abortion, murder, a convent (for the soulless) and now apprenticeship. Roderick adds to his trilogy of horror. It is like when old lovers meet, they dance without ever missing a beat.
Bloody Mary Twisted by Robert T. Tuohey: A twisted tale, dark, different. Question asked, "Why do you want to work with our cadavers?" If you want the answer, read this tale.
The Family in the Grass by Gregory Adams: A western tale, an Indian legend. General George Armstrong Custer fared far better at the Little Big Horn.
The Vault by Rick Magers: Rick Magers' biography is as engrossing as is his story. What type of treasure do you find in a vault? I am telling you now, no matter how valuable the treasure, don't open the vault!
The Horror is Yellow by Norman A. Rubin: Another solid story by one of our steady contributors. Poor Agnus McDowall, a brawny shepherd, on a foggy night, sees a bright yellow light in the far distance. Want more? Read on.
Fantasy Tales:
The Raven Bride by Verna McKinnon: A wonderful love story, well-crafted, a pleasure to read. I'm sure that Ms. McKinnon will be making future appearances to Scribal Tales.
Apple by Tala Bar: Snow White, her mother, the Queen, a challenge for her hand, a deep sleep. Not quite the innocent story we read or had read to us as children, but a wonderful adaptation on fairy tales by the mistress of twisted tales.
The Shared World
The Vampyre's Challenge by Joel Levy: Our newest shared world author does not disappoint. His follow up tale sets up the Province of Brocalinde, as a place of extreme conflict, conflict within conflict, as a matter of fact, toss in a king vampire, and you have a wonderful new addition to the shared world.
Joel, in our September - October 2006 issue will be supplying our subscribers with a completely revised map of Volante (or so it is hoped).
Hellbore Reid by Janice Jackson: Janice Jackson's famous female protagonist makes her initial appearance in the Shared World. Hellbore is not quite what she seems. Janice drops a few hints as to Hellbore's true character, but she (Hellbore) will surprise you with her rather unique abilities.
Hybrid Tales
Grode Is Dead by G. David Schwartz: "Grode is dead. If I tell you how he died, you would say, "Ahhh, another day in the life of the big or medium size city." "Grode" is a beautifully crafted story. I do not profess to understand it entirely, but .
Odan's World
Tales of Odan the Scribe by Daniel Olarnick: Chapter 7, the quest continues. The Gorbs come into play. What is a Gorb, you ask? Don't ask. They're very difficult to explain - and I created them! I enjoyed crafting this chapter. I hope you will enjoy reading it.
The Pretentious Twit by Michael Battaglia: Michael reviews and critiques The Beckoning by Tala Bar. What is the definition of "beckon?" Read Michael's review on one of our constant contributing authors. You will find the review in-depth and enhancing.
If, by some chance, you dear contributor find your story has not been published and you were notified that it was to be published in our July issue, please forgive me, send me a nasty note and I'll make sure you make our October 18 th , 2006 issue of Scribal Tales, when we come back with a Dragon's vengeance.
Have a wonderful summer.
Dan "O"
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