Something Positive

To contrast with that negative semi-review I posted a while ago, here's something positive.

I just finished reading "In the River" by Justin Stanchfield, printed in Interzone 205. This is more like it. First of all, it's a story about people in an interesting situation, not a story wrapped around some point where you're supposed to say "aha!" as you figure out what the author has been hiding from you. Secondly, the prose flows, not trying to impress you with colorful language, fantastic sentence structure, or the author's spectacular ability to use a thesaurus. It uses evocative language that supports the reader's imagination, instead of drawing attention to itself.

There are no explanations, but you understand what is happening.

In other words, it's what a good short story should be. Even the artwork was good. My only problem with it is that it is a bit too short. The interactions between the characters are slightly abbreviated, and the story ends fairly abruptly (and, to be honest, a little predictably). But Mr. Stanchfield writes the kind of stories I like to read. I hope to read more.