Adrian Collins (1)Besprekingen

I really liked Bad Seed (which was a surprise since I did not like the Prince of Thorns novel), somewhat liked Neutral, thought Red Wraith to be just ok and the rest I strongly disliked.

Bakker: I liked the story, did not like the writing. The other 2 stories: liked the writing, not impressed by the story.

Loved all the short stories, Fugazzotto most, plus the Scull fragment. Did not read Bakker, being part 2 of a story I did not like in the previous issue

Liked Hazlett, loved Powell, adored Bodard (I'll definitely look for the series; never read her before but felt like Rjurik Davidson, which I really liked in his novels). The rest felt like written by inexperienced writers (that is not a compliment).

Quite an average issue. Nothing that bad, nothing that great. I enjoyed most the T.R. Napper noir half-cyberpunk (great atmosphere, not that believable characters), but even that is not a fiver. I disliked most the publishers round table, since they avoided answering quite a large part of the interview, which in this condition shouldn't have been published (it is a failure as an interview and turned into small talk - a true journalist needs to push for answers or give up on the lamely answered questions).

Best issue so far. And by far. I loved Frohock and Wiltgren and absolutely loved Orullian.

I really liked the Davy story (5/5, hope she'll have a novel eventually) and thought the Uzume one to be ok to goodish (3/5). The other 2 stories I did not like at all and didn't feel they are well written either ("what I like" and "well written" are different things, but these had neither) - so 1/5 from me. The fact that those exact two 1/5 authors gave 5 stars to themselves (one of them twice!!!) and thus overrated the issue... I find highly ridiculous, but definitely not surprising at all. I also start to realise that I may be a huge grimdark fan and read grimdark endlessly (in my language also write it, with mediocre results at best), but am definitely not on the same page with the Grimdark Magazine. I usually find the same ratio in each issue (1 story I love, 1 I somewhat like, 2-3 I strongly dislike). Well, still gonna read them, for that 1 new author worth discovering.

Very good Anthony Ryan novella.

Skull 3/5 - I liked the setting, loved the writing, will definitely and immediately look for the series, but was not impressed by this specific story's plot. SM Williams 5/5 absolutely loved everything: writing, setting, character, twist - too bad he has no novel yet, I'd read the hell out of it . Spark 0/5. I have friends that consider her books amazing, I did actually bought and tried her first novel, also tried this story, but for me the conclusion is the same: no, hell no, this is not writing. It might be considered some kind of post-modern theatrical directing, but definitely not literature. // Excellent article about writing from de Bodard, too.

Did not like anything in this issue.

2 good-ish stories (Brazen Dreams, smth's Burden), but nothing to remember the next day, and 2 stories I did not like, one (the Keiko) really bad. To be honest, I must say that for each issue I am rating the fiction only (stories and novel excerpts), so the GDM as a whole is somewhat better than my ratings.

Nothing interesting for me in the non-fiction section. The fiction only holds one very large piece (a risky bet for a magazine), which utterly crushed me under its heavy handed infodump and woody characters. The setting seemed interesting, though, so I might try the novel (some good novels authors do not fare well when pressed into short form).

Best recommended to those familiar with the series to which these stories belong. For outsiders like me, there are too few enjoyable on their own. I did like Orullian and Salyards, which I already knew, I enjoyed Ward and Williams, but not enough to look for the the series, and remembered why I want to read Staveley. I also absolutely loved Bakker, which surprised me, since so far I avoided his series for being too sluggish and philosophical, as countless reviews accuse - but to my amazement I was mesmerised by his story and immediately became a fan. The rest of the stories, I did not like at all.

Great to be in Eärwa again with The Knife of Many Hands, Bakker’s Conan homage and his latest Atrocity Tale. I can’t say that I enjoyed this as much as The False Sun or The Four Revelations of Cinial’jin, but this is only the first half and we’ll see how things turn up in the conclusion in issue #3 which I’ll definitely be buying.

Bakker’s story was the main reason I bought this but other than that the Richard Morgan and Kameron Hurley interviews were interesting. Especially now since I’m about to start Hurley’s The Mirror Empire.