Reviews
Grasping for the Wind had this to say:
These ten stories and 1 interview are well written, and were good choices for a speculative fiction magazine’s issue on pirates. The fantasy, horror and/or sci-fi elements were neatly incorporated into the pirate stories.
Check out the full review here.
They also have an interview with John Joseph Adams (of Fantasy and Science Fiction), who guest edited the pirate issue.
GFTW: You were recently invited to be a guest editor for the Pirate Issue of Shimmer Magazine. What was your approach to choosing stories for this issue?
JJA: One of the things I wanted to do with the Pirate Issue is have a broad range of pirate stories, which took some liberties interpreting the term “pirate.” Of course, there are some stories in the issue that are your typical iconic Caribbean-style pirate, but it was important to me to have a certain diversity represented. So that was one factor.
You can read the rest of the interview here.
Sam Tomino of SFRevu says:
I’m sick of pirates. I was never a big fan of them and this wave of pirate stuff in pop culture has not endeared them to me. When I saw that the Shimmer Vol. 2, Issue 3 was “The Pirate Issue”, I groaned. What would I encounter here? I needn’t have worried. I enjoyed all the stories.
Head on over to SFRevu to check out the rest of the review!
Chris Gerrib gave the Winter Shimmer issue quite a nice review
Second, I finally got around to reading the Winter 2007 issue of Shimmer Magazine. If you’re not subscribing to this magazine, you’re missing a real gem. This edition seemed to be heavy on fantasy stories, but still well worth the price of admission. Highlights include:
* Juana and the Dancing Bear by n. a. bourke (spelling his), a lovely fantasy story about a Spanish princess and a talking, dancing bear. It’s quite nice.
* Duets, by Philip J. Lees, is a story about a harpist whose got a way with the ladies. He gets a pleasant surprise from his latest conquest, a fellow musician.
* Michael Livingston’s Catch of the Day was an unusual first contact story, but quite interesting.
* Sparrow and Egg, by Amal El-Mohtar, was a very short but surprisingly touching story. It’s really a parable for parent-child relationships, and quite memorable.
Sam Tomaino’s review of the Spring 2006 issue is up, and it’s a good one.
Shimmer is a nice little small press magazine with a very good group of stories by new writers.
Thanks, Sam and SFRevu!
Jason Sizemore’s review of Shimmer Issue #3 is now available at Tangent, and it’s a good one.
This issue of Shimmer is full of the well-written slipstream and interstitial stories that show why the magazine has become a favorite with both the fans and the critics….
Overall, another great issue by Wodzinski. It is with no doubt that if Shimmer continues to produce such high quality work, we’ll be hearing its name being tossed about with the other critical darling of the fantasy/science fiction genre, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet.
Thanks, Jason and Tangent!
If I had seen Shimmer in a store, I would have snatched it up right away, because I am a book snob, and, to my shame, am too easily seduced by gorgeous cover art. However, had I indeed picked up a copy in a fit of unmitigated passion for its prettiness, I would not have been disappointed; this is an excellent magazine with high editorial standards, a tight, sure vision of what it seeks to accomplish, and a degree of success with that goal that’s decidedly gratifying.
See what SF Revu has to say about our Winter 2006 issue.
This is the second issue of Shimmer that I’ve read and the high quality of the stories continues… Shimmer is an attractive magazine with some nice illustrations and a good interview with Ellen Datlow. I very much recommend it.
“This is a nicely produced new small press publication. . . well worth the $5! Buy it!”
http://sfrevu.com/Review-id.php?id=3592
Check out what The Internet Review of Science Fiction has to say about Shimmer.
Available in both electronic and physical formats, Shimmerzine is a nice-looking publication with some nice-reading stories.
Headlining the issue is Dario Ciriello’s Valley of the Shadow, a zombie story with a difference. Complex, subtle, and powerful, one man makes his way in a world where the dead walk again. These zombies aren’t eating brains, though. They walk with us, watch us, silently reproaching the living.
This is characteristic of the other material in Shimmerzine: contemporary fantasy with a dark edge, from capering death clowns to predators among sheep-like shoppers. The lightest piece here is a fun little take on the rapture.
By way of non-fiction: John Joseph Adams reviews John Twelve Hawks’ The Traveler.
Tangent online gave us a very nice review for our first issue.
The premier issue of Shimmer seems to have a lot going for it: numerous well-told stories by many unknown names, wonderful artwork weaved into each story, a pleasing and original layout, and a book review by the Slush God himself, John Joseph Adams, of F&SF fame.