BLACK STATIC is a UK-produced magazine of dark literary horror that I read whenever I can find a hard-to-locate newsstand copy (usually at Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million, but no guarantee. However, subscriptions are costly due to overseas shipping costs). Here’s the summary of a recent issue from the Goodreads website . . . . . .
BLACK STATIC #57 (March-April 2017): Dark Fiction and Film
by Andy Cox, Ralph Robert Moore (Goodreads Author), Simon Avery (Goodreads Author), Mike O'Driscoll, Aliya Whiteley (Goodreads Author), Andrew Hook (Goodreads Author), Lynda E. Rucker (Goodreads Author), Peter Tennant
4.08 · Rating details · 12 Ratings · 5 Reviews
The March–April issue contains new, long dark fiction by Ralph Robert Moore, Simon Avery, Mike O'Driscoll, and Aliya Whiteley. The cover art is by Ben Baldwin, with interior illustrations by Ben Baldwin, Richard Wagner, and Joachim Luetke. Features: Into the Woods by Ralph Robert Moore; Notes From the Borderland by Lynda E. Rucker; Case Notes by Peter Tennant (book reviews, including an in-depth interview with Andrew Hook); Blood Spectrum by Gary Couzens (DVD/Blu-ray/Digital reviews).
And, here’s my review, also posted on the Goodreads website . . . . . .
An above-average issue for Black Static, and that says a lot. You can always count on quality writing, and dark literary horror. I think I've detected a pattern after reading several issues of Black Static - - in order to have your submission accepted for publication, your story must be somewhat vague, leave the ending unclear so that readers can fill in the blanks to satisfy themselves. That's not always a bad thing, although I do have a preference for clearly defined conflict and resolution.
The stories in this issue are novelettes with one exception, all were interesting and held my attention throughout. The best of the crop is Ralph Robert Moore's novelette "Will You Accept These Flowers From Me?" about an aspiring magician with a chimpanzee accomplice who buys a magic shop hat to try and break through to the big-time. It doesn't work as planned. The beauty of the story lies in the relationship between human and pet, and deals with loneliness, selfishness and betrayal. It's a powerful tale with a powerful ending.
The main character in "Sunflower Junction" will have you wondering if the placebo drug she is taking is influencing her behavior or has reality shifted.
"Shadows On Parade" by Mike O'Driscoll deals with the saving of photographic memories and the importance of them in having a life that seems "real". A very disturbing ending.
The lone short story, "The Chambermaid" by Aliya Whiteley is a hauntingly beautiful time capsule of the relationship of a motel housekeeper who temporarily removes artifacts from the rooms in order for a resident mystic/fortune-teller to weave stories about the owners.
In the book review section, there is an extensive review of the work of Andrew Hook, followed by a lengthy and enlightening interview.
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