by Mark Yon
Scenes from England
Hello again!
After the hoo-ha of celebrating New Worlds’s 150th issue last month, we’re back to some sort of normality. But if you thought things were getting boring – think again! We are all counting down to the much-expected Worldcon in the Summer, only a couple of months away from the time I’m writing. This includes the magazines themselves.
But first, let’s get to the issue that arrived first in the post this month: the June issue of Science Fantasy.
We have another painting on the cover by the prolific Keith Roberts. I almost like this one, although your guess as to what it shows is as good as anyone else’s.
Interestingly, a glance at the front and back covers shows us (once again) names mentioned that are not in this issue. This includes the aforementioned Keith Roberts, with stories clearly held over for some reason. And whither, Philip Wordley?
On a more positive note, I do like Kyril’s Editorials, perhaps more than Mike Moorcock’s in New Worlds. Mike’s prose always comes across as a lecture, whilst Kyril’s is more chatty. This may be relevant this month, as Kyril uses an Aldiss quote at a starting point,"The job of a critic consists of knowing when he is being bored, and why", and then takes to task the term ‘well-written’, a phrase I have been guilty of using often in these here articles. He makes the point that well-written can mean that the prose is florid – “it exhibits bursts of purple mandarin-fiction” or is ‘easy to read’ and therefore less boring.
And using that analogy I might be as bold as to say that Moorcock’s New Worlds editorials are erudite, whilst Kyril’s are less boring. His use of a James Bond book to explain this is inspired, although the topic is left with a promise to come back to it at a later date.
To the stories themselves.
The Impossible Smile (part 2 of 2), by Jael Cracken
The second part of this serial by Brian Aldiss under a different name is not the only time we will come across Brian this month. The Impossible Smile begins where we pretty much left off – in a future dystopian state telepath Conrad Wyvern has been captured and taken to the Moon where the artificial intelligence ‘Big Bert’ is waiting. The government through their lunar representative Colonel H hope to link Wyvern to Bert the Brain and so read the minds of the whole population. For Wyvern, the risk is that the process will kill him, as it it did previous test subjects.
So: a fast-paced tale with lots of action and running about. Much of this second part is about what happens when Wyvern & Big Bert are connected, and Wyvern’s subsequent escape from the hospital he is imprisoned in. (I know – he’s on the Moon! Where would he escape to?) There’s some typical inner mind psychedelia and out of body experiences (walls of eyeballs!) which seem rather de rigueur at the moment. All hail the telepathic New Order!
Aldiss continues to tell an entertaining yarn which is great fun, if ultimately rather superficial. Not his best, but still readable. 3 out of 5.
Great and Small, by G. L. Lack
Not a name I immediately know, although he/she was in the New Writings in SF 2 story collection that I couldn’t finish. This is his/her first time in Science Fantasy. Great and Small is a strange little story about a man and his ongoing conversation with a fly, that often seen but generally unnoticeable insect. The man wakes up in a hospital to find a fly buzzing around – but wait! All flies are extinct, thanks to yet another apocalyptic event. The man feeds the fly some jam and then it buzzes off to meet another fly, presumably to dominate the new global ecosystem. As I said, odd and although it is interesting, not really worth much attention. 2 out of 5.
Ploop, by Ron Pritchett
Names are important, aren’t they? I must admit that the childish part of my brain struggled to cope with a character named ‘Ploop’.
Ploop is an alien and this minor story is about its first meeting with another alien race. Unsurprisingly, the aliens are humans and although Ploop looks like a dog it is in fact something else much more dangerous.
Ron is a new author and whilst this is a valiant effort, it shows. I suspect we may not see much more of him. A placeholder using a tired idea. 2 out of 5.
Peace on Earth, by Paul Jents
Paul was last seen with the very odd Unto All Generations in the July/August 1964 issue. This is one of those stories with a twist in the tail, the story of the Earth’s first landing on the Moon with a horrible discovery at the end. Suffice it to say that the Moon is not made of green cheese but has something much worse. Another tired old cliché. 2 out of 5.
Deterrent, by Alastair Bevan
The return of someone who has become a recent regular, that of Keith Roberts by another name. Unsurprisingly, the topline describes Mr Bevan as “one of our best finds”. Deterrent is a story of seemingly primitive cave-people living a tribal existence until they discover what appears to be a nuclear weapon, the unsurprising post-apocalyptic twist in the tale. Not really anything to shout about, as something that has been done before and often. Must admit, though, that it is the first time I’ve ever read of Gods having a “xylophone presence.” 3 out of 5.
A Pleasure Shared, by Brian W. Aldiss
A name that needs no explanation from me – have I reminded you this month yet that he is to be a Guest of Honour at the London Worldcon in August? His prolific nature is noticeable at the moment. Last month he had published two very different stories in the two magazines – this month he has two in the same issue. A Pleasure Shared is however a reprint, first published in the USA in December 1962. The banner heading is very careful to point out that it is not science fiction in the accepted sense of the word, but “a triumph of empathetic fiction” – whatever that means.
What A Pleasure Shared actually is is a contemporary horror story, written from the perspective of a killer. Outwardly Mr Cream seems nice, polite and pleasant, but as we read his internalised monologue here it is clear that he is really not well. He has murdered, more than once. We know this from the beginning, because the woman he killed last night is still in his bedsit room. This would be bad enough but an accident to his widowed neighbour means that things take an unexpected turn at the end. This is really one in the style and tone of William Powell’s film Peeping Tom from a couple of years ago or Robert Bloch’s Psycho. It is shocking and memorable. Is it science fiction? No. But it is a very, very good story. I can see why Kyril has wanted to publish it. The best of the issue for me, and certainly the most memorable. Who would have thought that that nice Mr. Aldiss could come up with something so depraved? Shame its taken so long to appear here in Britain, though. 4 out of 5.
Prisoner, by Patricia Hocknell
Back to something a little more mundane, now. Another story from Patricia, last seen in the January/February 1965 issue with Only the Best. It begins as if the narrator is a convict with no knowledge of where they are or how they got there. All is revealed at the end with another twist in the tale. Again, OK, but nothing really new. 3 out of 5.
In Reason’s Ear, by Pippin Graham
Another new name to me. In this story, John Wetherall is a man recently returned to London after working in West Africa for the UKESCM (the United Kingdom Educational, Scientific and Cultural Mission) who seem to be a branch of the Foreign Office. John finds himself in trouble when after helping an old friend he discovers that the friend is supposedly dead, killed on an expedition to the Moon a few months ago.
I quite liked this one, although it is remarkably mannered. The US Intelligence Service at one point knock on a door to be told “Go away, I don’t answer my door at night”, which they do! This is in marked contrast to some other elements of the story which show a world out of control. Wetherall is shocked to find that London is prone to rampaging teenagers with little police support available to tackle them, and Graham does well to describe what he sees as he goes about the city. There are regular gatherings of these dancing, marijuana-smoking, knife-wielding, riotous young tearaways and they seem to put the rest of the general public in a state of fear – as if the general story of the Moon being dangerous wasn’t enough.
Whilst I see the story as a prime example of paranoiac adults being fearful for their future, I liked some of the ideas shown here. The story fizzles out with a now-traditional enigmatic ending, but overall it kept me reading. Whilst not superlative, and some definite flaws, it is one of this month’s better offerings for me. 3 out of 5.
Xenophilia, by Thom Keyes
A name we’ve come across before, in New Worlds in January 1965. His last story (Election Campaign) was underwhelming. Xenophilia is a story of alien love that begins like Casino Royale in Space before delving into the realms of alien sex. Short, it reads like a more explicit version of the old Bug-Eyed-Monster stories of yesteryear. I suspect that it is meant to shock. However, whilst it is still weird, I found the short story more palatable than his last. 3 out of 5.
Summing up Science Fantasy
Let’s start with a good point. Despite Brian Aldiss appearing twice, there is a greater range of stories this month, and I’m pleased to see that there are both more new writers and even a woman writer in this issue. This can only be good for the field, but only if the material published is good enough to stand merit – in other words, (with apologies to Kyril and Brian Aldiss, paraphrasing the Editorial) it is well-written. And that’s my problem with this issue.
It is clear that there’s been some last-minute changes made to what is included here, and although there’s nothing really bad in this issue, much of it isn’t that good either. The Pippin Graham story was odd yet memorable, whilst the standout by far was the second Aldiss story. Normally this would be a cause for celebration, but it is a reprint. This is not the first time in Science Fantasy or New Worlds in recent months where the best material is old material – a worrying trend. Overall, an oddly underwhelming issue. Not bad but not great.
Let’s go to my second magazine.
The Second Issue At Hand
After last month’s focus on stories, we’re back to normal with Issue 151. There’s book reviews, science articles, letters – and some fiction.
The cover shows a change though. The un-credited image shows that we have (finally!) moved away from the circle covers to something less circular and more abstract. It is certainly colourful and grabs your attention, but is it science fiction?
The Editorial also raises the ongoing discussion of what is Science Fiction, a debate that has been going on for months, if not years. Moorcock tries to examine this further but spends much of his time eliminating what Science Fiction is not. The title, ‘Process of Elimination’ explains why. And its findings in the end? Not a lot, other than the definition should be broad rather than narrow. It then looks at how the American magazines have evolved to illustrate this, citing The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction as the best example of how to move on from Campbell’s rather restrictive definition in magazines like Analog. This seems to be a determined attempt to broaden the template of New Worlds, something which Moorcock has been determined to do since he took over as Editor.
The Ship of Disaster, by B. J. Bayley
Elen-Gereth – the elf who wants to be Elric. Art by James Cawthorn.
When this one begins it feels like Bayley has been reading a lot of Moorcock’s Elric stories – the vessel named The Ship of Disaster is a ship captained by Elen-Gereth, an elf, who takes great delight in sinking a human trading vessel and taking hostage its captain, a human named Kelgynn. All of this wouldn’t be amiss in the seas around Elric’s Melnibone, though this lacks the panache of Moorcock’s version. Elen-Gereth is appropriately brooding and complex. However, a story that reads like it should be in Science Fantasy rather than New Worlds has the twist that makes it more science-fictional, although its connection to SF is relatively slight. 3 out of 5.
This is the first story I’ve read from a relatively new American writer. Apartness is a post-apocalyptic tale, with the Earth’s Northern hemisphere destroyed two hundred years ago in the North World War. The regions of the South exist as disparate groups by using a strange combination of science and mysticism – astrologers make decisions based on scientific evidence, for example.
The story is essentially a conflict between two groups in the Antarctic. One of them is a group from the Southern countries and the other a new tribe found on a general observational recce. The twist in the story is that the new group is the offspring of two refugee ships, luxury cruise liners fleeing the conflict. There is talk about what to do with them – should they continue to be observed but undisturbed, or should they be decimated as the descendants of white oppressors?
I enjoyed it a lot and expect to read more of his writing in the future, although it does feel more like something for Analog and The Magazine of Fantasy and SF than New Worlds. But a promising start – I suspect we’ll see more from this talented new writer in the future. 3 out of 5.
Convolutions, by George Collyn
Appropriately dark art for a dark story. Art by Douthwaite.
George Collyn returns with a story that is quite different to his last, which was In One Sad Day in the April 1965 issue. It is a story of the awakening of an alien that feeds on fear and finds Earth an suitable place for colonisation. One of those very common stories that begins with “Who am I?” and then “Where am I?” (See also Patricia Hocknell’s Prisoner in Science Fantasy this month.) 3 out of 5.
Last Man Home, by R. W. Mackelworth
R W Mackelworth has a tendency of writing strange tales with varying degrees of success. His last was the attempt to be humorous story, The Changing Shape of Charlie Snuff in the April 1965 issue. It didn’t work for me, but this story is less funny and more to my tastes. Even if it is yet another post-apocalyptic story. Here we have bowler-hatted Jennings, a wandering tinker who relates his experiences to us by describing what he has seen and who he has met on his travels in the post-nuclear wilderness. On his arrival in the city-state of Gat we find Jennings and his donkey companion Jess arrive to tell the city elders that there is life in the Wastelands and then returns there. There are positive signs of life, leaving a certain degree of optimism in the end. The emphasis is on what is around Jennings rather than Jennings himself. It’s fine, if too long, but I’ve read it all before – notable for its un-remarkableness. 3 out of 5.
The Life Buyer (Part 3 of 3), by E.C. Tubb
The Sand Pit of Terror! (Actually, Moondust – but you get the idea). Art by aTom.
We begin the last part of this entertaining three-part serial by following Ransom, the suspect our two detectives Dale Markham and Steve Delmonte have been monitoring. Ransom is looking for Joe Langdy, a search that will take him to the Moon. The first few chapters of this part we spend following Ransom in his search, which is pretty pointless. The end of this revenge story is where the two detectives explain their solution as to who wants to kill millionaire Marcus King. It wraps everything up pretty quickly in the end. It’s a solid enough tale, with the moral that money can’t quite buy you everything. 3 out of 5.
Book Reviews, Articles and Letters
I’m really pleased to see the return of Book Reviews, Science Articles and Letters this month. I missed them last issue.
The Book Reviews seem to want to make up for their absence of last month by taking up what seems like more space than usual this time around. Assistant Editor Langdon Jones deals with the longer, more-in-depth reviews this month of A Man of Double Deed by Leonard Daventry, which is readable, and Sundog by B N Ball, which wasn’t. John Brunner’s Telepathist was surprisingly new and interesting, and seen by Langdon Jones as one of Brunner’s best, before ending with the cryptic comment that it “….will probably be the last really good novel of science fiction that we will see from British writers.”
There are minor reviews for Ray Bradbury’s ‘tremendous’ Something Wicked This Way Comes and Of Demons and Darkness by John Collier, which is ‘repetitive’. John Carnell’s story collection New Writings in SF 2 is given a one-sentence review of “not very interesting”. (And having tried to read it myself, I can only agree.)
Charles Platt gives us one in-depth review this month, under the title of Diary of a Schizoid Hypochondriac. He reviews Brian Aldiss’s Earthworks, which he describes as “a monotonous diary of a schizoid hypochondriac of dubious intelligence who is pushed around throughout the book, including an irrelevant three-chapter flashback, by Higher Powers, until finally discovering an Answer which was obvious to the reader two chapters previously.” Hmm – not a fan then, Mr. Platt?
Editor Mike Moorcock as James Colvin offers us seven ’Quick Reviews’ of After Doomsday and Shield by Poul Anderson, The Martian Way by Isaac Asimov, The Drowned World by J G Ballard, New Writings in SF 3 and Lambda 1 and Others both edited by John Carnell and The Seventh Galaxy Reader edited by Frederik Pohl.
As you might expect from Colvin/Moorcock, he is effusive about the Ballard and the Carnell collections, and more scathing of the American imports. He defends his opinion of Poul Anderson’s work (like Mr Platt earlier, he’s not a fan either), preferring Asimov’s The Martian Way because Asimov is better on the science and more tightly controlled in his writing.
He also makes the claim that although he thought The Magazine of Fantasy and SF was his favourite American magazine, reading The Seventh Galaxy Reader has made him change his mind. (Pause here whilst our reviewer of Galaxy here at Galactic Journey picks himself off the floor…)
One oddity: We have James Colvin, who remember is really Mike Moorcock, reviewing Warriors of Mars by Edward P Bradbury, who is really Mike Moorcock. Confused? An Edgar Rice Burroughs influenced story, it is unsurprisingly “as good as anything by the Old Master”. Hmm.
The article is Gas Lenses Developed for Communications by Laser, a title which describes the article admirably.
The Letters pages continue to debate the ongoing issue of what is science fiction, and therefore what should or shouldn’t be included in New Worlds.
Ratings this month for issue 149 (the April 1965 issue). Life Buyer (part 1) doing well. Lots of joint runners up, which suggests to me either few reader responses or an issue that divides readers.
Summing up New Worlds
This is a good solid issue, though rarely outstanding. I enjoyed it more than the ‘Star Issue’ last month, if I’m honest. The title story I’m not sure that I totally got, but the Tubb serial was nicely done, if a little drawn out. Vernor Vinge is a name to watch out for in the future, I think.
Summing up overall
Both issues this month are solid, yet rather mundane. Science Fantasy seems to have gone for more stories and a greater variety, New Worlds has fewer stories but is mostly based on work by more New Worlds regulars. Like last month, the most memorable story (Aldiss’s A Pleasure Shared) is in Science Fantasy, but New Worlds is better overall. It is a lot closer than last month, but in the end this month’s best issue for me is Science Fantasy.
And that’s it for this time. Until the next…
Pippin Graham is Hilary “The Fall of Frenchy Steiner” Bailey.
Hi Paul. There was a rumour about this, but despite my efforts I never had it confirmed. My usual sources to check this were quite vague on the matter… and, of course, the name never happens again. Perhaps I should have said that there was a rumour! But Thank You.
The ms for that story is in Bailey’s papers at the Bodleian.
https://archives.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repositories/2/archival_objects/47835
Thank you! Of course, now that you've mentioned it, others have NOW told me that it is the case… but I did look before, whilst I was writing the article, honest!
I can't say I'm surprised – one thing I am now realising is that here in 1965 how narrow the range of writers there is – a lot less than I knew. And that as well as friends, editors clearly have favourites… thanks again for the information.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to more from Vinge. I think he's a computer expert, so that might give him an interesting take on that important technology.
Thanks Andrew. I've been following the developments in computers here at Galactic Journey – whilst they're not quite Multivac, it is interesting how they seem to be developing. Does that mean we might get some computer stories from Vernor in the future? That'll be interesting!
So starting with Science Fantasy (with no Anita story this time!) and will do New Worlds later:
I do like the cover this time as well. Particularly the sun halo that he has managed to produce.
For The Impossible Smile I will agree, it is very well told and an excellent command of language but not sure he is doing anything amazing here. and has way too many philosophical arguments. I feel that Aldiss this year has the same problem Philip K. Dick had last year. He produced three excellent novels in a row but is now trying to be so prolific that his quality is variable and most of them just don't work as well as you would hope.
Great and Small I liked better than you. I found it very poetic.
I agree both Ploop and Peace on Earth are very tired story ideas, if told reasonably well.
I kind of enjoyed Keith Roberts obvious story but not sure why. Possibly just that he has an excellent command of language and felt like a good fantasy tale to begin with.
I don't mind reprints from these American "men's magazines" as I am never going to read them otherwise, however I am yet to find one that has really held my interest. They seem to go for salaciousness and shock value over content and this one fits that bill for me. I can see why others would like it but I have no interest in being inside the mind of creeps.
The Hocknell was nothing to write home about (until the end I wondered if it was just about waking up with a hangover after a night of heavy drinking!)
In Reason's Ear is an odd story. Apart from the mention of the Heliport for quite a while you wouldn't believe it was science fiction. I don't feel it really went anywhere to me or had enough to say other than just being curmudgeonly at the youth of today. Also it is quite a right wing tale compared to what you usually get in the British magazines. I wonder if Moorcock rejected it and that's why it's in Science Fantasy under a psuedonym?
The Keyes story was fine but unremarkable. The most memorable part was the terrible Robot E Lee pun.
So overall not a great issue for me. A series of stories generally well told but not doing anything special (and one that is just not what I like to read). Will try to read New Worlds later today.
One other note. I have read a number of criticisms in the fanzines about Science Fantasy lately, that some people feel with the broad focus and lack of features it doesn't really have a personality as a magazine. I am not sure I agree with that but was wondering what others think?
Thanks for your thoughts, Kris. I'm going to pause for a minute whilst I take in your point that there's a Keith Roberts story that you might like… but then, it's not Anita. *grin*
I am noticing differences between the two magazines now that both editors are settling in, and it's something I've started to point out in my reviews. I think that Kyril is trying to model the magazine on the American Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, which also has a broad range. Personally I quite like the fact that a magazine will have a story could be set anywhere at any time, but I can see the point being made.
Lack of features – agreed, but we have had rumours of a Letters page that Kyril mentioned a couple of issues back. Nothing yet, mind, but you never know!
I'd like to see some Book Reviews – I like the Book Reviews, in case you haven't noticed! – but with a limited source of material to draw on I suspect that there would be considerable overlap between those here and New Worlds. Ultimately though with only about 130 pages to work with, do I want more fiction or more reviews?
I look forward to hearing what you think about New Worlds.
I decided to have a look at number of releases for the last 12 months based on Vector's release index. Removing duplicates they listed 94 books released in the UK and an additional 123 in the US. Sure some are reprints but enough to choose from. Maybe they could do what Amazing\Fantastic do and share reviewers so there are not duplications?
Although I do like having more fiction, I am sure we could cope with removing one filler vignette each issue.
Managed to get so time over my lunchbreak to get out my copy. So on to New Worlds:
As my campaign to bring back the triangles has failed, I will take a square as a good compromise. And I like the abstract cover. Looks like the Penguin Science fiction range.
I liked Ship of Disaster but agree it feels like it should be Science Fantasy. I hope we see more of Elen-Gereth, I like the idea of Sword & Sorcery tales of an elf who is total jerk.
Vinge shows promise but didn't work as well for me. some of the racial elements felt problematic and, as you said, more like what I would expect to see in Analog (which I stopped reading).
Whilst I usually like these kind of alien perspective stories Convolutions left me cold. Maybe I am finally getting overloaded on these?
I really liked Last Man Home as a really beautiful journey and had some interesting little hints at the world and symbols of his personal journey. My favourite across the magazines.
My feelings on Life-Buyer at the end are kind of the same at the start. A good thriller that keeps you reading but has not much depth to it.
Of those I have read, I am largely in agreement with the book reviews. Sundog was a disappointment but appreciate the ambition. Telepathist\Whole Man is excellent and hope it wins the Hugo. Something Wicked is great and my favourite Bradbury. New Writings 2 I think is the weakest of the New Writings so far whilst 3 was solid. Earthworks isn't truly terrible but is a let down after Hothouse, Greybeard and Dark Light Years.
Haven't read the Daventry yet but I do look forward to it. Seems to be one of the most buzzed about books of the year.
I disagree with Moorcock's own view of himself that he is much more readable than Burroughs. I am only part way through Warriors of Mars but his biggest flaw is how he shoves it full of unnecessary description An example passage:
His skin was dark, mottled blue. Like the folk of Varnal, he did not wear what we should think of as clothing. His body was a mass of padded leather armour and on his seemingly hairless head with a tough cap, also of padded leather but reinforced with steel.
His face was broad yet tapering, with slitted eyes and a great gash of a mouth that was open now in laughing anticipation of my rapid demise. A mouth full of black teeth, uneven and jagged. The ears were pointed and large sweeping back from the skull. The arms were bare save for wrist-guards, and strongly muscled on a fantastic scale. The fingers were covered – encrusted would be a better description – with crudely cut precious stones.
This goes on like this for another page! I will take Burroughs short paragraphs and fast action sequences myself.
However, I do admire Moorcock's willingness to use his pseudonyms to try to sell his own books on the sly. Wonderfully shameless!
Anyway… I think I preferred New Worlds myself this month but generally unremarkable stuff.
Hello again, Kris! The difference between the two magazines for me was close this month. I was feeling a little sorry for Science Fantasy who kept coming second. And that deliberately horrible Aldiss story swayed me, I think. One of the most memorable I've read for a while, I think.
And Thank you for your quote from Warriors of Mars, which I've not had chance to read yet! from your example I'm not sure I should… I don't know how well known it is but I understand Moorcock is quite a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
I wasn't sure, so I didn't write it, but I get the impression that Warriors was written a while ago. Or perhaps its just old-fashioned writing!
From what I have heard Roberts and Vinter asked him last year to write another fantasy series like Elric to help support their new bookline. So he just sat down and wrote the entire trilogy in a week.
As such I think it may come down to what happens when you pump something out quickly and don't have a good editor!
Written in a week? That is quite impressive!
Stream of consciousness writing can be good in the right circumstances. This however might not be one of them!
Having said that, I'm sure I read somewhere that Ian Fleming wrote the James Bond books in a similar way. But spent the rest of the year researching.
Starting with Science Fantasy:
Lots of short little tales with twists at the end.
"Great and Small" was an odd Last Man on Earth variation, which didn't make a lot of sense to me.
"Ploop" was just silly.
"Peace on Earth" seemed like an old-fashioned reject from Analog.
"Deterrent" was probably the best of these tiny O. Henry type of stories, although "Prisoner" was close behind. The writing styles made these a little bit more than just punchlines.
"Xenophilia" was very predictable.
Which leaves "A Pleasure Shared" (really should have been in something like Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine) and "In Reason's Ear." Both very dark visions, and thus not always pleasant to read. The first really got into the narrator's twisted psychology, and the latter painted a near future Britain that reminded me of the recent Anthony Burgess novel "A Clockwork Orange." I'm not sure I believed the whole mysticism of space travel theme, but otherwise it was a powerful story.
On to New Worlds.
Fewer short stories, but with more depth to them.
"The Ship of Disaster" seemed like pure sword-and-sorcery to me, despite the claim that there's a touch of science fiction at the end. Nothing wrong with that, and this was a good example of the genre.
I thought "Apartness" was quite good, with an effective touch of dark irony.
"Convolutions" was an effectively creepy prose poem/horror story.
"Last Man Home" wasn't bad, although it went on a bit too long and was somewhat repetitious.
Overall, New Worlds looks like the winner this month.
Thanks, Victoria! You make a good point about the Aldiss story, in Science Fantasy, but Kyril says in the magazine that it is one he's been trying to buy for over a year. Whilst it would quite happily work in a crime magazine or such like, I think that he is trying to widen the magazine's remit – as is Mike Moorcock with New Worlds, to be honest.
I am still of the opinion that Science Fantasy is trying for the Magazine of Fantasy & SF type of style, which mixes up everything (as has F&SF). It has yet to be seen whether it is successful here, of course!