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The Bad Seed [9]

The Beauty Contest [9]

Bedside Conversations [5]

Review by Ian Braidwood

We find ourselves at the bedside of Gerald Duncan a homosexual man, who having gone into hospital with a suspected tumour, finds himself pregnant.

During gestation, Gerald's foetal cells completely surrounded his twin's, forcing them into a state of suspended animation and as the story begins, the his brother is beginning to develop.

It is with tales like this one that I would argue that the literary establishment had no right to exclude a story, because it's science fiction. While the inevitable 'man up the duff' joke is made, the story isn't just played for laughs, but centres around the dilemma facing Gerald and the reasons he has for taking the option he does.

This is a very human story, including a very impassioned argument from Gerald's mother that, despite her age, she should carry the baby to term.

It is a hopeful story too; for once the idea of medical ethics is portrayed not as interference, but as a plea for proper consideration of the issues and for once, you feel that the decision is made wisely.

Behind the Wheel [3]

Review by Ian Braidwood

I'll be honest here: although an admirer of David Cronenberg, I'm no horror aficionado. I might be missing something, but I found this story rather silly and quite offensive.

The plot concerns Andy, who is a wife-beating lout with no self-control and his mate - who knows Andy slaps Carol about, but still goes down the pub with him anyway.

Andy drives our narrator home early to catch Carol's lover leave the house and drive off. A car chase ensues, which leads to an accident and the mutilation of a corpse. It is what happens subsequently, which gets this labelled as horror.

Here are my problems with this story: The events leading up to the supernatural section are far more horrific than the events, which follow.

Brian uses the first person, but doesn't seem to understand how people swear and this makes the characterisation rather crass.

In terms of representing working-class people, the characterisation is about as realistic as The Joker from Batman is about criminals. If the people described in this way were women, Brian would be condemned as misogynistic.

Give this a miss.

The Best of Both Worlds [7]

Between the Chapters [7]

Beyond Bliss [10]

Beyond Repair [2]

Beyond the Colors of Darkness [4]

Beyond Time's Aegis [11] (with Craig A. Mackintosh)

Review by Ian Braidwood

This is where it all starts for us, the root of it all. Brian was just seventeen when Science Fantasy published Beyond Time's Aegis, just as New Worlds published Terry Pratchett's second story Night Dweller.

We find ourselves flung into the far future where everything has been achieved and Mankind has degenerated into a medieval complacency.

This isn't good enough for Firefly: young and ambitious, driven to find the man who walks through time, hoping that he can pass on his secret and permit Firefly to escape into the glorious past.

As he pursues the time traveller, Firefly finds out he's letcher, leaving a trail of pregnant women in his wake. He also encounters many strange habits and rituals, which his contemporaries have adopted to mask the pointlessness of their existence.

Firefly eventually catches up with the man who walks through time and receives an answer, but not the one he expected.

Although this story does feel odd, I can't say where Craig Mackintosh joins with Brian. Either they're twins stylistically, or Brain swamps his friend's influence entirely. What I can say and very gladly is that Brian never just told a story, even here there's a point, a theme.

This issue also features a letter from Brian discussing the definition of SF.

The Black Blood of the Dead [36]

Black Nectar [10]

Brief Encounter in the Smoking Area [1]

Burned Out [9]

The Burning Man [1]

Busy Dying [9]

Review by Ian Braidwood

Walter K Murray keeps committing suicide; not even he knows why, but ever since he volunteered to be a guinea pig for the Confederation of Nanotechnological Industries, he's been popping his clogs left, right and centre. For his doctor Margaret Percik, it's a big mystery and for CNI, its publicity potential has turned from boon to bane.

So why does he do it? Is it connected with internal nanotechnology, which Walter stole from CNI and where has he hidden it?

When Walter finally dies for good, Margaret decides there's only one way to find out...