FALLEN MUTANTS issue

Proudly Presents

THE FALLEN GUARDIAN'S MANDATE
by David Agranoff
© by david agranoff
click pic to begin reading Part 0



SEA? TV!
by Paul Stuart
© by paul stuart




A NOTION CONCEIVED
by Vincent Daemon
© by vincent daemon




MAU BAST
by Rain Graves
© by rain graves




THE HOMELESS MUTANTS
by Johnny Strike
© by johnny strike

The JAN 2010 issue would not be possible without the contributions of its featured writers and artists. I want to thank Paul Stuart for his wonderfully wry (yet not dry) short story SEA? TV!, as well as Shasta Fletcher for having the foresight and vision to have created the artwork beforehand. It captures the story's zany vision as well as referencing one of the underlying, recurring motifs in the Freezine.

Thanks to Vince Daemon for his subtle and powerful short story A NOTION CONCEIVED, and Jesse Stevens for his illustration which expands on the story's themes, and locks them into the Freezine's inherently coded construct. (The nanofleet's objectives have been seamlessly incorporated into the subtext, here.)

The microthreads which weave through our narrative lead me to Rain Graves and her short, sharp, shock of a tale MAU BAST. A million thanks go out to her for taking a chance with an online zine just rolling into its second year. I also want to give a shout-out to VeryScaryCarnival, the mysterious benefactor of the enigmatic artwork which accompanies Rain's story. I've known VeryScaryCarnival for many years, longer than most of you, and felt deep inside that her artwork would be the perfect match for Rain's dark style. It turns out, yet again, after an unlimited series of perfect matches in the Freezine's history of story/art synchronizations, that VeryScaryCarnival indeed had painted something that fit MAU BAST to a T. (It is but one detail of the only surviving digital image of a larger painting, sold long ago. Its small size fits nicely with Rain's microstory, itself a fragment of a larger picture.)

I am grateful to Johnny Strike for having the courage to return to the Freezine with another story, THE HOMELESS MUTANTS. This story is very meaningful and special to me. Every time I read it, I get closer to Lester, until I find myself living in his skin. There is a simple directness to the events which unfold in this story, yet by the time the ending comes and "the credits roll" so to speak, I am filled with an almost unbearable sense of sympathy for our recently-homeless protagonist. With it's provocative final line, the story has stolen its way into my heart, and lives there permanently. Thanks to Richard Sala for giving me permission to reproduce his original black and white illustration which first accompanied this story when it appeared in Johnny's first collection of short stories, A Loud Humming Sound Came From Above, still available from Rudos and Rubes Publishing. Thank you Shasta for being diverse and prolific enough in your artistic endeavors, that finding the perfect fit for the cover art was easy as a breeze. (The Peebles thank you, too.)

I want to extend a hand out to my fellow in arms, David Agranoff, first off, for having the idea of serializing a prequel to his forthcoming first novel HUNTING THE MOON TRIBE (due out this spring from Afterbirth Books), secondly, for submitting it to the Freezine, and thirdly, for having the willpower and constitution to see it through. I need to acknowledge and thank the NYPL Digital Gallery for providing access to the images used in The Fallen Guardian's Mandate. These authentic examples of 16th century Chinese art helped convey the tone of our serialized novella, and for that I remain grateful the New York Public Library has granted permission to reproduce these images for non-commercial purposes. And last but not least, thanks go to G. Alden Davis for providing us with the gorgeous "Cover Image" (found above) for The Fallen Guardian's Mandate, created with 3D imaging software.

This issue will remain posted throughout February for your reading and viewing pleasure. Please "invite friends" through your various online accounts. Spread the word about the Freezine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. There are more surprises in store, for future issues. Stay tuned for the next scheduled MARCH ISSUE, featuring more brand new, never-before-published stories from already established Freezine authors. They are sure to surprise, delight, and inform every devoted reader herein. Until then, I bid you all a most satisfying intermission.

freezinefantasysciencefiction@gmail.com

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