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Albedo One # 30
01/05/2006 . Source: Pauline Morgan 
Publisher: Albedo One, 2 Post Road, Lusk, County Dublin, Ireland. 56 page illustrated magazine. Price: £ 4.95 (UK), 5.95 euros. Buy Albedo One in the USA - or Buy Albedo One in the UK  check out website: www.albedo1.com
Any magazine that encourages both new writers and readers to range more widely, deserves encouragement. Publisher Albedo One is based in Ireland but does not take work exclusively from Irish writers. While it does favour local authors, it is primarily interested in good writing. The magazine has won three European SF Society awards so is doing a lot of things right. It is produced quarterly so has been around for several years.
This particular issue has a dark cover that gives an impression of horror but this is in honour of Clive Barker who is interviewed within the covers. The previous issue was much brighter, with reds and blues predominating the illustration. Barker is an erudite and educated author and talks intelligently about his work and influences.
This issue also contains nine stories from Science Fiction, fantasy and horror genres. The best is the first printed, 'Friction' by Will Mcintosh. This does everything a short story should. Whether it is SF or fantasy doesn't matter, the scene is set quickly using a few, carefully chosen words. Gruen is a being who is totally affected by friction. Every movement causes wear to his body. His self-imposed task is to read every word of the one hundred and thirty seven masters which were inscribed on a wall that was built around the world. No-one had ever succeeded before, their bodies had worn out first. He is interrupted in his task by Western, a being who is unaffected by the effects of friction but needs help in preserving his dead daughter's memory. They reach an agreement that benefits both. This issue of 'Albedo One' is worth buying for this alone. The others do not quite reach the same high quality, though there are some worthy ones amongst them.
'Pushing Down The Tombstones' by Ralph Robert Moore appears at the start to be a surreal horror story. It is only on reaching the end that the reader discovers the true context of the events as a psychological coming to terms with loss. 'The Pope, Sonny Liston And Me' by Robert Neilson is intended to be humorous fantasy. The narrator's Uncle Bill is Pope and likes a flutter on boxing contests He also has a time travel machine in the Vatican basement. His idea is to bring Sonny Liston into the future to fight the current World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. It is a cleverly told story.
'Campion And The Demon Boy' by Geoffrey Warburton is a horror story. Campion is an artist who for no reason starts being haunted. It all ends in gore but seems to be an episode written because it seemed like a good idea. It is, but the story lacks the substance to make it fully convincing.
'The Persistence Of Memory' by Patrick Hudson is pure Science Fiction. It explores the possible complications on rejuvenation. The memories of the first youth run parallel with those being experienced by the renewed body, adding a surreal layer to life.
'Two-Face' by Lynne Ann Morse is silly. Karl Munt wakes up one morning to discover that he has two faces and that he has to feed the other one. There is no logic to the story and the denouement renders the rest trivial.
'The Cripple' by John Kenny is a poignant story about obsession. As Vanja watches and re-watches the video of the moment that Arijane was shot and crippled, the image is one of loss. As he views the scene over and over again, we learn of the relationship between them and the perpetual 'What if...' that lurks in Vanja's soul.
'The Wonder Of Rocks' by David Murphy is one of those 'what if' stories that crop up from time to time in the 'Elvis is alive and living in...' sub-genre. This one adds to the oeuvre in an understated way, leaving the reader to make the connections and jump to conclusions.
'Some Action' by Benjamin Reed is written with tongue in cheek and contains an element of fun. In this future, John has the enviable job of testing sex aids. As Mr Average, he has to rate each female companion off the production line to make sure they will suit the customers needs. When told that he needs to take time off to get laid by a real woman - he hasn't for two years - he thinks his luck is in when he gets picked up by what appears to be his ideal date. Naturally, not everything is as it seems.
The drawback of this magazine is the size. A4 is not easy to shove in a pocket or read on a bus or train. Of this particular issue, the reviews are unhelpful. Of the two reviewers used in this issue, the first is overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the books he recommends but says little to convince the reader that the book is to their taste. The other reviewer tends to have a more pedestrian style.
It is, however, always worthwhile supporting magazines and this is one of the better ones around at present.
Pauline Morgan
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