Fireside Magazine Issue #2 Edited by Brian White, with artwork by Galen Dara
Issue #2 of Fireside Magazine attracted my attention with stories from Kat Howard and Damien Walters Grintalis, who number among my newest favorite short story writers. Stephen Blackmoore is also a name I recognize from Twitter (where all three are very entertaining/informative follows, btw), though I've read less of his work.
Kat Howard's beautifully rendered The Heart of the Story is an expressive exploration of the story and the muse and, as I've come to expect of Howard's work, a masterful use of metaphor and language. Damien Walters Grintalis shows off her stuff in Scarred, an emotional look at a woman's battle with an old addiction. I feel compelled to point out her killer first line, "Violet carved her hate into her flesh one name at a time." (I look forward to her debut novel INK from Samhain Horror in December.) Blackmoore's Rhapsody in Blue Shift is a very entertaining science fiction story involving George Gershwin. Perspective, a story about an agoraphobic and his wayward son by Jake Kerr, is slightly obvious, but isn't hurt by the fact. Fireside also features a comic, An Honest Mistake by Brian White (Pencils and Inks by Steve Walker, Letters by Frank Cvetkovic) which, while vaguely amusing, wasn't really my thing—but I have little experience with comics, and am inclined to say my opinion is suspect.
Overall, I'm well pleased with my purchase; The Heart of the Story and Scarred more than satisfied this customer, with Blackmoore and Kerr's stories being happy bonuses.
I recommend #Issue 2 and will certainly consider Fireside's subsequent issues. Get Fireside
P.S. Issues #1 and #2 of Fireside Magazine were Kickstarter-funded. Fundraising for Issue #3 begins this month. If you have the means, consider contributing.
