Wow, these things are rolling out in quick succession!  I truly appreciate when folks take the time to give reviews to short fiction, it’s a bugger of a job and a proper review takes quite some time to prepare.  In a previous life I did a lot of fiction reviewing for places like Tangent Online, Specusphere, ASIM, and Last Short Story.  I have emerged from those places with total respect for those who would wield the critic’s pen (and the affirmed desire to never again wield the same myself – done my time etc.).  I sincerely believe that every writer should have a go at reviewing, it’s great to exercise your own critical faculties, as well as a chance to pay it forward to discerning readers and review-gathering authors like moi.  Over time it’s helpful to get an oversight of your preferred genre, learn from the mistakes of others and such.

Anyhow, onto the reviews.  Firstly, reviewer David Conyers over at Albedo One had this to say about my ASIM #46 story The School Bus:

“Mark Farrugia’s issue 46 of Andromeda Spaceways standout stories were those of the horror genre. Jason Fischer’s “The School Bus” was the best with a post-apocalyptic Australia complete with zombified kangaroos. Told from the point of view of a child, it built its horror slowly so that when the final revelation hit hard, it was the human parents who were the scariest characters to be found anywhere in this dark and disturbing world that Fischer created.”

http://www.albedo1.com/reviews/andromeda_spaceways_46_on_spec_77.html

And once more from Horrorscope, my Aurealis #44 story gunning for a tinkerman gets a look-in.  Reviewer Mark Smith-Briggs says:

“Jason Fischer’s Gunning for a Tinkerman uses a blend of character and action in the highly entertaining outback tale of a former preacher hunting a man through a world of giant snakes and witchcraft. An apocalyptic style fantasy, there is a lot of fun to be had with Fischer’s free flowing prose and warped sense of humour.”

http://www.horrorscope.com.au/2010/11/review-aurealis-44.html

It was also nice to see some fellow ink-siblings get recognition for their efforts in ASIM #46, especially  Chris Green and Felicity Dowker (and in Chris’s case also for his oztastic “Jumbuck” in Aurealis #44).  Andromeda Spaceways got me into short genre fiction, will always hold a special place in my heart, and I’m glad to see that recent issues are getting such positive feedback.  Despite its mad pulp-retro beginnings, I really believe ASIM has matured and represents Aussie writers very well indeed.