Tag Archives: gunning for a tinkerman

Aurealis #44 Review

Reviews

Over at the SF Site, prolific short-fiction reviewer Rich Horton has looked at the fiction offerings from Aurealis #44. Of my story “gunning for a tinkerman”, he says:

“Jason Fischer offers another piece in the same milieu as his story from #42, “for want of a jesusman.” “gunning for a tinkerman” features a former “jesusman,” Lanyard Everett, looking for another despised character, a “tinkerman,” who keeps mechanical things going but is blamed for the state of their strange world. His journey on a cranky “skiff” (a sort of landboat) brings him against a monstrous snake, sinister witches, and a town of “crooked men.” It’s a dark and cynical tale of multiple betrayals.”

The rest of the review can be read here: http://www.sfsite.com/03b/au340.htm

This story is in the same setting as the emergent Project Lucy, the full name being “Papa Lucy and the Boneman”. Yep, a jesusman novel is in the works 🙂

Review – “gunning for a tinkerman”, Aurealis #44

Reviews

A review of Aurealis Magazine #44 has just been posted over at Suz’s Space, covering the issue which contains my 2nd jesusman story, “gunning for a tinkerman”.  She says:

“All of these stories were top quality. There were a couple that stood out and screamed “write a sequel, write lots of sequels” as the worlds were just so good and while the characters might not have been likeable I certainly wanted to know more of them. Jason Fisher and KJ Taylor, I’m talking about you. I’m not saying the other stories weren’t as good, but they stand on their own and don’t seem to need anything else around them, they are complete by themselves. But Fisher and Taylor have written stories that not only stand on their own two feet but would also go well in an anthology of stories about their particular worlds.

gunning for a tinkerman by Jason Fisher is a wonderful little post-apocalyptic story where tinkermen have run the gamut of being wanted for their skills to being a dying breed who are both wanted and reviled in the same breath. I would like to know more about this world and more about the people in the world. It’d just be extra cool to have a story from someone else’s point of view so we can see how the tinkermen and their roles have changed.”

(the rest is here http://www.suzs-space.com/blog/2011/01/07/aurealis-issue-44/)

Well, that’s just lovely, thanks Suz 🙂 I’ll see what I can do about that for you!

Reviewage #2 – It Never Rains But Pours

Reviews,

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.

Couldn’t have said it better myself

Reviews

Why yes, I do make use of Google Alerts 🙂

Fellow Aurealis #44 contributor Adam Ford has posted a blog entry about his long years of subbing to the magazine (he sent in a story to issue #1!) and his long-awaited success in selling them a story.  Well done mate, persistence is king.

He’s starting to read the other stories in the issue, and of mine he says:

‘I’ve been loving the stuff I’ve read so far, including Jason Fischer’s batshit insane post-apocalyptic Mad-Max-meets-Gilgamesh “gunning for a tinkerman”.’

BEST QUOTE EVER.  This seriously belongs on a t-shirt, made my flipping day that.  He’s summed the story up better than I ever could.

http://theotheradamford.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/published-a-billion-tiny-lights/#more-2465

EDIT: It sure does belong on a t-shirt, behold.