Sweet & Salty Reviews - Lockdown Sci-Fi #1 by Black Hare Press

Beware of the spoilers!

The Dish

Lockdown Sci-Fi #1 is a FREE anthology published by Black Hare Press to help us through the continuing tedium of lockdown. There are 10 stories here, each with interesting premises or characters. They really represent everything good about narrative science-fiction.

As before, with Lockdown Horror #1, I have dedicated some space in my review to all of the tales. To the authors, I am available for more detail at thebasementoflove@gmail.com

The BHP Buffet Table of Sci-Fi Finger Food

Revenge by Jacob Baugher
An enjoyable tale of the darker side of revenge. Unusual in that it is told from the perspective of a character who is not only an illegal immigrant but not even human. A pacy thriller filled with speeders, blasters, automated turrets and desert planets, but still echoing the problems of the modern era - class wars, resentment for occupying forces, love, loss and, yes, revenge.

I adored that the story’s ‘villain’ was a loving family man and oddly kind in spite of the atrocities he’d committed. I also enjoyed the casual world-building the author layers into the story. Here is a functioning sci-fi universe that doesn’t belabour the story-telling with lengthy descriptions of how everything works or every detail of its history. The ending is satisfyingly grim and a caution against giving up your future to appease your past.

Europa’s Secret by Zoey Xolton
A (very) brief dip beneath the surface of Jupiter’s most hospitable moon. Poses the question: exactly how closely linked might our planet be with others in our system? A consideration of humanity’s hubris in assuming we’re always the first to discover something, and how poorly prepared we would be if it turned out we weren’t. Could this be the first volley of interplanetary hostilities? I’m curious to know what kind of world lay beneath that ice.

Mission Ryan by Gabriella Balcom
Cats are evil. I have three, so I already know this. Here, the evil cat is a shape-changing alien bent on world-domination. Interestingly, the alien in question comes from a world like our own - overpopulation, dwindling natural resources, conflict between the entitled upper class and the ambitious working class. Because the cat regularly compares their home world to our world, it gives the impression that we are being given a gloating insight into how easily our planet has been infiltrated.

Though the story is quite funny, the ending especially, there is a dark feeling to it. The alien is using kindness and compassion against us and, ultimately, that’s a very sad thought.

Au Jus by D.M. Burdett
A story that is equal parts horrible and humorous. The comparison between the aliens’ voracious pursuit of humans to eat and the humans’ terror and struggle creates a darkly comic counterpoint between eater and eaten. Little touches, like the aliens murdering and maiming hundreds of people, then complaining about having to clean dirty cutting tools, was marvellous

In a short time, I came to care for the human characters and their kind actions, which made their eventual fate all the more terrible. I also hated the aliens very quickly, not because they were ‘other’, but because they behaved in a way that was altogether too familiar. The final joke is killer. One hell of a punchline for such a brutal story.

Skin and Fin by Jo Seysener
Space fish are an interesting concept, explored here in the context of a crime boss and her stooge. The main character’s resentment for his employer scales nicely until the final beat of the story, when the tables are turned. Similarly to Revenge, earlier in the anthology, this story dwells on the darker part of human nature and how living too long in a negative environment can twist a person into something terrible.

The author has built an interesting world full of strange creatures, but where humans are seemingly still around to pass comment on their oddness. In particular, I liked the fact that the story’s female character was physically larger and more dominant than the male, who ultimately used trickery and her own hubris against her. You actually don’t see that a lot in fiction.

Hive Mind of the Universal Soldier by Shawn M. Klimek
A unique entry to this anthology. A poem with a great meter that reads almost like an old marching song. Given that it is a lesson in new American history, it makes sense to style it this way. A pleasing commentary on issues of modern healthcare, health profiteering and what it means to be human, innate violence and all. I was impressed by the rhyme, though poetry isn’t my thing, and the narrative is strong even through the lyricism.

Memory of a Past Life by Dale Parnell
An apocalypse story with a difference. Rather than beginning with a plague or other devastating event, this one is predicated on a loss of human ability, specifically memory. Amnesia is a common device in fiction, but here it’s applied to the entire world at once and describes the devastating effect this would have on society.

As well as being about an alien invasion, this tale is, at its heart, a love story. Romantic feelings have been known to survive severe brain trauma and it was, for this reason, that the story resonated with me. Equal parts touching and sinister, dark yet hopeful, this is a fine edition to the anthology.

The Bunker by David Bowmore
Another apocalypse story, this one more traditional. Total atomic annihilation in the distant future, when an interplanetary war erupts. This story is a character study of a boy and his family preparing for war in uncertain times. The father’s insistence on preparing his son could be considered borderline abusive, aside from the fact that it is completely justified. The ending is tragic and unsettling, but blushed with a faint trace of hope when we see this lush, new world outside.

The Irony of Prosperine by Galina Trefil
My favourite story from this anthology. The author fuses a personal tale of anguish and suffering with the onset of an apocalyptic event. What results is a series of uncomfortable ironies when a woman’s prison becomes her haven, when a misled child becomes the voice of reason, when a monster becomes a prophet and when the world is destroyed, not by a meteor, but by humankind’s inability to work in cohesion.

Hannah is a powerful protagonist who remains strong in the face of tremendous adversity. An emotive story of the end, touching on human strength, frailty, cruelty and kindness from the first word to the last, while underlining these with how powerless we all are in the face of nature and fate.

Campfire Songs by Kimberly Rei
Here’s a tale set in a world of the post-apocalypse that has an almost Adventure Time-esque feel to it. The combination of otherworldly, almost fantastic scenery combined with recognisable debris, like car wrecks, gives us an impression of a contemporary world turned strange by whatever cataclysm has occurred. Immediately, we are thrown into a mystery. What is chasing the protagonist and what might they eat other than her flesh? It’s an excellent beginning to the odd tale that follows.

The world building is intriguing and natural, not belaboured by excess detail. The history of the protagonist is only hinted at, but is enough to give us a taste. In particular, I enjoyed the aloof and androgynous Auntie, who gives an interesting alternative take on the ‘wise, old mentor’ archetype. This story could easily be the first chapter of a longer work.

The Aftertaste
Much like Black Hare Press’s Horror #1, Sci-Fi #1 is a delightful collection of independent authors of all persuasions. The stories in this anthology range from the hopeful to the harrowing, from the insightful to the insane. In particular, I have to give credit to Campfire Songs and Memory of a Past Life, both of which resonated with me strongly.

The Irony of Prosperine wins my ‘favourite of the anthology’ award for its strong, layered story-telling and conflicted characters living with the onset of a terrible tragedy they are now powerless to prevent.

As before, if you enjoy this FREE anthology, consider supporting Black Hare Press or the authors who contributed.