The August 2009 issue of Realms of Fantasy has been reviewed by Gardner Dozois in the October 2009 issue of Locus. I believe this is the first time Dozois has reviewed RoF since becoming a reviewer for Locus. Here is the review in its entirety:

"As one magazine dies (he is referring to Talebones here), another, already counted among the fallen and deeply mourned, returns to life, as new publisher Tir Na Nog Press, headed up Warren Lapine, brings out the first issue of their revivified Realms of Fantasy magazine, dated August 2009. The new incarnation of Realms of Fantasy is a whisker smaller than the previous version, and not quite as slickly produced, but it's still a good-looking magazine, quite handsome in fact. More importantly, it's still being edited by longtime editor Shawna McCarthy, who has edited the magazine since its very beginnings, which ought to guarantee a continuity of quality and literary tone and of types of story chosen - and so it seems to be, since there's nothing here in the new incarnation that would have been shockingly out-of-place in any issue of the old Realms. Best story in the issue is Tanith Lee's chilling "Our Lady in Scarlet," in which a young student magician trapped in a plague-ridden city and in a quarantined boarded-up inn must use off his fledgling skills to fight off a sinister deity taking shape across the hall who is trying to absorb him - with mixed success. Ian Creasey's "Digging for Paradise" is also good, a story balanced between science fiction and fantasy, with a bit of the flavor of Jack Vance's Dying Earth, a powerful wizard travels to the far-future, to the final days of Earth, to recover magical talismans he buried ages before. Dennis Danver's "Healing Benjamin" has an intriguing initial set-up, with a boy bringing his cat back from the dead, but goes off-track when the cat suddenly begins to talk, one complication too many."

Over on his blog, Rich Horton has posted his yearly summary of Realms of Fantasy.

He cites the following stories as his favorites:

--"Sails Above Greesea" by Adam Corbin Fusco

--"Digging for Paradise" by Ian Creasy

--"Narrative of a Beast's Life" by Cat Rambo

--"Joy is the Serious Business of Heaven" by David Levine

--"The River of Three Crossings" by Richard Parks

--"Name Day" by Garth Upshaw

He also mentions the following authors for having produced good stories: Tanith Lee, Ben Francisco, Jay Lake, William R. Eakin, Dirk Strasser, and Richard Parks again.  Congrats to all of the authors!

Tidbit 1: The latest issue of RoF (December 2009) has been reviewed by Lois Tilton over at the Internet Review of Science Fiction.  Now, long ago I stopped commenting on the reviews of various reviewers (and after this past summer I've also given up responding online to folks with strong opinions about me and/or RoF--just not worth it!)  However, I would like to issue one factual statement.  In regards to "In Time of Great Despair and Darkness" by Ken Scholes, Ms. Tilton finishes with the following sentence: "It's not entirely clear that the ending wasn't cut off in the printing process, as the last line seems odd and is not followed by the usual end sign."  She's right that the usual end sign is not there.  That is unfortunate.  However, I would like to assure readers that the last sentence on the page is in fact the last sentence in the story.  I have confirmed this twice over, once in communicating with Ken, and twice by checking this against the original document he forwarded us after the story was accepted.  No disrespect is intended to Ms. Tilton or her review with this statement.  I merely wish to assure any concerned readers that the story in RoF is in fact complete.

Tidbit 2: Yesterday I received a low-res .pdf from Warren for the February 2010 issue.  I always receive the .pdf shortly before the magazine goes to press.  If all goes as planned, that should happen today.

Tidbit 3: I received an email from Shawna today asking if I had any input.  About what?  She had received an email from the good folks at Locus, inviting her to nominate three stories for their final Recommended Reading List of 2009.  And she asked if I had any thoughts on the matter.  That's pretty cool.  She certainly didn't have to do that.  I'm not sure if I could ask for better working relationships than those I have with Shawna and Warren.  Anyway, much as I'd like to share the names of these recommended stories and their authors, I don't want to steal any thunder from Locus.  So you'll just have to wait until they're ready to share. 
 

The latest issue of Realms of Fantasy (October 2009) has been reviewed by Lois Tilton over at the Internet Review of Science Fiction.  This is the first time IROSF has reviewed RoF since it returned with Warren as its publisher.  Ms. Tilton rather likes my slush survivor, "Tio Gilberto," giving it a "RECOMMENDED."  And in her brief introduction to RoF right before she starts the reviews of its fiction offerings, I must admit that her subtle but snarky comment regarding the cover made me chuckle.  She's wrong, but I completely understand why she might think such a thing.   

Ah yes, another feature has returned to this blog now that Realms of Fantasy is back.  The August 2009 issue of Realms of Fantasy has been reviewed by Rich Horton in the September 2009 issue of Locus.  Here is the review in its entirety:

"Let's celebrate the return of Realms of Fantasy, which missed only one issue after the old publishers killed it.  It has been resurrected by Warren Lapine's Tir Na Nog Press with the same editorial crew in place, including Shawna McCarthy at the helm, and the look and feel is pretty much unchanged.  The best story for August is Ian Creasey's "Digging for Paradise," in which a sorcerer hires the narrator, Hadro, for his digging expertise.  Hadro hopes to earn enough to free his wife from prison -- but then he learns he's been betrayed, as the sorcerer has taken his whole party into the far future.  Hadro must choose between revenge or more constructive options."

I showed this review to Warren earlier tonight (he was in town) and he was well pleased that it noted the RoF's "look and feel is pretty much unchanged."  This was exactly what he was going for early on, to let our readers know that this is still the same magazine you've known and loved for all these years.  I should note that there have been some changes.  To name a few: a thicker cover stock (which everyone seems to like), some adjustments to the art department (that have nothing to do with a certain brouhaha), and in the current issue we've done away with the bio page, instead providing bios at the ends of stories and columns.  Other tweaks are possible as we go forward, all with the intention of delivering a better product, but after working with Warren for 6+ months (wow!) I feel very comfortable in saying that the core of this magazine will remain intact as we go forward.

On a slightly unrelated note, I'll note that along with Warren being in town, so was the magazine's advertising director, Jeff Kight, whom I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time.  This department is most definitely in excellent hands! 

The ToC to the latest issue of Locus indicates they've reviewed the August 2009 issue: http://www.locusmag.com/Magazine/2009/Issue09_Toc.html

In the past, Locus seemed to cover every new issue of Realms that came out.  I'm glad to see this trend continue.

http://cathschaffstump.com/archives/2009/07/15/auction-realms-of-fantasy/

http://nickleshi.blogspot.com/2009/07/thank-you-warren-lapine-realms-of.html

http://madkestrel.livejournal.com/143835.html?view=437467&style=mine#t437467

http://selfavowedgeek.livejournal.com/129881.html#cutid1

http://asakiyume.livejournal.com/292990.html#cutid1

http://www.rimworlds.com/thecrotchetyoldfan/?p=4678

http://www.tomcrosshill.com/2009/07/review-realms-of-fantasy-aug-issue.html

http://isawlightningfall.blogspot.com/2009/07/realms-returns.html

I am currently meeting my civil obligations and serving jury duty.  While I wait for my number to be called in the courthouse, I'm taking advantage of the free internet access they're offering us ...quite the upgrade from last time!

I need all the distractions I can get, because I rolled out of bed at 7:00 a.m. after going to sleep at 4:00 a.m.  I'm also supposed meet someone in NYC tonight at 7:45 p.m.  So my day is just getting started!  I went to sleep so late because I went to the midnight premiere of Watchmen.  I'll save the thoughts on that for another post, but the movie is long.  Not counting previews, it runs 2:45!

So my brain is a bit loopy at the moment.  The Red Bull seems to be helping, but I'm just getting started here.

Anyway, my first distraction while trying not to fall asleep at jury duty is that I've came across Lois Tilton's review for the April 2009 issue of ROF.  This is the first review I've come across for the last issue. 

Sigh.  You can read it here.

More posts may come later as I continue fighting the good fight ...

Rich Horton has reviewed the February 2009 issue of Realms of Fantasy in the February issue of Locus.  Here is the review in full:

Realms of Fantasy's February issue had a nice humorous story by David D. Levine, "Joy is the Serious Business of Heaven," in which Umiel, an angel and desk jockey (against her will) deals with such frustrations as a clueless boss, the implementation of ISO 999, and the fact that her ideas for counteracting the Competition seem to be ignored, and Richard Parks adds a fine entry to his series about Lord Yamada who, in "The River of Three Crossings," must deal with the ghost of a bandit, and, more critically with the bandit's determined daughter, who loved her father for all that he was truly a bad person.

Other tidbits of interest from this issue of Locus:

--Ken Scholes's premiere novel, Lamentation--a topic I've blogged about a number of times--scored two separate positive reviews.  Go, Ken!

--Circulation numbers for the major spec print magazines were released in this issue, detailing the years 1995-2008.  Realms of Fantasy's numbers were included (as were those of F&SF, Asimov's, Analog, and Locus).  According to the numbers contained in Locus, from 2007 to 2008 RoF's subscriptions and newstand sales both increased.  The combined increase isn't tremendous, a little over 450.  But still, gains are always good.  All this illustrates just how topsy-turvy the world of publishing has become. 
 

The December 2008 issue of Realms of Fantasy has been reviewed over at the Fix-Online.  It includes some nice words about my slush survivor, "Pumpkinjumper" by William H. Wandless.

The February 2009 issue of Realms of Fantasy has been reviewed by Lois Tilton over at the Internet Review of Science Fiction.

The December 2008 issue of Realms of Fantasy received a brief review from Rich Horton in the December 2008 issue of Locus.  Here's the review in its entirety:

The "Milagroso Trail" by Clinton Lawrence is a subtle story of a group of young people hiking in search of a mysterious lost city, and the varied set of people they encounter in the woods.  It hints at danger, and hints also at wonder, and ends up offering something more mundane, perhaps, and perhaps more lasting. 

I also stumbled upon his yearly summation of ROF.

The December 2008 issue of Realms of Fantasy has been reviewed over at the IROSF.

Noted reviewer Rich Horton has provided a brief summary with some thoughts of the 2008 publishing year for ROF over on his blog.

 Rich Horton has provided a brief review of the August 2008 issue of Realms of Fantasy in the August issue of Locus: "Realms of Fantasy's August issue has several nice, challenging, stories, including a rather shocking look at sacrifice from James Van Pelt, "Light of a Thousand Suns," and a bittersweet Japanese fantasy, complete with fox and rabbit women, Eugie Foster's "Daughter of Botu".

Rich Horton has written a brief review of the April issue of Realms of Fantasy in the May issue of Locus Magazine (I was a little late in getting my hands on this issue).

Here's the review:

The April issue of Realms of Fantasy leads with a lovely and honest Delia Sherman story, "Gift From a Spring."  Whittier, the narrator, is a frustrated painter who takes a job keeping accounts for a former ballerina (significantly named Ondine) and her husband, who run a ballet school.  Whittier learns a little bit about her own commitment to art, and we learn about the ballerina's honestly depicted and not unhappy marriage -- and about her real nature (not hard to guess, of course).  Above all this is contemporary fantasy that seems truly grounded.