Washed By a Wave of Wind: Science Fiction From the Corridor Edited by M. Shayne Bell Signature Books, 1993. Trade paperback: 378 pages. ISBN: 1-56085-038-8 Suggested retail price: $18.95 (US)
Reviewed by: D. Michael Martindale

Four stories into reading this collection, I was already formulating the review in my mind: if this is LDS science fiction, then I don't like LDS science fiction. (Okay, okay, it's really Mountain States science fiction, but they're nearly the same anyway.) Fortunately M. Shane Bell's story turned the tide completely, and after that there was about an even split between the stories I enjoyed and the stories that left me wanting. Capsulated reviews of each entry:

"Wheatfields Beyond," Dave Wolverton.
I can't tell if this is supposed to be a short story or a campaign brochure for the Democratic Party. The ambiguity is enhanced by the fact that not one word of the politically-charged material is remotely relevant to the plot line. In fact it tends to disrupt. Every bit of that material could be removed and the story would flow just as well -- probably better. A sympathetic protagonist wouldn't have hurt either. She was basically a jerk.

"Solitude," Carolyn Nicita
Aliens that look like oily rags did not work for me. I still haven't figured out exactly what happened at the end. The protagonist's reaction to discovering an alien lifeform was completely unbelievable to me.

"Outside the Tabernacle," B.J. Fogg
This story was downright insulting to the LDS people as far as I'm concerned. The speculations on future doctrine were absurd. I don't know who this B.J. Fogg person is, but his story leaves the impression that he doesn't have a clue what Mormonism is all about.

"Space People," James Cummings
The ending to 2001: A Space Odyssey was clearer than the ending to this story. The characters were unlikeable, and the science fictional element utterly obscure, if not nonexistent. It's also written in present tense for no discernable reason. I despise present tense. It's gimmicky and difficult to read.

"The Shining Dream Road Out," M. Shayne Bell
Now that's a story. Good characterization, good setup and foreshadowing, interesting science fiction premise, upbeat ending for what started out sounding like the typical cynical whiner's tale. The single gratuitous use of "f---" stands out as an aberration though. Having just come off my first taste of Bell with his novel Nicoji, I must say, I'm impressed.

"Other Time," Diana Lofgran Hoffman
This is Hoffman's science fiction debut, and you can tell with the extremely cliche opening of finding the gee-whiz mysterious gadget in a garbage dumpster. But if you can get past that, the rest of the story is excellent, with brilliant insight into the unexpected consequences of a wondrous technology.

"Rise Up, Ye Women That Are At Ease," D. William Shun
This Shun guy must be some kind of troublemaker. What -- is he trying to give women ideas? No Stephen King story packs one-tenth the horror that this tale inflicts on its male readers.

"You Can't Go Back," M.W. Worthen
A bittersweet tale about one man's attempt to recapture the life he loved and left behind. One of those science fiction inventions you dearly hope will come true.

"Thunderbird's Egg," Diann Thornley
A fantasy story of Navajo mysticism that keeps the reader mildly interested. About as politically correct as you can get, but with the unusual virtue of avoiding offensiveness.

"Scrap Pile," Melva Gifford
One of those "surprise, surprise" twist endings that you can smell coming a mile away. Still it was pretty fun to read with the description of life on a military space vessel that truly merits the nickname "Scrap Pile."

"Signs and Wonders," Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury
Even more predictable than the previous one, this story wins multicultural brownie points for weaving a tale of Tongan mysticism. At least the predictable ending was communicated with appealing imagery.

"Songs of Solomon," Virginia Ellen Baker
More of that nasty present tense stuff, but this one at least has an arguable reason for using it with its unorthodox ending for a first-person story. But it took me two pages to even start paying attention to what I was reading; when I started noticing code words that indicated a virtual reality theme, I had to go back to the beginning and reread, now that I had a reason to be interested. The ills of present tense. An interesting speculation on future incarceration, but the story never quite achieved full clarity.

"Pueblo de Sion," Charlene C. Harmon
This story was written in one day because the editor neglected to tell Harmon about the deadline until it was the deadline. It shows. Harmon takes a fascinating premise and whips it up to a frenzy of mediocrity. A tale of survival after a refreshingly imaginative holocaust disaster where the characters plan for all sorts of deadly futures, yet never approach any kind of extremis, and don't even run out of their original supplies before the climax hits. They go around doing barely interesting stuff until a near deus ex machina resolution falls down upon them from the sky. The denouement winds down with all the excitement of grass growing. She's supposedly expanding this story into a novel. Pray she spends more than one day writing it.

"A Foreigner Comes to Reddyville," Elizabeth H. Boyer
If you can get past the ho-hum frame story, the main narrative is sad, touching, and thoughtful, with a first class example of theological speculation that one would like to see in LDS speculative fiction.

"Snooze," David Doering
This is the best one-third of a story in the collection. The opening line is a hoot: "A Mormon once thought of using alcohol for something good." And the second is just as audacious: "It was at my dad's wedding to his boyfriend James." The science fiction premise Doering introduces is fun and fraught with potential.

And then he quits. This isn't a story; this is act one of a story. Where's acts two and three? He introduces the premise and doesn't go anywhere with it, except for mentioning one mundane application in passing. And he goes absolutely nowhere with the marriage between his dad and James. You just don't put a gay marriage into a story about Mormons as a throwaway detail -- that's cheating! David, wherever you are, finish the story.

"Shannon's Flight," Glenn L. Anderson
What a fun ghost story! Glenn, you are officially on my personal blacklist for dreaming up this concept before me. He also deftly weaves in a character study of a woman dealing with her poor marriage. Excellent story. My daughter liked it too.

"Rumors of My Death," Lyn Worthen
Pretty decent tale of threatened identity in our highly computerized age. It's only failing is that it doesn't branch out too far beyond what's been done before.

"Finale," Pat Bezzant
Eccentric Y2K story that isn't spoiled by the fact that Y2K is over. But I don't know that I find the reactions of the characters particularly believable. Personally, I'd have killed the guy. (Guess you'll have to read it to find out what I'm talking about.)

"Dealer," Michaelene Pendleton
A new twist on your standard oppressive society of the future, with a heartbreaking ending for a music lover like me. I wouldn't have made the choice the protagonist made at the end.

"Pageant Wagon," Orson Scott Card
Of course this collection must include the patron saint of LDS science fiction writers trying to become mainstream. Unfortunately the story is a reprint, not one written especially for the collection, so -- been there, done that. Disappointing. It's been a while since I've read this one, but I didn't read it again because I plan on rereading Folk of the Fringe (from whence this story hails) sometime in the not-too-distant future. I'll comment on it then.

I approached the reviewing of this book for AML-List with trepidation, trying hard not to pay attention to the familiar names bylining some of the stories I lambasted. I think I'll lay low for a while.

As for the book itself, it was a fun ride, and I don't even like short story collections. M. Shayne Bell did a nice job of gathering up a wide range of tales from a neglected part of the country. Barbara Hume wrote the prologue as an interesting history of science fiction in Utah, which could be improved only by throwing in lots more detail. Hurry and order your own copy while it's cheap and before it goes out of print.

-- 
D. Michael Martindale
dmichael@wwno.com
Worlds Without Number
http://www.wwno.com