Midnight Echo - Issue 4 June 2010

Editor	Lee Battersby
Publisher	Australian Horror Writers Association
Length	103 pages
Country

Review

Seems like forever since I last touched base with Midnight Echo, the magazine of the Australian Horror Writers Association. Other things folks other things, but finally I was able to sit down with the magazine, spill wine all over it, and generally get down and dirty reading the contents. With Issue 4 I think we are safe in saying Midnight Echo has found it's feet and it's place in the Australian horror firmament. There can be no doubt that over four issues the magazine has become important to the dark genre in this part of the world, but now I believe it has it's own voice (or voices as it were) and I'm looking forward to a bright future for the publication.

The marauding Lee Battersby is our editor for issue four and makes clear in his excellent Editorial that the issue will focus on the human monster more than the supernatural or extraterrestrial threat. So no sparkling vampires here then, though Lee has allowed the odd tale with a smidgeon of the super-nature to slip through. The Movie for example cannot be simply explained away as some slip up in the human psyche. But by and large we are either talking human monsters or perhaps taking the point of view of someone with a few roos bounding away in the top pasture. Either way we're not talking picnics in the spring sunshine of Every-ville.

For those wondering what macabre treats might be on the prose dessert wagon, well Mr Battersby has by and largely selected well to ensure most tastes are catered for. If lycanthropes are your thing then there's a nice juicy morsel set in Cromwell's England waiting your appraisal. A strange tale about Children being scared to give them another year of life either points to religious belief gone mad, personal insanity, or otherworldly agents. Speaking of insanity, don't rent an apartment in a block where you can get into wall cavities, it's a different aspect of reality in there. Religious mania allows a wolf in angels' clothing into a French church during the reformation. In more modern times we learn that some ex girlfriends wont go quietly into the night, especially if it involves a hole in the ground at the local dump. Another in the endless pubescent girls not being the victim we thought they would be tales is rolled out. Imagine for a moment that a site appeared on the web with your imagine and name that asked visitors to determine how you would die, the more gruesome the better it would appear. Just in case you want to go to the movies to get away from the horror, well say hello to the ultimate snuff film where the audience are the victims. If planning your wedding then ensure there isn't a barn anywhere near the reception, probably worth leaving your dog at the local boarding kennel as well. Are Jewish revenge stories always confusing, or is it simply in the nature of New York dark genre writers to be obtuse? And finally some bunnies have more soul than certain humans. Lee Battersby has a fine selection of treats for your edification, however a couple did have sour centres it must be said.

Pick of the bunch for mine was Patty Jensen's Little Boy Lost, quite the harrowing tale of innocence lost with an open ending that doesn't quite settle things in a comfortable fashion. Jensen takes a hard social issue to task and rips the innards out of it.

For those of you more into the poetic side of the dark genre coffin well there's three poems awaiting your pleasure. As stated before I've got zero in the way of poetry appreciation so am not qualified to make a judgement call here. Nice to see the verse writers haven't abandoned ship however.

Editor Battersby has gone overboard with four interviews included in the magazine. That would be about two more than we could reasonably expect to find in an issue. Felicity Dowker, in something of a coup for Midnight Echo, talks candidly with Charliane Harris, the author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels amongst other things. The “Miodnight” Echo Crew score a talk with Angela Challis and Dr Marty Young about their forthcoming title Macabre, perhaps the most comprehensive collection of Australian horror literature yet to see publication. Anyone not going to be ordering a copy of this excellent sounding volume? And just in case you don't think you are getting value for money Dave Schembri interviews surrealist Vincent Castiglia. Anyone influenced by both H.R. Giger and Salvador Dali is someone I want to talk notice of, Dave has us covered.

Continuing with Midnight Echo's tradition of highlighting new authors Scott Wilson sits down to have a chat with young adult writer Foz Meadows in our fourth interview.

The scoundrels over at Sinister Reads have managed to shoe horn in three pages without anyone apparently noticing and damned if they aren't going to be adding a few volumes to my overloaded bookcase. For those wondering Sinister Reads promotes Australian dark genre literature and highlights new releases we should be looking out for. I've got my eye on Will Elliot's new novel Pilgrim and James Doig's collection Australian Ghost Stories from those listed. I should note I already have quite a few of the others either already on my reading pile or ordered awaiting delivery.

Of course the magazine does wind down with Contributor bios and web addresses for those of us wanting to follow through on people we were impressed with. Really wish Midnight Echo wouldn't do that as I always spend a couple of hours checking websites to see what else I can get my hands on. My bank manager isn't happy over here!

Dave Schembri seems to have handed the reigns of artistic control over to Juliet Bathory in issue four. Whether or not this indicates that Dave might be stepping down after three excellent issues remains to be seen, if so thanks for the outstanding work Mr Schembri and good luck with future projects. Might have been slightly premature here, if so apologises to Dave. Getting back to the artwork another excellently conceived vision for the issue four. Right from the cover, Creepy Girl by Justin Randall, through the corner artwork by George Cotronis, to the individual panels by various artists, the standard is high and fits Editor Battersby's vision for the issue. An outstandingly superb effort from everyone in the art department. Please note I've included a reduced reproduction of Mariusz Ganzel's The Shark Hunting here, grab a copy of the magazine to see the full version in all it's glory.

I was happy with the overall content and style of Midnight Echo Issue 4, noted there still isn't a letters page as yet, and had a memorable time reading the magazine from cover to cover. The high standard is being maintained and some very interesting writers are being exposed to a wider audience with each issue. If wanting to keep up with Australian Dark Literature then this really is a must have magazine.

Midnight Echo is a publication of The Australian Horror Writers Association, Australian Horror. Issue 4 can be purchased as a downloadable pdf file for $3.00 or as a print edition for $11.00 plus shipping, all prices are in USD. Place your order online Right Here.

Submissions from Authors and Artists are welcome, see Midnight Echo for details. Please note at time of writing Issue five is closed to submissions but Issue Six should be rocking shortly.