Abolisher of Roses by Gary Fry
From The Spectral Press Volume II due out in May 2011
Reviewed by Geoff Nelder
If you go down to the woods today… make sure you are not an adulterer, unless visceral art of such a personal nature is your noir passion. As Peter reluctantly helps his wife participate in an avant-garde woodland art-trail he experiences a moment of epiphany. They and their marriage are “knee-deep in the middle period of their lives” with no surprises left – except this one. She had a zest for life with these arty-crafty types that he didn’t see at home. He led a duplicitous life, but didn’t expect her to. He is shaken to have his ideas tested by his subservient wife – firstly by her ‘hobby’: “…we go to art to be challenged, to have our . . . our sedimented habits shaken up.” Peter is shaken up and so is the reader in this modern morality tale.
Fry’s writing style is subtly misleading in that the slow paced start is in danger of allowing you to relax, then a paragraph makes you sit up. The story has no arc, it is an exponential curve of a rocket taking off. If you have a mistress, then you might have to read Gary Fry’s Abolisher of Roses through your fingers.
22pg A5 print booklet with card covers, signed and numbered, 100 only – published May 2011.
Available from the publishers – Spectral Press, 5 Serjeants Green, Neath Hill, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK14 6HA, UK for £3 (plus 50p P+P) either through Paypal (spectralpress@gmail.com) or cheque (made payable to ‘Simon Marshall-Jones’) to the address above. Subscriptions for 4 issues available for £13.50UK/£16EU/$30US/$40RoW – payment details as above.
What an interesting way to sell your story. Same book in episodes with separate issues, or new stories for each issue? Will look into it.
Click on the Spectal Press link, Gladys, ie http://spectralpress.wordpress.com/ for more information. Yes, the publisher, Simon Marshall-Jones had the idea of a short story (about 7, 000 words) per issue. Limited edition to 100 copies – very nicely produced.