Challenging Destiny 22: April 2006
Table of Contents: A Few Words About Evolution by David M. Switzer (pp 5-11) (Article) * Acid Man by Caroline Misner (pp 12-28) (5400 words) (Short Story) * Heroes and Villains by Steven Mohan, Jr. (pp 30—56) (8100 words) (Novelette) * Interview with Eileen Kernaghan by James Schellenberg & David M. Switzer (pp 58-73) (Article) * Pinons by Uncle River (pp 75-94) (Reprint) (6000 words) (Short Story) * Heart-Shaped Hole by Marissa K. Lingen (pp 96-125) (9000 words) (Novelette) * Behavior Norm by Sue Lange (pp 127-144) (4500 words) (Short Story) * Fantasy Movies Reign Supreme by James Schellenberg (pp 146-161) (Article) * The Anabe Girls by A.R. Morlan (162-180) (5700 words) (Short Story) * Eye Teeth by Jay Lake (pp 181-203) (7200 words) (Short Story)

Published by Crystalline Sphere Publishing – Editor: David M. Switzer – ISSN 1206-6656) E-mail csp@golden.net, website: challengingdestiny.com

Challenging Destiny is a magazine in electronic format that features an interesting mix of stories and articles.

In "Acid Man" by Caroline Misner, Lila works in a bar in a future where the ozone layer has disappeared. She meets Peter, a man whose body is slowly turning into acid in a very unusual love story. Steven Mohan's "Heroes and Villains" is the story of Charlie who lives in a world where nanos have made anything possible. He decides he want to be a superhero but they aren't needed there. What happens makes for a very good story. "Pinons" by Uncle River is a nice little story about a man who lives in a future world of really high inflation. In "Heart-Shaped Hole", Marissa K. Lingen tells us a cool story about Ginny, dying of cancer, who travels with her friend Nancy to Greenland. In a remote village, she volunteers to be an angakok (shaman) to appease a sea god named Nerrivik and things get stranger from there.

"Behavior Norm" by Sue Lange is the story of a woman on her fifth job on a godforsaken planet. She finds a way to succeed this time. "The Anabe Girls" by A.R. Morlan is a grim little story about the ultimate modeling agency. Last, In "Eye Teeth", Jay Lake a man finds out that the special eyes that he has bought are more than he bargained for.

All the stories here got a Very Good from me, so this magazine is highly recommended.

(Source: Crystalline Sphere publishing)