Vastarien: Vol. 2, Issue 1 by Jon Padgett

Vastarien: Vol. 2, Issue 1 Reviews

• 
  Dylan Rock

  So here we have it Vastarien volume 2. I was extremely excited to see how this volume would begin and was some what apprehensive, would I be in for another wonderful wander in the weird or would I be in for a let down .
  Well i had little too fear Mr Jon Padgett and the fantastic contributors have out done themselves once again. My personal favourite stories in this fine collection were The Lord is an Active Shooter by Fiona Maeve Gist, The Curse of the Three Biblical Magi by Sepehr Goshayeshi and Rat King by Lia Swope Mitchell.
  Another excellent issue and I can't wait for the remainder of Volume. Here's to many more
• 
  Andy

  As with the previous issue of Vastarien V1 #3, these stories stray a bit from what I would categorize strictly as "Ligottian." Also there's a too many stories were are a bit too short, with 2,000 words or less. The best entries were the first and last ones by Gemma Files and Matthew M. Bartlett respectively, with a decent one by Forrest Aguirre toward the middle. Most of the others were interesting but didn't make a lasting impressing on me.
  
  
  Venio - Gemma Files - I wasn't entirely sold on the concept of this story at first, but as it goes along it becomes very engrossing. A group of friends unwittingly unleash a supernatural force that slowly and steadily is coming for each of them.
  
  The Lord is an Active Shooter - Fiona Maeve Geist - This is a very philosophy-focused and talky tale, but it has some interesting ideas. Two men in a diner begin conversing, one believes that guns are an embodiment of the divine, the last stage of man's evolution.
  
  The Sisters - F. J. Bergmann - Love the imagery in this poem, and the humor.
  
  Horror Religiosus: The Dark Passions of Mark Samuels - David Peak - A non-fiction essay on the writings of Mark Samuels, with a lot of quotes by Kierkegaard and Derrida, two of my least favorite philosophers -- some interesting thoughts on the stories, but the philosophy I found it all rather "...eh..."
  
  The Curse of the Three Biblical Magi - Sepehr Goshayeshi - This reads like a blasphemous alternative history, full of wild imagery, graphic violence and symbolism that perhaps requires deciphering from someone with more knowledge of the Bible than my atheist self. But I appreciate the philosophical depth of this one. Three magi's travel to see the baby Jesus, each with a different worldview; optimistic, pessimistic and detached.
  
  Aharesia - Natalia Theodoridou - I liked this one, it's a bit more straight forward and predictable than some of the others perhaps but its also got an emotional punch and a nice eerie mood. I also love the setup that starts this one out, very creative. A young man discovers that his hometown is buried in a lake on Google maps, so he and his girlfriend travel there, and back into his past as well.
  
  Silhouette Golems - S. E. Casey - An effectively eerie and Ligottian tale in around 1,000 words.
  
  Orchid Architecture - K. A. Opperman poem
  
  All the Stage is a World - Forrest Aguirre - This is one of my favorites, bookended by a creepy start and finish with some decent philosophical depth in the middle. A college student attends an odd underground play just to pass a class and learns more than he ever wanted to know.
  
  Burger Shop - Jayaprakash Satyamurthy - Probably the shortest story in the book, I would have liked a bit more.
  
  Rat King - Lia Swope Mitchell - Another very short one, short and nasty about a man willing to take on guilt through a horrific ritual.
  
  Vanpool - C. M. Muller - I like the concept here, and also the sort of uneasy ambiguity with which the story ends. A young boy watches his father go to work, only to return home more exhausted each day.
  
  Magic, Madness, and Women Who Creep: The Power of Individuality in the Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman - Gwendolyn Kiste - An essay on the use of magic and madness as an escape in the works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
  
  The Ageless Agelasts - Rhys Hughes - This is a decent little funny story -- not remotely Ligotti-related, but entertaining. A man is visited by a spirit who convinces him to give up a central part of his personality.
  
  In the Way of Eslan Mendeghast - Farah Rose Smith - This is by far the most surreal story of the bunch, and although I didn't feel I understood a lot of it and even felt that it was too vague for its own good, I must admit this was one of my favorites just for the prose and imagery alone.
  
  Effigies of Former Supervisors - Matthew M. Bartlett - This is one of the best, a wonderful combination of corporate horror and philosophical horror without possibility of escape. And you gotta love turns of phrase like, "If you hadn’t seen her, you might think her tall, spike-heeled, long-legged, and voluptuous, with high cheekbones and smoky eyes. Instead she proved a pale, pointy little thing, all knees, nose, and elbows. A collection of twigs assembled and wrapped in a freckled and bruised casing." A man seeks to escape his soul-deadening corporate job by collecting and abusing effigies of his co-workers.
  
• 
  Zac Hawkins

  The high watermark of volume 1 continues to be met, decided it's time to finally read my way through Vastarien with the publication of its final (at least within the realms of its current form, I hope) issue. All prose here vary from great to excellent, Forrest Aguirre 'All the Stage is a World' taping into imagery of the guignoleque (or maybe La Organización Negra) and is delightfully apocryphal; 'The Curse of the Three Biblical Magi' by Sepehr Goshayeshi (a pseudonym, I assume) made for a wickedly funny read, a promising name not previously on my radar for me to look out for.
  
  David Peaks essay on the late Mark Samuels 'Horror Religiosus: The Dark Passions of Mark Samuels' was the stand out however, and not a work of his I believe I'd encountered before. The man has a wonderful way of framing (or indeed, reaffirming) existence as horrifying in itself and yet capable of exquisite beauty. Even more so than his prose, Peaks academic musings echo and amplify that of Ligottis, for my money making him among our most interesting contemporary writers of the macabre.
• 
  Alex

  Vastarien continues to deliver the weird, the horrific, and the enlightening. The essay “Magic, Madness, and Women Who Creep: The Power of Individuality in the Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman” by Gwendolyn Kiste added more stories to my “to read” pile. “The Curse of the Three Biblical Magi” by Sepehr Goshayeshi is a weird bit of blasphemous conspiracy theory. “The Ageless Agelasts” by Rhys Hughes is a odd bit of antiquarian dark humor that would have made Ambrose Bierce or Mark Twain proud.
  
  If you’d like a sample of what this issue has to offer, the haunting “Rat King” by Lia Swope Mitchell is available to listen to for free in Episode 501 of PseudoPod.
  
  
  http://pseudopod.org/2016/07/29/pseud...
  
  Probably my favorites of this issue were its opener and its closer. “Venio” by Gemma Files is an excellent brutal story about creation and is a fantastic example of what creepypasta can grow up to be. “Effigies of Former Supervisors” by Matthew M. Bartlett is a pleasing bit of corporate horror, exploring a place where “Office Space” goes even darker. These two are worth the price of admission alone.
  
• 
  Justin

  I continue to be impressed with each issue of “Vastarien” and I am so proud to be a patron of this journal. Each issue has not only offered rich and enjoyable work, but the organization and thought put into the journal’s execution is the mark of quality.
• 
  Tony Ciak

  A wonderful romp thru the neighborhood.
• 
  Lou

  Venio by Gemma Files
  
  Four people, writers and a blank page, and with drawing of closed door they draw they write what is behind it. What a great exercise. Let the challenge/ritual begin.
  Thus is how it begins the voice in this tale tells: “Draw a door, a shut door, locked if it must be, and look at it. Look at it for as long as you must before you can write down exactly what’d be behind it, if it opened.”
  And
  “The door, and what’s behind it. What’s behind your door? See it, guys.
  Write it down.
  Write it down, then tell me.”
  
  This ritual for these writers turns out to be a terrifying one and for the reader.
  Something waits.
  
  Magic, Madness, and Women Who Creep:
  The Power of Individuality in the Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman
  by Gwendolyn Kiste
  
  Examining and unwrapping with wonderful clarity three works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman. One can see why an award befits this essay. Philosophy of a work by an author who does understand the medium very well and great guide in helping Gilman’s dream and legacy be understood by widening the cycle with deciphering and carrying forward the art of the outsider with this piece. It leaves you with two more things to do to read Charlotte Perkins Gilman and read more by Gwendolyn Kiste.
  
  
• 
  Ryan Croke

  There are some good stories in here but on the whole this issue was lacking in authenticity. I felt a lot of the stories seemed pedantic and forced. Still love the series but this issue was a struggle at times to get through.