up to the horizon and beyond!

Finally!
Not to mean "finally this has arrived" - oh, no. Jeremy Lawson did a fabulous job of getting rewards out to his kickstarter backers. I think I received my copy of the "Horizon Anthology: Volume One" in October, or possibly early November.
No, I remember now. It was definitely before the end of October.
All I can say for sure is this: I've read the book several times and truly love many of the fifteen tales! I've even made little notes so I can talk about the stories!
I just haven't carved out the niche in my schedule to sit here, in the laptop's glow, and share those notes.
No time like the present! Classes begin on Monday and that would only cause more delay.
Why did I support this project?
Because of my affinity for "The Incredibles", as I mentioned before.
Because I want to know "the rest of the story", as Paul Harvey would have said.
Because this is the only form of "what if" I like to play.
(smile)
So, let's take a gander, shall we?
But do we do so in order of appearance, or type, or author's last name?
Hmmm... reverse alphabetical it is!
David Stoll's "Ember" presents a king mired in settling petty squabbles instead of slaying dragons as he once did. Sigh. Enter two clueless hunters, add a switcheroo, and stir mightily! Great fun!
"Options" takes a different tack. Sarah Stern poses the question: What would you do if your evil lord died and you were free to follow your dream? Would "open a bakery" be your first choice??? Well, as it turns out, you might want be well advised to consider that, as it allows you to use pastry to win over your former enemies. Very nice! Lots of bright colors, too.
"Happily Ever After" is explored directly by Nicky Soh. A little boy is playing with his toys, acting out his favorite bedtime story about the Warrior and the Evil Witch Queen. Enter mom and dad... and blur the line between myth and reality! Cool! The simple lines and bright colors enhance its feel as a child's fairy tale. Nice work!
"Sun and Moon" has to be one of the sweetest love stories in the book. Between a prince and princess? No, my dear, between a boy and his grandma. Ally Shwed has crafted a gentle tale of keeping hope alive in a devastated future world. Beautifully done!
Laura Neubert's "Cast In Stone" merges Greek mythology with the world of modern thespians for something a bit different. Very nice retelling of Medusa's origin, too! This was also one of the few tales which didn't feature princes or princesses or royalty of any kind - quite original!
For this next one, may I suggest a soundtrack? Go ahead and tune up Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water". Seriously. I'll wait.
You need that for the driving action behind Moses Nestor's futuristic tale of humans and aliens. "Fire On The Horizon" is inked with deep flame reds and cool ocean blues and speaks a story of love. I really liked it!
In an odd way, it brought to mind Rinko Endo's story, "The Same Moon". I guess that makes it a "speculative relationship", too.
(smile)
Ian McGinty's "TRIBE." left me cold, despite the snugglies worn by his futuristic clan.
(smile)
Set in a world made barren by a dying sun, I'm sure that's the reaction he intended. Check and mate, sir!
Should I stay or should I go? That's the question of all three of Jeremy Lawson's characters in "Adrift". (Here's the song from The Clash for your wanderin' toes.) Is it nobler to forsake the familiar to roam the Earth or to stay and fight for what is local? So asks the fry cook aloud, the hired hand of himself, and the returning hero by his actions. Nice bit of philosophy there!
Hahaha! "The Adventures of Wilt and Zeed: Dragon Slayers" had a nice comedic twist at the end! Bryant LaMare is obviously riffing on Bill and Ted, which is cool by me - I love those guys! This finds the two adventurers as a human and an alien, on an alien planet, fighting to save the WORLD!!! It really is quite funny and has some interesting details in the backgrounds. (I like the shadows on the walls.)
Jen Hickman provides us a prince, not living too happily. Sure, he's married the fair maiden of his dreams and defeated the evil conjuror and his minions... but, now what? The thrill is gone, as B.B. King would attest. "Mind The Gap", y'all, between what you think you want and what you actually need, or the bad guy gets the last laugh!
Adam Del Re has a nice sense of humor, too. Take one knight, deep in a castle after slaying the dragon, now on "The Way Out". Or he would be if he could remember the path - poor guy! A neon EXIT sign sure would have helped!
(I can so relate to his predicament! Without my Garmin Nuvi, I am easily lost.)
"No More Villains" was the only collaborative piece in the anthology, crafted between Angael Davis (author and drawer) and Patricia Daguisan (colors). Here, we have a man in the midst of an identity crisis, confused about which type of person he is. His kids, on the other hand, aren't confused at all and set him straight! Lovely story, rich purples and soft crimsons in the palette, and a protagonist with a great family!
A similar theme runs through "Mr. Victory in the Age of Suburbia": a man with an identity crisis, though his is softened by age. Athena Currier's former hero has a close resemblance to Prince Valiant, down to the pageboy hairdo, but now he's an older family man. Still, he ponders the questions of life as he fetches milk from the local grocer... a very nice tale about appreciating becoming older. Even the color scheme speaks of a fading sunset with its soft yellows, muted salmons, and dusky grays.
Or maybe that's just how I relate to it, now that I'm in that middle-aged stage of life.
(smile)
Jorge Corona's tale, as the last in this book, takes us one step closer to the endgame of man's existence. "A Lifelong Battle" follows an aged warrior king as he refuses to go gentle into that good night, even after many years with a quiet reign. Nicely done tale of death with dignity.
Tales of aging men are plentiful, but what about those aging princesses? Who speaks of them? Morgan Beem does, in the very first story in this anthology. Snow White, "Fairest of Them All", has wed the prince, become queen, and birthed a beautiful daughter. And so the trouble begins. As her daughter blossoms, her own flower is fading, as is her self esteem. What to do?
Well, you'll have to read that story for yourself, won't you?
I'm so glad to have been part of this grand adventure!