ReviewStack: McAllister's Mates Twenty Three
Hi all
Two reviews from my first round of open submissions - I enjoyed these immensely - I have a few more to post before I open the next round in two weeks or so. For now please enjoy the exceptional works of James Kenwood and Jeffrey Salem.
These reviews are part of Reviewstack run by the great writer and pillar of the Substack Community : Thaddeus Thomas
An ongoing series of reviews of some of the wonderful articles, poems, and stories I’ve discovered on Substack (and other places) and more importantly the beautiful souls behind the works.
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Please take a few moments to read the works of these authors, artists, and creators and if you find their work as life-affirming and life changing as I do, then please let them know. We need to support and cherish these voices.
You can meet some of my other friends in the previous instalments: 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
If you want to keep me in caffeine (and keep the ghostly voices whispering for the poetry side of things) - consider clicking below. For any who do so, you have my deepest gratitude.
This sci-fi story carries off the rare trick of being a tense and intimate character study, while building a rich world that feels expansive and rooted in a long history. A group of soldiers observe an approaching vehicle in a beautifully realised alien setting. A tranquil and majestic desert scene with an intriguingly described skyline, where multiple moons dance gently in the sky in contrast with the immediate dangers below. James’ writing creates an immediate meta-commentary on the all too familiar nature of humanity. Here we are on a magnificent alien world with countless wonders to explore, yet the all too familiar fights for territory and power rage on.
Both us and the soldiers become tense and alert as they scan the truck and mull over the possible contents. Soldiers, weapons, a family? Their demeanor changes immediately at the last possibility - these soldiers are not heartless monsters. These are good souls compelled to almost autonomous behaviour, we see that spark of humanity reignite at the last moment. We now come to the story’s cornerstone by way of explanation to their conditioning.
The description of their uniforms stopped me dead. They carried the iconography of ancient Egypt on their insignias. As something of an amateur Egyptologist, I can testify as to the depth of James’ research, his love of the era, and reverence for its mysteries. I really can’t reveal exactly where he takes his knowledge and enthusiasm or I’ll spoil the story, but trust me it’s dramatic, horrifying, and immersive. What I can discuss, however, are the intelligent observations around the powers of symbolism, faith, and tradition. Ancient Egyptian imagery remains a point of awe, mystery and perhaps even comfortable familiarity in even the western consciousness. Do certain myths, stories, and symbols become so embedded in our psyches so as to become levers (for better or worse) for our very souls? We see the same repeating motifs underlying a lot of world mythologies, cultural movements and even political rhetoric - is it inconceivable that the mystery religions of ancient Egypt will take sway over humanity? Look at how these images have persisted and shaped the arts since the discovery of Tutankhuman. James makes a very persuasive argument as to how we could again be ruled by such a domineering cult. Stand out passages show the use of technology not to provide an egalitarian tool of clarity, but to cement the hold of autocratic, religious government agencies.
While some may draw some very superficial parallels between this story and Stargate I feel that James has dug into the psychology of faith, power, and the pliability of the imagination a lot more than the Stargate movies and series ever did. I love Stargate but I do feel it prioritised a cool aesthetic (that is, as I said universally loved) over asking interesting questions or in-depth speculation. James makes no such mistake, I would be amiss to concentrate too much on the philosophical elements at the cost of invoking the thrilling action and terrifying horror elements of the story. Like The Forever War, Harrison Bergeron, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - the philosophical inquiry dances with tense dystopia and a thrilling plot. I just can’t say too much on that front or I’ll spoil things. Please read it for yourself!
Jeffrey’s poem is not only an intimate journal account of a new musician, it is also an invitation to open ourselves to the world. The opening lines encourage us to learn our first song - to “lay a foundation”. Oh oh - this dreamy muse is asking us to get our hands dirty! To get out of our ivory towers and pick up a shovel! This is a call to arms for wonder, courage, and trust, an instruction to return to the earth and get our hands in the dirt of mistakes, setbacks, and problems. Learning new skills, or even trying to grow personally in some way can be a slow, maybe even humiliating process. You’re put in a vulnerable, helpless position and are forced to trust in a teacher or a process. In daily life, we armour ourselves in our achievements, prestige, and knowledge. Yet to take that next step, to truly evolve we must lay down that helm of status, and blade of arrogance. We must again be open, childlike, and innocent. But like an ascending riff - the poem gathers encouraging urgency - “little faster - (the dash is important) little easier”. We trust our teacher, we flow with the process. “Some songs have only two chords”. A statement on musical construction - yes, but I feel that Jeffrey is also pointing towards the arts, and life in general. Some personal actions may be simple objectively, once we lay that all important foundation. Those longed for “right words” - the ones we always had, but couldn’t bear to speak simply fall into place, once we trust ourselves and the process and pick up the guitar, like a relay sprinter accepting the baton. Then the poem grants us a reward “You are a bonafide troubadour.” An interesting word which of course translates to something like minstrel BUT has a meaning rooted just as much in the word “find” as “invent”. And again we come back to that initial effort - to search within for that will to lay the foundation, to allow what wants to come to us. The poem climaxes with the declaration: “What will happen— when you learn to love even one person? when you learn to love a dozen?” An ideal end point - What will happen when we walk out with an open heart, open arms? Will we allow the guitar, that intimidating device, to enter our space? Do we have the courage to find out? A beautiful poem - succinct, elegant, and richly metaphorical.
I hope you enjoy these beautiful works as much as I enjoyed seeing them and writing about them.
You can meet some of my other friends in the previous instalments: 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Substack has proven to be a treasure trove and I already have a few more gifted writers lined up for my next review newsletter.
P.S Subscribe for your chance to get your work reviewed here! You can also claim your FREE book of Poetry and art Hypnos Hermes - an epic poem presented as a medieval manuscript. A fantastical story written in verse enriched by many colourful and vibrant artworks.
If you want to keep me in caffeine (and keep the ghostly voices whispering for the poetry side of things) - consider clicking below. For any who do so, you have my deepest gratitude.
Honoured to have made the list! Thanks for the great review.