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2.0 out of 5 stars
At best, mediocre. At worst, pure drivel, Oct 16 2000
CIVIL WAR FANTASTIC is a medley of 18 short tales of the supernatural or alternative history, told by various authors in the context of the War Between the States. However, the book might just as well be a collection of (rejected) scripts for the old TV series "Twilight Zone" and/or "Outer Limits". A small minority of the stories are marginally inventive, or at least barely entertaining. In the "be careful what you wish for" category, a Confederate soldier of the 15th Alabama meets his aged future self immediately prior to the assault on Little Round Top at Gettysburg, and, at the persuasion of the latter, fires a shot that alters history. In a bit of blarney, a Southerner of Irish heritage in the Vicksburg trenches calls upon the leprechauns of the Old Country to help win the battle. And, during Lee's last retreat to Petersburg, a wounded Rebel soldier is aided by his descendent fighting in the Vietnam debacle. While I admit that all of the fables are at least a little silly, most, unfortunately, are pure drivel and/or totally pointless. "Martial" is probably the worst: the first person account of a hapless nag mired in Gettysburg's present-day tourist attraction, who encounters the proud spirit of a Union cavalry remount. Then, there's the small boy saved by General Lee before the Gettysburg battle, when the latter will not accept a demon's help as it would require the ritual blood sacrifice of the former. Even President Lincoln becomes part of a farce as, unable to come up with words suitable for the Gettysburg Address, he is inspired by the ghosts of two of that field's combatants. Oh, and let's not forget the totally ludicrous "The Three Cigars", wherein the American Civil War is nothing more than a staged entertainment event, produced and directed by the future's First Rumanian Science Fiction Commando for the benefit of its national TV audience. (Huh?!) If you're a serious student of the Blue-Gray conflict, don't bother with this piece of trash - not even if you're overrun by an attack of whimsy. However, if you're a moron in search of some serious mental stimulation ... buy it.
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