T
here are no limits on fantasy. Yet, in literature
it is so heavily steeped in genre it’s impossible
not to think of warring kingdoms, dragons,
unicorns, witches and other supernatural tropes.
Fantasy with a capital F involves epic narrative
journeys, like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.
They are sprawling, complicated stories and yet it is
easy to suspend disbelief because their worlds are
built with such detail and nuance — and because
so much is recognisable to the reader thanks to the
diktats of genre. I sometimes wonder if the clear but
unwritten rules aid or inhibit fantasy writers?
For this issue we sought to nod briefly to genre
while also representing wider interpretations of
fantasy; to take in dreams, desires and the human
ability to build our own realities however far-
fetched. It includes a few twists on traditional
fantasy: for mermaids see The Change by Rowena
Fishwick; for dragons, check out Singed by Jessica
Kashdan-Brown. Other pieces require a wider leap
of the imagination; some are dark (see Xander Wears
A Lovely Leather Jacket by Stephen Daultrey),
others are funny (Side Gig by Andrea Holck), deeply
touching (Orchard by LA Pocock), or rooted in
reality, but framed by well-known fantasy stories,
such as The Blundergaffe by Florianne Humphrey.
Our guest author is Joanne Ramos whose debut
novel The Farm, about a surrogacy service for the
super wealthy, has been gracing bestseller lists.
In her flash fiction story, So Beautiful, exclusively
published here, she gives voice to the earth — who
is, it transpires, rather fed up with mankind.
We hope you enjoy reading. Remember you can
subscribe for just £20 a year and enjoy four issues
delivered to your door. Potential contributors
should also sign up to our newsletter or check the
website (popshotpopshot.com) for details of the
next theme.
ISSUE 25 — FANTASY
AUTUMN 2019
EDITORIAL
Matilda Battersby
— Editor
Popshot Quarterly is the
illustrated magazine of
new writing, providing a
publishing platform for the
best emerging talent.
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ISSN: 2041-
Cover illustration by:
Eric Chow
ericchow.co.uk
Editor:
Matilda Battersby
Art Editor:
Lauren Debono-Elliot
Publisher:
Steve Pill
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Published by:
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Distributed by:
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Printed in the UK by:
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