Can I just say again how much I love this cover? The coloring is rich and the image is so much fun. I smile every time I look at it. This is a larger zine, 8x11 or so, the interior is clean and the pages are split into two columns, which make reading the stories easier.

Art is used extensively, as there is an image to introduce each story as well as others placed throughout the magazine. I was however, unimpressed by the interior images. The images depicted a scene of aspect of the story and some looked like they were done as old-school woodcuts. They weren’t bad, they just weren’t as engaging as they could be. 

Here’s a rundown of the type of stories in the magazine: Sci fi; fantasy; translation of Grimm’s fairytale by editor (apparently a semi-regular feature); horror; zombie tale; serial sci-fi with androids and spaceships; poem; sci fi; poems; 5 book reviews (column each). The reviews covered a range of genres and publishers, which is helpful. I enjoyed most of the stories and was suitably creeped out by the zombie and horror stories. Most of the stories were more about the situation than the characters, but the characters were still believable (most of the time). I admit to not reading the poems, so I can't speak to how good they are.

One feature I found interesting was the serialized story. Part three was in the issue I read, and I was a little confused as to what was going on. I was really hoping for a short paragraph to give a basic “here’s what happened so far,” but I had to deal without it. That said, I haven’t really read serialized stories, so I’m not sure if that’s a common device or not. Still, even with being a bit confused, I was impressed with how well author Kenneth Crist managed to make this section of the story stand on its own feet. He used the same character to open and close the section, by opening and closing a story thread, which really helped to make this seem like a complete story.

Overall, I enjoyed Tales of the Talisman and I'm seriously considering buying the next issue so I can see how Mind Games ends.

*I should mention that this is probably not the best magazine to read if you're not a fan of sci-fi or fantasy, or if you're just starting to get your feet wet. There are several characters with unpronouncable names living improbable lives, and technology that doesn't quite square up with conventional wisom. The stories are good, but the trappings might not be to everyone's taste. I'm a total sci-fi/fantasy nerd, so I'm a little biased in favor of the genre.