Song of Fire, by Rachel Pollack

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Modern Fantasy Adventure; Jack Shade) In our world, only Travelers are aware of the supernatural world that exists all around us. Jack Shade is a sort of private investigator for Travelers, and in this story he takes a case for a Djinn, whose people are being starved to death. (14,158 words; Time: 47m)

This story makes reference to previous Jack Shade stories (there are lots of them), but there’s no real need to read any of them first. If you like this story and want to read more about Jack, all of the previous ones have been collected into “The Fissure King: A Novel in Five Stories”

Visible Cities, by Rachel Pollack

[F&SF]

★★★☆☆ Average

(Modern Fantasy; Jack Shade) At 19, Carolien learns she has real magic and becomes a traveler. When her teacher disappears, she goes looking for him. (9,409 words; Time: 31m)

Although this is set in the Jack Shade universe, it’s the back story for a supporting character, so there’s no need to read the earlier works to understand it, nor does this contain any spoilers.

Homecoming, by Rachel Pollack

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(Urban Fantasy; Jack Shade) Carol has always felt a piece of her was missing, so she hires supernatural investigator Jack Shade, to find it. It seems simple enough, but quickly becomes much more than simple soul retrieval. (22,786 words; Time: 1h:15m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Prior familiarity with the Jack Shade stories makes this one easier to appreciate, but isn’t strictly necessary.

Johnny Rev, by Rachel Pollack

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Jack Shade, a supernatural investigator in New York City, is stalked by his own duplicate. (24,099 words; Time: 1h:20m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Recommended

Recommended By: SFEP