Daedelus has three stories on Storysite, and although I’d read
them before, it’s been a while, and I’d forgotten just how a good a writer
Daedalus is (and how unfortunate it is there isn’t more of his work to read). To
start with, Daedalus is terrific with dialogue and a master with paragraphs. His effective
use of dialogue means that his stories progress with little narrative, instead flying
along with the characters as they act out the story.
His use of short, succinct paragraphs helps that immensely. Short paragraphs make it
really easy to follow the action because you don’t have to waste time trying to
figure out who’s talking or doing what to whom. If nothing else (and there is much
more), Daedalus’ are an example to any writer who is trying to figure out how to use
paragraphs effectively.
Daedalus also creates wonderful characters. They’re bright, they’re
intellectually sophisticated, and best of all, they’re nice people. It’s really
fun to sit in on their conversations and watch them interact with one another. And there's
always an interaction because all of his stories are about couples. These bright, engaging
people really like each other and along with everything else Daedalus does well, he does a
heartwarming job of revealing the playful way that people in love can play with each
other.
But as we all know, it takes more than technical skill in constructing sentences or
paragraphs to write good stories, and Daedalus writes good stories. They are well plotted,
cleverly laid out, and most importantly, fun to read. I say this despite the fact that his
stories all involve magic, and in general, I’m no fan of magic stories. But I am a
fan of well thought-out, insightful, entertaining stories, whether or not they contain
magic, and these stories are all of that.
To Love and Cherish, is a fun romp with a young witch and her husband, who is tired
of getting kicked out of the house every time the "Circle" comes for a visit.
You don’t even have to be T* to figure out just what he will have to do to be
permitted to stay, but you will really enjoy what happens when he agrees to the needed
change. And you’ll have fun following the nifty twists and turns the story takes as
it accelerates toward its conclusion.
One of the things that really sets Daedalus apart as an author is that he has been able
to write more than one level into his stories. But we don’t get to discover the
second layer until the end, when we all of a sudden figure out what’s really going on
and get one of those wonderful "Ah Ha!" moments. Because To Love and Cherish is
a love story, it’s "Ah Ha!" moment is a very heartwarming one indeed.
Burning Bright is a story about a mirror, and we all know what happens to people
who gaze into mirrors in TG fiction. But this story takes that standard set up into a
psychological dimension that is not often explored. As a result, we get to watch as our
characters learn more about their real desires than they had ever anticipated.
No Special Effects is also a love story that plays with a two layer style.
Superficially, it's a standard TG story about a guy with a beautiful girlfriend who wants
a beautiful girlfriend. In this case, of course, she has the power to do something about
it. One of the treats of this story is the sensual way Daedalus describes Neera, the
literally and figuratively enchanting girlfriend, and then Nikki, as things begin to
change in his life. The writing, as playful as it is in the other stories, is also sexy,
in a moist, organic way. You get the feeling that it’s pregnant with sensuality and
very nearly ready to give birth.
So go read Daedalus. He'll be a real treat for you magic fans, but just about everyone
else will like his stories as well. In Greek mythology, Daedulus, in addition to being the
father of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun and melted his wings, was a great
inventor. Our Daedalus ain't too bad himself, creating ingenious stories and writing them
with skill and flair. Check him out, you won't go wrong.
