In September 2018, I had the opportunity to review the first issue of LandsbergON magazine from Gorzow . Years later, not only is the half-yearly going well, but the NOVUM Association, its publishers, decided to involve another city in writing! And so today I am pleased to visit Opole and read the Imaginarium .
We start with scaring!
Similarly to the mentioned LandsbergON , the Imaginarium also decided to create the next issues thematically. In the first issue of the publisher, they decided to scare us a bit. We start with a short introduction written by the deputy editor-in-chief Kamil Kwiatkowski. It tells us about the beginnings of the entire project and what will be served to us on the following pages. And it all starts with a bang. The first text is A Substantial of the Past by Szymon Drzymała. We move to the destroyed, post-apocalyptic Opole. We walk along it with an old man, a stalker and a herd of overgrown cicadas, and in the background we hear one of the songs of the Republic. And although there are evident references to the Metro hereGlukhovsky (of whom Drzymała is a fan), this is not a reproductive story. The novel from across the eastern border was only an inspiration for a young author who gives us a rather dark and mysterious story with a thrill.
To the delight of the readers, it still does not get any worse. Here we are moving to frozen Iceland, where a certain Einar will have to teach people surviving the apocalypse from different parts of Europe how to cope with new, extreme conditions. It will quickly become apparent that, even in the worst moments, human behavior does not change, and many of us only think about ourselves. Katarzyna Rapacz shows us this sad truth in Hearts freeze up the fastest . And if after reading the story of that you will feel depressed and sad, Paulina Jasik and her nightmare did you not comforted. Here is another depressing story, this time with a battered woman in the lead role. Will a vampire who stands in her way change her fate?
Olaf Pajączkowski, in turn, will take us on a journey in time, and we will set off on it with a very tipsy student Mikołaj. The boy will go back to the times of World War II to try to get a mysterious book belonging to an almost forgotten brotherhood. How will Indiana Jones from Opole handle? You will find out in When Witches Dance !
Finally, there is a vicious circle that will be introduced by Meg Spyhigh. The story of life and death has been described by the author in a rather unusual and terrifying way. Because who of us would like to be able to see our own funeral as a ghost? Looking at faces and listening to comments from loved ones? This is just the beginning and the worst is yet to come!
Five stories in which let’s see ghosts, destroyed cities and human characters. Each of them will certainly move us, stimulate our imagination, give food for thought, and probably terrify us. For various reasons. This is a really great start for Imaginarium . Bravo Opole!
Not just words
In the first issue of Imaginarium you will find not only stories, but also photos and pictures. Among them you will see, among others, a cute creature taken out of a fairy tale, which is just eating some crystal. Karolina Lisek breathed life into him. And although the creature itself may not quite fit the theme of the horror, it is cute enough that we can forgive him for pressing on the page. In addition, we can also see a painting by Aleksand Fajlert, depicting a blindfolded child standing on the battlefield. The severed heads and limbs can certainly give you the chills. However, the photos from the Mgliste Opole series are the most amazing for me, made by Paweł Uchorczak. Although the photos were taken in the city, and not in any fantastic world, the artist was able to capture the right moment and give the whole atmosphere straight out of a horror movie.
I am waiting for the sequel!
The first issue of Imaginarium makes a great impression on the readers. Here we have a really good start of another fantastic magazine, published by NOVUM. Very interesting and intriguing stories have been selected that will stay in your memory for longer. There are also no objections to the graphic side. I also give a plus for the paper the magazine was issued on. It is extremely pleasant to the touch, and the letters on it are slightly convex, so you can feel them under your fingers. Like a trifle, but the effect is quite pleasant for the recipient. I hope that, as in the case of LandsbergON, it is the beginning of a great project and that we will return to Opole many times.