Return To the Celestial Review (This does NOT open a new window) Return To the Index (This does NOT open a new window) Note, to make reading multi-part stories easier, story links (links with dejanews.com or www.qz.to, NOT the review or profile links) will open up a new browser window. When you are done reading the story, or section of the story simply CLOSE the story window.

"In Our Tenth Year On The Yellow Brick Road" by Jordan Shelbourne (movie parody) 10, 9, 8 http://www.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=327038992.1 "In Our Tenth Year On The Yellow Brick Road" by Jordan Shelbourne (jordan@u36.com). Guest review by Sandman (sandman@bitsmart.com). Jordan's archive is at http://www.u36.com/jordan/front.html. I guess this would fall under the category of fan-fiction since it asks the question what would happen if Dorothy and her three companions took ten years to get to the emerald city. Why Dorothy would grow up to be a woman with needs and desires and three rather odd companions. Those companions, of course, are the cowardly lion, the tin-man without a heart (but with a tin phallus they didn't show in the movie version) and the straw man. I'll admit there was a part of me that screamed out against liking this story, simply because it went against my images and conceptions of the characters. The author however writes extraordinarily well, and so it was easy enough to follow the story. There's no hard hitting sex here, and very little in the way of excitement. The straw man narrates the story as Dorothy satisfies herself first with the lion and then the tin man. The twist that makes this worthwhile is the straw man (perpetually soft) and his desire to be with Dorothy as his companions are. Again I review an unrequited love story from Jordan, but because of the fan-fiction and fantasy aspects, it isn't quite as appealing. This is however one of the more unique stories you're likely to find floating around on the net and it's probably worth reading for just that reason. Ratings for "In Our Tenth Year On The Yellow Brick Road" Athena (technical quality): 10 -- Top notch. Venus (plot & character): 9 -- An interesting idea. Sandman (appeal to reviewer): 8 -- You might want to take a look.