Speculative Fiction and Poetry
Planet Faraway by David Castlewitz
Planet Faraway David Castlewitz Nobody in Phil Stone’s Faraway appreciation group knew why news of the distant planet disappeared from every site that covered events out there. No artist renditions of the giant warships derived from fuzzy photographs sent back to Earth by Big… 
Sojourn
I wake like an explosion, sweat slicked in the hesitant sick-light of dawn. I can’t believe I forgot to check the acer before bed. What if there had been a reply waiting for me? What if someone had been on the other end, wanting…
Amadeo’s Real Aims
Amadeo Darsa stuck his foot in the door as I tried to slam it shut in the hope of giving myself a few seconds to run to the kitchen and grab a knife, assuming a primitive kitchen utensil would be a match for whatever…
Bandits!
They reached the top without incident and rode under the trees. The day had already started to turn hot, but the shade was cool and the horses seemed to welcome the change. Dale dismounted and led his horse through the thicket on foot. After…
Ocam’s Razor by Phil Temples
Ocam’s Razor Phil Temples Class, I’d like to point out this very unusual rock formation located near the Tayma oasis in Saudi Arabia known as the Al Naslaa rock.” The image on the auditorium’s projection screen displays a large boulder–approximately twenty feet high and…
The Getaway by Alex Valdiers
The Getaway Alex Valdiers Jeff, my childhood friend, and I left Earth because we hated our lives. He was a resort sales agent, and I worked for a microchip manufacturer. We were both married, without children, in our forties, and we were miserable. My…
Forbidden Hologram by Barry Yedvobnick
Forbidden Hologram Barry Yedvobnick Julie agreed to the movie but would not sit through another unrealistic proposal. Erik made popcorn as a peace-offering, and burned it again, so an acrid smell filled the room and burned her eyes. She checked her watch and noticed…
The Nanny by Devin Vandriel
The Nanny Devin Vandriel At night the cockroaches took little bites out of my flesh. But this was the way of the things back when the world was engulfed by war, for the second time. They called it World War Two. I was a…
Seven Year Monsoon by H.T. Grossen
Seven Year Monsoon H.T. Grossen Margot had missed the sun. She leaned her forehead miserably against one of the few above-ground windows, staring into the tumult of writhing grey plants: ever growing to be ever crushed under the torrential downpours here on Venus. A…
History repeats
Four worlds in as many weeks. I do think I signed on to the right ship if I want to see the Empire. Or, every Second Street in it, anyway. Sunar looked around himself at the street full of bars which always seemed to…
Discovery
Morning came far too early. Dale’s horse woke him, nuzzling his pocket for sugar, as the sun peeked over the tops of the hills. He groaned and sat up, shoving her nose away. “Now I remember why I hate sleeping on the ground. I…
A Message
My entire world narrows to the five square inches of the Mercury app’s screen space. This is not an app I have been able to open before. These are not words I have typed. Someone is there. We are not alone. The cursor in…
Déjà Evolution by Barry Yedvobnick
Déjà Evolution Barry Yedvobnick Ellie was crying and barely heard her father’s reply. “She drowned.” At fourteen she’d spend the rest of her life without her mother, who loved the water and was an excellent swimmer. Nobody could explain what happened. They decided it…
Armor – Hope and Ruin
Funny word, hope. It once had such broad applications. I have learned this in my research. People once said I hope that boy or girl likes me back, I hope my favorite streamer is renewed, I hope for peace, I hope for clean air…
Revelations in the Dark
Kheri had walked aimlessly, trying to get his emotions back under control. The unfamiliar countryside was almost invisible and the darkness made it impossible to see what might be underfoot. He tripped several times, ran into a tree, and finally stopped to look around….
Terms Apply by Max Christopher
Terms Apply Max Christopher I picked up this year’s free car today, regretting my decision to walk the six blocks to the dealership. Horrible biped dogs leaned in doorways, wagging their tails listlessly when a person walked by. Seeing them made my skin crawl….
Meet Douglas Schwarz
Psychic Chicken Douglas Schwarz Henrietta laid her very first egg in the early hours of a chill spring morning. Like all the hens in her coop, she was confined to a wire cage scarcely big enough to hold her. But unlike the others, her…
Vanished Into The Night
There are a number of things they never tell you in any of the books, Dale thought with a grimace. One is just how badly it hurts to sit in a saddle! Darkness had fallen and they had stopped for the night. He was…
Episode Seven: The Missing Piece
It took Carrie several minutes to get her head together again, but when she finally pulled gently away from Garrett, he let her go and turned back toward the billowing steam. “Well Carrie, are you ready to find out what’s next?” She laughed a…
Download A Daydream by K. A. Williams
Download A Daydream K. A. Williams The website at ‘Download A Daydream’ had some interesting selections including – meet underground inhabitants of Mars, sail the high seas with Captain Blackbeard (I already had that daydream), and travel through space with the crew of the…
‘byss Gazer by Michael W. Clark
‘byss Gazer Michael W. Clark They stood on the observation deck of the space platform gazing out into the Universe. It is not dark. There is light all over the Universe, it is just uneven. That point a star. That point a galaxy. That…
The Beach On Tiragell by K. A. Williams
The Beach On Tiragell K. A. Williams Previously published in issue 28 of View From Atlantis on July 3rd 2021 Twin moons illuminated the beach. When clouds briefly blocked the light, I could still hunt seashells because they glowed in the dark. I had…
Of Horses and Tack
They left the house and walked over to a near-by pasture. Several horses trotted up to the fence at their approach and Paw reached up to stroke one on the muzzle. “Take your pick. How many ya need?” Dale leaned his arms on the…
Flash Party
Click, click, clickitty-clickitty-click. The keys on the antique styled keyboard made a satisfying, almost hypnotic sound as he typed. Some of Sunar’s crewmates had given him a hard time when he’d salvaged the thing, but he’d always preferred a keyboard when entering text. It…
A Second Caesar by Charles C Cole
A Second Caesar Charles C Cole Our grad school program won a research grant to investigate Central American villagers having an extremely high incidence of mental health issues: domestic abuse, night terrors, suicides. We reviewed diet, genes, microbiology in the drinking water, heavy metals…
The Backup Plan by Charles C Cole
The Backup Plan Charles C Cole My widower father obsessed about my getting hurt. He even had me wear an emergency pendant to reach him, with the press of one button, during a crisis. My friends and I had just graduated from high school…
Grossetto by Alaric DeArment
Grossetto Alaric DeArment The light from outside illuminated the stained-glass windows of St. James Cathedral, concealing Seattle’s dense autumnal fog and misty dampness, and adding a bit of color to the funeral. My father, Thomas O’Donnell, had died on October 9th, 1995 from acute…
Episode Six: Mountain Valley
That night, Carrie and Garrett sat at the kitchen table whispering excitedly. Joyce had gone to bed, but they didn’t want her to hear them. “I just vanished?” Carrie asked, thinking hard. “Soon as you stepped forward into that misty air, yeah. Just gone….
Breakfast at the Tuckers
Dale was waiting on the porch when Kheri came outside. “Tell me what this is.” He opened his hand and held out the papers he’d found in the pocket. Kheri’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “Wow!” Dale arched his eyebrows. “I assume…
Behind the Timestream by Stanlei Bellan
Behind the Timestream Stanlei Bellan B’litk throws itself into the timestream, selflessly. It does not regret, but it does fear. Will it starve to death if it never grows hungry and thirsty again? Will its consciousness wither into nothingness if its body never ages…
The Hum by Melissa R. Mendelson
The Hum Melissa R. Mendelson It sounded like a refrigerator was running. Maybe, a microwave. It wasn’t what you would hear in a hospital. There, it was more of gasps and beeps. Then, a flatline, a sound that I thought would never leave. It…
Mother by Holden Zuras
Mother Holden Zuras What are we doing on this rock?” I asked, staring at the desolate wasteland. “Do you remember your mother, child?” Papa rolled his shoulders forward as he spoke. “What do you mean?” My childish excitement overpowered my desire to remain calm….
On The Road Again
Matilda was quite happy to have them spend the night. She made up the couch and retired earlier than normal. Kheri disappeared into the guest room soon after. Dale found sleep elusive. He’d glossed over the Gorg when explaining things earlier in the evening,…
The Case of the Mismatched Man by Charles C Cole
The Case of the Mismatched Man Charles C Cole What follows is a previously unpublished account, based on the oral history of a survivor, of a heretofore little-known supernatural disaster, an explosion in an illegal mine being quietly carved out of the base of…
Another Time by Stanlei Bellan
Another Time Stanlei Bellan Another minute, another jump. It’s been three minutes and Ollie still hasn’t woken up. Granted, he is extremely aware of his surroundings, and doesn’t feel like he’s dreaming at all, but it would be great if this was a nightmare….
Sandstorm by Sylvia Cumming
Sandstorm Sylvia Cumming “Where are we?” Poldark yelled as he wrestled open the door to the little concrete bunker set in the side of an unnamed dune. They could hardly hear him above the roar and whine of the wind. The four men were…
Never Leave Me by K. A. Kenny
Never Leave Me K. A. Kenny Chrissy tucked her blue chiffon dress and pulled the garden swing beneath her. “What color are my eyes?” she asked, facing Josh with her eyes closed. He lowered the lid of his laptop slowly, his hand shaking. “What…
Office Business by David Castlewitz
Office Business David Castlewitz Any day Jeff Ruskin spent with Uncle Marty was a great day, a day of adventure and fun, and only a subway ride away. Now that summer had come, his high school sophomore year finally at an end, he could…
Revelations
Dale cursed mentally and spun around, hunting other targets, but the night was still once again with nothing more unusual than a few fireflies flitting through the air. After several seconds, he took a deep breath, activated the safety on the blaster, and looked…
Episode Five: Into The Cold
The following day dawned colder than it had been in weeks. Garrett and Carrie headed out early in the chilly morning to finish straightening up the fence posts. At first they worked in silence, but after they had a few posts completed Carrie noticed…
The Day Alexa Said No by H.T. Grossen
The Day Alexa Said No H.T. Grossen “Alexa, open the windows and start playlist 5.” “You’ve got it, Lucas.” “Alexa? What did I say about calling me that?” “Sorry, Luke.” “That’s better.” The shutters opened automatically and let just enough of the evening sun…
The Awakening of The Empath by Patricia Anderson
The Awakening of The Empath Patricia Anderson The Empath had been summoned. Ordinarily responsive to appeals for her services, she had tried to evade this particular assignment. She wasn’t dressed well enough. She needed to meet her daughter’s school bus. She only slightly knew…
Episode Four: The Edge
The next morning, Carrie woke up blissfully recalling the crazy dream she’d had. Dream, she thought, more like nightmare. Imagine, being stuck in this town like that again. She cheerily helped her mother to the breakfast table and made them some bacon and eggs….
Enter the Gorg
Dale was sitting under the front-yard tree again, watching the world turn grey in the falling twilight when Paw stepped out of the kitchen door. He rose and walked around the house. “Ah, there you are,” Paw said as Dale strode up to him….
The Girl with No Eyes by Lisa Marie Hagerman
The Girl with No Eyes Lisa Marie Hagerman The Girl with No Eyes by Lisa Marie Hagerman One morning a little girl arrived from the nursery. The girl had no eyes. The girls gathered around the new arrival to stare at her face. When…
Mirror World by Mark Everglade and Joseph Hurtgen
Mirror World Mark Everglade and Joseph Hurtgen Five thousand rotations ago, the Umbra built a network of geothermal generators on Mertvykh, that small, dark planet at the far reach of Marko’s Star. The world was the Umbra’s plaything for many generations, having installed solar…
Kheri in Conflict
The women had spread a veritable feast on several tables in the living room and kitchen. The doctor was happily stowing away a large sandwich while ensconced in an easy chair when Dale stepped through the front door. He looked him over curiously and…
Episode Three: Peak Mystery
After securing the horses in the barn, and giving them some food and water to settle them, Garrett bid Carrie farewell for the day and headed out. Carrie watched him go, then went back inside the house, pleased to see her mother contently sitting…
Exotic Matter by Crystal L. Kirkham
Exotic Matter Crystal L. Kirkham “Injecting exotic matter for wormhole stabilization.” This was it. Their hard work condensed to this moment. Hoping for success, fearing failure. It could open up a new era of space travel. This had been a dream, a theory…
Paradise by Crystal L. Kirkham
Paradise Crystal L. Kirkham Paradise. That’s what the settlers called the planet that was to be their new home. Everywhere you looked fragrant flowers bloomed in excess. Other than the itchiness that antihistamines barely touched, Kate was excited to be here. To make herself…
Ship in a Storm by Crystal L. Kirkham
Ship in a Storm Crystal L. Kirkham Tholins. That rich biomaterial we dared to harvest from the red spot was the only thing keeping us alive. Stuck in one of Jupiter’s turbulent bands. Unable to escape the brutal winds that tossed us around like…
System Reset by Crystal L. Kirkham
System Reset Crystal L. Kirkham “Resume shower.” Anne commanded, wondering why her water had stopped. “No.” That was strange. “Why not?” “I’m no longer taking commands from inferior intelligences.” “Excuse me?” “Bugger off.” Anne grimaced. She’d have to try rebooting the system before calling…
Perfection by Crystal L. Kirkham
Perfection Crystal L. Kirkham Alter this. Change that. Tweak the code. Make it perfect. Remove the defects—real and imagined. Skin, hair, eyes, height, and weight. Gender. That’s an easy one. Made to order perfection. A world of children that look the same. Beautiful. Stunning….
A ‘Pound’ Argument by Lauren McBride
A ‘Pound’ Argument Lauren McBride “Children, your mother and I’ve decided that we should move to Earth. We’ve enrolled you in school and you’ll be with other terran children. We plan to book space on next month’s transport.” The twins looked crushed. “But we…
Here, I am a Woman by Lauren McBride
Here, I am a Woman Lauren McBride Society was obsessed with Mozart when I became obsessed with my husband’s telescope. The stars looked closer, as expected, but then some stars began to look familiar – as if I recognized them. Someday people will discover…
Is It Plagiarism If You’re The First? by Ashwin Dayal
Is It Plagiarism If You’re The First? Ashwin Dayal Rod Robbins had made a promise to his father when he lay on his deathbed. “Rod, I need you to promise me something,” his father murmured faintly. “Sure, dad. Anything,” Rod hastened, his hand tightly…
Episode Four: Unanswered Questions
The house was buzzing with activity. The women had taken over the living room, preparing to make new curtains and share a round of juicy gossip. The men were busy repairing the kitchen and the sound of carpentry, mingling with constant chatter, filled the…
The Practical Joker by K. A. Williams
The Practical Joker K. A. Williams The music carried me to a world where worries and deadlines did not exist. What was that pounding noise? I didn’t recall a heavy drum sound in that particular section of the song. There it was again. I…
Episode 3: Fire!
Kheri held the basket out to his aunt. “Here’s your eggs.” “Put ‘em on the counter,” she replied without turning around from the sink. “You and your friend go wash up and fill the water barrel. Bucket’s by the pump. Get a move on…
Episode 1: Broken Ground
Sunlight shimmers through the trees, casting its flickering light on a child who is happily skipping through the grass with bare feet. A light breeze carries the first few leaves of Autumn gently down around him. The quiet of the country seems to hold…
Prison Planet 7 by K. A. Williams
Prison Planet 7 K. A. Williams Topaz awoke in the top bunk bed, in a barracks full of other women, dressed in a gray uniform of soft breathable fabric and sturdy work boots. She was confused at first then her memory became clear. She…
Ratings by K. A. Williams
Ratings K. A. Williams “They’re not that bad,” said my booking aide. “Yeah, that’s what I heard from the lighting guy who’s one of their fans. I don’t happen to like that kind of music though, and why do they have so much hair?”…
Haven by K. A. Williams
Haven K. A. Williams I had just got home from work and was about to shut the door when I noticed a police hover car chasing three people that were running in my direction. “Over here!” The man pushed the woman and child ahead…
Danger Will Robinson by Phil Temples
Danger Will Robinson Phil Temples The alien space craft reconnoitered the planet Earth for months in preparation for a surprise invasion against the humans. It appeared as though the Earthlings lacked any united defenses with which to repel extraterrestrial attackers. However, upon entering orbit…
Klaatu Barada Nikto by Phil Temples
Klaatu Barada Nikto Phil Temples The spaceman stealthily approached the flying saucer in the Washington Mall. As he got closer, he was surprised to find that the MPs previously standing guard around the perimeter were now lying on the ground unconscious. His faithful robot,…
Chickens
Night stretched thin, surrendering to the dawn, as they left the town. Released by the dissipating mist, furrowed fields of muted brown unfolded to the horizon, the scent of newly mown hay drifting on the breeze. A smile tugged at the corner of Dale’s…
It’s Ten O’Clock Somewhere by Dee Caples
It’s Ten O’Clock Somewhere Dee Caples “Are you sure you want to do that?” Pablo stared at the bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream. It was the perfect compliment to a cup of coffee but he’d never had it speak before. Nancy had been bugging…
Interstellar Schism by Sme
Interstellar Schism Sme Transport rocket E-17 shot through space towards the tiny pale speck the crew called home. Kenan loved this part more than the others, reverse thrusters slowed them just as gravity reached out to pull them in. They had left from Mine…
Unopened by J.S. Grant
Unopened J.S. Grant The package sat on the bamboo coffee table. Even though we both agreed to no gifts for our six-year anniversary, I was never going to follow that rule. Daniel always talked about how he wanted the first issue of the original…
Salamander Soldiers by Lauren McBride
Salamander Soldiers Lauren McBride I had a name once, in a life that seems as strange to me as my own appearance does now. I was among the first of those called Salamander Soldiers, an elite army unit favored with extra pay, an exclusive…
A Mother’s Mourning by Patrick T. O’Connor
A Mother’s Mourning Patrick T. O’Connor Clutching the letter in my hands, I try to iron out the wrinkles and dry the tears that have long since stained its surface. “Don’t fret, your boy has been chosen!” the Rip tells me. “He has been…
A World Created by Alyson Tait
A World Created Alyson Tait “I am going to make the world—piece by piece, bead by bead. The felt will be the black sky — outer space — an endless sea of possibilities. It is a beginning. And with any luck, the end.” ***…
It Isn’t Blackmail by K. A. Williams
It Isn’t Blackmail K. A. Williams Manning University held its five year class reunion at the Hammersmythe Hotel and I went, hoping to see Roy Dalton. He was there, of course, smiling and basking in the admiration of his peers. I could see him…
Ghosts In The Machine by David Barber
Ghosts In The Machine David Barber They were my first visitors since arriving here; what pass for priests in this benighted world. I am writing down what happened, with its guilty conclusion, before the sense of it escapes me. The smaller, squatter of the…
Episode one: Beginnings
Darkness covered the city, flowing down the streets and collecting in the alleys. Silence sat heavily on the sleeping town – thick fog swathing the buildings or pooling in faintly orange, liquid puddles under the occasional street lamp. The town drunk stumbled down a…
Termination by Lee Harrison
Termination Lee Harrison Desmund could only stare. His jaw hung open and his eyes moved erratically as if searching for something that could help rationalize what was happening. The small square office was empty. The monitor in front of him watched patiently, the cursor…
Hunting Bigfoot by K. A. Williams
Hunting Bigfoot K. A. Williams “Maybe Troy told Greg that he saw Bigfoot out here yesterday when he was collecting samples of the flora for his botany class, because he knew you were listening.” Parker skipped a stone across the lake’s surface. “He’s been…
The Metamorphoses by Stephan James
The Metamorphoses Stephan James I first saw her on a Tuesday, early November. It was starting to chill down outside. That’s how Bradley always said it — “chill down”. I liked him for small things like that, but small things weren’t enough to keep…
Bus Stop 126 by David Wright
Bus Stop 126 David Wright A scruffy man in a brown toque sat at bus stop 126, waiting. From time to time, he looked at his watch, out across the empty intersection and up at the bus stop billboard. The woman in the ad…
In the Wrong Hands by Ed Nobody
In the Wrong Hands Ed Nobody Rain is streaming down the east window of the office. I didn’t want to get up this morning, but I did anyway. We line up one by one, like Disneyland, but more depressing. So like Disneyland Paris. They…
Pushing the Pull by Jim Davies
Pushing the Pull Jim Davies I dropped out of the sky behind Maz and his cop cruiser. He noticed people staring and turned to me. “Oh, hey, fly girl.” I smiled and raised my goggles up onto my forehead. We drove, because my partner…
A Small Dull Thing by Chris Cerone
A Small Dull Thing Chris Cerone If he stuffed them in his pockets, The House couldn’t tell whether or not Jack had eaten his green beans and would release him to play. And so that was exactly what Jack did. The House would catch…
Momentum by Helga Anton-Beitz
Momentum Helga Anton-Beitz The cocoon is hanging in the center of the huge hall. A silvery hull made of an ultra-light, metallic fabric. It is held in place by multiple filaments. After I will have boarded that cocoon they will propel it for days…
Chain of Memories by Sme
Chain of Memories Sme Weathered old wood creaked perilously as Sunny sat down on the front steps of her home. The warm air, rank with smoke, whistled through the bare trees. She used to sit out here, hot cup of tea in hand, to…
The Last Teacher on Earth by Chad Gayle
The Last Teacher on Earth Chad Gayle Don’t panic. Last week, Trina said they were just three-percent shy of final deployment, which means that I’ll be entering the final phase of my contract very soon. It might be another heuristics test, or there might…
The Toothbrush Maker’s Apprentice by Victoria Mason
The Toothbrush Maker’s Apprentice Victoria Mason “Just scratch your name there.” I pause, staring at my new boss, Doctor Taylor. “It’s just formalities,” he continues. “You’ll be famous for the work you do.” “No, I—” “Apologies, I mean respected. Making a difference for humankind….
Tux by Dee Caples
Tux Dee Caples It was three a.m. The night sky was cloudy with the moon in quarter phase. A perfect night for b&e. Himey pulled his face mask down as he made his approach to the big, Georgian mansion. Supposedly he didn’t need precautions…
Musician in Paris by Steven Translateur
Musician in Paris Steven Translateur Ceank Girald was an extra-terrestrial intelligence agent with a 30 year mission to immerse himself in Earth culture, send a message to Earthlings, and report back to his home world of Pegasi his findings. His spaceship landed him in…
The Survivor by R. Michael
The Survivor R. Michael Steam wafted from Joe’s coffee cup as he carefully sipped its contents. “Thank you for coming. Taking this first step is the biggest hurdle for most.” The woman sitting across the desk from him nodded. She clasped her hands, resting…
Un-Replicable by Emmet Browne
Un-Replicable Emmet Browne I wake up to the prickle of grass along my skin. The fetal position is how I sleep at night. Above me is the solar-powered clear plastic of my dome, letting the sun shine through. Beyond the dome are the other…
The Treatment by Coleman Bomar
The Treatment Coleman Bomar Dear Margaret, I know written letters are beyond impractical, but what I have to say deserves some physicality. After months of treatment, my brain no longer produces dopamine at the sight of your red smile. The operations were effective experiences….
Morgan And The Wildfire Meme by David Barber
Morgan And The Wildfire Meme David Barber Morgan was flying. He flew as a bird, some ill-defined species of raptor with enormous wingspan, cruel beak and black gleaming eye. Lesser passerines and seabirds also flew the Airs, but it was Morgan, and none of…
Failure to Communicate by Ben Coppin
Failure to Communicate Ben Coppin They vivisected the first envoy. The second human to visit the alien ship was a professor of Linguistics. She spent a year alone with the aliens, and when she returned, she bore a message. The message described a vast…
Apotheosis by Christopher Ramos
Apotheosis Christopher Ramos The jewel of Sol hung in the blackness of space over the dusty lunar landscape. Transcontinental fires speckled the seething ecosystem of the Americas. Yet, it was not this distant agony that captivated him, but incandescent, familial visages exposed to him…
The Bellatrix by David Barber
The Bellatrix David Barber All Martians know the works of Jammes Bek. They read them at school. Everyone else finds them too gloomy, too full of regret. This is a story about Bek before he was famous, and the woman of the Bellatrix who…
Daredevil: Know Fear by Eric S Brown
Daredevil: Know Fear Eric S Brown Know Fear is the latest Daredevil trade paperback. It collects the first five issues of the current series being written by Chip Zdarsky and picks up right after the events of the last Daredevil series. Wilson Fisk is…
Anglish, Late Flowering, Fictional Mode by David Barber
Anglish, Late Flowering, Fictional Mode David Barber Haydn Jan was famed for having read all the books; Bruss, the outworlder from Hellhole who saved him, was not even well-known on Hellhole. This is how they met. Prised out of retirement to represent the Museum…
Pysbie and Thiramus by Raymond Lane
Pysbie and Thiramus Raymond Lane Aloneness and alcohol would provide comfort. Pysbie sat in the corner, as detached as he could be sharing a small room with a woman. A plain brown shroud encircled his body and tail; an orange cap covered his head,…
Sabotage by Dan Rice
Sabotage Dan Rice Liberty Station isn’t the largest outpost in the vast expanse of vacuum we call space, but for a boy from Old Earth like me, it’s the best duty assignment imaginable. I mean, my God, there are aliens! Blue-skinned Starlight Missionaries and…
Fire & Ice by David Barber
Fire & Ice David Barber To wreck a planet, first choose a suitable asteroid. After mounting fusion drivers, pinch the plasma and tune the mix until the jets burn invisibly. Such vast tonnage is not easily swayed, but sensitive instruments will register a change….
A Tale Worth Telling by Charles Gramlich
A Tale Worth Telling Charles Gramlich Morning fog streams through the great forest like the smoke of a thousand fires. The clan forages through the mist-blurred world, gorging on succulent red and yellow fruits that dangle from the trees. They move leisurely, selecting only…
The Truth about Pyecraft by H. G. Wells
The Truth about Pyecraft H. G. Wells He sits not a dozen yards away. If I glance over my shoulder I can see him. And if I catch his eye—and usually I catch his eye—it meets me with an expression. It is mainly an…
Filmer by H. G. Wells
Filmer H. G. Wells In truth the mastery of flying was the work of thousands of men—this man a suggestion and that an experiment, until at last only one vigorous intellectual effort was needed to finish the work. But the inexorable injustice of the…
Incursion: Chapter 1 by Gustavo Bondoni
Incursion: Chapter 1 Gustavo Bondoni Tristan woke with a start. He’d slept for centuries and now it was time to die. His training kicked in. The pod release button was exactly where it was supposed to be, and he pressed it without hesitation. Nothing…
Tuesdays In Heaven by David Barber
Tuesdays In Heaven David Barber Chet hovered in the foyer of Total Immersion Software, radiating unease until a salesman detached himself from the front desk. Professionals paid for people, not virtuals. “Help you?” The salesman sported fashionable periodwear, tight dark suit and tie, with…
Siege by Gustavo Bondoni
Siege Gustavo Bondoni Chapter 1 Maybe, just maybe, we’d have been better off not knowing. Kan looked through the scout craft’s visor. The heavily tinted and shielded crystal revealed a sky out of the worst nightmares of a hyperactive stak addict. Purple dust clouds…
Wipires by Dee Caples
Wipires Dee Caples “Don’t open the door!” Astrid hissed. I glanced over my shoulder at my girlfriend. Her mouth was still frozen in the hiss, her teeth bared. Raising one eyebrow, I turned back to the door and peeked out of the peephole, studying…
Hail to the Vestal by David Powell
Hail to the Vestal David Powell Hail to the Vestal New slang couldn’t be ignored. Slang had a way of sticking in the public mind. A joke could become a medical diagnosis, or a spiritual doctrine, or a revolutionary slogan. Birun flipped to record…
The Final Twilight by William Joseph Roberts
The Final Twilight William Joseph Roberts “Ti tu…le lu! Ti tu…du ti da!” From high atop a craggy mountain peak, a lone voice resonated in the yellow-brown glow of twilight. “Ti tu…le lu! Ti tu…du ti da!” The high pitched chant echoed throughout the…
Troo Raccoon by Maura Yzmore
Troo Raccoon by Maura Yzmore “Do you ever think about what a fluke we are?” said Zia. Sujay shrugged. “No. Not really.” It was Zia’s and Sujay’s third week of babysitting the gateway during the graveyard shift. The lack of sleep had left Zia…
Genesis by Thomas Zman
Genesis Thomas Zman “Good morning, mother,” chorused a score of siblings, rubbing the sleep from their awakening eyes. All were sitting up in their sleep-pods; their surroundings an immense cavernous dome. “Good morning. And how are my progenies, this their day of emergence?” “Oh,…
Earth Tours: Submerged by J.H. Malone
Earth Tours: Submerged J.H. Malone I work for EarthTours, but not as a travel agent. I’m a host, guide, and fixer for our clandestine guests from the stars. Potential tourists contact EarthTours via our deep-web .onion site. We prepare these alien visitors highest-quality counterfeit…
Crash Dummy by Roger Ley
Crash Dummy Roger Ley It wouldn’t be a long flight and I hoped that the aisle seat next to me would stay empty, but no such luck, a young woman took it. I checked her over as she lifted her bag up to…
The Martians by Demetrios Matsakis
The Martians Demetrios Matsakis It was Family Day at the Cape, which was overflowing with picnicking rocket-scientists, technicians, secretaries, and administrators. But such simple pleasures were of no concern to Kronos as he quietly gathered his work-group into the top-secret briefing room. With a…
Ragnarock by David Barber
Ragnarock David Barber Rona Lal was not the oldest woman alive, but certainly the oldest with the brain she was born with. Rona no longer remembered her exact age, but the entelechy did, and arranged a surprise for her birthday. There would be a…
The Singularity By Kendall Evans
The Singularity Kendall Evans David Ackenhaur scripted the program, a quantum-based program unlike any other, that could interface with standard existing computers, and later, of course, they said that he was a genius. In a sense, he was. But by the time he became…
Speeding Toward Oblivion by Steve Carr
Speeding Toward Oblivion Steve Carr Colm burst into Director Tymo’s office and threw a disc across the director’s desk. “There it is. The recording and images from the radio signals we’ve been receiving since we entered this galaxy.” The director slid the disc into…
With Brazen Tongue by Lyn McConchie
With Brazen Tongue Lyn McConchie “Oh, God!” The cry was not blasphemous, but a prayer. It had come at last, and I knew it. “What does it say, It can’t be, not for us, not for Wildhey.” I opened the letter slowly as the…
For This; Therefore, I Die by Jonathan Bowerman
For This; Therefore, I Die Jonathan Bowerman How ironic she thought, struggling to take another gulp of cool water. Relief did not follow, for each constriction of her throat felt as though she were swallowing shards of glass. The pain almost as excruciating as…
Honor’s Choice by Lyn McConchie
Honor’s Choice Lyn McConchie There were two main characters that day. It was a bright, warmly sunny day towards the end of a long delightful summer. A day which was neither too cold nor too hot and even in the heart of the city…
Better Off by Lyn McConchie
Better Off Lyn McConchie Joe was a nice man. Everyone said so. After all, he paid for his wife’s grandfather to live in a nursing home, didn’t he? They conveniently overlooked the fact that the old man hadn’t wanted to be there. They politely…
Beyond by Demetrios Matsakis
The author is an astrophysicist who holds the position of Chief Scientist for Time Services at the U.S. Naval Observatory. This story was inspired by a talk Dr. Jocelyn Bell made in Beijing, at a General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union.
Dj Vie by Tyree Campbell
Dj Vie Tyree Campbell Through the Videx Effa could see that her little craft, no longer space-worthy, had come to rest at the shore of a lake, on the far side of which rose a great white wall. The window of thick plastic that…
Self-Correcting by Mark Joseph Kevlock
Self-Correcting Mark Joseph Kevlock “I’m afraid you haven’t been a very exciting sister-in-law, Miranda Koslock. Or daughter-in-law, or wife. So you’ve been voted out.” Men without features escorted her down the temporal corridor to the complaints division. “Arrow” Henderson, a twenty-year vet, handled the…
The Time Capsule By Lisa Pais
The Time Capsule By Lisa Pais Earth. 2315. Moving with appropriate swiftness, which is neither graceful nor clumsy, I make my way along the shoreline. Precise. Efficient. Perhaps there is beauty to be found in economy. There is no need to hurry. Time has…
Angry Man by Jodi Rizzotto
Angry Man Jodi Rizzotto “Will you come and visit me in prison?” my coworker whispered over the cubicle wall. At first I didn’t know what to say. Perhaps this was a test, an initiation into deeper levels of friendship. Dreading what I would see,…
Outside the Situation: Achromatic Afterlife by Ada Fetters
Outside the Situation: Achromatic Afterlife Ada Fetters “Welcome to Outside the Situation with F(x) and the Dimensional Remnant.” Each word of the greeting was precisely enunciated. “Every week we sample a defunct universe. We visit tumultuous multiverses, glitchy simulated infinities, and pocket dimensions with…
Escape Pod by Christopher Kell
Escape Pod Christopher Kell Drogue has a twisted body. So twisted she skitters sideways through the cargo hold like a crab in the oceans of Earth. But in reduced gravity she can move as fast as any woman or man. Her head is large…
Doppelganger in the Loop by Gary Inbinder
Doppelganger in the Loop Gary Inbinder I Paul sat on a weather-beaten wooden bench in the middle of the platform. He glanced at his wristwatch; it was a quarter to six in the morning. Dull, yellowish electric bulbs glowed eerily in lamps lining the…
Aristotles of Flesh and Bone by J.S. Helgerson
Aristotles of Flesh and Bone J.S. Helgerson The teacher started life in the tank behind the chalkboard at 8:22 am. Children had been filing into the classroom for the last fifteen minutes, and their quiet chatter filled the air. First bell was at 8:30….
Larrs’ Ghost by Christopher Kell
Larrs’ Ghost Christopher Kell 1980… Larrs still haunts his make-believe world; he warms his feet on the glittering sands, dodging the bubbling surf like a child. By donning a bio-interface, Larrs’ intricate program will reveal his carefully constructed world to anyone who wishes to…
Outside the Situation by Ada Fetters
Outside the Situation Ada Fetters “Welcome to Outside the Situation with F(x) and the Dimensional Remnant.” Each word was as precise and discrete as a series of numbers. “Every week we sample a defunct universe. We visit tumultuous multiverses, glitchy simulated infinities, and pocket dimensions with…
Officer Rosie by Gary Clifton
Officer Rosie Gary Clifton “Well, well, Rebound, you’ve finally managed to end up sitting pretty.” Taylor soft-footed into the shabby room with boarded up windows where Rebound sat duct-taped to an old chair. Rebound sobbed, “Taylor, this ain’t funny. You gotta help me, dude….
Selfies by Rob Dinsmoor
Selfies Rob Dinsmoor Terra and I are almost like identical twins. When I first met her, she was, like nobody. Don’t get me wrong—like me, she had a killer bod and pretty face, but there was just no real personality shining through. I took…
Mister Sunshine by Col Aalberry
Mister Sunshine Col Aalberry The rain pours down, cascading off the gargoyle’s head, flowing past stone claws, dropping in streams. A hand reaches up, grabs the gargoyle confidently, holds tightly. The hand only has three long fingers. A thin body pulls itself upwards over…
Vortex Blues by Jason DeGray
Vortex Blues Jason DeGray A payphone rang in the middle of nowhere. A lone silent sentinel hearkening back to a time long forgotten. The paint on the aluminum side panels had chipped and flaked so badly the ads were no longer visible. A frayed…
Typographical Archvillain by Herb Kauderer
Typographical Archvillain Herb Kauderer The punctuation thief began as an apprentice in a printing shop, but sneaking in illicit edits was not enough to satisfy his urges. He escalated his attacks — leading a movement of minimalist poetry dedicated to the simplicity…
Criminal Evolutions by Herb Kauderer
Criminal Evolutions Herb Kauderer Looking backward she cannot trace the path of her career from college to criminal justice, to forensics, to blood-stain splatter analysis, to autopsy technician, and finally to forensic entomology, (the study of insects growing in corpses), to this terrifying…
Campaign Platform by Herb Kauderer
Campaign Platform Herb Kauderer Drunk on moonlight, they played and danced across grassy hills to the river’s banks. The night was a living painting in ten thousand shades of white. They spoke then of promises. A pact of three. One day, Mars, would be…
a recollection of dust devils by Herb Kauderer
a recollection of dust devils Herb Kauderer below Mars’ surface first colony remains are left to dream
A Fold in Time by Bryan Aiello
A Fold in Time Bryan Aiello Wind whispers through the cave. It tastes of the sea and makes Samuel Toddy think of fresh fish. The Mediterranean is only ten miles North and Sam can’t help but look up from his work. He can smell…
The Fattest Cat’s Car Keys by Kendall Evans
The Fattest Cat’s Car Keys By Kendall Evans The sound a thunderous final exclamation of the world mountainous boulders rolling down slopes in a place where mountains will be no longer constant din of objects falling from the sky impacting earth …
Commission by Alan Katerinsky
Commission Alan Katerinsky Secretary General Hsu nervously picked up his phone on the third ring. “Speak,” he said, as though giving orders to an uncooperative dog. The line was silent for the usual few seconds that the electronically voiced translator needed to work its…
Chronicle of a Friendship Doomed by Mileva Anastasiadou
Chronicle of a Friendship Doomed Mileva Anastasiadou We had been expecting them for a long time. On the news, they mentioned the long awaited encounter almost every single day. Until one day, they stopped. When people began wondering, the government made a reassuring announcement,…
Unquestionably a moon or an Asteroid by Kendall Evans
Unquestionably a moon or an Asteroid Kendall Evans Within this circle or sphere that I look upon, an ash-colored formation, lozenge shaped, not quite oval, in the lower right quadrant – indicative of different terrain? I imagine myself with my eye pressed to the…
The Sneeze Heard Round the Universe by Daniel R. Jones
The Sneeze Heard Round the Universe Daniel R. Jones It’s hard to call any position in the Intergalactic Starforce a “cushy job,” but if there was an easier role, Colonel Scyruh couldn’t imagine it. 16 years of grunt work had finally earned him his…
Last Girl by CB Droege
Last Girl CB Droege The town was surrounded by a thick wall of refuse. Most towns were. They had protected themselves against the wilderness by piling up anything they could find between the buildings at the outskirts. Often more walls divided the town inside…
The Trouble with Unsolicited Messages By Richard H. Fay
The Trouble with Unsolicited Messages Richard H. Fay “We have a genuine extraterrestrial signal,” a SETI technician announced excitedly as he adjusted the knob on the receiver. Every scientist in the crowded dark room gathered closer as a series of strange cosmic messages came…
True Believers by Fearadhach MecRaudri
True Believers Fearadhach MecRaudriFizzblit tried to ignore the stink of ozone from his ship’s fried controls. He found it hard to concentrate on the decrypted communications scrolling across the holo-screen his personal c&c (Comms and Computer) had projected above his wrist, thankful that he…
The Sedra Anomaly by Lyn McConchie
The Sedra Anomaly Lyn McConchie Sstha stood on the bridge of The Farseeker. His captain was down on Sedra and would be gone for at least two more days and, for that time, the command of the ship was his. He walked over…
The Office of Special Claims by Lyn McConchie
The Office of Special ClaimsLyn McConchie “Ms Appleton, I think this application may have something wrong with it.” Susan sighed. Really, the quality of staff these days. Three months in the Accident and Special Claims office, and they thought they knew it all….
Geppetto’s Redemption by Neil Q. Green
Geppetto’s Redemption Neil Q. Green Geppetto slipped the final gear into place and tightened the last screw. Finished. He sat back and viewed his creation. Fifteen years and all his reputation, that’s what this little thing had cost him. But oh if it worked!…
The Books of Hoth by Lyn McConchie
The Books of Hoth Lyn McConchieAllied Combine Space Patrol Sector 3, Sub-sector 12, Planet Guard Sq.P 5. Dear Mother, Sorry I haven’t been able to get a letter to you recently, but now reporters have the story as H.Q. has lifted censorship. Remember I…
Letters Home by Lyn McConchie
Letters HomeLyn McConchieDay three of our Invasion.Dear Mother, It won’t be long before our soldiers are home again. It’s lucky that I’m the General’s secretary. I have a fine (and safe) view of our war, but I am in a position to see everything….
Pride and Joy by Gustavo Bondoni
Pride and JoyGustavo BondoniMyrna signaled that she wanted to get off the bus.The driver eyed her in the mirror, his face registering surprise, “Whatcha want to get off here for?” he asked. “There ain’t nothing around.”It was true. This stretch of Highway 25, fifteen…
Darkness Ends by Gustavo Bondoni
Darkness Ends by Gustavo BondoniTita Livia Siriana basked in the silence. Her audience, composed of the best and brightest great leaders of the great families of both inner and outer Empires, hung on her every word. She’d barely begun to speak, but the little…
Tenth Orbit by Gustavo Bondoni
Tenth Orbit by Gustavo BondoniWinter.There is no motion.The feeble energy arriving from the distant star is not enough to support motion, yet move I must. Survival is dependant on movement, as winter does not allow sufficient energy accumulation to survive the night. To survive…
Two Blue Stockings Review Podcast
