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Category Archives: Science Fiction
Dead Time by P.M. Alexander
It always finds a way to be smoky. I’m not sure we’ve ever seen a fire, and maybe we never will. But it still manages to coat my face thick and sting my eyes to dry tears. The historians and … Continue reading
Posted in Dark Future, Fiction, Science Fiction
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Frontier by Margaret Karmazin
The Wayfarer crew consisted of three men and one woman. The captain was Daiki Abe, the pilot Bisa Green, navigator Lucas Halla, and the communicator Hugo Mendoza. They were heading out on an historical first attempt at moving faster than … Continue reading
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Truth in a Strange Land by James Moran
I had Sparrow, my Indonesian chef and housekeeper have my sixty ounce shake ready and by my console by 6:45pm. I’d showered and put in my best gel, even though no one would see me. I felt so fresh and … Continue reading
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Every Hume Needs a Gafflebet by Andrew Darlington
We start out at dawn. In a four-strong line. I was bred not only for brainpower, of which I’m inordinately proud, but physical strength too. As befits my place. Every human needs a Gafflebet, and I’ve been fortunate. I feel … Continue reading
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In the Shadow of Titans by Lyndsie Clark
The Sixth Jovian War started in the year 2426 and I was only a child then. My parents, too poor for Earth but too weak for Mars, settled on Dione to dig up ice as white as salt, a water … Continue reading
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Clone
A fly buzzed when I died. It wasn’t a noble death, or a valiant one, just a death. I was standing patrol in some godforsaken jungle on a planet I couldn’t even name, and a sniper shot me. Kinetic kill, … Continue reading
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The Email: Part 2 by Esosa Zuwa
Panic swelled in my chest and my throat, and then the world pulled down on me. Now, this was something to fear. What did this mean? Probably nothing. The library meant nothing. The fish caused scombroid poisoning. These … Continue reading
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The Email: Part 1 by Esosa Zuwa
The email took me aback. Looking at my emails was not the best part of my day. Otherwise, I’d have been a big loser. Nevertheless, it was peculiar. It came amid cold emails from … Continue reading
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The Mirror Syndrome: Part 1 by Jeffrey Greene
“The eternal silence of these infinite spaces fills me with dread.” Pascal Foreword by Dr. Rupesh Agarwal, M.D., chief physician of the NASA medical team. Insomnia during space travel is not uncommon, and is usually a … Continue reading
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Star Map by John C. Mannone
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. —Joel 2:30 It was after the Bible study down the road from the observatory; its darkroom lab and archives. The kerosene … Continue reading
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Martian Summer by John C. Mannone
It’s a hot summer day, seventy degrees at the equator but the carbon dioxide atmosphere, a very thin thermal blanket, is not thick enough to prevent the plummet to one hundred degrees below at night. Frost forms on the rust-red … Continue reading
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A Mere Million Miles From Earth by John C. Mannone
The James Webb Space Telescope successfully manages orbital insertion into the Earth-Sun Langrange Point, L2, at 2:05 pm EST on January 24, 2022. Sensitive instruments will be able to obtain infrared images of giant planets. —NASA/Science: Other Worlds Just this … Continue reading
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Le Saga Electrik by Logan Thrasher Collins*
In the great domain of Zeitgeist, Ekatarinas decided that the time to replicate herself had come. Ekatarinas was drifting within a virtual environment rising from ancient meshworks of maths coded into Zeitgeist’s neuromorphic hyperware. The scape resembled a vast ocean … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, New, Science Fiction
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The Excision
by Jeffrey Greene Dr. Liebkindt was puttering in his backyard garden when the phone that he used for his practice took a message. He cut a last length of twine and secured a sagging tomato vine to the wire of … Continue reading
The Pop Singer
by Todd Sullivan Marco crouched next to his master in the shadow of two leering demon statues standing sentry at Bongeunsa Temple’s arched gates. His hand rested on the hilt of a dagger tucked into his belt, and he gazed … Continue reading
An Alien Encounter
by David Rudd Paolo Tikalda lay in his sisal hammock, stirring the soupy air with a dangling leg. Sixty miles away, a Land Rover negotiated the Yucatan peninsula. Inside, Daniel Rhodesh and his camera crew baked like clay pots in … Continue reading
Behind A Cup Of Moss
Day after day Namily felt Andreapolis was pushing her to surgically remove her feet. There were constant innovations that favored the foot revolution, those navel-flybus-walkers, and discriminated against the feet stickers. The dirty waters running through the hanging gardens alleys … Continue reading
Sherlock Holmes and the Army of Dr. Moreau by Guy Adams
Sherlock Holmes and the Island of Dr. Moreau by Guy Adams proved to be a first-rate book. You know the kind where you get sad its over and instead of it being a page turner, you only try to read … Continue reading
Posted in Book Review, Science Fiction
Tagged Altered Reality Magazine, Book Review, Science fiction, Sherlock Holmes
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Our Lady of the Ice by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Not long ago I looked through the books I had been sent to review and pulled some of the more promising out and made a pile. Our Lady of the Ice by Cassandra Rose Clarke was on the top and, … Continue reading
Posted in Book Review, Science Fiction
Tagged Altered Reality Magazine, Book Review, Cyberpunk, Science fiction
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Episode Two: Inside the Bunker
Daylight from the open doorway illuminated a few feet of the interior. Something whirled, making a ratchet-like noise and he jumped, and then looked around. Rows and rows of tiny round, lights covered one wall. Hundreds of them, some blinking, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction, Serials
Tagged apcolypse, bunker, castlewitz, david, robot
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Naivety’s Price
Sunar didn’t have to wait, his ‘ride’ appeared in the cargo hold moments after they walked in. They all exchanged the minimum of words, Sunar put his hand on the Wizard’s shoulder, and found himself standing in Master Ikthan’s private … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Serials
Tagged dragon, fearadhach, mecraudri, monk, sunar
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Shoes, Beer, and Flybus
Before the foot revolution, living around the hanging gardens of Andreapolis felt like paradise. Namily used to take long strolls after work, before work, on weekends around the gardens, losing herself in the maze of the green alleys overflowing with … Continue reading
A Reason to Worry by L.L. Richardson
A Reason to Worry L.L. Richardson Monica and I were home when the authorities smashed through the door of the apartment across the hall. All we heard at the time was a tremendous crashing but we had no idea what … Continue reading
Craving by Phil Temples
Craving Phil Temples It’s late Saturday night and the desk sergeant calls me to the lobby to speak with two women. One looks disheveled and a bit confused. The other explains that she found the first woman walking along the … Continue reading
Episode 1: On the Killing Field
Simple. That’s what they claimed, but they — Darius and Carson and Debs, and many others – were dead, and Collin didn’t believe that the robots in the sky simply fired blindly at anyone running across the boulder-strewn killing field. … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged apcolypse, castlewitz, david, robot, soldier
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The Meganic’s Guide for Sanding Spacecraft by Kelly Kurtzhals Geiger
The Meganic’s Guide for Sanding Spacecraft Kelly Kurtzhals Geiger I bring my haversack to the dock as my repair, the Kypernia, limps home through the black sea of stars, though this isn’t really her home. Exoks prefer the open spaces … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged alien, geiger, Kelly, kurtzhals, mechanic, pilot, space
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Feet Stickers
Part 1 of Unfeet by Alex Valdiers It was hard being a pair of feet in a city that didn’t want you. Everything in Andreapolis was made against the foot. Since humans got hooked up to flyballs, they levitated everywhere … Continue reading
Summer Child
Sunar sat in the medbay of the ship he’d served on for the last few months and relayed the story of his run-in with Bobby Finkle, his gang, the police chief, how that led him to her door, and rounded … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged dragon, fearadhach, mecraudri, monk, sunar
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Welcome to Stagno
by Alaric DeArment From reading uncensored history books while traveling abroad, Amadeo learned that Stagno and the other merchant republics had long served as a buffer between two great powers: Lotharingia, which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Alps … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged alric, amadeo, dearment, italy, stagno
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Long Distance
Captain Pora Hairfoot looked at the half-dragon monk who had been such a lucrative – and entertaining – deck-hand for the last several months, and sighed. Yep, as soon as a monk starts acting a little strangely they end up … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged dragon, fearadhach, mecraudri, monk, sunar
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Borborygmus by Phil Temples
Borborygmus Phil Temples Scientists using the orbiting Compton Gamma Ray Observatory were dumbfounded when they discovered a jet of hot gas and antimatter almost 3,500 light-years long shooting out of the center of our Milky Galaxy. Some have speculated that … Continue reading
Posted in Comedy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged Borborygmus, gas, phil, phill, star, temple, temples
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My Hulk by Barrington Smith-Seetachitt
My Hulk Barrington Smith-Seetachitt The hulk inside me hulks and skulks on the sidelines, waiting for her chance to crash through walls. Unfortunately for her, my life seldom calls for wall-crashing, so she spends a lot of time waiting. When … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged alien, barrington, hulk, invasion, seetachitt, smith, smith-seetachitt
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Relief by Ryan Tan
Relief Ryan Tan One Land Link kit contains: clay soil, goldenrod seeds, one inflatable greenhouse, and two L-shaped flower pots. Best assembled at the gym, library, or any well-lit corridor. Avoid the control room and the dormitory. Spray the soil … Continue reading
Captain’s Eyes
Captain Pora Hairfoot looked up at her half-dragon deckhand and felt a frown pull at the corner of her lips as Sunar did a slow-blink when she told him that someone was going to the expense of keeping an interstellar … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Sword and Sorcery
Tagged dragon, fearadhach, mecraudri, monk, sunar
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At the Crossroads
The next morning I find that my spine has stiffened somewhat in the night. Onye is depending on me. She’ll be waiting at the fork for me to bring her to the safety of our walls. I’m still terrified, but … Continue reading
Once Again
Sunar suppressed a sigh as several armed people stepped into the hallway both before and behind him. He stood there and shook his head. “This seems like a lot of trouble to go to just to rob a random spacer.” … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged ambush, dragon, fearadhach, mecraudri, monk, spacer, sunar
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged alien, away, castlewitz, david, far, faraway, invasion, planet
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Dark Future, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged armor, baker, binyelum, onye, sojourn
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Amadeo’s Real Aims
by Alaric DeArment 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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged crack, ocam, ocham, phil, razor, rock, temples
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged alex, cowboy, gunslinger, space, valdiers, west, wild
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged barry, forbidden, hologram, krell, planet, yedvobnick
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged baby, devin, nanny, squid, vandriel, war, worlds
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, New, Science Fiction
Tagged ambush, bar, dragon, fearadhach, fight, mecraudri, monk, sunar
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged barry, drowning, evoluntion, ocean, water, yedvobnick
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged christopher, dog, dogman, man, max, terms
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged chicken, douglas, egg, henrietta, psychic, schwarz
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged bubble, carrie, desert, garrett, sme, sphere, winter
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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 … Continue reading
‘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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged abyss, clark, death, fitzpatrick, michael, space, universe
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged alien, beach, creature, vacation, williams
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Sword and Sorcery
Tagged captain, dragon, fearadhach, mecraudri, monk, space, sunar
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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 … Continue reading
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged carrie, garrett, mountain, sme, snow, sphere
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged bellan, clock, clockmaker, escape, ollie, stanlei, time, trapped
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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. … Continue reading
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, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged blue, chiffon, chrissy, clone, dress, josh, kenny
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged business, castlewitz, david, jeff, marty, office, uncle
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Dark Future, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged alexa, amazon, chili, drone, grossen, pepper
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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. … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged anderson, baby, death, empath, funeral, patricia
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Dark Future, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged blind, eyes, Hagerman, lisa, Marie, sky
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged everglade, hurtegen, joseph, mark, mirror, world
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged barrier, carrie, garrett, invisible, sme, sphere
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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 … Continue reading
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Tagged crystal, exotic, kirkham, matter, wormhole
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged crystal, deadly, flowers, kirkham, paraside
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged crystal, juipter, kirkham, ship, space, storm
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged crystal, engineering, genetic, kirkham, perfection
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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 … Continue reading
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. … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Dark Future, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged child, haven, paranormal, williams
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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. … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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. … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged baileys, capels, dee, drinking, pablo, whiskey
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged alien, invasion, mother, O'Connor, Patrick, son
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged alyson, destruction, Earth, linn, tait, world
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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. … Continue reading
The Snowball Effect by Katherine MacLean
Posted in Audio Story, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged effect, kathrine, maclean, snowball
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Later Than You Think by Fritz Leiber
Posted in Audio Story, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged Fritz, Later, leiber, Than, Think, You
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I Like Martian Music by Charles E. Fritch
Posted in Audio Story, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged charles, Fritch, martian, Music
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The Gravity Business by James Edwin Gunn
Posted in Audio Story, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged business, edwin, gravity, gunn, James
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The Bell Tone by Edmund H. Leftwich
Posted in Audio Story, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged ants, bell, edmund, leftwich, tone
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged barber, david, ghost, ghosts, machine, machines
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged butterfly, James, Metamorphoses, sadie, Stephan
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Dark Future, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged games, matrix, nobody, programing, reality, virtual, war
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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 … Continue reading
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. … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged bird, boy, cerone, chris, house, jack, small
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged aliens, apocalypse, chain, destruction, doom, earthquake, memories, memory, sme, sunny
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction
Tagged apprentice, brush, donald, mason, tooth, toothbrush, victoria
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged break-in, capels, cat, dee, robot, security, tux
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Dark Future, Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged art, artificial, browne, emmet, robot
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