Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 18 (June 1998). Illustration by Romeo Esparrago The whirring of the gun could be heard throughout the flagship Hunter as they locked onto the other ship, the Firebird. There was a pounding sound as the guns dislodged electric death across the empty void. The magnetic field generated by the … Continue reading Squivel’s Mirth, by Joseph M. Weinberg
Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 17 (March 1998). Illustration by Romeo Esparrago I've been to the moon. No one's been to the moon, you say. And I won't contradict what you believe, because you're right. I just want you to know that I have been there, and even if I'm the only one who … Continue reading I’ll Miss Those Martian Sunsets, by Craig Urquhart
Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 17 (March 1998). Illustration by Romeo Esparrago I turn over for perhaps the tenth time in as many minutes. The ground is uneven and there is always a root, a pebble, a hollow, an unevenness to welcome every new attempt at comfort. I cannot fall asleep, or maybe I … Continue reading The Climb, by Rowan Wolf
Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 17 (March 1998). Illustration: “The Roachiphant” by Romeo Esparrago I have in my house the only known exemplar of the roachiphant. Of its origins I can only say that I had it from my father and he from his father. It is mine by virtue of dislike; none of … Continue reading A Curiosity, by Dennis Fisher
Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 17 (March 1998). (an interactive script) Illustration by Andrew G. McCann Dewey Marcus is in his beat-up green Chevy Chevette late one night, whistling Dixie (literally), driving down a dark and lonely road. A light so bright it is practically blinding pierces Dewey's windshield, causing him to swerve all … Continue reading Dewey Meets the Alien, by Sharone Katz
Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 17 (March 1998). Illustration by Romeo Esparrago I was going through the stack of magazines at the dentist's office. It wasn't exactly what I preferred to be doing. Being at his office, that is. Browsing through magazines is another matter. I do that at the barber shop, too. At … Continue reading Spacer’s Digest, by Atk. Butterfly
Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 17 (March 1998). Illustration by Romeo Esparrago "What'll it be, bud?" the bartender asks me. "How 'bout a Bud ... Light," I say. I pick up the channel changer from the bar and tune the overhead TV from ladies mud wrestling to a local news report. As I do … Continue reading Dittohead, by Jonathan Lowe
Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 17 (March 1998). Illustration by Romeo Esparrago Marilyn surveyed the conference room, searching for trouble; she found it in the first row. There, in front of the screen, John and Pam sat next to each other. John gestured with his hands, occasionally hopping out of his chair, Pam's forehead … Continue reading Roach No More, by Irette Patterson
Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 17 (March 1998). Specimen K.3/8: Nothing pauses but [-- Unclear; scholars on probation had spilled coffee mixed with opaque creaming and sweetening agents all over this page of the typescript]. Conferring with travelers and thinkers, I am awed by my ignorance yet not dismayed. [. . .] Moons dance … Continue reading The Nature of the Correspondence, by A.Y. Tanaka
Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 13–16 (October 1997). Illustration by Andrew G. McCann I know aliens. They're my specialty. But even the best of us make mistakes, right? I was tired too. We had been flying hard for seventy-two hours straight. Dtang gripped the ship's one small steering wheel, his ebony knuckles showing the … Continue reading Kragon’s Gold, by Tony Chandler
