“The Dying Days of Summer” by Terry Gibbons

Painted illustration: a lone figure in a battered spacesuit stands among half-buried wreckage at the foot of a colossal Martian volcano as a dust storm clears, with a six-wheeled crawler in the distance.

[Illustration: New illustration created for the archive; the original artwork, “Mars Dig” © 2006 by Patrick Stacy, has been lost.] I know a land where the sun never shines no rain ever falls and man like a grain of sand blows aimless and lost in the wind.... Olympus Mons - Mars 2239 Alex Braxxian knew … Continue reading “The Dying Days of Summer” by Terry Gibbons →

“Famous” by George J. Condon

Painted illustration: a startled young man sitting on the grass beside a stack of books in a sunny park gapes as a cheerful, portly time traveler in shiny silver coveralls and goggles appears in a burst of golden light near a fountain, scattering pigeons.

[Illustration: New illustration created for the archive; the original artwork, “Penvolver” © 2006 by Andrew G. McCann, has been lost.] As he walked into the park, Howard Teasdale thought about the gun in his pocket. It was a cheap, small-caliber revolver imported from Eastern Europe. A pistol like that would not be much use in … Continue reading “Famous” by George J. Condon →

“Vortex Mirage” by Matthew Lowes

Painted illustration: a lone astronaut walks across the grey lunar surface toward a small domed station with a lit doorway, beneath an enormous swirling vortex of violet and gold light in the starry sky.

[Illustration: New illustration created for the archive; the original artwork, “Vortex” © 2006 by Matthew Lowes, has been lost.] Perhaps it was created by God, to unify the heavens with a single Word. Perhaps it was created by the ancient ones, to bind civilization together with the sacred language. But who really knows? Who will … Continue reading “Vortex Mirage” by Matthew Lowes →

“Bios-Fear” by Charity VanDeberg

“We ordered a puppy today!” Sheri announced excitedly to her mother. The woman’s pudgy face on the screen wrinkled into a frown, lower lip nearly disappearing into the first of her many chins. Sheri knew telling her mother would be a bad idea. “Well, I hope that goes well for you.” Years of oxygen therapy … Continue reading “Bios-Fear” by Charity VanDeberg →

“I Am” by Thomas Lee Joseph Smith

Painted illustration: two astronomers in a dark observatory lit by red lights stare at a monitor showing a pattern of connected stars beside a giant telescope, with the dome open to the Milky Way and a city and highway glittering below.

[Illustration: New illustration created for the archive; the original artwork, “EyeAm” © 2005 by Andrew G. McCann, has been lost.] Sam talked while looking through the instrument. "Nothing to get excited about," he said. "Just a mix of individual stars. That red one looks to be a lot closer than the others... but that's because … Continue reading “I Am” by Thomas Lee Joseph Smith →

Smooth Sailing for Transoceanic Trucking

Woodblock-style scene of a truck sailing through a great wave, a winged airship above and an octopus below

These are seemingly dark days in the transoceanic trucking industry. The seas are as deep and gloomy as they've ever been. Lotsa truck cabs are unheated and unpressurized, and they typically crumple under the pressure of even one aquasphere. More important, the goods being transported get wet, and flatter, even if they were wet and … Continue reading Smooth Sailing for Transoceanic Trucking →

“Artefact Nouveau” by Gareth D. Jones

Egyptian-style mosaic of workers digging in fields and carrying people between silver capsules beside a winding river

Dr. Stanley Kelvington looked like a typical archaeologist. It was difficult to decide whether this was because he was an archaeologist, or whether his demeanour had led him to take up this line of work. This kind of philosophy did not concern him, however. He was a practical and methodical man -- ideal traits for … Continue reading “Artefact Nouveau” by Gareth D. Jones →