Professor Anderson relentlessly scanned the skies Searching tirelessly for that elusive prize Of a signal with subtle hints of intelligence Plucked from the universe's chaotic cadence With the aid of a waning SETI stipend Anderson poured over bits and bytes without end But one day from Arecibo's exalted telescope He discovered a curious sample that … Continue reading “Universal Chords” by Don Mowbray
"A ship landed at the port!" Danny said, pacing frantically. "I saw it! I know I did! This one is real!" "How long has it been since your last episode, Danny?" "I'm not seeing things! Not this time." Danny whirled about to confront Leslie. "I'm sure you're not," Leslie agreed as she appeared. She hugged … Continue reading “Sane in This Present Madness” by Tamara Wilhite
Dear Editor: I've just added your great site to my links section, amazed I haven't come across you before. I run a site for readers and writers of alternative fiction called Authoretica.com. Kind Regards, Marcus
Illustration: “Paradox” © 2005 by Ellie Jane Tull Ahmed Cohen is standing on the edge of the building looking down through the hundred metres of thin air which is, at the moment, the only thing separating him from something very wide, flat, and hard, not to mention a tad unfriendly to those who attempt to … Continue reading “Paradox” by Michael A. Kay
Illustration: “Lab Rat” by Patrick Stacy © 2005 Michael Delaney was in his cubicle at Consoldyne Aerospace Industries, rotating a view of a new jet engine design on his workstation, when his telephone rang. He released the computer mouse and picked up the phone receiver. "Delaney speaking." "Michael, it's Kay Dunston." It was his girlfriend's … Continue reading “Lab Mice” by George J. Condon
Illustration: “Blueface” © 2005 by Zac Lowing Einstein’s theory of relativity is not just conjecture, Mulder. - Dana Scully Friday, July 11th, 2008: Message encoded 0923 hours EDT this date. Top Secret. NASA/Hubble Telescope complex reports unusual configuration of bogeys approaching solar system from Sagittarius region. Speed near or in excess that of light. Azimuth, … Continue reading “Tunguska Retro” by E.S. Strout
Illustration: “Darfang” © 2005 by Patrick Stacy. Peter Beckin was positive he’d never been so cold in his life. Or this scared. The tunnel stretched for half a kilometer through the dark reddish rock, curving in a downward slope to disappear in a blue glow of lighting tubes that illuminated the mine. He paced back … Continue reading “Darfang” by John Cowan
Dear Editor: Your readers may remember my story "Searching for the Ferryman", published in Planet last year. "Ferryman", together with all of my other previously published short stories, have been gathered into a collection titled Retribution and other Reactions. In addition, several new stories were written especially for the collection. It is available from Equilibrium … Continue reading Author: Derek Smith
"We used his soul to mend the hole bound the fabric of time..." When he first came to us, his mind was contorted by conflicting ripples of thought. His tiny body arrived packaged carefully in amniotic fluid, the limbs curled and foetus-like, the head grossly expanded. A genetic defect had caused the cranium to … Continue reading “Elevator to Eternity” by Greg Guerin
Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors take fright. Red sky at midday, sailors completely freak out and look for a new line of work.
PLANET MAGAZINE 
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