‘Subterranean Museum’ by Robert William Shmigelsky

Cutaway of the Moon revealing chambers with an hourglass, robed figures, scales, a sun chariot and figures in water

Through the surface of cratered moon, shining dimly out to open space, celestial devices, collecting dust underground. Among the first exhibits included: the sandglass, Cupid's arrow, the scale, balancing pans of good and evil. Floors down, one could stumble upon the stables of the charioteer, Helios, the dark wet cellar of Tartarus. But undoubtedly, tucked … Continue reading ‘Subterranean Museum’ by Robert William Shmigelsky →

‘The Last Coffee Shop Philosopher’ by Koos Kombuis

An old man at a lectern addresses a crowd of apes in a ruined building with cameras, Golden Gate Bridge behind

Last lecture delivered from the podium of the Department of Philosophy of the Free University of San Francisco. - July the 4th, 2184 Friends, academics, and fellow mutants, I address you today in my capacity of new Chairman of the Socratic Society, on the first, and probably the last day of my tenure. Thank you … Continue reading ‘The Last Coffee Shop Philosopher’ by Koos Kombuis →

The Film Maker and the Sceptre, by Robby Charters

Sir Gossabel mounted his steed, then beheld his opponent from across the field. What was going through the mind of that wretch, he could only guess. And what did Princess Gertrude see in him? He didn't want to think. This duel would settle the matter. At the signal, the opponents goaded their horses, and they … Continue reading The Film Maker and the Sceptre, by Robby Charters →

‘Killing is What I Do’ by Jonathan Saville

Illuminated-manuscript art of a young monk with a scroll and jar by a spider web, roundels of a rat, cow and bone

(The following is an excerpt from an, as yet, unpublished novel, ‘When Blood Runs Cold’.) Peace would not come to him. The ache that the Abbot had repeatedly told him would lessen and fade away still stabbed at his heart. Four years! Four years of brutal, gruelling training of both mind and body. Studying the … Continue reading ‘Killing is What I Do’ by Jonathan Saville →

‘Like Lambs’ by David G. Kirchhoffer

Painted illustration: on a Karoo farm at night, three silver flying saucers with lit ramps have landed behind rows of small silver-suited aliens; two farmers in khaki float through the air toward a sheep-faced alien in a silver suit on the farmhouse veranda, while a flock of sheep looks on.

[Illustration: New illustration created for the archive.] The Karoo, an arid, semi-desert region in South Africa, is known for two things: sheep, and the farmers who own them. It also has a quaint annual music festival, but it’s not exactly Edinburgh. The events described below involve two such farmers. Piet van Tonder and Cyril MacKenzie … Continue reading ‘Like Lambs’ by David G. Kirchhoffer →

‘Warning in Silicon’ by G. Dedrick Robinson

Painted illustration: at night in a cluttered room, a woman in a robe stares at the glowing amber screen of a beige 1980s computer as her uniformed police-officer husband leans over her shoulder; behind them a swirling cave opens where a gaunt young man climbs with a flashlight toward a fiery glow on the horizon.

[Illustration: New illustration created for the archive.] Mary knew that the holidays were not a good time to ask her husband for a favor. He already was heading the committee organizing the party the police threw each year for the poor and homeless kids in the city, and he still had his regular job to … Continue reading ‘Warning in Silicon’ by G. Dedrick Robinson →

‘An Alien’s Love’ by LB Knowles

The Jacques Richarde Building shook. Students and teachers alike considered their escape route, but before they had the time to follow it, the shaking stopped. “Was that an earthquake?” Madeline Mullaney asked the attractive blonde next to her. “I think it was an alien landing on the roof,” Maria replied, to the surprise of everyone … Continue reading ‘An Alien’s Love’ by LB Knowles →