The Cloud Of The Unknowing, by Frederick Rustam

Murky grey-brown digital art of a symmetrical stone-like figure dissolving into haze

Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 30 (June 2001). Illustration: “Bad Dream” by Jon Eke ...shshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshsh... The silver aerospaceplane glided respectfully over the Temple of the Holy Cloud with a gentle sibilance -- because its engines had failed and it had to seek the surface prematurely. Keeper Petsamo might not have heard it if he … Continue reading The Cloud Of The Unknowing, by Frederick Rustam →

WokeEye Tours Washington, by Frederick Rustam

Painting of a yellow biplane flying over green fields while two men in the foreground watch it, a ghostly transparent face in the sky

Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 24 (December 1999). Illustration: “Buzzin’ the Cap!” by Romeo Esparrago A Reconstruction of My DepositionTo a Bunch of Government CopsAnd Others Who Didn't Identify Themselves by Bruce McEachin[Conceived by Frederick Rustam] On the Bus I'd always thought that aliens from outer space were either figments of some people's overheated … Continue reading WokeEye Tours Washington, by Frederick Rustam →

The Monk Who Hated Latin, by Frederick Rustam

Digital art of a hooded grey figure with a gold cross on its chest, beneath glassy spheres on a swirling red background

Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 22 (June 1999). Illustration: “The Monk” by Kalazar A Report to The Holy See of an Investigation into the Reported Sabotage of the Digital Memory Arrays Holding the Sacred Archival Facsimiles Accumulated at St. Abelard's Monastery on the Planet of Erintara Respectfully Submitted byBrother Malachy, Ordo Benedictis, Inquisitor Praecipuus … Continue reading The Monk Who Hated Latin, by Frederick Rustam →

The Handle of the Cross, by Frederick Rustam

A gnarled hand pointing upward at a golden ankh-shaped cross glowing in rays of light

Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 20 (December 1998). Part One: The Tomb Illustration: “Fingerpointing” by Romeo Esparrago [Editor: this story follows the continuing adventures of Simon de Montfort, his beautiful niece Lillian, and their obsession in recovering the rare thirasite jewel, the FlameStone, introduced in last issue's story " The Green City's Secrets".] The … Continue reading The Handle of the Cross, by Frederick Rustam →

The Green City’s Secrets, by Frederick Rustam

Collage-style illustration of three figures before a green city skyline: a bald bearded man in an ornate green-and-gold costume, a woman in a fur cloak and armored bodysuit with her arms raised, and a man with pink hair

Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 19 (September 1998). Illustration by Romeo Esparrago The Collector When Jason Affonick was attending his exclusive boarding school on Old Earth, he became so annoyed by the newfound liberal pretensions of his wealthy, privileged schoolmates that he changed his name to protest what he saw as their class-treason. The … Continue reading The Green City’s Secrets, by Frederick Rustam →

Fergus the Templar, by Frederick Rustam

Drawing of a pale towered castle on a hill with a sleek hover-vehicle parked in front and tall spires in the distance

Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 17 (March 1998). Illustration by Romeo Esparrago Part One: The Museum of Horrors The Initiate Grand Master Fulbak bon Jaldwin stood at the exact center of the mother Temple on Terranova. The dais on which he stood rotated slowly so that none of his circular audience would be favored. … Continue reading Fergus the Templar, by Frederick Rustam →

Lonely, In His Way, by Frederick Rustam

Dark computer-art image of a man's ghostly face beside a lattice-like space structure studded with colored lights

Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 13–16 (October 1997). Illustration by Romeo Esparrago First Alarm The console beeped. Cliff looked up from his videonovel. It's probably the narrowband radiodetection subarray, again, he thought. For some reason, it was drifting out of alignment a lot, lately. He was almost at the point of attributing the problem … Continue reading Lonely, In His Way, by Frederick Rustam →