Issue 22: 2nd Quarter 2007

"Whoever battles monsters should take care not to become a monster too, for if you stare long enough into the Abyss, the Abyss stares also into you."
—Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, chapter 4, no. 146

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Short Fiction

Pinny
by M. Keaton
      "It's not a curse," came Valae's quiet voice before Barnabas could answer. In her dark leathers, she was almost invisible as she stepped out of the darkness. "It's a thing."
      Logan took her arrival in stride. "Tell me," he commanded.
      She knelt near the fire and laid three pieces of bloody meat at the edge of it. "Lamb," she said by way of explanation then continued speaking as she worked.

Hour By Hour
by Lindsey Duncan
      "Speak to me, your highness," Quiramene said with a bow of her head. "I must translate for my sisters." She paused, fumbling in her mind for the right words. Even as liaison, she was no stateswoman. She opted to come straight to the point. "How long ago was this murder?"
      Yrrain grinned. It was a fierce expression; it took her a moment to see the amusement in it, as well. "Hasn't happened yet."

Weepers and Ragers
by Aliette de Bodard
      Her eyes catch the edge of the stove: the surface, which she scrubbed clean the previous evening, shines like a mirror.
      Blood slowly washes over the surface, until the reflection of the overhead lights becomes a dark, rippling red.

Diminished Capacity
by Andrew Zimmerman Jones
      "It was an accident," he said.
      With that, she did meet that bright blue gaze. "The law doesn't really allow for accidentally raping someone, Billy." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
      "The law is wrong."
      "In my experience, the old 'the law is wrong' defense rarely works."
      He smiled faintly. "You should be, you know."
      She blinked. "Should be what?"
      "Uncomfortable."
      "Why?"
      Another twitch, this one appearing to be an attempt at a shrug.
     "I could make you a drooling vegetable."

And Saturn Below
by Wade Ogletree
      The tether acted as a simple sail, allowing the vessel to move from one orbit to another. The speeds and complexities of Saturn's magnetosphere enabled this to work off the current generated by the tether's interaction with the field. No power from the ship was ever required.
      That was the way it was supposed to work.

Flash Fiction

The Road To Heather Cove
by Richard A. Lovett
      Only Duncan knew how often he stared and thought unthinking thoughts. His job performance faltered, but only slightly. And even Death didn't want him to forget his family.
      Not yet, at least.

The Devil You Know
by Heidi Wessman Kneale
      Mrs. Timmor, sitting on her verandah, tea cup halfway to her lips, stared at the handsomely dressed figure before her. Why couldn't he wear the traditional horns and tail? If Mr. Timmor saw him as he was...

Poetry

Poetry Editorial
by Trent Walters

Dreams of Sinaloa
by Alveraz Ricardez

The Japanese Businessman
by Kyle Hemmings

An Alien Ate My SF Poem
by Elizabeth Barrette

Partial–birth Revolution
by Kaori Praschak

Vault
by John Fyffe

Pancho's Email
by Marie Vibbert

Twelve Dancing Daughters
by Pam McNew

Alone No More
by William Trowbridge

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Awards

Colophon and Affiliations