Aphelion Issue 292, Volume 28
March 2024
 
Editorial    
Long Fiction and Serials
Short Stories
Flash Fiction
Poetry
Features
Series
Archives
Submission Guidelines
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Flash Writing Challenge
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Issue 224 Volume 21 December 2017 - January 2018

Cover

Archives Editorial Serials and Long Fiction Poetry and Filk Music Short Stories Flash Fiction Features Series

Editorial

Dan L. Hollifield

The Senior Editor's usual rants about whatever…


Serials and Long Fiction

That Devil Cantori

T. Richard Williams
A lot of people on Mystic Base had motives for killing Reverend Whitby. Finding out who actually did it was no easy task.
Note: Adult themes and language.

The Best Long Fiction of the First Twenty Years

Frozen Garden
Rick Grehan
Emalei was Kara's best friend, even though she was a hologram. But Kara had to leave her behind when the world started to fall apart.

The Price of Light
Beverly Forehand
The former High Vestal Aemilla Verity of the Daughters of Artemis is now one of the Fallen, with a number instead of a name. However, she continues to fight in the service of her Goddess. As a long siege draws to a close, she must take command to prevent the enemy from getting hold of an ancient, powerful alien artifact.

The Best Long Fiction of 2017

The Xugslith
Rod Clark
Just when Abbie Kryler was convinced that her life couldn't get any worse—it didn't!

Things
Robin B. Lipinski
Signs abound in the world.

Six Thegn Quean
Episode 1, Episode 2,
Episode 3, Episode 4,
Episode 5, Episode 6,
Episode 7.

David Ulnar-Slew
An adventure-filled fantasy in seven episodes, with lots of surprises.

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Short Stories

Unicorn Thief
Janie Brunson
Revolutions can start in the strangest of ways.

A Message From the Department of Departures
Daniel Goodman
Welcome to the afterlife. Please enjoy your flight.

Under the Pear Tree
David Kavanaugh
"It's time for your coronation, Leif."

The Interview
Dan Klefstad
How hard could it be to work for a vampire?

The Corpse Collector
Patrick Moloney
One man's ill wind is another's smooth sailing; this is the philosophy of George Fenley.

The Transmutation of Embers
Paul Edward Costa
The ceremony of the Transmutation of Embers leaves Mother Raaghan with a sinister task.

The Appointment
Ferne Merrylees
Because I could not stop for Death/He kindly stopped for me.

A Very Serious Case
Martin Westlake
When it comes to aliens, should we fear most the Conqueror or the Settler?

Ghost Friend
James Murphy III
Revenge is a dish best served beyond the grave.

The Self-Contained Reality Door…
Sergio Palumbo
"I am a scientist, and what I'd like to sell you is a door that is a machine to connect this world to another dimension…

The Best Shorts of 2017

The Potter
Dimitrije Medenica
Where is the divide between a craftsman and his work?

Dip
Edmund Schluessel
Pocket universe? Depends on who builds it…

Remission
Charlie Fish
What are you willing to sacrifice for your job?

Cave Fish
J. S. Helgerson
Building a foreign affairs relationship with an alien species may be trickier than we thought.

Caged
Stephen Tillman
Better be careful about what you put in a cage. It could turn around and bite you…

Beyond the Blade
Jarrett Mazza
Making the correct choice can be difficult. Especially if you didn't have all the necessary info.

Feast of Feasts
Mike Kerins
The village would be safe from the Red-man if they gave it their all.

The Devil's Breath
Ian C. Douglas
The wind spirits were not happy.

The Carrotfinger Man
E. L. Knox
To reach the castle in time, the dwarves had to face what their pixie guides feared most.

In Hot Water: A "Dragonson" Vignette
Walter G. Esselman
Don't mess with Brianna's spell otter, SOS.

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Flash Fiction

The Coma Draft
Denny E. Marshall
To sleep, perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub…

That Damn Phone Psychic
Ray Prew
Practical jokes can have unforeseen consequences

Hiding Underfoot
Robert B. Allen
The road goes ever on and on…

Kraugg’s Choice
C.E. Gee
Those who will not learn from history…

The Best* Flash of Aphelion 2017

*These are the pieces that the Flash Editor liked best of the year's submissions. Not everyone will agree with me. Feel free to nominate others on the forum page!
Rather than "the ten best," let us say that here are "ten of the best" of 2017
Enjoy…

Doggy Door
Jeff Dosser

Norma in Dallas
Matthew Spence

The Creature That Came Uninvited
Charles E.J. Moulton

The Construction Job
Denny E. Marshall

Evil Inside
Hareendran Kallinkeel

A Message from the Last Generation of Man
Gregory Cioffi

Repeating Mistakes
Thomas Wm. Hamilton

Approaching Titanic
Gary L. Robbe

Forsythe’s Resurrection
Fred D. White

American Holocaust
C.E. Gee

The Aphelion Flash Fiction Contest

We run a monthly flash fiction contest in the "Fun and Games" folder in Aphelion's forum. In the contest we post a challenge with a specific theme and genre and participants write a flash story based on the challenge guidelines. The contest is a great place to hone your writing skills, meet some fellow writers, receive some feedback, and possibly win a prize. New participants are always welcome. Submissions for the contest are done through the forum. Flash stories from all of our previous contest challenges are archived in the forum as well.

Over 500 stories are included in our archive. To start reading some of these great flash stories, check out either Index 1 or Index 2.

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Poetry and Filk Music

A Lullaby for the Devil
Alexis Child

The Cave of Darkness
Laila Hashem

Haiku #1
Denny E. Marshall

Haiku #2
Denny E. Marshall

The Eye in The Sky
Jake Cosmos Aller

Fay Brown
Ron Larson

House And Acreage, Eccentrics Preferred
Colin James

Haiku
Richard Tornello

What Remains
Jean Jones

The Best Poetry of Aphelion 2017

*These are the pieces that the Poetry Editor liked best of the year's submissions. Not everyone will agree with me. Feel free to nominate others on the forum page! Rather than "the ten best," let us say that here are "ten of the best" of 2017
Enjoy…

Desire and Consumerism
Richard Tornello

On the Eve of the 25th
Jean Jones

Us
ayaz daryl nielsen

Search Party
Denny E. Marshall

First World Problem Blues
Iain Muir

Nerves
Timothy Tarkelly

A Once In A Lifetime Wish
Uduak Whill Uwah

Ghost Leather
Charlotte Ozment

Scaifaiku
Kelly Sauvage Angel

What I Call It
Ndifreke George

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Articles and features

The Best Mare Inebrium Tales from Our First Twenty Years

Virtual Pet
Linda Kelly
The absent-minded inventor Camforrt is back at the Mare Inebrium- with a new toy!

Mare Crisium
Mark E. Cotterill
EHS inspectors were notoriously thorough and had immense powers, they were feared throughout known space for their diligence. They had powers to suspend trading licences, seize equipment and stock, and even arrest or execute staff. The Environmental Health and Safety inspector was fully entitled to spend as long as she liked looking at every aspect of the Mare Inebrium's operation.

The Captains of the Silver Moon
Greg Barozzi
Caveat emptor, or in other words: there's one born every minute.

Hunter or Hunted?
Jonjack
a Writer's Challenge II story:
You haven't lived until you've had to outwit something that's decided that you'd make a nice snack.

Mare Inebrium to All and to All a Good Night!
Kate Thornton
Naughty or nice? Sometimes you can make the wrong choice, but I've always felt that virtue was its own punishment.

Be the Cat…
Bill Wolfe
In City of Lights -when Mr. Grym wanted something, he usually got it. Even if he had to wait. And Mr Grym hated waiting. He hated waiting almost as much as he hated having his desires thwarted. But something at the Mare Inebrium was proving to be an impediment, so Mr. Grym was not happy.

Against All Odds
Dan L. Hollifield
Kazsh-ak Teir relates the tale of when he was forced to battle alone against a fleet of alien invaders attempting to conquer the D'rrish colony planet of R'lynath…