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Issue 128 Volume 12 December 2008
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Editorial
Dan L. Hollifield
The Senior Editor's usual rants about whatever…
Serials and Novellas
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The Gulf of Eden - Part Two
McCamy Taylor
Isaac of Ethan has never seen anything like the Others before, but they swear that they have met him before—in a previous
life. Part One
Video Killed The Radio Star
Lou Antonelli
A recent graduate who desperately needs a job finds something other than gold in them there hills. A sci-fi tale about Enchanted
Rock, the Republic of Texas and a secret long buried.
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The St. Regis
Frank Minogue
A filthy fleabag hotel may seem pretty exciting to someone who is usually stuck aboard a spaceship. But be careful when they ask
if you would like the game experience to be made a little bit more realistic. A horror tale.
The Dry Air
David Brookes
What would you do if the world was coming to an end around you and the woman you loved was ready to step over the edge?
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Short Stories
NOTE: We have 21 stories this issue, ranging in length from just over 1,000 words (2 or 3 of them) to over 6,000 words. For those
who prefer particular genres within the rather elastic Aphelion range, I have tried to categorize the stories into four categories:
- Science Fiction — no "magic", and at least some semi-plausible technology or scientific elements;
- Fantasy — almost anything goes!;
- Heroic Fantasy, — a.k.a. "Swords and Sorcery"; and
- Horror — somewhat overlapping with Fantasy, but tending toward the grim and sometimes gory.
If this seems like a good idea, let me know…
Science Fiction
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Mars's Gift
Jonathan
Schlosser
The marines returning from Mars looked like they'd lost a firefight — but it was a plague, not bullets, that had
mortally wounded them.
If The Sky Should Fall
Mike
Driver
It's a lousy job, manning a Texaco service station on a road made redundant the main highway through the moors of England. But
strange things can happen in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night.
Flesh, Blood and Hell
DC
Grondo
Life on the remote world of Trevor was tough. The bird-like marne had never been friendly, but now they were taking humans as
slaves, and that was sure to lead to trouble — war with the marne, and even with the human rangers and Spaceforce.
Hiroshima
David Wright
Sei Horikawa was on a mission to study the past. The hard part would be leaving the people who had befriended her to their
fate…
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The Last One
J. B. Hogan
Stephen wasn't crazy about the outing to the zoo. There was a lot of walking, some of the people looking a little scary, and
the food…
At The Center Of The
Universe
Frederick Rustam
The old man in the trailer claimed to be an agent of Galactic Control. He was crazy, of course — but then why were the FBI
so interested in his effects after he died?
Too Perfect
Norman C. Stoker
Emma had everything — incredible wealth, fame, talent, and a gorgeous, sexy husband who loved her. But something felt
wrong…
Door Gunner
J. B. Hogan
Stephen was on a hunting trip with his uncle Carl when something happened: one moment he was in Missouri, looking for quail
— the next, he was in Vietnam, trying to stay alive and help his buddies do the same.
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Fantasy
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Torch Song
George J. Condon
The woman in red was so sexy she made Tom Nolan feel like a gawky kid, and she could handle the booze as fast as Tom could serve
it. But who was she?
His Last Bull Ride…
Chris Sharp
…had left the rodeo cowboy with brain damage. His train of thought was off the rails more than it was on, but that was
mostly okay with him. There were compensations…
Niloufar's Friends
Amalita Kriyodhi
It is a father's duty to try to guide his daughter onto the right path. Sometimes that means asking her friends to help
— even if they aren't human.
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The White Violin
C. L.
Kimmel
He'd found the ticket on the street, and the come-on line was intriguing: Let the White Violin reveal worlds beloved and
forgotten.
Cats and Fairies
Stuart
Sharp
Like all cats, Nadia had a certain air of mystery. She'd arrived out of nowhere, and sometimes behaved in rather unfeline
ways. But the intruders who came to see her made Nadia seem like the very paragon of normalcy!
DarNell the Allure
Alexander
Scott Tullis
DarNell was an Allure, a courtesan of the highest rank. But she was much more than that.
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Final Notice
Richard Tornello
The Vice President found the eviction notices issued to every household on Earth very, very annoying. But he would handle it, as
he handled everything else the President, a.k.a. the Cowboy, couldn't deal with.
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Heroic Fantasy
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The Gold Idol
J. A. Andrew
Stealing the little gold idol seemed like just another job, but for Ossrad the Skadian, it would mean months of hell.
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Culpug the Cavelord and the Nameless
King
Michael Panush
Culpug of the Mountain Clan traveled further than most of his race, but always made his way home to his wife and child. The bandit
chieftain Kaveem gave him a choice: enter the tomb that had swallowed up many of Kaveem's men, or die along with the rest of the
caravan Culpug had failed to protect.
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Horror
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Paralysis
Jeff Curry
Unable to move, barely able to breathe, to see… It had happened before, but what if it was permanent this time? And was
there someone else in the room?
Horrorscope
Jeani Rector
He was just a man trying to please his mother. It was the way he went about it, guided his unusual interpretation of the
daily horoscope that would lead to trouble.
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The Allies
Stuart Plotkin
Kidnapped a brutal loanshark and thug over his girlfriend's debts, he had to find a way to survive and avenge her murder.
Fortunately, it turned out that he was not alone.
The Bogeyman's Warning
Benjamin Green
Detective Longman thought there was a connection linking the disappearance of Tommy Tucker and the grisly murders that began soon
after. The answer would be one that he would rather forget.
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Results of Forum Flash Challenge for November 2008
Congratulations to Richard Tornello and G. C. Dillon, co-winners of the November 2008 Forum Flash Challenge.
Laugh and cringe at the adventures of inept wizards in DUCK
DUCK Mouse and The Wicked Witch and four other tales
of Discount Magic.
Visit the Forum Fun and Games area NOW for the NEXT challenge to your imagination and writing skills.
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Aphelion Webzine is © 1999-2023 by Dan L. Hollifield
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