The Mare Inebrium Spaceport Bar

Stories In Publication Order

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The Mare Inebrium stories that have been published so far:

1. At the Spaceport Bar: the Mare Inebrium version 2.0 Dan L. Hollifield There is something about time travel that makes some people loopy.	Issue 11, Dec 1997
2. The Absent-minded Shall Inherit… Dan L. Hollifield The Mare's lost & found holds some awesome doodads.	Issue 11, Dec 1997
3. Frightening Little Planet, Isn't It? Roger R. Bennett When you take advice from a stranger, always remember to ask the next question…	Issue 11, Dec 1997
4. A Nightmare Inebrium D. K. Smith Trapped in a world they never made…	Issue 13, Mar 1998
5. Cause and Effect Kate Thornton There is always a reason…	Issue 14, Apr 1998
6. Max's Night Off Mark E. Cotterill Larrye just can't get a break…	Issue 14, Apr 1998
7. Mare Tranquillitatis Mark E. Cotterill Some minds shouldn't meet… 8. Yesterday's Glory Robert Wynne Was she the girl of his dreams, or something else again? 9. Disco Droids Dustin Appel Sometime you find the job, sometimes the job finds you…	Issue 15, Jul 1998 Issue 15, Jul 1998 Issue 16, Sep 1998
10. You Don't Mess Around With Grym Jeffrey Williams Sometimes, the price is more than simply counting the cost…	Issue 18, Nov 1998
11. Barfly Dennis Tallent Always do your homework…	Issue 18, Nov 1998
12. There is Always a Reason Kate Thornton Beware of Stellar Confiscation Officers bearing gifts.	Issue 19, Dec 1998
13. Chance T. S. George Sometimes, one Chance is all you've got…	Issue 20, Jan 1999
14. Anatomy Lesson Dennis Tallent Sometimes it's what you don't know that can get you.	Issue 21, Feb 1999
15. The Bluesman Jim Peters The Bluesman had the gift of touching souls with his music. A powerful weapon, indeed!	Issue 21, Feb 1999
16. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Jim Peters In this sequel to 'The Bluesman' the lives of an entire species hang in the balance as revenge proves itself to be a two-edged sword.	Issue 22, Mar 1999
17. Harry Chapin's Waltz Jeffrey Williams The Mare Inebrium's jukebox holds the key to mysterious patron. 18. Sins of the Fathers Dan L. Hollifield Relationships can be so odd… 19. The Drinking Contest René J. Steen Some drinks can be deadly to those unaccustomed to them.	Issue 22, Mar 1999 Issue 23, Apr 1999 Issue 23, Apr 1999
20. O'Rourke's Passenger John C. Shanahan There are passengers, and there are passengers… Trouble comes in all shapes.	Issue 23, Apr 1999
21. The Tanneh Death Chop Kate Thornton Dan Holly sighed when she finished her story. Why? he must have been asking himself. Why, of all the gin joints in the galaxy, did she have to walk into mine? Aloud he said, Jeeze, Baby Girl, I think this whole thing is maybe my fault.	Issue 26, Jul 1999
22. An Argument In Favor of A Social Conscience Gary Glass When the Mare Inebrium is threatened by a Culture Clash, it's up to the Social Conscience to save the innocent.	Issue 27, Aug 1999
23. Wandrin' Star Iain Muir Need calls out to kindred spirits…	Issue 27, Aug 1999
24. Heroes (In the Shadows) Debra Laich Behind every great hero, there is someone unsung…	Issue 28, Sep 1999
25. Tarj's Hit T. S. George Even in the Mare Inebrium- Another day, another dollar… for the galaxy's greatest living assassin.	Issue 28, Sep 1999
27. Drinking Problem Jim Parnell Never trust an alien who doesn't drink, particularly at the Mare Inebrium!	Issue 29, Oct 1999
28. The Challenge Dennis Tallent There were two ways for a paramedic to join the elite 911 Group… The easy way was with 15 years seniority, but Rookie Stephen Haddad was at the Mare Inebrium to do it the hard way!	Issue 29, Oct 1999
29. 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 operations.	Issue 31, Dec 1999
30. Virtual Pet Linda Kelly The absent-minded inventor Camforrt is back at the Mare Inebrium- with a new toy! 31. Brother, Can You Spare A Crime? Dan L. Hollifield The Reever is called to the Mare Inebrium to investgate a murder, but the victim keeps coming back for more. 32. Homecoming? Jonjack It's not enough to succeed, you have to survive and get home again too.	Issue 31, Dec 1999 Issue 32, Jan 2000 Issue 34, Mar 2000
33. "Stay" Jeffrey Williams If I could stay, then the night would give you up Stay, and the day would keep its trust Stay, with the demons you drowned Stay, with the spirit I found Stay, and the night would be enough.	Issue 35, Apr 2000
34. The Captains of the Silver-Moon Greg Barozzi Caveat emptor, or in other words, there's one born every minute.	Issue 36, Jun 2000
35. Hunter or Hunted? Jonjack You haven't lived until you've had to outwit something that's decided that you'd make a nice snack.	Issue 36, Jun 2000
36. Liar's Bar Iain Muir From the dizzying height of her full 5'2, the waitress, an earth mother figure in a peasant blouse and gypsy skirts, looked down at the heap of lace and embroidery on the floor. Hooped gold earrings peered out from under her dark curled hair. She was carrying four two-litre beer steins easily in each hand. She nudged his head with one slippered foot…	Issue 37, Jul 2000
37. The Bouncer Dan L. Hollifield Every bar has a bouncer, usually really big guys that could easily be mistaken for heroic statuary, until they get the signal to kick your butt. The Mare's new bouncer was a little guy, but that's just a measure of how good he really is. Bruce is one bad mother- Well, you know what I mean.	Issue 38, Aug 2000
38. Rerun Bill Wolfe In the back of every mind, a monster lurks — chained in the mind's dark recesses, kept away from the light of day for all eternity… but chains can break. Corbeatee's ability to control biological systems was absolute; he was merely very good with mechanical devices. But he was learning fast.	Issue 39, Sep 2000
39. Mare Inebrium Dan L. Hollifield To the tune of "Lola" by the Kinks.	Issue 41, Nov 2000
40. 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 41. Sister at the Bar Kate Thornton Some people truly get what they deserve… But sometimes the Instrument of Justice makes it — personal. 42. A Study in Alizarin Crimson, Part 01 of 02 Dan L. Hollifield When Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate a suspicious man who seems to be planning to burgle the British Museum, the trail of clews leads straight to the mysterious owner of the Mare Inebrium! 43. A Study in Alizarin Crimson, Part 02 of 02 Dan L. Hollifield When Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate a suspicious man who seems to be planning to burgle the British Museum, the trail of clews leads straight to the mysterious owner of the Mare Inebrium!	Issue 42, Dec 2000 Issue 43, Jan 2001 Issue 44, Feb 2001 Issue 45, Mar 2001
44. The Maltese Fiction McCamy Taylor Her beauty was stunning, she could have had her pick of almost any male in the Mare Inebrium. But Sydney RueVerte had come to the Mare searching for someone in particular. And no one was going to be allowed to get in her way!	Issue 46, Apr 2001
45. A Fish for Orion Lee Foster I hunt everything. Hunt dangerous things, no one else will hunt. He touched the butt of a bone-handled weapon on his belt. I hunt great cat-creatures. I hunt giant white, crushing creature. Use skeleton for trophy room. I hunt mutated giant killer quadruped. He fingered his white furred GEEB polar bear cloak. He leaned close to me and said in a conspiratorial tone, But I run out of things to hunt. No more great killer beasts. I become building-stick. Then he smiled his toothsome smile and looked up towards Kazsh-ak Tier…	Issue 53, Nov 2001
46. Sociology Experiment Wishbone I was only trying to get an idea for my thesis on Non-terran sociology…' A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.	Issue 54, Dec 2001
47. Where Angels Fear to Tread Bill Wolfe When a gathering of Gods found that they needed advice, they knew to ask a bartender. They usurped the bodies of a handy group of Abvarnan farmers and marched them purposefully into the Mare Inebrium on the busiest holiday of the Bethdish year. Fortunately for the Devine, Larrye was the one who took Their order…	Issue 56, Feb 2002
48. Sheffield's Eleventh Jeffrey Williams Mr. Grym… gives you this challenge. Virtually all of City of Lights is…'open'…shall we say. To the enterprising entrepRenéur, there is an entree into virtually every business, every bank, every shop, if the cards are played right and if the man or woman is quick, smart, and intelligent.	Issue 58, Apr 2002
49. Baby, Baby Mizu Ash When it comes to interspecies romance, its those little skeletons in the family closet that really make life complicated.	Issue 59, May 2002
50. Sam Spade Ain't Nearly Dead Enough Bill Wolfe My secretary, Page, calls these bread and butter cases. Me, I call 'em boring. But don't take that the wrong way. I like boring. I've had enough excitement to last me couple'a lifetimes. All I'm doing is tailing some rich guy's wife to see what she's up to. Any Private Dick anywhere in the Stream would recognize the drill in a heartbeat…	Issue 59, May 2002
51. 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.	Issue 60, Jun 2002
52. Came the Dawn Dan L. Hollifield A menace as old as time rears its ugly head on Bethdish. City of Lights is threatened and millions of people are in grave danger. Assassins, terrorists, and pirates, oh my! So naturally, the Reever knew the only people who could save the world -would be found having drinks at the Mare Inebrium. 53. Time Loves A Hero John C. Shanahan The Eternal Champion was eternally sick and tired of fighting the Forces of Chaos. So when the Powers that Be materialize him in the Mare Inebrium, he's just a little cranky.	Issue 60, Jun 2002 Issue 64, Nov 2002
54. In the Laptops of the Gods Maggie Patten Power corrupts, but do absolute Power-Points corrupt? Absolutely!	Issue 65, Dec 2002
55. Unsung Heroes Mizu Ash He used to send out agents to adjust timelines, but now he's retired and wants to check the impact he had made on the probable histories of the human race.	Issue 72, Jul 2003
57. Redshift Sue Sings the Blues Dan L. Hollifield I sat stunned at the first sound of this woman's voice. She was crying out her pain and loss for a lover longgone. Low, husky, somehow seductive, but filled with pain. I took a quick gulp of my drink as she began to sing…	Issue 76, Nov 2003
58. Helen in Wonderland Robert Moriyama In the Port Armstrong lunar colony, Helen Damnation McKay has no equal. In the Mare Inebrium however, she may have met her match!	Issue 81, May 2004
59. Trial by Intimacy Dan L. Hollifield If reality is as easily manipulated as all that, wouldn't everyone rather spend a day at the beach instead of playing God? Me? I'd rather visit the Mare Inebrium. Fortunately, I know how to get there from here. First, you drive north on Highway 441	Issue 82, Jun 2004
60. Just Another Day at the Office N. J. Kailhofer The alarm came from the R&D Department. It was always the R&D Department that cause the most trouble…	Issue 84, Aug 2004
61. The Customer is Always Right Bill Wolfe All things come to they who wait- Even if they wait forever.	Issue 86, Oct 2004
62. Enter The Dragon B. H. Marks When one seeks vengeance to the exclusion of all else, one may find in the end that all the best laid plans go awry — if one picks the Mare Inebrium as a hunting ground. 63. The Kitten Box Gareth Lyn Powell What is the true nature of man? And if you knew that, how would you measure it? Willing to bet your life on it?	Issue 97, Oct 2005 Issue 98, Nov 2005
64. A Fish Out of Water Linda Kelly Some bars don't know how to deal with a patron who is obviously drugged out of their mind, but at the Mare Inebrium, intoxication is just a state of mind…	Issue 100, Feb 2006
65. Deus Ex Machina Wishbone You'd would think that having proved that some planet's major deity was actually an alien Sociology Professor would be enough for one student's lifetime. But now Robert Landis had to survive the wrath of the disillusioned natives he'd inconvenienced with his secular revelation.	Issue 100, Feb 2006
66. An Old Joke Gareth Lyn Powell The shortest distance between two points is usually a punch line!	Issue 109, Mar 2007
67. Ten Years at the Bar Gareth D. Jones Even in the Mare Inebrium, things can be stranger than they seem…	Issue 109, Mar 2007
68. Turning Over A New Leaf Gareth D. Jones Change is the only constant in the universe. But in a place like the Mare Inebrium, would anyone really notice?	Issue 113, Aug 2007
69. The Door of Renown Jaimie L. Elliot The games people play is as nothing when compared to what deities can get up to the Mare Inebrium's Pantheon Room… Gods and heroes and writers — Oh my! Jaimie Elliott's first ever Mare Inebrium story!	Issue 130, Mar 2009
70. Never Friday Greg Barozzi When the two Captains of the Silver Moon return to the Mare Inebrium, Max isn't very glad to see them. But they buy their way into Max's good graces with a large credit chip, and a sad story. After all, in the Mare Inebrium, a story to tell is as valuable as hard currency…	Issue 136, Sep 2009
71. Flash Crowd #1 - Points of View: Cold Call Lester Curtis Any cop can tell you that if you interview a dozen witnesses to a single crime, you'll wind up with a dozen different versions of what happened.	Issue 141, Mar 2010
72. Flash Crowd #1 - Points of View: Midlife Crisis Jaimie L. Elliott Any cop can tell you that if you interview a dozen witnesses to a single crime, you'll wind up with a dozen different versions of what happened.	Issue 141, Mar 2010
73. Flash Crowd #1 - Points of View: To Boldly Wait J. Davidson Hero Any cop can tell you that if you interview a dozen witnesses to a single crime, you'll wind up with a dozen different versions of what happened. 74. Flash Crowd #1 - Points of View: Many Happy Returns Dan L. Hollifield Any cop can tell you that if you interview a dozen witnesses to a single crime, you'll wind up with a dozen different versions of what happened. 75. Flash Crowd #1 - Points of View: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to my Second Grubling's Bar Mitzva Bill Wolfe Any cop can tell you that if you interview a dozen witnesses to a single crime, you'll wind up with a dozen different versions of what happened.	Issue 141, Mar 2010 Issue 141, Mar 2010 Issue 141, Mar 2010

76. A Space War To End All Space Wars Sergio Palumbo Wars can be fought on many fronts, using many different weapons. Sometimes, even the most paranoid of warriors forgets that wars don't always have only two sides.	Issue 142, Apr 2010
77. Fast Friends Dan L. Hollifield In which we learn how the D'rrish Kazsh-ak Teir met and became friends with the Reever and Guiles Thornby, just in time to join the battle against Valleor, the Chaos God of Bethdish.	Issue 148, Dec 2010
78. Numinous Presence Sergio Palumbo Did you know the Mare Inebrium is haunted? When a team of intrepid reporters goes to Bethdish to investigate rumors of a ghostly presence in the Mare Inebrium, they find business going on as usual in the spaceport bar — Or is it?	Issue 149, Feb 2011
79. Forbidden Archaeology... Sergio Palumbo The market for forbidden artifacts has always been a cut-throat field of commerce. Sudden death is forever near at hand when such sales take place. When a 13-million-year-old off-world statue winds up in the Mare Inebrium under dubious circumstances, and the Reever is busy with far more serious crimes, even Max can find his hands tied if the putative buyer is a distant relation. But what exactly makes this random lump of rock so valuable?	Issue 158, Dec 2011
80. Concerto For Spies D. J. Rout Of all the gin joints in all the worlds…	Issue 159, Feb 2012
81. The Recurring Customer Is Always Right Sergio Palumbo Sometimes a familiar face at the Mare Inebrium is more than just another pretty face. Max recognizes someone he'd met, briefly, only once before…	Issue 166, Sep 2012
82. Myths And Legends Dan L. Hollifield Written For The Mare Inebrium Short Story Collection — Not Available Online 83. Sic Semper Tyrannis! Dan L. Hollifield Written For The Mare Inebrium Short Story Collection — Not Available Online 84. History Lesson Dan L. Hollifield Written For The Mare Inebrium Short Story Collection — Not Available Online 85. Necessary Evil Dan L. Hollifield Written For The Mare Inebrium Short Story Collection — Not Available Online 86. No Room For Evil Dan L. Hollifield Written For The Mare Inebrium Short Story Collection — Not Available Online	— , Sep 2012 — , Sep 2012 — , Sep 2012 — , Sep 2012 — , Sep 2012
87. Hunters Sergio Palumbo Your waitress and bartender have seen it all before. They've got your back…	Issue 181, Feb 2014
88. The Terraformers Sergio Palumbo Karma may be quick, or slow, but it can never be escaped…	Issue 191, Dec 2014
89. 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 conquor the D'rrish colony planet of R'lynath. A free bonus story to promote the publication of my anthology Tales From The Mare Inebrium.	Issue 192, Feb 2015
90. Connecting Links Sergio Palumbo Sometimes the connections between this and that can benefit from a discrete snip here and there…	Issue 202, Dec 2015
91. Ethiralz Sergio Palumbo When vigilante justice comes to the Mare Inebrium, it doesn't go well for anyone involved…	Issue 214, Feb 2017
92. 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…	Issue 224, Dec 2017
93. A Steamy Ale From Sthmefla Sergio Palumbo Some things are just too good to be true. 94. Closet Cases William Joseph Roberts Stockholm Syndrome can get really, really complicated. Especially when… 95. Shell Beach Dan L. Hollifield The 'Lost And Found' at the Mare Inebrium sometimes includes people… 96. Poker Face William Joseph Roberts Trae and Fergus find that there are more than a few small challenges to establishing themselves as interstellar traders…	Issue 235, Dec 2018 Issue 236, Feb 2019 Issue 237, Mar 2019 Issue 239, May 2019
97. Second Earth Sergio Palumbo Art requires action, and action has consequences…	Issue 246, Dec 2019
98. The Line Of The Reality Sergio Palumbo "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy… "	Issue 257, Dec 2020
99. From The Transcosmic Realm Sergio Palumbo The Mare Inebrium attracted visitors from everywhere. Some traveled a whole lot further than others…	Issue 291, Feb 2024
100. Shadows of Shadows Passing Randy Stuart Some meetings, are fleeting…	Issue 294, May 2024

The Shape of Things to Come

COMING NEXT ISSUE: ??
by ??
COMING SOON: "A Friend In Need…"
by D. J. Rout
COMING SOMEDAY, I HOPE: "Sidestep"
by Kate Thornton? and Dan L. Hollifield
I pulled the wreck closer so that I could get up a bit more speed. Whatever I could shave off of that ETA—any survivors might need. While the autopilot chuckled to itself I tried to make out more details on the old rust-bucket. With some magnification I was able to see the peeling paint scorched up in strips on it's surface. Originally it had been gleaming white, I guess, but the Deity only knows how long ago that was. The emergency flashers were still going strong and the angle had to have been just right, but I was able to see some patterns in the peeling paint. Enough to let me com ahead to the spaceport again so that they could look up it's registry. I managed to make out some letters and numbers in all the mess. My computer translated it for me, turned out to be an Earth language. The name on the side was "Linda Rae"…

I thought of this one and wanted to write it with Kate, since her characters were the biggest part of the story. Sadly, she has never had the time. Since the time of this story's conception, Mare writers have made it a habit of borrowing each other's characters. I may go ahead and write the story myself- just to get it done and out there.
COMING AT THE END OF TIME: "Last Call"
by Dan L. Hollifield
Just before the end of the universe, three entities are left- Max and his last two customers. Time has almost ended, but there's still a moment for a final round…

Click here to submit a Mare Inebrium story or artwork as an attachment (in MIME encoding as a .txt for DOS file, or .rtf file, or .doc file for stories & as .jpg or .gif for artwork) to an e-mail to me at the Aphelion. Please send all Mare Inebrium stories to this and only this address! That will save the other Editors time and make sure that your submission is read ASAP.

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