Told in parallel until they intersect: conquistadors hold the Inca emperor for ransom, aliens arrive on Earth and begin buying up art and cocaine, and a science fiction writer muses about the…
Author: Michael Hartford
“Chippoke Na Gomi” by Misha Nogha
A konologist (one who studies dust) is delayed at a train station while returning home with samples from Nagasaki that may still hold evidence of that city’s devastation, and encounters a strange…
“The Heat Death of the Universe” by Pamela Zoline
A housewife has a breakdown in the midst of her chaotic home, paralleling the increasing entropy inherent in a closed system. By turns hilarious and horrifying, poignant and satirical; the battle against…
“The Morning After the Big Fire” by Maeve Bennan
When the big garage at the end of their street burns down, a young girl basks in the glory of being the one who can deliver the news to the rest of…
“Those That I Fight I Do Not Hate” by Danielle McLaughlin
A man feels uncomfortable at a children’s party because of his affair with the hostess, some unfortunate events related to his drinking, and the hostess’ husband’s collection of war memorabilia. There is…
“Antarctica” by Claire Keegan
A married woman goes into the city for Christmas shopping and to have a brief affair; she finds a man who is not at all what she bargained for. This is a…
“The Language of the Mud” by Betty Rocksteady
A teen’s father, then neighbor, then aunt, disappear in a blink of the eye in a muddy spot in the backyard; when they return they’re not quite the same. This is a…
“Reading Lists” by Seanan McGuire
A woman who needs to find a book to write a report on for her adult literacy program stumbles on a room in the library that is “temporally out of order,” and…
“This Narrow Escape” by Betty Rocksteady
A woman finds her home, and her husband, inexplicably shrinking. A nice little weird tale, with a nice closing image of expansiveness overcoming the ratcheting reduction that characterizes the story.
“Root Rot” by Betty Rocksteady
A hook-up goes terribly wrong. A nicely squelchy horror story – terrors are presented with no explanation or back story, sort of like an intense short film, with haunting and disturbing images.