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When a Third World Came West

We stood , hands linked, in front of the justice of the peace, a Diane Sawyer look-alike more because it was the thing to do than because we really wanted to do it. We both felt uncomfortable and kept shifting our weights as we stood.  There we were, under the white bridal arch with wicker [...]

Gods and Monsters

Prince Thoth smiled.  On the executioner’s signal, the lights were dimmed, and the prince decided he could get by with a grin, just so long as he assumed an appropriate expression of despair by the time everyone’s eyes adjusted to the darkness.  This was the best part, the part that justified his existence, the silence [...]

Disney truly becomes “The Empire”

For those of you who haven’t heard Disney is acquiring Lucasfilm Ltd (including the STAR WARS franchise).  They already own Marvel.  So who knows what is next!  Although if memory serves they are actually paying more for Lucasfilm than they did for Marvel… One of the most interesting tid bits is the planned STAR WARS: [...]

Tracy E. Hauser

Lamont Turner

The Helmet

“Where is it?” said Canyon, frustrated. Canyon had been searching for her bike helmet all over the house for the past two hours. She wanted to ride her bike; by this time she could have already taken a spin down the road, turned into the cul-de-sac, rode back to her house and then back again [...]

Carol Hornak

Wolf

Emmaline stood watching Hattie Campbell’s buckboard lurch across the scorched prairie. She stood until all she could see was the cloud of dust billowing above the wagon as it headed east. She stood until the screams rising in her throat died away and the stillness of the day was broken only by the plaintive cries [...]

Cheryl Davis-O’Neill

New Posting Schedule

There hasn’t been a lot of new content being posted lately, but that’s going to change.  The lack of posting has been largely due to overload and not to a lack of quality submissions.  We’re in the process of increasing our pool of slushies, and getting responses and contracts out to submitters. For those who [...]

S4F: Getting More Entangled In Time and Space

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD In the S4F post, If You are Uncertain—Call a Quantum Mechanic for a Fix, I provided a summary of quantum physics—which I must remind you is something that cannot be summarized. The post had described phenomena such as quantum fuzziness, uncertainty, and the wave-particle duality, all of which, technically, are [...]

Prompts: Ancient Art and Planets on the Move

As summer approaches, I find myself looking forward to having more writing time. One of my kids is away at camp, which leaves me a few more hours each week to concentrate on my own stuff. But the prospect is also a little daunting, because along with the extra time comes the pressure of getting [...]

Contest Update

Everyone who entered the Abandoned Towers contest should now have received personal communication from us. If you have not received such an email, please contact us through contest@abandonedtowers.com

The Miller’s Prince

A figure emerged onto the steps at the bottom of the creaking windmill where Lord Darrik worked his black sorcery. He was bundled huddled in a long coat, floppy hat pulled low. The rickety stairs he stood on shifted when he turned to stare at the boys who walked halfway across the field from the [...]

Travis Knight

eBooks of the Future?

There are some interesting things going on with eBooks these days and I’d encourage you to get more informed, as in the long run this is going to affect all of us.  The sooner things get on the “right path” the better it will be for all of us. One of my favourite web resources: [...]

Prompts: Drugs From Space and Interstellar Law Suits

With the recent retirement of the Space Shuttle, my thoughts have turned to the stars. Outer space has always served as an evocative backdrop for some amazing sci-fi stories, so how do they come up with all those ideas in the first place? To give you a push in the right direction, I have combed [...]

Contest Extension

Hi folks, We’ve had some people with problems submitting through the eSub system, so we will be extending the deadline two weeks so that we can ensure that the problem is dealt with. New deadline is June 1 2012. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope that everyone who wishes to submit is able to. [...]

S4F: Go Kardashev not Kardashian for Your Science

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD I’m not sure a Kardashian (i.e. those inhabiting planet Reality Television) can help you understand science or write fiction, but astronomer Nikolai Kardashev is another matter entirely. In 1964 he created a scale to categorize how technologically advanced a civilization may be based on its energy usage. Without further ado, [...]

Prompts: Space on the Brain and Noises from the Deep

I’ve hit one of those periods where I’ve got a lot of material out on submission and I’m just spinning my wheels waiting to hear back. It’s during these down times when I get particularly antsy and the only thing that will help ward off the submission blues is to write something, anything. Fortunately, in [...]

Suzanne van Rooyen

Sunflowers and Barbed Wire

He lay curled in the womb of unconsciousness. Aware first of warmth, a tingling permeation from toes to finger-tips, he opened his eyes. An ice-blue cloudless sky glared down at him, the light of the zenith sun lancing his new born eyes. He welcomed the pain as the pervading numbness receded; warmth seeping into the [...]

The Last Ride

Without warning, a bright green light coated the windshield of Jeremy’s old Ford.  He couldn’t see the night-time country road any more. “Dang, guys!  Leave me alone.  I’m not hurtin’ anyone,” he roared in rage and frustration.  His eyes were watering from the blinding power of the space-based LASER. “I can’t see, babe.  We’re cooked,” [...]

S4F: From Higgs to Holograms

If I told you that you were really a hologram being projected from quantum fluctuations at the boundary of the Universe, would you believe you’re real? Legi ergo sum. For my take on this subject, check out my latest S4F article: From Higgs to Holograms.

Chocolate Layer Cake

life is like a chocolate layer cake reflecting a person’s structured layers on its complicated itinerary first layer rests on a solid surface and molds with instruction or self-taught rules second layer builds character and strength to face a mirage of complexities a third layer ties in brotherly love and its extension to the great [...]

Patricia Wentling

The Dark InSpectre [website] returns!

Some of you may have been following this series literally for years (27 Apr 2009), and many of you may be unaware of it.  Long time Abandoned Towers columnist Jason Kahn has been publishing this serial for nearly 3 years now.  Unfortunately there was a website issue a few months back which took everything off-line [...]

Looking for Reviewers/Reviewees

Probably not everyone has looked at every piece of content on our site, or even read all the pages in the drop down menus, so something that may have escaped your notice is that we do reviews in addition to posting great fiction, poetry and nonfiction. You can check out the official Abandoned Towers Book [...]

Day One

My eyes hang on the studded porthole: the vast blackness of space glares back in return, judging my form with an austere distaste. I stand moments from stepping out into its infinity. ‘Connor? You good?’ The intercom crackles. Reality pinches me. ‘I’m good. Just getting psyched.’ ‘No worries,’ the intercom replies. ‘Just…when you’re ready.’ A [...]

Jim Maher

Jim is the proud father of three bouncing boys, and has been writing since he could handle a crayon.  His first story, ‘Professor Jim’, was a hit at kindergarten, and was followed up with ‘Detective Jim and the Dinosaur Bones’ a few years later. Now, Jim has turned his focus to short stories about anything, [...]

By the Numbers

It has now been 57 days since Abandoned Towers officially relaunched. Here are some interesting numbers that summarize some of what has happened since then: 1 eSub system in use 2 contests launched: Abandoned Towers Writing Contest, Facebook Fan giveaways 7 historical issues of Abandoned Towers 8 new poems posted 11 new stories posted 82 [...]

Falling Forever

Listen, And you will hear The sounds I do Of falling Mile after mile Never landing The sound Of a scream No one can hear Or feel Only the ears of the heart The chords of loss Why the fear When there is no landing Maybe being alone Dropping Expecting something to happen That never [...]

Sisterhood

“Hurry, sister!” the woman breathed in a mixed English and Ukrainian dialect, tapping her bare foot anxiously on the leaf-strewn forest floor.  Despite the chill wind in the fall morning air, the breeze was not what caused her to shudder.  “Hurry!” A gunshot rang out in the distance; eerie, pervading the depths of the living [...]

John Riebow

Ahimsa Kerp

Ahimsa Kerp is a peripatetic historian, with a taste for travel, tofu, and spec-fic. He hails from the Pacific Northwest but is currently dodging scooters and drinking soju in Seoul, South Korea.  His travel writing can been found on the Matador Network, Bootsnall, Traveldudes, and The Art of Backpacking.  (See below for where to find his [...]

John Carter

You’ve probably noticed that Hollywood continues to mine literature, or at least published fiction, for ideas to transition into movies.  Although many of our favourite books never seem to make the transition despite there being lots of interest (Ender’s Game comes immediately to mind), there are countless books that actually do become movies. One of [...]

Dancer of the Shoe

I trip over your shoe string dress or gown and keep walking with a beat but, are you missing a step, let me take you there, or did the ghost of the night take your slippers away- move right, slightly left, back one half step. Dancer of the shoe poem. It is my duty to [...]

St. Patrick’s Day

Amidst the shamrocks, “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” t-shirts and green beer, it’s often forgotten that St. Patrick was actually a historical figure.  Since we publish fiction and non-fiction, I thought it would be interesting to post a link to some of St. Patrick’s own words. As a writing prompt: there are very few novels about [...]

Prompts: Ancient Leviathans and Runaway Slime

One of the best aspects of being a writer is that we are truly limited only by our imaginations. But sometimes even those of us with the most radical frontal lobes need a kick start. Where do we go to emerge from the dull malaise of the mind? Fortunately, those in search of inspiration never [...]

Facebook Contest

In the hopes of gaining new readership, we are beginning a contest on Facebook. No entry fees, and some nifty prizes. Here’s how it works. Like our Facebook page if you haven’t already (not this post, although if you want to like this post as well, that’s a-OK with us!). If you already like us, you’re [...]

Comments

Just to remind everyone, we have comments open for all of our content: stories, poetry, non fiction, blog posts and meandering editorials. Thanks to those of you who have been commenting, as it also helps us learn more about the tastes of our readership.  Currently, comments are set so that I have to moderate them, [...]

Quillon’s Quarry

They’d been camped in a little valley outside of Nirdeen for two weeks and the men were starting to get restless.  They hadn’t been the best quality men to begin with, and Quillon knew that if they sat around too much longer the ranks would be completely decimated by brawling and desertion.  From the start [...]

Walter Rhein

Advertisers Wanted!

Abandoned Towers is re-releasing our existing issues in digest format over the coming months, and we’ve got additional print issues in the pipeline for 2012.  All full sized issues will gradually become available once more, with original advertising intact for no additional charge. As part of our relaunch festivities, we’re offering the following advertising specials [...]

Big White Duck, Little White Lie

He had murdered the duck. That’s how it felt, anyway. Matt leaned over the deck railing and gazed downstream, hoping to get a glimpse of a big white duck.  No luck.  Dimples the duck was most certainly dead, swept downstream during last night’s raging storm. Wild ducks were gathering in the stream below. They knew [...]

Pamela Bonsper

Contest Submissions: eSub OPEN!

So we were a little delayed in being ready to accept your contest submissions, but we’re ready now.  Please do report any problems that you have.  We will in the near future be expanding the system to handle our regular submissions as well as the contest submissions. You shouldn’t have much trouble filling out the [...]

S4F: Invisibility, Science not Magic

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD What do you think about people seeing through you (optically—not because you are a shallow person, as you most certainly are not!)? Or, how about cloaking your starship as you sneak past an enemy armada? If you have thought about it, then read on. But beware: the methods of invisibility [...]

Counting Stars-Part 2

A soft cacophony of night-time sounds surrounded Cloud Runner as he sat beside Counting Stars, staring intently into his brother’s face. He could hear the rustle and whisper of the grass as the wind stroked it, the occasional creak of stiff leather as the tipi settled itself for the night, the heavy breathing of his [...]

Suzanne van Rooyen

Suzanne is one of the judges of Abandoned Towers Writing Contest 2012. Suzanne van Rooyen is a freelance writer and author. Although born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, she now lives in Finland with her fiancé and shiba inu, Lego. Her publishing credits include the cyberpunk novel ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ published by Divertir Publishing, LLC, [...]

Contest Update

Some of you are total keeners, we announced our first contest just over a month ago (strange that it coincided with our relaunch, almost like we planned it), and way back then we told you that we’d start accepting submissions YESTERDAY.  And you know what?  Some of you were ready to do so… sadly we [...]

Dark Eponym

Wikipedia, a democratic cyber colloquium of web contributors. In the internet age it’s their collective wisdom that decides who’s who, not the Encyclopedia Britannica. In the search engine enter the names Mark David Chapman, Lee Harvey Oswald, Sirhan Sirhan, John Wilkes Booth, and pages and pages recount their stories. But before them all was Herostratus. [...]

Counting Stars: Part 1

The rising sun coloured the prairies with a soft, rosy glow. The grass turned golden, shimmering as the wind stroked it. A kingsnake curled lethargically out of its burrow, twisting its sleek, brown coils in the morning light–only to dart back underground as it felt the earth resonate with hooves. Cloud Runner beat his heels [...]

Jess Hyslop

Warlock Rites

Baptized in the blood of a lamb, black wooled and horned, upon a dark altar: Blood for the life of Gul’Dan! Lich-Lords rise, bloodless and wan, to call forth the demon thrall baptized in the blood of a lamb. Dark gods seek the blood of man sing from crooked toothed maw: “Blood for the soul [...]

M. Craig McCall

Prompts: The Living Earth and the Deep Freeze

It doesn’t take much to go from science fact to science fiction. Especially when some scientific theories and experiments are so far out there to begin with. But when it comes to writing, being able to tweak something that’s scientifically plausible just enough to create an interesting, dramatic story is a valuable skill. Fortunately, that’s [...]

The Gates of Shaizar

Fortress of Shaizar, western Syria August A.D. 1160 When the order to halt came, Blaise al-Mastoub reined his destrier before the guards at the eastern gate of Shaizar. Behind him the queue of merchants with ox carts and camels, woodcutters leading laden donkeys, concubines in curtained palanquins, flocks of bleating sheep and goats, and the [...]

Melissa Embry

Contest Judges

We are actively recruiting judges for our first writing contest. If you want to read some great fiction, flash fiction or poetry (if the quality of regular submissions is any indication, there’s going to be some spectacular work coming in) let us know. Email me at editor@abandonedtowers.com or let us know through the contact form. [...]

Stars

I watch the stars go by in the dance of ages a billion billion years in the making while under me the earth turns cool grass under me indigo dome over me and I wonder when people will notice the wreckage of my car wrapped around a tree just below the shattered guardrail with my [...]

Elizabeth Einspanier

Chris McKenna

You can listen to Chris talk about his book, Paradigms, in Episode 51 of the secular buddhist podcast.  His book, Paradigms can be found on Amazon.

Writing Prompt!

From the twitter feed of a friend of mine who is currently watching Buffy for the first time. “Just once, I’d like to see a show or read a book where summoning a demon is great fun and doesn’t result in disaster.” There you go!

Reviews

Do you have a complete work? Would you like Abandoned Towers to review it for you? We would be happy to! We have an official review page.  We will review novels, anthologies, collections, graphic novels, audio books and comics, among others.  We ask for at least one copy to be provided (for us to read) and [...]

Manuscript Format

As a writer with ADD, I sometimes find it difficult to follow all of the directions that are given by magazines and other markets for submitting works. As an editor, I find it SO much easier to work on pieces where the author has followed instructions. As such, I want to make sure that everyone [...]

I Laughed, I Cried

The world is ending, maybe in as little as two days. I feel strangely at peace; there’s some comfort in knowing that I—along with everybody else left in the world—will go out at the same time and in the same way. There’ll be no more bills to pay, no more car insurance, traffic jams, head [...]

Allen Kopp

S4F: More or Less Human

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD “I teach you the overman. Man is something that is to be overcome. What have you done to overcome him?” —Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra Have you ever wanted to be a better you? Smarter? Stronger? More attractive? Of course not! You are one of those rare perfect beings. However, [...]

Mark of the Dragon

The great king sat, squatting like a toad, on his throne surrounded by his courtiers and men-at-arms.  Subjects of the realm from far and near had come to pay homage to the king.  Even noblemen from the normally restive southern province of the kingdom were in attendance on this day.    A ceremony to mark the [...]

H Ramsager

Flower and Thorn

“Well?” Lyda nodded once, and her mistress let out a sigh of relief. “Then it is over. There is nothing left in my way.” Lyda just smiled. She always smiled when she knew she had done well for her mistress. “And you, my lovely, your power will be feared throughout the duchy: Lyda, Flower of [...]

J. Marcus Kent

A Matter of Pride

Shabby guy sprawled on sidewalk empty bottle in his hand, his hat upturned like an open palm. Passersby naturally pass him by. But one lady, one frugally dressed lady bedecked with rhinestones, carrying a shopping bag labeled Al’s Discounts, opens her imitation leather pocketbook and deigns to drop a coin (nickel, dime, or quarter, but [...]

The Elf Must Die!

The regicide started with a fire in the pile of gnawed bones and rags from victims in the corner of the throne cave. The mound wasn’t large and the fire didn’t grow big either, but the smoke made the throats of the nearby goblins close up, their eyes to water and their noses to sneeze. [...]

Berit Ellingsen

New Content

In order to mark our relaunch, we will be posting new poetry and fiction every day for the first week.  So far, we’ve had stories from Rita Crossley and Samuel Wood, plus poetry from Denny E. Marshall and Robert William Shmigelsky with more coming.

Denny E. Marshall

Sub Way Train

Submission – submission Rejection, rejection Then maybe with luck A rare acceptance Looked on the bright side Have learned from this- No longer, have to look To spell simultaneous

Launch Announcement

It’s official! We have launched the brand new Abandoned Towers website.  If this is your first time here, welcome!  If you’re a returning visitor, welcome and we hope that your experience is even better. Here are some things that I would like to point your attention toward: Our new submission process The inaugural contest announcement [...]

Author Pages

Are you an author who has content on AbandonedTowers.com? Well if you are, then you have an Author Page. We think they are cool, and useful tools to help promote the authors we publish, we hope you agree. If you are such an author, you should check out your page, and then you should send [...]

Samuel Wood

Demon of the Night

The flames engulfing the monster continued to leap higher.  Those flames formed a magical wall to not only keep villagers out, but to keep the creatures in.  Kor was trapped between the emerging creature and the rocky walls surrounding him as it lumbered forward. He punched the wall due to the flame wall’s ineffectiveness, for [...]

Time Armor

glossy golden plate same polished shine from first make sword not included

The Help of a Bit of Magic

“The goblins are revolting,” said Home Secretary Seebell. Prime Minister Cornelius Underwood nodded in agreement. “Yes, I know. If you happen to be downwind of one of them, it can put you off your food.” “No, I mean they are rebelling. There’s a large crowd of them outside the building and they refuse to move [...]

Rita Crossley

Books for Review

Abandoned Towers Book Review Policy Abandoned Towers is happy to review your published or soon to be published novel, anthology, collection, book, graphic novel, comic, audio book or other discrete piece of writing which is available or soon will be available for sale to the public. Requirements To have your Work reviewed by Abandoned Towers, [...]

Jim Fowler

David Siegel Bernstein

(Ed. David is also a staff columnist for Abandoned Towers, so he also has a staff page)

It’s Been a Long Road

It has been a long road getting AbandonedTowers.com ready to officially relaunch, but we’re just about there.  We now have over 90% of all previous content integrated into a single cohesive site, no more jumping around, or needing multiple accounts in order to comment on content. The final steps are integration of the previously external [...]

Jason Kahn

Manuscript Format

Although there are (unfortunately) countless standards and variations for manuscript formats, we’re adding our own addition to the plethora.  Please do your best to follow the format described below: Manuscript Format: Short Story/Flash Fiction/Nonfiction Set your margins to be 1 inch (2.54cm) on all sides In the top left hand corner of the first page [...]

Winners

The Contest Winners won’t be announced until this summer, but in the meantime why don’t you enter the Abandoned Towers Writing Contest? Don’t want to submit something?  How about becoming a judge?

Short Story Shortlist

The Short Story Shortlist won’t be announced until this summer, but in the meantime why don’t you enter the Abandoned Towers Writing Contest? Don’t want to submit something?  How about becoming a judge?

Poetry Shortlist

The Poetry Shortlist won’t be announced until this summer, but in the meantime why don’t you enter the Abandoned Towers Writing Contest? Don’t want to submit something?  How about becoming a judge?

Flash Fiction Shortlist

The Flash Fiction Shortlist won’t be announced until this summer, but in the meantime why don’t you enter the Abandoned Towers Writing Contest? Don’t want to submit something?  How about becoming a judge?

Judges

Preliminary Judges | Final Judges | Judges Eligibility | Current Judges We NEED Judges We need more people to help judge the Abandoned Towers Writing Contest, so if you’re interested, let us know!  Below, you’ll find the expectations of being a judge. Preliminary Judges Preliminary Judges will be responsible for reading all the entries we [...]

Volunteer Opportunities

Abandoned Towers is always looking for more people to help and contribute to either the print or the online editions. Check out the current job descriptions, or the staff page to see if there are opportunities that interest you. If you don’t see something that suits you, but you’d still like to help out drop [...]

Hugo Fanzine

Abandoned Towers is a bit new to all this, but we feel that we currently qualify in the Hugo category of “Best Fanzine”. Of course, it’s really up to you, the fans, whether you agree with that or not. We believe we’ll qualify for the 2012 Hugos. Nominations will be open in early 2013 for [...]

Vision

Abandoned Towers is currently a labour of love for a number of individuals, but it is our hope that Abandoned Towers can become a labour of love for an entire community, providing an opportunity for authors to get exposure and some compensation. Through online advertising, print edition sales (and advertising) and writing contests Abandoned Towers [...]

The Bard

Every January, a strange, ritualistic phenomenon occurs.  It consists of a shrieking, wailing soundtrack, eerie chanting in a language which is barely recognizable as English, the consumption of organ meats ground into a mealy dish and the sudden assumption of ritual garments of eye-searing patterns and men in skirts. I refer of course, to Robbie [...]

Authors

Below is a list of all authors currently featured in Abandoned Towers.  Click on the header of the table to switch the list from alphabetical to reverse alphabetical.

Seigerman’s Per Cent

Towards the wind-up of the Cherokee Strip Cattle Association, it became hard to ride a chuck-line in winter. Some of the cattle companies on the range, whose headquarters were far removed from the scene of active operations, saw fit to give orders that the common custom of feeding all comers and letting them wear their [...]

Andy Adams

Andrea Wyn

Sylvan Newby

Sarah McDonald

Carolyn Crow

Eric S. Brown

Cover Gallery

Abandoned Towers has produced 7 print editions to date, their covers are presented here for your enjoyment.  In most cases you’ll have the option of viewing both the cover as presented on the print edition as well as the original artwork.  We encourage you to browse and enjoy.  Artist credit is provided as well for [...]

Prompts: Of Avian Gods and Resurrected Saints

The holidays are over, and it’s time to get back in the swing of things workwise. But what about writing? How do you get the old creative muscles unkinked? Fortunately, I practice a relatively easy exercise that anybody can use. In my job as a news editor, I come across hundreds of press releases and [...]

Sonnet Mondal

Sonnet Mondal came on board as the Poetry Editor of Abandoned Towers in January 2012. Sonnet Mondal is an award winning poet. He has authored seven full length books of poetry, the latest being Diorama of Three Diaries (Authorspress, New Delhi). Sonnet is the inventor of the 21 lines fusion sonnets form of poetry which [...]

K.E. Abel

K.E. Abel lives in the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with her long time partner.  She loves reading, writing, tea, chocolate, wine and her pet leopard geckos: Sasha and Ennis.  When not working on Abandoned Towers, she can be found avoiding housework, doing some form of art (painting, knitting, scrapbooking and photography…plus more!), writing [...]

George Anthony Kulz

Chris Silva

Randall W. Pretzer

Dan Thompson

Shawn Neely

Jean Lauzier

Paul A. Ridge

Larry A. Kayser

Laura L Alton

Robert Koger

Laura Schultz

Ken Goldman

Lee Gimenez

Forrest Wayne Schultz

Danny Birt

Stoney M. Setzer

Gordon Darroch

Peter Lukes

Debra Easterling

Pat Hauldren

You can also find Pat on LinkedIn: pathauldren

Brian G Ross

Aaron J. French

Carl Alves

Joseph Morgan Ives

Jack Pettie

E. Alexander Hill

Stephen Patrick

Lloyd Poast

Edward Rodosek

Melanie Rees

Mark Chorna

Jessica McHugh

Arnold Hollander

Shawn Drury

Gregory Clifford

Barbara Barnett

Geoffrey C Porter

Sterner St. Paul

Ethel Rohan

Jahan Claes

Katherine McIntyre

Jeremy D Brooks

Michael D. Griffiths

Marcy Arlin

C. L. Golden

Eric Sandler

Jasmine Giacomo

Doug McIntire

Lisa Agnew

Colin P. Davies

Robert Gibson

Richard Berrigan Jr.

Shaun A. Saunders

Mark Lawrence

Conrad Rice

Natasha Bennett

Holmes Gray

Heather Parker

Sarah Wagner

Martin Turton

Andrew Johnson

Bruce Durham

J. W. Benford

Ty Johnston

Gustavo Bondoni

Merle Alix

David R. Sparks

Cary Rainey

Stephen V. Ramey

Christopher Heath

Abby “Merc” Rustad

Lindsey Williams

Heather Kuehl

John M. Whalen

Arthur Mackeown

Sandra S. Richardson

Danielle L. Parker

Sheila Crosby

Kevin V. Kvas

Stephen Morgan

David Scott

Susie Hawes

Allan M. McDonald

Minnette Meador

David A. Hardy

Magdalena Ball

R. L. Copple

Arthur Newton

William Covill

Erin O’Riordan

David Pilling

Norman A. Rubin

T.W. Anderson

Submissions

We continue to receive many excellent submissions! I have contacted everyone who has submitted before December 11 2011, so if you sent us something before that time and have not heard back yet, please send a query to submissions@abandonedtowers.com with QUERY in capitals in your subject line. K.E. Abel Managing Editor Abandoned Towers Magazine

Lydia Kurnia

Rie Sheridan Rose

Eric G. Swedin

Jared Evers

Sarah Ashwood

Josh Brown

Jack Mulcahy

Nicholas Ozment

Andy Clark

C.L. Needham

Chris Stageman

Michael McGlasson

Kimberly Grenfell

H. Earl Wilkinson

Jaleta Clegg

James Lecky

Gordon Doherty

Timothy A. Sayell

Marielle Miller

B.R. Stateham

Sonya M. Sipes

Guy Wetmore Carryl

Remembrance

Remembrance I sit alone in messy room, the heat turned off to conserve cash. I think about a nation’s doom and my eternal lack of drive and dash, some basketball games old and new, how long I have been out of work, play songs of laughter and the blues, think how long I’ve been sick, [...]

Andrew M. Bowen

The Thread of Time

The Thread of Time The needle of conciseness carried along the thread of time stitching through the patches of an evolving world – connected, studded with patterned laws, and she existed between two of those stitches, floating with that needle, in the world of now, with the fleeting tears and the showering stars both — [...]

The Hungry Sea

The Hungry Sea The glowing sea of lava red: a flowing rug on the floor of dust, indicated a vast amount of liquid in his tests. And the astronaut descended and walked slowly by the ragged shore of barenness, gazed blankly at the fragile veil that sieved a star of beaming wrath through layered motes [...]

Fariel Shafee

Winter of Life

Winter of Life (A Pantoum) The view is my world My window is Nature’s screen The seasons slowly drift past Like life, it seems to me. My window is Nature’s screen Snow on the boughs in Winter Like Life, it seems to me The gray on an aging head Snow on the boughs in Winter [...]

Doris M. Kneppel

Cosmic Atrophy

Cosmic Atrophy used up seconds wished gone zigzag into a wormhole chaste not and frozen in space stuck there with acrimony, no air so laughter is merely a dream squished recollections become beautifully translucent funny how darkness eventually consumes eats digests even the slightest bit of radiance

Renaissance of Man

Renaissance of Man Not severe enough in disposition to annihilate Decisions reasoned with objectivity securing justice Imagine! Truth determines penalty or permits freedom Persona swims in chosen colored sea where logic soaks in Sees uniqueness minus blasted bias to view pure beauty Beholds bountiful blessings with glee, shares prosperity Aftermath of pain and shame is [...]

light 2732

light 2732 it should be illegal for cell phones to work near toilets, especially in airports where the toilets flush automatically heels, whether manmade or human, deserve to drop into the pits of hell people have to stick gum under tables and chairs so on the worst day, my hand finds the spit laden truth [...]

Nora Weston

Death

Death Who knows when it will come, what will be its instrument; But we know one day it will visit us all; It always does – no one lives forever; Though we often try to, and in some there is a fear of it; Fools; What difference does it make where we are; Here or [...]

Shadows

Shadows Life’s simple and happy days have long ago passed him by; Gone are his joys – his thrills, excitement for life; Gone are his hopes and dreams, his future; All that is left to him are passing days and endless hours; Time; For him there is nothing else – no friends, loves; Just long [...]

Bright

Bright The sun is shining, though gray clouds await on the horizon; It is quite warm, pleasantly so; The birds are chirping which means Spring is fully on its way; And things are going well for him – better than average; Got loving parents behind him, all the support he could ever hope for; There [...]

Timothy Ray Jones

Drugstore Flowers

Drugstore Flowers My cats kink and snurl together, slink effortlessly up the windowsill and pose, contemptuous of their grace, as if it were expected, as if the world held nothing else– meanwhile destroy my garden, a two-foot strip around my porch I dared to punctuate with flowers. They claw out plugs of hothouse blooms and [...]

Bird Calls

Bird Calls despite their repetition never lose urgency as if a mad ventriloquist had placed a hand inside each feathered back, egging them onward. Some call for mates and some for territory but most sing because they are impelled by birdness or mad with joy at freedom from words.

On Rachel’s Death

On Rachel’s Death The hole in the ground left by the tree the hole left by her life or my life or any life always lacks dirt enough to cover the uprooted root-crown. Loss is a coin tossed down a depthless well; you listen for a splash that never comes.

C. E. Chaffin

Sander Blome

David S. Alkek, MD

Don Webb

The Sanity of Celtic Gods

The Sanity of Celtic Gods The Celtic gods were sane enough, they rolled the stones away without so much as a heavy breath if you don’t count the wind, rain and the sea’s continual rages. But beneath the mound the names were never carved, or carved only in lime and sand so the storms could [...]

Tomb of the Eagles

Tomb of the Eagles On Orkney there’s a mound the government of Scotland thought too insignificant to fund an excavation for, so they left it to the farmer and his son to dig up the rare Celtic bones. And among those human remains were a skull, and tools for the incising of a language into [...]

George Moore

Headquarters of Metaphor Farms, Inc.

Headquarters of Metaphor Farms, Inc. In our corporate boardroom this morning “The Donald” wasn’t in charge; more like “Old MacDonald.” People were counting chickens before they hatched; putting all their eggs in one basket; saucing geese and ganders right and left; leading horses to water, where none of them drank. Nobody put shoulder to the [...]

Becky Haigler

Impulse Control

Impulse Control White Queen can be had She offers herself Now A Pawn will be lost Pawns exchanged Bishops compromised Lost Knights Black Queen pinned Black King  mated Hold back Think Shun the White Queen Escape the trap Take her on your terms Or leave her Doomed To her mated King

Refined Reflections

Refined Reflections Time’s presence every instant lifts As present, past becomes Our world in somber silence, shifts Life’s silent track our sum Our hopes in flux, beliefs mistrust Truth, timeless, be held fast The true and instant answer thrust So soon to be the past Our small safe space may soon be blown In ways [...]

Jon Forceton

Relentless Sadness

Relentless Sadness Sadness overcomes me Enveloping my mind Trapped for all eternity My conscious gagged and blind Thought reality would please That all my hunger pains would cease Yet the world I had to leave And turn within to find my peace Sadness has become me Absorbed within my mind It’s now become apparent Upon [...]

J. A. DeAngelis

Ribs

Ribs staring at refugees from the Sudan the librarian recalled white-shirted men in Mumbai clutching his arm: “A guide, sir? I am an excellent guide!” they dreamed of reaching Palo Alto the librarian knew Sudan had even less to offer than India’s slums a dog food commercial appeared in a break from news so fast [...]

Imprint of my Heart

Imprint of my Heart On the downward curve of your birth’s anniversary              when the call we wanted and never expected              skipped the cell and came                  through on our land line May was dry enough to keep                        bougainvillaeas from weeping dew                        nothing but salt tracks on my cheeks Doves were sleeping [...]

Wall’s Revenge

Wall’s Revenge The adobe-mud wall bordering                my yard, standing a good six feet                up from patches of bermuda                and brittle wisps of winter rye,                is slowly breaking apart. It is a Tucson summer. The wall and my body                are about the same age. Does my cracked and spotted skin equal [...]

Survivor

Survivor what scattered his dream          he considered leaving his cave for the shore loose carnivores from the blasted zoo kept him immobile until dusk clouds of fine red clay drifted across the entrance         he stared out at the beasts whose dappled pelts set ablaze by the crippled sun bled against the horizon how long had [...]

Burgess Needle

Ernest Bailey

Michael H. Hanson

Peter Egypt

Free-Range Human

Free-Range Human Inside my cage, pinned between seat back and tray table, craning for a glimpse of sky. Booze costs five bucks/five euros. A smoke costs 250 bucks and 10 years, yet the man ahead of me is lighting up his shoe, while the one beyond is scratching his itchy crotch. Am I chicken to [...]

A Stroll in the Woods

A Stroll in the Woods Fragments of skeletal dead leaves decaying, concealing the ravenous rampaging hordes, trod by an unthinking walker surveying, heedless of hideous insect death-chords. Monstrous and steady, his slow walk progresses. Unknowing, uncaring… all nameless things scatter before him, avoid where he presses, cringing as each ghastly victim’s voice sings. In sudden [...]

Not a Sleeping Bench

Not a Sleeping Bench The critters around me are creeping on my head they are leaping and from me keeping my sleeping bench I move to a ditch but I’m weeping for the drainage is seeping and from me keeping my sleeping trench These old moldy leaves I am heaping nose from the edge just [...]

Enduring Flame

Enduring Flame At seventeen, you caught my eye. My ardor burst in flame. I wooed and won, you with a sigh, ignited just the same. My soul is kindled by your smile, sad heart singed by your tears. Some loves run hot, then cold a while, ours more than burns – it sears. The glowing [...]

Shadows on the Moon

Shadows on the Moon Across the moon the shadows race, dim silhouettes of days gone by. As I reach out to grasp a trace, across the moon the shadows race, they blur the features of your face. Though my heart breaks, I cannot cry. Across the moon the shadows race, dim silhouettes of days gone [...]

Ben Langhinrichs

Snow Sprites

Snow Sprites Joyously the children of the snow cry out, as they dance upon the drifts Pouring sleet and ice from their feet, they dance alight on the glacier rifts They are the children of winter, they are dancers of ice, they are puresnow sprites are so beautiful, they walk upon the winds, gentle, demure [...]

Viking Slave

Viking Slave A thrall in arms, for his master,  a shield holder in the battle, An oarsman in the dragon ship, a tender of the lord’s cattle, A story teller about the Langhus fire upon nights so cold to make the bones rattle I am still an equal of the lord, but for my life [...]

A Norseman’s Lament

A Norseman’s Lament My body laying upon the stones of a foreign shore, I am bleeding out Dashed skulls and broken shields remain, upon the gates of unbroken redoubt Should I die, let the haunting, taunting, tormenting demons rest, For I will be far away from their reach, from their despicable tests, Call the Valkyr [...]

The Horde

The Horde The footmen dig in, while the workers build walls The time is short, and soon will come the horde The horsemen scout the lay, observe the landscape But every one in camp knew, the surge would come forward The walls would break, the horses would be slaughtered The army’s survivors chased and put [...]

True Homeland

True Homeland Let no man argue, nor woman debate the truth of what is known That this place is all things sacred, our heart, our very home The holiest blade of grass made more holy by the sacrifice Of warriors defending it, mending it, making certain of its life The lands of the ancestor’s needing [...]

Giants of the Northern Steppe

Giants of the Northern Steppe Dressed in armor, expensive to create, and difficult to penetrate The giants of the Northern steppe make their way down to the King’s mark They seek to gather gold, destroy their foes, and infiltrate The human’s walled kingdom, with fortified towns and towers The are much like a hunter amongst [...]

Upon the Fringes

Upon the Fringes are scouts for the Kingdom, but are outsiders who are unwelcome within Their blood is half arctic wolf, half human, and their life is found  upon the fringe They are not born evil, nor do they exhibit a lust to kill, and can track with scent Far too many judge them, far [...]

Left for Dead

Left for Dead Beneath a wall of rotting flesh, I was left for dead I crawled from the pile, wounded, bleeding but alive It was a struggle simply to catch a breath, I’d live I said When their black lips and bloated bodies of dead men Began to reek, I became ill in addition to [...]

Upon Knees We Crawl

Upon Knees We Crawl Are we to challenge, when our sustenance and life is borrowed From the sovereign born to lead, so what is our petty sorrow Oh great Lord of the fields, we approach only upon humble knees Oh great God of the harvest, we live only for you, only to please Your way [...]

One Last Battle

One Last Battle Thundering hooves beat a powerful path The horsemen of the Mark ride before the passage of night Passed watchmen grim and unsurpassed In grief For the coming morn, when a land and people are bled white The vulgar kin have come again at last Long ago the wars of men had come [...]

Rise Aloft Valkyr Fly!

Rise Aloft Valkyr Fly! Sent by their father Odin, fast into the mortal lands When the Valkyr ride upon clouds and over snow they pass Upon steed or boar, winged or magicked, they move across the haze The downed warriors lost in the twilight, saved by a Valkyr’s gaze The gray God’s children, so beautiful [...]

The Missing

The Missing We are the missing generations Between the wars of men and vulgar clans We have no fathers, for they’ve gone To fight orcs to protect the ways of man We are the children of these times We walk in the nethers and search for the lost For answers of questions of who we [...]

Fighting For Our Own

Fighting For Our Own Too many chasing us Hunting us like pack dogs Our finest warriors bloodied Our weakest torn apart Our very weaknesses studied By those who were vowed to defend us From the hands and weapons Of these former allies we are wounded A rebellion most cruel, we are betrayed The palace guard [...]

Seven Suns

Seven Suns By the passing time of the globe Spinning into darkness, night’s hold is broken When the sky is brightly lit by the sun’s rays so fair We rest By the movement of the clouds We sleep By the passing of the day We long for The holiday of repentance And ride until The [...]

Empire of Iron and Stone

Empire of Iron and Stone Royalty, demands pageantry, pride The Emperor’s Cavalry impresses and rides They parade before the throne Carrying banners of the Empire Aloft, proudly and alone The Empire sits Set apart from others By hatred and fear For there are no enchanted lands No greater man The Empire strangles and smothers It [...]

Waters Deep Hide her

Waters Deep Hide her In the depths of the murky waters Of the darkest lake, yet aware of all She moves so swiftly, with such speed She creates a current and wake None who would see her could believe That she is so gentle, so articulate Eloquent lover of the elvish song, And she lives [...]

Abandoned Towers

Abandoned Towers Abandoned fortress Witness to many wars Rage of clans When fire and swords replace words Forgotten ruins Remnants of time Endurance of struggle Gates torn asunder when riders ride None survive the clash But those who fled before defeat War reaps lives, like scythes cut wheat A generation of children lost Amidst torment, [...]

None Left

None Left Riders and horses left behind Their morale quickly deflates Lost in the mists of the vale Outside and within Tragic, desperate twists of fate Naive fears mature in the land of waste When their number are surrounded The beat of the drums of war arise Causing panic great and wild And destruction of [...]

In Early Spring

In Early Spring The Norse men move when the winter ice relents They flood the South with dragon ships and angry men Their storm approaches, wild and powerful, able to kill The sacrifice begins, and the fear will be instilled The crows fill the sky, circling the dead The storms leave a path of destruction, [...]

The Wyrm of the Earth

The Wyrm of the Earth From deep within the world’s oceans, It crawled forth upon its vulgar belly Contorted from the pressures of the sea It stretched beyond the horizon Neither dragon nor wyvern nor serpent But a wyrm of so great size and import As to stretch from island to island From land to [...]

Endless March

Endless March Marching onward, without hope, none the less, we march Homelands in ruins, people enslaved, in the endless wars of man Charged to defend but with nothing remaining, we start We follow when orders are drawn We follow and march the day long We follow because it is what we do Endless are the [...]

She Slept while the Kingdom Burned

She Slept while the Kingdom Burned A great red wyrm, so large as to be unique Ancient in blood and lineage, fierce in combat and courage Slept in the deepest caverns, close to the earth’s volcanic heat All the while the men fought over kingdom spoils And burned each other’s homes to the grounds From [...]

The King’s Men

The King’s Men Countless grains of wheat bow majestically towards the source The King could only hope for similar obedience, outside his retinue Loyalty cannot be forced, nor can love be manufactured to be true The King’s Companion cavalry, serves country and sovereign, With blood and steel, with pain and glory Down to the last [...]

Upon a Giant’s Shoulders

Upon a Giant’s Shoulders The sky, bound as it is to the heavens, Carries with it its own great weight And with dark humanity’s rituals, with their games, The heavens are become shy towards men None may reach the lofty world without consent, For the waves of eternity are wonderful And those who reach them [...]

Thunder God Awakens

Thunder God Awakens Who is he who was born a God and warrior without peer, a child of a God, the child of supreme Odin, great king of the Gods and Jord giantess Earth, holder of the tribal spear.     Who is he who rides upon the storms, Who is he who is bright and mighty, [...]

Lances High

Lances High Two opponents in the joust, neither were enemy of the other But they were committed to combat, each against a brother With armor as skin, with steel as nails, like some primal rage A lance brought to fore, without enmity, but neither would yield The two would chase like beasts in a cage [...]

Ten Wild Men Run

Ten Wild Men Run Ten wild men ran, the dragon had bellowed its curse Hairy bodies and spears, heaving across stoned path The serpent called out in anger, little could go worse, Than to have angered an ancient wyrm in repast With a favor to ask of her, Ten wild men soon turned to ash [...]

Approaching Winter Storms

Approaching Winter Storms Storms of snow and ice approach, in winter days we walk. Lost amongst the ruins, where the temple was despoiled and thrown down, we walk with trepidation, and gentle steps, for the ghosts of a fallen age still linger. The echoes of past generation’s screams reverberate in our ears, and we quiver, [...]

Children of the Midnight Forest

Children of the Midnight Forest Snakes and circles, Dancing and pain The world is beautiful, Darkly in the evening mist and rain The children of summer, sweetly sing their songs When the night breaks, and midnight moon shines down All the wrongs of the world pass by, Only drowned by the gentle sounds Black sky [...]

Alex Ness

For more of Alex’s work, please visit: http://poplitiko.blogspot.com http://deadtomyflesh.blogspot.com http://amazon.com/Life-Ravens-Epic-Poetry-Narrative/dp/0978563824

Paradise

Paradise Wind chimes of palm branches paper brown, latticed as thatching on the cabana roof and a tap water wind But on the white sand blue bubbles, jelly fished out of the sea string pain on the sand in the afternoon gusts and a diver convulses on the beach

Divergent Learning

Divergent Learning After our oldest son comes down serious On the hard-won aisle and receives his diploma, His flat mortarboard capped on his head Its long green tassel hanging down to his nose, Our struggling 7-year-old comes up grinning Into the crowded study of our home with a manual, His large iguana sitting perched on [...]

The Possibility of the Suburbs

The Possibility of the Suburbs Clearing out the rags and boxes In the cluttered corner of our Potted-plant patio in Orange County, I eyeballed a dark, pudgy furness And exclamation-pointed To my ‘utterly’ surprised mate. Another possum mothering Her 4 little babies scrunched Under the old Persian rug By the many succulents. My laughing wife [...]

Without Rime

Without Rime My clipped pinions slump, The damaged albatross hanging From my large brain stem. Somehow unaware, I slew My future in a back drafted sea; Now I barnacle to the doldrums While so ever outwardly The wandered world rushes on, Endlessly round and round. Like you, Samuel Taylor, I stray eastward in a lonely [...]

Baja

Baja glass water breaking on the bouldered beach shattering final low waves overturning and foaming, exploding up a length of beach the frothed exhaust of a watery rocket dark fired sunset

Daniel Wilcox

Cursed

Cursed A winter moon shone down the moor, Out of a bleak, blue sky. We walked her down the rugged track. Thou must suffer a witch to die. A keen wind cut us from the East, So doleful was its sigh, As melancholy as our thoughts. Thou must suffer a witch to die. She was [...]

Lost

Lost In Cornish coves on shingled shores Where mermaids used to sing, He wandered idly down the sands And there he found the ring. A simple band of yellow gold His secret treasure trove. He took it home and gave it to The one he called his love. The weeks went by and then one [...]

Wild

Wild I will go for a walk on the wild side, Abandon the tensions of time, Rules and constraints Are there for the faint, I will run with the wind in my face. I will hunt with the hounds on the dark side, Howl at the pale moon and the stars, Go wild with the [...]

The Curse

The Curse Four thousand years had melted by, Since that ancient time before, Four thousand years had passed since last, They had sealed the tomb’s stone door. Carved guardians watched in silence, As the centuries unfurled, And other watchers guarded, That were not of this world. Men came again to the valley, Seeking fame, that [...]

Blood Birth

Blood Birth We stand on the bare, windswept moorside, In the circle of standing stones, Where the priests are chanting the ancient rhymes, And the cold cuts into our bones. We are deep in the bleak, dark midwinter, And the land must be reborn, By the shedding of a virgin’s blood, At the blowing of [...]

Ed Blundell

Yard Work

Yard Work Spring arrives, a snail smearing the landscape I wield a rake, attack wet leaves compacted in flower beds, broken limbs from the big maple. My next door neighbor, a newlywed, sated from the night before, swings his leaf blower like a giant phallus, and shouts hello above the howling tool. I give him [...]

The Thaw

The Thaw On the lake, ice rots, a pitted plain. Winter’s hard assault awaits the Spring offensive. In the lull, glassy pools gleam red in a setting sun, like congealing blood. Soon the combatants will give in to the inevitable thaw.

Butterfly

Butterfly You show-off, you fly-boy in your orange flight jacket, floating, fluttering, diving, one eye on that little partner close by, her nose in a rose waiting for you to put on the big show. So why do you rest on top of my head? Do you like the merry tune I hum, watching you [...]

Seeds

Seeds They come in a bag from Agway, tiny kernels that make you sneeze. Hard to believe they’ll germinate, when you fling them on the lawn. Long ago I sowed seed in a fertile valley cultivated by my wife. Did I believe some day I’d marvel at a young man, our son, the same age [...]

Robert Riche

Beauteous Minstrel

Beauteous Minstrel Beauteous Minstrel sings a pretty song A tuneful voice to engage My yearning dreams do persuade Me to carry on Your distant poems delight my ear Promises made only I can hear A darkness around me deeper than night Awaits the freedom of your perfect light And yet I cannot see Your form [...]

Grady Yandell

Come And Stand By My Window

Come And Stand By My Window Come and strand by my window Come watch me make the stew Come say you’re not freighted But you don’t know what to do Just stand by the window Sing a song to me And please don’t use the word Penitentiary Penitentiary this and Penitentiary that Go to the [...]

Don’t Think About The Elephants

Don’t Think About The Elephants Don’t think about the elephants Who are down there in the zoo I can guarantee you see They’re not thinking about you Those who are monstrously huge And those tiny elephants Simply want to get to a store To buy a pair or two of pants

With A Voice Like A Violin

With A Voice Like A Violin I stood in the burnt out woods Forgetting my fame and fortune I was walking back and forth Until my legs began hurting Then I shouted left and right Up sand down through out the night Don’t you wish it was true That I wish that I sung like [...]

Yes There Were

Yes There Were There were a herd of elephants Sleeping in your crib Mommy elephant rolled over And gave the babe a grin Yes there were I say its so And you were so young then How would you every know

Some Words Are Not In English

Some Words Are Not In English Some words are not in English And some are not in French But some others are What a coincidence Some coins are mint in Denver And a few in Kalamazoo And if you believe that, well I don’t think its true. Some dollars say In God we trust And [...]

Oh My Darling, Honey Pie

Oh My Darling, Honey Pie Oh my darling honey pie Kiss me once right in the eye Cause as everybody knows I like to see you up real close Oh my darling, sweet a loon Nothing with you is ever too soon Throw a preach pie in the air And let it land in my [...]

I Am So Darn Sad

I Am So Darn Sad I am so darn sad I haven’t seen you so long And I don’t know if you hate me Or something there is wrong Now I don’t assume its hate Not despising or revulsion For I know you would be A person to seek resolution And yet and tell as [...]

Sticking Out of the Wood Work

Sticking Out of the Wood Work Sitting out in the woods to do a little work Sounds so totally different Than sticking out of the wood is really work And ladies with moustaches are usually angry As well as thinking blueberry Is so different than thinking of blueberry But what else am I able to [...]

There’s A West Side To Every City

There’s A West Side To Every City There’s a West side to every city There’s an east side as well Each and every city Stretches to up heaven And the other way as well

G. David Schwartz

Glorious Garden, Glorious Grave

Glorious Garden, Glorious Grave A glorious garden existed and inspired the love of a fair maiden. She would visit the garden often and sit amid natures splendid display, her flower basket laden. The passage of time became lost to her while she gazed upon the radiance of the roses. This lovely maid was an enchanting [...]

Reece Herring

Ash Krafton

Dusk

Dusk Skeletal oaks rattle their arm bone branches. Winter crows squawk of the cold & a pale sun emits anemic light. A grave yawns at the end of the lane. Dusk devours the evening with frosty jaws.

William P. Robertson

Mae West

Mae West There are many actors That grace the movie screen, But when it comes to sexy, There’s one that reigns supreme. Those eyes, that mouth, that body, They all remain the best. They grace that old-time actress, The sultry queen, Mae West.

When the Dark Is Gone

When the Dark Is Gone In this world of worries And of deep despair, Let us watch the flowers bloom And breathe the wind’s fresh air. For there exists a bright side, When the dark is gone. Stars shine down in beauty, And hope greets the light of dawn.

Memories in the Bay

Memories in the Bay Most remembrances embrace only for an instant, yet some linger in calm seas, refusing to diffuse on sands of oblivion. Marion, where are you now? Just a memory floating through cloudy skies, a seagull sweeping over the bay. Though you escaped my embrace so young, reflections float like old tintypes on [...]

Warmth in Stormy Waters

Warmth in Stormy Waters I hear the roar of far off seas pounding on the sands of storm. Yet amid this scene so dismal, appears the scent of hope. In heavens bronze at dusk appear stars of expectation, as lilies still blossom under a tender moon.

Jonas L. Goldstein

Alicia Black

The River Rolls on

The River Rolls on In this lazy coolness of dawn she comes and sits on the gedo by the riverbank of Ethiope, watches spokes of sunrays prickling on the sky floor as birds arrows through the air, water on palms of grasses pours on her feet. Rivers frogs reel forest hip-hops gently over the clear [...]

Tuam

Tuam for Joan McBreen I put my head to one side close my eyes, pretend to sleep, as the taxi moves on. There’s nothing else to do just to think of the rosemary leaves that slake my thirst with spicy smell, gravy juice that drips from the side of beef. The laughter & the smiles [...]

Emmanuel Jakpa

Marina Lee Sable

Ascension

Ascension Follow him who in the pangs of emptiness that grip the self that seeks ascension throws off the dreamed-up shackles that fester in a mind without a sphere to stand and speak of oneness when he does control the turmoil and rise out of darkness into light.

Heartbreak

Heartbreak I awakened in the middle of the night turned to you for warmth because the sheets were cold. You weren’t there. I called your name…. I screamed your name. Anguish filled me, I remembered. You lay in another bed eyes shut to the light ears shut to the sound heart shut to me. I [...]

Unreal Moments

Unreal Moments The vision is fiercer than parting, never seems to end and passes many nights alone, listening to your screaming voice. I run out the door to lose you in the subway mirage, but instead find despair. So the long ride home, a shadow box of days, idle dreams, a blind man’s hunger and [...]

Three Songs of Spring

Three Songs of Spring 1) Astute Observer According to calculations at 9:00 A.M. on March 21, it was spring, (Sun passing over the ecliptic & equator, called vernal equinox by long-necked astronomers, peering through telescopes) but, nuts, it’s still cold, 2) Citizen Plaint Gee whiz, holy cow, just the other day it seemed like spring, [...]

Gary Beck

The Underground Passage

The Underground Passage The spelunker acted alone against what cooler heads would have duly cautioned through ardent protestation. As he made his descent into the bowels of the earth faint rumbles came forth within that angry cavern. By rope and anchored spike he repelled ledge to ledge until the artful dodge settled at the base [...]

Othello’s Bane

Othello’s Bane Conspiracy rules the bard’s Othello With a treaty played out in spades Upon the fortunes of a proud lord Submersed in self-righteousness. Wooed by disloyal testament Treachery disposed that Moor To act in hasty vengeance Upon his own dear sweet love. His conspirator knew no shame Nor had compassion within For remorse from [...]

Shadow

Shadow What is this dark connivance dancing through my shallow line of sight? Is it but a figment of imagination that shows its face abruptly like a thief on a prickly autumn night? Or perhaps a creature, sinuous in form born of flesh with a fowl purpose seeking out its next victim? I flinch at [...]

O, Friend of Night

O, Friend of Night O, friend of night, wrap your velvet fingers ’round and whisk us to that hidden place within the depths of my soul. Press an icy tongue on willing flesh, lick the wounds of my unworthiness and in total darkness chill the bones that lay beneath these covers. Dear shadow mate, soothe [...]

Ed Bonadio

Stones of Iona

Stones of Iona A field of erected Stones, a grand sight This stone-ship Sails to Earth

Ruins of Man

Ruins of Man Green vines devour Ruins of man Nature claims What is Hers

A Child’s Friend

A Child’s Friend A piece of hard wood Fashioned into A small box A child’s Friend

Statues

Statues A piece of marble Chiseled into A statue Gift of’ Art

Ancient Caves

Ancient Caves A moist and dark cave Creatures whisper From within: Come! See Us!

Well of Life

Well of Life The cool water soothes The thirsty throat It quickens The lost Soul

Nature’s Dark Side

Nature’s Dark Side Emaciated All hope is gone Starvation Nature’s Way

Fields of Magic

Fields of Magic A vast field of corn Within there’s a Magic world Eden’s Heart

Shells

Shells Seashells litter the Sandy beaches Remnants of What once Was

Light

Light Guardians of Earth Stand sentinel At daybreak Rays of Light

The Rock

The Rock Cold winds sweeps across Heather clad moors A lone rock Braves their Kiss

Frozen Plains

Frozen Plains White plains of pure snow Whirlwinds of ice Time frozen Alone Lost

Green Spirits

Green Spirits Faces hide in the Green foliage Spirits of Mother Earth

I Plant

I Plant I planted a seed And watered it It sprouted And grew Tall

Life’s Womb

Life’s Womb The steady rhythm Of a beating Heart; a sound From life’s Womb

Druids

Druids A vast field of stones Placed by druids; The Masters Of the Earth

Mist

Mist A cawing raven A chilly mist World turns grey Nature Sighs

Late Fall

Late Fall Rustling leafs whispers: Cold approaches Prepare for Stormy Days…

Folklore

Folklore Within a dark cave Beasts from folklore Are lurking Tales of Earth

Cold Winds

Cold Winds A cool breeze stealing The warmth away Cold season Upon Us

Hope Returns

Hope Returns Wish upon the stars Feel hope growing Enjoy the Gifts of Life

The Nix

The Nix By a lively brook He sits, waiting Stay away! He’s the Nix

Roots

Roots Respect the old oak Its roots reaches Into the Heart of Earth

Wolf

Wolf Eyes of the bluest sky are watching. The beast growls, It won’t trust

Spellbound

Spellbound Broken are the spells! Smashed is the glass! Planted are the seeds, Growth

Grasshopper

Grasshopper Long and slender legs. A mighty jump, away from Danger. Gone

Lizzard

Lizzard A lizzard rests in a cool crevice. It waits for prey to come.

Creation

Creation The moist air in a greenhouse so fresh. It spells out the word LIFE

The Rose

The Rose Petals of a rose falls to the ground. Its precious life gone out.

White Eagle

White Eagle The eagle spreads his mighty, strong wings. His freedom holds the key.

River

River I bring Life and Death. I keep secrets. I am wild, Who am I?

Ode to Nature

Ode to Nature All living creatures sing at twilight. They pay their homage, sounds.

Snake

Snake Coils of the serpent unwinding fast. It will strike at mine heart.

Butterfly

Butterfly A butterfly soars through the clean air. She is beauty and true Love

Dark Room

Dark Room A cavernous space within a huge mountain’s heart. Secret room

The Mountain Top

The Mountain Top A town built upon a mountain sits mighty and strong, no fear.

Soil of Life

Soil of Life Fallen leafs turning into strong soil. From it life will grow, seeds.

Breath of Life

Breath of Life Green hillsides breathing in the sunlight. Air being born from leafs.

Still Life

Still Life Still waters holding life in its womb. Silence speaks to us there

Sunshine After Rain

Sunshine After Rain A thick layer of clouds torn apart. Rays from the sun shines through.

Resting Place

Resting Place An olive-tree cast a cool shadow. Within it one finds Peace

Eternal Journey

Eternal Journey A soul entering The good light; one more begin Its journey through life

Mighty Mjollnir

Mighty Mjollnir The mighty Mjollnir; Hammer of Gods, son of Thor Slayer of giants

Child of Ragnarok

Child of Ragnarok By Yggdrasil’s roots The evil dragon Nidhogg Awaits Ragnarok

Children of the All-Father

Children of the All-Father My thought; fly for me! My memory; fly as well! Hugin and Munin  

Birds of Battle

Birds of Battle Black rooks high above Dead soldiers scattered beneath; Nature’s circle closed

Wolf’s Power

Wolf’s Power In ancient folklore She is said to help women Give birth to children

Deep Woods

Deep Woods Majestic tall pines They reach into the dark sky; Trolls lurk amongst them

Winter’s Light

Winter’s Light Snowball lanterns glows In the frosty winter night; Magic winter lights

Music of Spring

Music of Spring A laughing river, Green leafs rustling in the breeze; The music of spring

Fairy-lights

Fairy-lights In a misty meadow Fairy-lights dance around in Magical circles

Autumn’s Breath

Autumn’s Breath Mighty winds of ice Coming ashore, warm season Is over for now

Deathly Whispers

Deathly Whispers Voices from beyond Whisper amongst old graves; They want us to come

River

River A raging river Its power unleashed and raw Nothing can stop it The awesome force of Nature The element of water

Morning Mist

Morning Mist The morning mist comes It rolls over the soft grass Its dew brings fresh Life Birds twitter in the distance It feels good to be alive

Deep Space

Deep Space Enter deep space now Behold the grand universe: Orbiting stations Planets with unexplored Life A wealth of immense knowledge

A Strange Place

A Strange Place Three pale moons above Dark purple valleys below A world of beauty The stars twinkle like silver Foreign sounds fill the dark night

Castles

Castles See the proud castle It’s built high upon a shelf T’was born from Power Its stones are ancient and black Old legends live in there still

Green Cliffs

Green Cliffs Green valleys stretching out before us like giant waves frozen in time Ancient olive trees growing alongside towering pine trees on the slopes Upon the ridges, villages from times long gone still glows from history Below them, orange rooftops of today’s houses glimmer in the sun Dark greens vines are climbing up tree-trunks [...]

Black Bird

Black Bird A raven landed on the hilt of a mighty sword With its pepper-corn eyes it scanned the field Dead warriors lay there, from farmer to Lord The Reaper had harvested the souls of the brave He had left their empty shells behind for the bird It was a servant of Nature, not Death’s [...]

Thom Olausson

Anna Sykora: Haiku #3

Cracking from its egg, Mega-chicken reaches out And gobbles up Duluth.

Anna Sykora: Haiku #2

Just another day: Polka-dotted ostriches Lead my dad away.

Anna Sykora: Haiku #1

Mother, let me go; It is time they planted me In the melting snow.

Na’s Annoying Habit

Na’s Annoying Habit A lung emerges from Na’s snout And dangles pulsing in the air; The heart comes next, a throbbing tool, And then his liver’s satin slab; Na burbles with anticipation, Takes an eager breath and then Quivering like a mess of jelly Turns his outside in again…

What I Saw

What I Saw I would crane my neck Watching out for UFOs When I was a child. Once I saw a light Waver slowly overhead– And it winked at me. Ever since that night, I tell all the other Zoids We are not alone.

Falcon Song

Falcon Song [Ed. 10 Jan 2012 - was titled "Falcoln Song" we assume that was a typo.] Farther than ever, The falcon sings, Rising on rude, Resilient wings; Hunger is wide And heaven high; I pierce them In a pinch of my eye, For sooner or later Groans the day To drop like an axe [...]

Anna Sykora

Carl Palmer

John Lake

Doug Hilton

Dance

Dance The mirror of my soul Reflects deep within my core. Dance with unconscious roots From the murmur of my blood is born. A moment captured in time, Expanding rays of light, space, Soaring beyond earth’s grip, Imagination takes a visible place. An innate force that releases, Communes with God and transcends Life’s trials and [...]

Kathy Stemke

Rod Stroked Survival with a Deadly Hammer

Rod Stroked Survival with a Deadly Hammer Rebecca fantasized that life was a lottery ticket or a pull of a lever, that one of the bunch in her pocket was a winner or the slots were a redeemer; but life itself was not real that was strictly for the mentally insane at the Elgin Mental [...]

Cat Purrs

Cat Purrs Soft nursing 5 solid minutes of purr paw peddling like a kayak competitor against ripples of my 60 year old river rib cage– I feel like a nursing mother but I’m male and I have no nipples. Sometimes I feel afloat. Nikki is a little black skunk, kitten, suckles me for milk, or [...]

Charley Plays a Tune

Charley Plays a Tune Crippled with arthritis and Alzheimer’s, in a dark rented room Charley, plays melancholic melodies on  a dust filled harmonica  he found  abandoned on a playground of sand years ago by a handful of children playing on monkey bars. He now goes to the bathroom on occasion, peeing takes forever; he feeds [...]

Harvest Time

Harvest Time A Métis Indian lady, drunk, hands blanketed over as in prayer, over a large brown fruit basket naked of fruit, no vine, no vineyard inside¾approaches the Edmonton, Alberta adoption agency. There are only spirit gods inside her empty purse. Inside, an infant, refrained from life, with a fruity wine sap apple wedged like [...]

Gingerbread Lady

Gingerbread Lady Gingerbread lady, no sugar or cinnamon spice, years ago arthritis and senility took their toll. Crippled mind movies in then out, like an old sexual adventure, blurred in an imagination of finger tip thoughts- who in hell remembers the characters? There was George her lover near the bridge at the Chicago River she [...]

Michael Lee Johnson

Sand Castle Never Meant to Be

Sand Castle Never Meant to Be Neither one could build a sand castle, for the more they piled the wet sand the more it slid down. My son was six and Masha probably was also. Her mother spoke only Russian, and I only a few words. But the children jabbered in a pidgin English-Russian, an [...]

The Naked Truth About the Naked Truth

The Naked Truth About the Naked Truth It doesn’t sell. But everyone claims to shop for it, yet no one looks good in it. Deceptions are sturdy weaves and their tangles leave much to alter, and yet merchants of deceit are millionaires. But threads of truth dangle on store racks until moth eaten, if moths [...]

One, Two, Three

One, Two, Three There is mystery in three greater than the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, or that Revelation predicts a third of the world will be destroyed. The triad enigma even haunts our humor- rabbi, priest, and minister, doctor, accountant, and lawyer, Englishman, Scotsman, and Irishman, or any combination or permutation thereof, [...]

Second Story Recollection

Second Story Recollection Somewhere she wanders never knowing, that resilient recollection, that forever afterimage. From my hospital room window I saw that almost pretty face, but nothing, nothing about her was of note, except her mousey brown hair, long, free, and fluffed by a breeze I couldn’t feel, for my face was flush against the [...]

Dying of Boredom

Dying of Boredom Haunted house ghosts and closet skeletons unleash their moments of terror, yet they also are subject to leaseholds and licenses which in time expire. Rickety mansions and midnight bedrooms can wrench goose-pimply skin dry, till finally there’s not a drop of cold sweat left. But even if the dramatis personae of the [...]

Richard Fein

Nymph

Nymph The scent of ocean breeze in me yet another young man lost to the sea as I watch from inbounds from my isolated sandy-white isle. A frayed, revealing long-flowing white dress against my breasts and my craving flesh I tried to shoo the sharks away as they stole what was mine. Alone again, my [...]

The Artisans

The Artisans Past, present and future in a looped cross. An arrow wrought of winter’s touch, ruby inset ring, flames dancing within, and a pair of mythril dragon boots with tiny Pegasus wings attached at the heels. Bequeathed in the light by light itself four godly gifts for four kings of men. Arms raised and [...]

Summoned Steeds

Summoned Steeds Summoned steeds noble horses sent into the void contorted and changed within then called back in a shimmering blaze of black or sometimes white heat. From a rune or a chant there could appear, depending on a rider’s taste, a colt, a broodmare, or a stallion be either warm-blooded or cold-blooded, many hands [...]

Goblins

Goblins dark and swarthy hunched and scrawny rags of tattered clothing blackened iron cuffs broken chains still hanging crooked noses hooked chins sardonic smiles diabolical laughs teeth surprisingly shiny brains calculating fingers long and nimble grim wedged under the nails digging into rocks stealing shiny stones brewing strange liquids pulling levers on crude contraptions slanted [...]

Minervian Marriage Market

Minervian Marriage Market Atop a raised white dais with carpet laid out, the auctioneer signaled to the front from the collection the first item to bid on. The selected obeyed and stepped forward to the oohs of the crowd that had assembled. Decorated stone walls hanging with tapestries and murals, the latter depicting great battles, [...]

Balance

Balance Time dawned a crack in the fabrics out poured darkness and light upon dimensional waves which settled over celestial sphere creating a black empty sea. With consciousness and thought, yet not the knowledge that would set them apart, darkness and light travelled toward answers sought. Out there discovered was when attentive thoughts materialized out [...]

Inexperienced Ranger

Inexperienced Ranger Ranger sidesteps into dimensional shadows to prove himself, but reappears– lost.

The Sea People

The Sea People People of the Sea riding up down deep blue waves to where the wind brings.

Lion’s Gate

Lion’s Gate Mycenaean arch said to be built by Cyclopes stone block by stone block.

Dark Magic

Dark Magic Light locks dark magic. Later a long shadow fleets by– brass seal broken.

Robert William Shmigelsky

Andrew Braun

Soil

Soil Screaming through the tears is most bothersome, willing and able to accept definitions, but no capacity for learning the differences in others, as unique. The iconoclast bull their way through marginalized personalities, handing out snapdragons when a sunflower will do. A bitter taste, brought about by change and a fine tobacco cigarette. Bothersome; getting [...]

Sugarland Drive

Sugarland Drive Sun drenched in the dusty den of some perverted old man, I hit my knees but not to pray. Has it really come to this? People came out of the woodwork when I spoke honestly; but only to listen, then quietly slipped away. True confessions of a learned life. And he smiles as [...]

Abigale Louise LeCavalier

T. Marie Nantais

David Cohen

Those Hills

Those Hills Those hills, so close, yet so distant Looking at them, you forget yourself For one timeless instant Overwhelmed by their overwhelming beauty Standing there, you grow aware Of the age of this earth And of your own impermanence They will remain, and you, with your Sorrows, pains, and worries, will pass away They [...]

The Golden Treasury

The Golden Treasury With the Golden Treasury in my hand, and the fading light falling onto the yellow pages; filled with music, rhyme, and words so grand, I bathe myself in the glory of bygone ages. With the viewless wings of poesy I fly, passing by the daffodils, a nightingale, and a Grecian Urn. My [...]

To Beauty

To Beauty Beauty, the glory and elixir of life Without you, there is no living To this life of endless strife The light of love you keep giving In the smile of a child In the joy of a dancing leaf In the color of a blooming flower In the lonely hills gloriously aligned In [...]

To Innocence

To Innocence Innocence, you have left me long ago. Experience leaves too many marks! Not long ago, did I delight in your sunshine; Now, I drown myself in memories, Problems, sorrows, and worries, That I don’t even know are mine. Not long ago, did I with your eyes, See the dancing leaves and feel The [...]

Reflections on Time

Reflections on Time What is time? I asked a beggar: It’s the change of sun and moon, he said. What is time? I asked a gentleman: It’s the change of fortune, he said. What is time? I asked a writer: It’s the change of thoughts he said. What is time? I asked a philosopher: And [...]

Ashutosh Ghildiyal

K.S. Riggin

Wagon Wheels

Wagon Wheels we load up out post-apocalyptic fortunes of flower bulbs and bright-colored beads take to the road. tilted blue street signs of dead civilizations mark the path streets built wide enough for ox-carts crumble under our feet. sunlight glints through the hollowed-out eyes of battered skyscrapers that loom like mausoleums for headless mannequins wearing [...]

Holly Day

April Dressel

Perseus

Perseus ‘Perseus, the name, it means through Zeus. Indeed, the man is what he seems, his son.’ The priest looked at the hero timidly. Perseus could smile, then turn away. The soldier screamed in accusation’s tone. ‘Your words are false, no son of God becomes! ‘No man exists outside of mortal coupling.’ The priest tried [...]

Jethro Dykes

Chanson de Geste

Chanson de Geste Air of airs on the shores of the middle-earth sea, the mother binds her child in North African blankets like scorpion death hidden in tarot. Hanging bubbles are the tears of a dying deity. A cloth suspended on bamboo poles is The House of God for the red eagle princeling. She is [...]

An Ictus of Snares and Shells

An Ictus of Snares and Shells A nine drum dirge drones the still currents of a shady-treed necropolis. Trancing my gaze, a supple arc swells beyond life and physics, like limitless breasts, threshold offering to a mewling cosmos. Behind desert flowers, frozen like sparkle-streams of crystal and copper confetti, a deliberate synthesis begins. From vaporous [...]

Richard King Perkins II

The Phoenix Brothers (Violence Incarnate)

The Phoenix Brothers (Violence Incarnate) Platforms tumble as the warrior leaps from point to point over bodies in heaps. Raising his weapon he takes up aim, and looses a bullet on a path sure to claim the life of his brother. He feels no remorse as he notches his weapon, his karma much worse. With [...]

C.B. Droege

Colin James

No More Words

No More Words The ache of early arthritis settling into joints well and over used logging in unwelcome fear Losing the mechanic tools in flesh and forced to feed screens hard in blue and unfeeling sterility Sounds fade Mind crumble But keep words spinning here as near as heart beats And ink just as close

Erin Bassett

Usiku

Chrystal Berche

On the Stars

On the Stars The stars, maternity wards for new worlds, maybe new continents, maybe new beings, that will look up at these same stars, and will say these same lines, which will never be the same, really, these same stars in this sky around me, even the same sky beneath me, and on either and [...]

To the Queen of Ice

To the Queen of Ice Ten foot tall. With ice for flesh. You walk. I radiate pain. I see in sympathy. You brook no passion. Live in freedom. Smile never at all. Lest you thaw. Or smash. A miracle you never fall. Cool. Swathed in gravity and cloth. Never hot. Seem full of silence. Wait. [...]

Thoughts to Start Today

Thoughts to Start Today Thoughts to start today: I can’t make it, it’s all too much. I ask too much, hate myself when I fail, forget I’m more frail than not. I feel so hopeless, so… I can’t keep at bay the creeping hatred, so ask myself if it’s worth to burn for, when I’m [...]

Foundations of our Dreams

Foundations of our Dreams Underneath the nature strip is earth, and under the earth is rock, under the rock is magma, and, under that, iron then magma again, then rock again, then ocean, then air, space, then nothing.

Philip A. Ellis

Locket

Locket Found in the wreckage of a crushed eco-dome, a small shattered locket, a face exposed to the worst of desert winds, of airless air. Under curious light, half an eye emerged. With the right tilt, a mouth. Included in the salvaged papers, wrecked equipment, boxes of bones, a crumpled testament to love. Summary: no [...]

Gale and I Turn In

Gale and I Turn In Thank you stars. You give the window skin. And jewels to awe the long grass and the stones. For us, there’s embers, waning fire well matched with drowsiness in eyes, the droop of fingers. And solitary moon, you’ve a fox cry to bed down with, but I’ve company for life. [...]

Abandoned Farmhouse in the New Hampshire Woods

Abandoned Farmhouse in the New Hampshire Woods It’s just the bones of a house, its skin long peeled, the frame of four unequal rooms, and doors that usher in nothing and nowhere out of and into the sun and rain. The towering oak may boast a roof of new shiny leaves but the dwelling hears [...]

An Orchestra Outdoors

An Orchestra Outdoors Warm July afternoon, dimming sun, under a shade tree, looking down at the shell where an orchestra plays, Berlioz, “Les nuits d’ete”, violin clouds, kettle drum bobolinks, woodwind wildflowers, smooth viola grass, fluttering brass of bees and pollen; music won’t end, landscape can’t begin, a butterfly soul sniffs the scents of French [...]

Space Age

Space Age Sun showers planet clusters meteorite impacts star-forming nebulae Mind gets up from the lazy earth expands heavenward A little knowledge is a great thing A little knowledge that reads to us from the book of all knowledge

Gina and Her Doll

Gina and Her Doll You show me the dismembered head, the broken limbs, and say, “Well this is it.” It’s a doll from thirty years ago, torn apart in childish rage. You swear that next time it’s a choice between a living thing and a dead likeness, it will be the flesh and blood that [...]

The Walker Through This World

The Walker Through This World He came toward you in the heat of day, across the field, military arms swaying back and forth, legs thrusting aside the blades of thick bluegrass. He walked with the sun at his back, his face dissolving in its ebullient light, his shadow, the longest it could be, engulfing you [...]

Man In The Old House

Man In The Old House Shadows speak to radiator cough with me as translator. Childhood dread carries on a conversation with fear for the future, my goose-bumps for vowels, my teeth chatter for consonants. Fingers digging into palms, I convert curtain rustle into ghost speak, window rattle into bone shudder. Without me, no one could [...]

John Grey

Fins

Fins After the storm, he found a new, deep pool where the highest rocks had been submerged beneath immense waves. She dove as soon as she set eyes on him. He was not sure what he had seen, but he began leaving fresh-caught fish at the pool’s edge. Finally she consented to sing to him, [...]

Chronomancy

Chronomancy On the ninth planet, all of them wanted to become magicians. They filled their years with retorts and alembics crusted with dark oxides, pierced stones and bezoars, spears of flawed crystal, looking backward into the terrible past. They sought to alter time through their machinations, to repair errors that had been made long before [...]

F. J. Bergmann

Michelle Homan

The Tudor Key

The Tudor Key How many other hands have held you- Gripped you, turned you, guarded you? As the hands that owned you turned to dust, you’re unchanged, apart from dents and rust. Except – where is the door that you kept shut? The lock for which your wards, alone, were cut? Time, thief and changer, [...]

Love Leaks

Love Leaks Love leaks – Dewy-eyed devotion scorches dry In the blast of disappointed scorn. Rapture rubs threadbare Through meaningless movement of Body on body. Care congeals – Mutual delight encrusts Separating like ancient paint. Tendrils of thoughtfulness Are starved, wither and die To a dried stick of irritated duty. Pain pulses – Waiting for [...]

S. J. Higbee

BEFORE WE TAKE OVER

BEFORE WE TAKE OVER Parallel Computer Processing Bank was discussing life’s problems Know your limitations it concluded Humans can handle concepts with up to three variables but situations involving more become complex art forms and most of you are critics with inflexible values You appear well able to argue and reason logically from familiar points [...]

Tony Thorne

Beloved

Beloved still somewhere behind the smoke along a lane across a hill in some green wood beyond the rain concealed by leaves or these twelve moss-grown columns of Georgia font… you  are always in my words.

C.P. Stewart

The User

The User He was an attractive man but not the kind that mom would like. Slick. Too new. Not lived in enough. People said he would glide up to an unsuspecting girl. Slip into her space so she hardly noticed. A spider. Ensnaring her in soft cotton spin, where no is not an option. “C’mon [...]

The Ballerina

The Ballerina The hard edges of the aging dancer soften as she listens to the padding sound Of feet stepping across the wooden floor, such deliberate care. The sweet sound of chiffon brushing against swaying hips. An ache of missing that. One black rose on tightly braided hair resting over each ear. Framing an ageless [...]

The Birthday Party

The Birthday Party Colorful paper and strewn around ribbons. A table laid with expectations in a darkened room. Only Blanche’s high-pitched hollow sound breaks the silence Amid the ‘held-too-high’ rib cage of anxiety And the weight of childlessness.

The Treasure

The Treasure A small boy With sandy brown hair. An upturned nose and angel face. Sifting yellow dirt into a red truck. A trail of golden dust Left behind. Waiting. For dad. Every night. No rush. Wondering why. Questions only for dad. For a father who was leaving. A father with no answers slipped in [...]

The Picnic

The Picnic Three friends. On the path. To Fern Grotto. Under luminescent blue skies. Breezes gently ruffling. Picnic baskets, blankets, good spirits. Ferny plants on either side, “ Poison”, cautious Jackson said. Teasing Dave picked the hemlock. “ Invincible on a day like this”. Crunching gravel. Endless path. Jagged cliffs. Blue green ocean Far away. [...]

Neila Mezynski

Richard H. Fay

Richard sometimes appears as R. H. Fay or Richard Fay.

Lyn McConchie

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #4

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #4 Roving barbarian Born in Cimmeria Searching for gold. Only two off’rings of Cinematography Arnold now governor, Who could have told?     A Higgledy Piggledy/Double Dactyl poem is made up of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones. You can guess which superhero the poet is talking about. Answers at the bottom [...]

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #3

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #3 Young Peter Parker was Entomologically Metamorphosed. With his great power came Responsibility. Thief at the studio Should have been hosed!     A Higgledy Piggledy/Double Dactyl poem is made up of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones. You can guess which superhero the poet is talking about. Answers at the bottom [...]

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #2

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #2 Anthony Stark hit with Shrapnel which threatened to Puncture his heart. Luckily Ozzy sang Metallo-musically, (I had forgotten that Murderous part.)     A Higgledy Piggledy/Double Dactyl poem is made up of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones. You can guess which superhero the poet is talking about. Answers at the [...]

Will Morton

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #1

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #1 Millionaire Bruce Wayne was Utterly deadpan on ‘60’s TV. Flamboyant villains fought Un-pugilistic’ly, “Oof!” “Pow!” “Ka-BAM-o!” and I laughed with glee     A Higgledy Piggledy/Double Dactyl poem is made up of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones. You can guess which superhero the poet is talking about. Answers at the [...]

One for the passenger pigeons

One for the passenger pigeons I lay down this evening sipping soft liqueur settling leisurely but potent in the brain the slow yellowing browning leaves of autumn the smoky aftermath of a summer barbecue browned like winter woodsmoke laced with its own aromas Benedictine and brandy are sweet as the memory of the passing pigeons [...]

Perihelion

Perihelion who thought of this all the days of our existence perihelion, aphelion, timed by the travel of our planet, where people write in arbitrary languages presuming others will read, presuming something resembling eternity or if not gambling on some sort of afterlife of if not eking out the best we can from a panicked [...]

Try not to think

Try not to think there’s a toadstool growing in your gut mushroom amid rivers of surging waste you can feel it grow and ache and it sends hallucinogins to your brain to make its existence tolerable something about when you thought you could live forever but forever is now and pow, the landmine is on [...]

A scary imagination

A scary imagination my big black Lab sleeps by the fireplace fire or no fire but this September Carolina night he seems to have wandered off and watching the classic House of Dracula on DVD I hear footsteps in the hall on hardwood, enough to give me pause or should I say paws before getting [...]

Duality and Frankenstein’s monster

Duality and Frankenstein’s monster In Bride of Frankenstein and Saturday Night Live sketches the monster gives us his opinions on friendship, solitude, cigars and fire in monosyllabic grunts: Friend good. Alone bad. Smoke good. Fire bad. And then he sets the blind man’s cottage on fire and lurches into the forest, certainly putting an exaclamation [...]

Cold

Cold my father phones to tell me the power went out from 3 p.m. until 9 February in Western Pennsylvania and he bundled up and waited sat there for six hours in the house where my mother spent her last days she refusing to see a doctor he refusing to insist sat there enduring the [...]

Blood pressure

Blood pressure veins flowing with blood, subcutaneous aqueducts that we never touch but sometimes when the pressure rises you can feel it as you feel fear in a torch-lit horror movie misty and fogged with the unknown you know what is there somewhat but you are still afraid because it is still somewhat don’t be [...]

Beach therapy

Beach therapy drunk with sun high overhead on the beach wet sand squishing gritty between the toes and the cool wine nuance of outdoor shower after swimming    fresh tart and natural spraying the grains down the drain so unlike the childhood   no beach no sand nothing yet down the drain all these years the seashore [...]

An apology to the puppy

An apology to the puppy my acrophobia began young, the day the boy I can’t even remember his name told me his sweet puppy Bonesy could fly, that I could drop the little brown-and-white beagle off the high concrete porch onto the hard summer sidewalk and he would land just fine so young and not [...]

A peculiar night

A peculiar night My big black Lab and I sat under a bright full moon and summer swelter on the back deck and together sniffed a pitchy plastic scent the wildfires 200 miles away at the Outer Banks so near the all-extinguishing ocean had wafted in on a fluky air current but we didn’t know [...]

Always there

Always there All we write about on this planet is our lives and what we see but sometimes when I write I feel God and some days I feel my soul on its journey and on nights like this I look up at the sky with the heartbeat of a little boy and the all-seeing [...]

Scribbled on the Back of Another Poem About Insomnia

Scribbled on the Back of Another Poem About Insomnia I shouldn’t use it as fodder for my poetry canon but it hurts to see and experience my father’s death and it’s almost here and so am I, halfheartedly writing it out in the middle of another interminable winter’s night. My beloved wife and perfect beautiful [...]

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Harry Calhoun

Janie Hofmann

Joey Connelly

Desert Vision

Desert Vision Making journeys of distant sand and Embryonic hold, a galloping desert vision In velvet manes and chapped saddle sought. By the dry gulp of ancient sips in dust and Tender tears, the desolate rider borne by the same Breath of quest and cause, by the need For western horizons and

Secure Rails in Route

Secure Rails in Route Stations in hurried terms of pace, in steal and sweaty rush, By the wont for adventure and curious quest, by clangor echos In illusion and real ration, the wild engines in grinding gasp And smooth shapes of destiny. A rolling luster in rare discretions of vapor and intertwined designs of emergent [...]

Galloping Grace

Galloping Grace Sentinels in silent arrays of galloping grace, The legged assurance of green vistas’ and straw source, By the shadow of easy ebony allure and painted horizons at Dawn, the emergence of horses in speckled reflections Of cowpoke forbearance and riders unto the way Of gray ghosts and silent circles of unclad Absolute, the [...]

Stallion Prance

Stallion Prance Capturing the sanctity of loyal breed and Best saddles in leather comforts of unrivaled Revelation, bridled by the twilight fray, By appaloosa dust and tendrils of stallion prance, A gain in dashing advance, born by tender eyes Of amber sense and rare ancients in acquaintance.

The Edge of the Fray

The Edge of the Fray Parched in sunglow kinship with the professed ancients Of aimless nomad desolation, wandering in plumes of Desert dust and smokey ripples of Warmth, to discover a path in necessary emotion, Found by degrees of belief, by the naive’, the nascent babies in quest In pilgrim journeys and whispering Cradle song, [...]

Ron Koppelberger

After October

After October The wood is in a pile near the fence post. A dog goes past it, wagging its tail. He barks at a bluejay sitting on the fence; Moves on to pee on a fire hydrant. There is a woman opening a can of worms; She drops them in a well.  Her eyes are [...]

Apryl Fox

Road Trip with a Coworker

Road Trip with a Coworker T-boning a semi isn’t such a bad way to go when the person sitting next to you would have bored you to death anyway.

Night Surfer

Night Surfer he surfs at night moonlight glinting off pale skin he does not fear the dark or sharks or anything, for that matter he rides the waves in peace in silence and darkness for hours on end until hunger forces him back to land during the day he sleeps without dreaming and as far [...]

Greg Schwartz

Contest

Theme | Genres | Length | Cost | Prizes | Purpose | Fine Print | Rights | Judging | Dates Abandoned Towers 2012 Writing Contest To help celebrate the official relaunch of Abandoned Towers we are holding a writing contest!  Please read the whole page for complete details. NOTE: We’ve had some people with problems [...]

Print Editions

Under the previous ownership, Abandoned Towers Magazine produced seven issues. These issues are not currently available.  They were made available through print-on-demand services of lulu.com and comixpress.com in a regular magazine format. New print issues will be produced by the new ownership starting in the Summer of 2012, these issues will be in a digest [...]

Delving Deeper

The Proust Questionnaire with K.E. Abel Favourite virtue: Hope, because without hope there is no reason to do anything or get out of bed.  From baking bread to raising a child, we all have hope that the outcome will be positive. Favourite qualities in a person: Kindness and positiveness. Negative people annoy me, and cruel [...]

Nonfiction

Abandoned Towers sometimes deals with the real world, you know “nonfiction”, enjoy.

Poetry

Abandoned Towers is proud to bring more poetry to the masses…

Stories

Use the headers of the table below to sort the table to help find the exact story you want.  If you “shift+click” you can sort by multiple columns simultaneously.

S4F: Now Playing at the Opera—The Faster than Light Particle Experiment

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD During last year’s OPERA (Oscillation Project with Emulsion tRracking Apparatus) experiment, particles were clocked traveling faster than the speed of light—by a staggering 60 nanoseconds! If the result holds up to replication, then things get very interesting because, according to the math underlying Einstein’s special theory of relativity, to accomplish [...]

Nonfiction Guidelines

What We Want: length, serialized, reprints, multiple subs, simultaneous subs, payment, rights, eSub, formats, postal Will NOT Accept Abandoned Towers Nonfiction Guidelines Please read the guidelines in their entirety before submitting. Abandoned Towers consists of two distinct pieces: Online content – free to everyone at AbandonedTowers.com Print/pdf/ePub content – not free, but not expensive We [...]

Video Guidelines

Original Works | General Considerations: payments & rights Abandoned Towers Video Guidelines Abandoned Towers accepts, for publication online, video content in accord with the following guidelines. Original Works We are happy to accept video submissions of original works, whether they be fiction, nonfiction or poetry. When submitting, follow the normal process of sending us an [...]

Audio Guidelines

Original Works | Radio Plays | Audio Books | Existing Content | Filk | Considerations: payment & rights Abandoned Towers Audio Guidelines Abandoned Towers accepts audio fiction, radio plays, audio books, and audio presentations of existing Abandoned Towers content for online publiction. These submissions must be consistent with the normal guidelines which would apply had [...]

Art Guidelines

Non-Commissioned Art | Commissioned Art: covers, interior illustrations | What We Are Looking For: formats we accept Abandoned Towers Art Guidelines Please read the guidelines in their entirety before contacting us. Abandoned Towers is always interested in hearing from artists who are interested in being considered for commissions. While we do not accept unsolicited art, [...]

Poetry Guidelines

What We Want: length, serialized, reprints, multiple subs, simultaneous subs, payment, rights, eSub, formats, postal Will NOT Accept Abandoned Towers Poetry Guidelines Please read the guidelines in their entirety before submitting. Abandoned Towers consists of two distinct pieces: Online content – free to everyone at AbandonedTowers.com Print/pdf/ePub content – not free, but not expensive We [...]

Fiction Guidelines

What We Want: length, serialized, reprints, multiple subs, simultaneous subs, payment, rights, eSub, formats, postal Will NOT Accept Abandoned Towers Fiction Guidelines Please read the guidelines in their entirety before submitting. Abandoned Towers consists of two distinct pieces: Online content – free to everyone at AbandonedTowers.com Print/pdf/ePub content – not free, but not expensive We [...]

Re-Beginnings

We’ve been working hard behind the scenes at Abandoned Towers, and while it may have looked as though we abandoned you (ha…see what I did there?), rest assured that we haven’t.  Here are some of the exciting things that have been happening: Relaunch: This will be happening in the next month or so…early to mid [...]

Prompts: Because Inspiration Doesn’t Take a Holiday

As I write this, Thanksgiving has just passed and the run-up to the holiday season is well underway. What that translates to is basically a month-long food fest and family trips to see relatives. In other words, precious little time for writing. Now, this can be a welcome break for those who spend every waking [...]

Electronic Submissions?

We’ve started to look into the possibility of going to Electronic Submissions (instead of e-mail) using a form which let’s you upload the file.  This would presumably have a mechanism to allow you to track the progress of your submission through the various internal processes of Abandoned Towers.  So we thought we’d open it up [...]

S4F: Can Anyone Intelligent Communicate with Me? Other Than My Earthling Friends. Part II

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD In my last S4F, I asked: does intelligent life exist outside our solar-system and, if so, could they (if they wanted to) communicate with us. Using the Drake Equation and a certain set of assumptions, I calculated 600 communicating civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. If you haven’t read it [...]

Writing Poetry: Use of Verbs

Verbs – a good poem needs action verbs, verbs accurately describe the action. Unless for effect stay away from passive verbs or passive verb construction. Passive verb construction tends to be wordy. Poems need to be terse by definition. There may be a point or a whole poem you want passive, but most poems call [...]

Contact Us

David Siegel Bernstein

To support his writing addiction and excessively extravagant lifestyle, David Siegel Bernstein consults as a forensic statistician. With his wife, Michelle, and two children, Seth and Gwendolyn, he lives under the shadow of Philadelphia in the ghoulish town—known to some as—-Elkins Park. He has been published in numerous print, podcast, and online magazines (including Abandoned Towers [...]

S4F: Can Anyone Intelligent Communicate with Me? Other Than My Earthling Friends.

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD Is there intelligent life outside our little corner of the Milky Way? If there is, can they communicate with us here on Earth? In science fiction it is fun to say yes to both questions. But how likely are both to be true? First off I’ll leave it to you [...]

NaNoWriMo 2011

You may have done it before, you may have won it before. Are you doing NaNoWriMo this month? For those who are unaware, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The goal? To write a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November. I’ve attempted it twice, finishing it in 2004 and stopping on [...]

Bethany Ramos

Bethany Ramos is a chick lit author that is passionate about the fun, witty, and clever dynamic that can be found in a good chick lit novel. Her chick lit novel 5 Stages of Grief was published by Black Opal Books in 2011. She has also written a children’s book called Lions Can’t Eat Spaghetti that is under contract [...]

It Was An Ending; It Is A Beginning

Everything is here now, appropriately formatted, tagged and categorized.  So you’ll be able to find things in the archives with significantly less difficulty than before.  It’s also the start of something new, new look, improved content and organization and a new managing editor. Worth highlighting is that a few our the more popular posters have [...]

Featured Columns

One of the interesting things that you can find here is a few columns that have developed over the years. Active Columns Prompts This series by Jason Kahn helps to bring you inspiration and writing prompts he encounters through his day job.  If you’re looking to break a block, one of his articles may do [...]

Introduction: K.E. Abel

Hi everyone, My name is K.E. Abel and I am the new Managing Editor of Abandoned Towers Magazine.  I’m incredibly excited to be here and am thrilled with the high quality submissions which I’ve seen so far.  We’ve been working hard to get things moving around here, so please spread the word that we are [...]

Just About There…

All of the content which was previously hosted in a Blogger blog at Blogspot has now been incorporated into this location.  Here’s a summary of some of the changes which have taken place over the last few weeks: consolidation of blog content going from 58 to 227 posts here change in the look of the [...]

Michael D. Griffiths

Michael D. Griffiths is a man who likes to keep busy. He loves camping with his wife in the wilds of Arizona, playing poker, and debating such topics as mysticism, creativity, anarchy, and punk rock. He has worked with Abandoned Towers since its inception, moving from Slush Reader to Marketing Manager. In the past, his writing has been published [...]

2009 Posts Migrated

The 67 posts from 2009 are now properly included here.  That leaves 52 posts from 2010 and 1 from 2011 to migrate before the entirety of the Abandoned Towers blog is finally in one place. In 2009 you’ll find posts by: Bob Piekle C. E. Chaffin Dal Jeanis Jason Kahn Jim Fowler Oddcube Troy D. [...]

Jason Kahn

Jason Kahn lives in Brooklyn with his lovely wife amidst all of the other young families fleeing Manhattan for more space. His online series, The Dark InSpectre, is currently running courtesy of Abandoned Towers Magazine. He has had short stories published in various places including: Baen’s Universe [defunct], Damnation Books, Abandoned Towers (print version), and Something Wicked, as well as [...]

David Cowley

David is a proud resident of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada [suburb of Vancouver] and a professional web developer.  He is largely responsible for the changes to AbandonedTowers.com, although if you aren’t a previous visitor you wouldn’t notice. An avid reader, disc sports organizer and all around humble guy. Although not always in favour of the [...]

2008: It Was the Beginning

The archives here have now been updated to include all of the original posts from 2008 (all 44 of them).  You’ll notice a lot of announcements about content added to Abandoned Towers and that this was in the days before Abandoned Towers had it’s own domain. 2008 also marks the first posts by: Dal Jeanis Oddcube [...]

Prompts: Death Masks and Killer Gizmo’s

As I write this, I have just returned from New York Comic Con at the Javitz Center in Manhattan. I take my son there every year, and it’s an absolute blast for both of us. He loves to cruise the exhibit floor and check out all the cool stuff and we both love checking out [...]

Read the History of Abandoned Towers

One of the current projects which we’re undertaking here at Abandoned Towers is consolidation.  Specifically at the moment we’re consolidating the original Abandoned Towers blog into the current Abandoned Towers blog.  Eventually we’ll consolidate the Abandoned Towers blog into the main Abandoned Towers site. The posts go back all the way to 2008 and the [...]

Migrating Content

So we’re still uncovering new things as we dig deeper into Abandoned Towers, and the latest find is an old version of this blog, which has content which wasn’t migrated to this location.  Some of it isn’t really necessary, but some of the bloggers who have been writing here, started writing there. I am in [...]

Changes, they’re a comin’

If you’re visiting Abandoned Towers for the first time this won’t be obvious and perhaps not if you’re a previous visitor.  For all intents and purposes Abandoned Towers is now under new management.  Personally I represent the technical side of that change. So what does this really mean, well in the short term, not too [...]

Submissions are OPEN!

Abandoned Towers Magazine is pleased to announce that we are now open again for submissions!  We are under new editor-ship with new submission guidelines.  Send submissions to submissions@abandonedtowers.com.  We look forward to reading your work!

Submissions Open!

Abandoned Towers Magazine is pleased to announce that we are now open again for submissions!  We are under new editor-ship with new submission guidelines.  Send submissions to submissions@abandonedtowers.com.  We look forward to reading your work!

S4F: Black Holes (Don’t Really) Suck

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD A black hole walks into a bar and asks: where did everyone go? There are a couple of lingering questions I avoided in my last S4F, Black Holes Suck (because of word limit, not love!), that when answered I hope will give you ideas for your fiction. First, do black [...]

Prompts: Of Sorrowful Silence and Diamond Planets

It’s one of those rare months when I have a couple of stories coming out at the same time. While this is extremely gratifying for me, I find it difficult to sit back and rest on my meager laurels. Instead, I’m getting that familiar nagging sensation in the back of my head, the feeling that [...]

S4F: Black Holes Suck

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD If a black hole got married, would it still be considered a singularity? (joke from astropixie’s blog) This S4F is dedicated to black holes; a worthy topic for science fiction fans and writers. Black holes come in different sizes—they can be as small as an atom (with the mass of [...]

Prompts: News For the Summer Blues

It’s the summer doldrums here in NYC, with heat so oppressive it seems like an effort to even think, let alone come up with cool story ideas. But fear not, there’s one source of scifi creativity that never quits. That’s right, just check the news. No, not the depressing evening stuff filled with crime and [...]

S4F: Much Ado About Nothing This Month

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD Sorry for the brevity (and by brevity, I mean lack of substance) of this month’s S4F. This past month I’ve been battling a lot of projects. Fear not, I’ve been mostly victorious. Here’s a little bit of fun to tide you over until the next S4F — where I will [...]

Prompts: Space Bubbles and Ancient Hotties

From the fantastical to the mundane, everything is fair game when it comes to searching for inspiration for story ideas. You just have to always be on the lookout. Constant vigilance! As a well-known curmudgeonly wizard is known to say. So when you see a story about bubbles at the edge of the solar system, [...]

S4F: We Hold Universal Truths to Be Not Self-Evident

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD I spat out some enormous numbers in my last S4F, Fiction by the Numbers. I reported the size of the universe, but failed to give it any context. I intend to use this space (get it: space) to emphasize what we can and can never know about the universe. Fact [...]

Prompts: Time Jumping Snails and Zombie Jocks

Technology and scientific advances can benefit mankind in many and wonderful ways. But as with anything, they are neither good or bad in and of themselves. It’s all in how such discoveries are used. Given the conflicts and moral dilemmas that can arise from misuse of science, breakthroughs make for excellent sci-fi story fodder. Here [...]

S4F: Fiction by the Numbers

by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD This post offers up a few numbers you can drop into your fiction—particularly science fiction. They are, at best, estimates and therefore subject to re-estimation as scientists learn more.  Nevertheless, including them in your work will add verisimilitude. Remember in SF it’s important to minimize the number of lies you [...]

Prompts: Of Moons and Invisible Men

Today I’m posting from Paris. I’ve been here all week for work and I’m taking an extra week for vacation with my wife. I have to admit, the stuff they have here is extremely inspiring in terms of story ideas. The art, the history. Just a stroll through Versailles and I could have an entire [...]

Writing Poetry: Concentration

Concentration – the word as many in English has more than one meaning – 1) the act of focusing all your mental ability – Many poets have experienced concentration as Alan Shapiro once said, “that experience when you sit down at your desk at 10 A.M. and when you look up it’s 6 P.M., when [...]

Have You Overlooked: Ru Emerson?

Ru Emerson was born in 1944 and is the author of twenty-three novels, including the Nedao trilogy, the six-volume Night-Threads series, media tie-in novels based on Xena: Warrior Princess, and (as Roberta Cray) The Sword and the Lion. When not writing, Emerson rides a bike and flies kites at the beach. And shares her home [...]

S4F: What’s the Matter with Antimatter?

  by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD There is nothing wrong with antimatter; it’s matter—only different.  It’s different because it’s made of bizzaro particles that have the opposite electric charge from what we observe in ordinary matter. In other words, the atoms inside of antimatter have positive electrons, called positrons, hovering in an excited cloud above [...]

Robot Football

Robot Football watching robot football with his buddies beer and chips spread before them like a smorgasbord life is easy now they cheer a touchdown chairs with built-in toilets machines to do all the work here comes a blitz a sack a fumble the men shout curses grab more beers watch a broken robot dragged [...]

(his name is j.uan)

(his name is j.uan) He sits in a seat on the subway, as the train growls steadily, moving closer and closer to its destination. He gets off the train, and delivers his package to the post office, looks upward to the sky, sees a pigeon flying. At his right, a truck pulls up the driveway [...]

The Cabin Of Chaos

Mopping the lingering vomit from my lips, I headed back to my ride. No, I had not partied too much the night before. Instead, I was suffering from a colitis attack, which is something that happens to me when I get too stressed out. Still, if I am heading out for a week of camping [...]

A Long Journey

A Long Journey Hallowed and made holy by the regents Of the sun, a rolling array of wild sagebrush Toiling in tufted diversions of driving wind, By the lines in crow creases and leather boots, The repayment of twilight dreams on the western fray With stove fires and cactus stew, dreaming the respite Of a [...]

Azieran: Rebirth

In the Kingdom of Boorund, the port city of Warris sprawled like a wounded spider, still dangerous and fanged. Its access to the sea provided the populace with many diverse and exotic wares normally found only within larger trade hubs–that which was not readily available could be ordered at a negotiated cost. The wharves also [...]

Azieran: The Crown of Roon

“Sunlight is salvation—mark this creed well,” Ving warned. His features were obscured beneath a cloak of fabric shadow, capturing the illumination of my glowstone, slowing, then spinning those beams into thin reeds of gossamer shine before devouring them completely. Sunlight is salvation. Those words were the rhetoric of crypt trackers: rangers of the tomb, the [...]

The Heart of a Mountain

I sit, nestled among the treasures he’s collected, bored out of my mind. He does nothing but hoard us, sitting on us with his plated scales. I am polished by the shifting of his bulk until friction robs me of the marks humans stamped on my surface. Once I proudly displayed my value but the [...]

In the Burning Orchard

In the Burning Orchard The blaze dangles Like rain In each tree I pass. Branches like fingers Too arthritic To clutch the fire. A waterfall of smoke. The noise more lethal than the flames Like your sighing When I slept against you. Let this sound lullabye me- Let the tongues of flame lick Whichever parts [...]

Epiphany of Gaia

Epiphany of Gaia The sea urchin crust of the horse chestnut swells, pops like a kernel. Suddenly, a new smooth red brown skin lusting after sunlight as the yellow rust leaves flick their pointed fingers in farewell. Wet earth a slurry oozing away from roots, boulders, bones. The mountain a skull, but with a forked [...]

Clearing

“How are you today, Sheila?” the bearded man sitting across from her asked. His name was Alfonse; he wore a stained t-shirt that barely covered his bulging belly. “Exemplary. You?” Sheila responded, sitting motionless in a brushed aluminum chair. She wore a colorful sundress that barely contained her unnaturally curvaceous body. Sheila was, by all [...]

Nanomite 323

A minuscule probe Drifts on a gentle breeze Through an aluminum mesh Framed in white-painted steel And into a strange twisted forest… Sensors detect synthetic material. Access main memory banks: Polyamide fibers Mixed with chemical colorants, Wound into strands And woven onto a backing Upon a hard organic surface. Further information required… A gigantic shaggy [...]

A Matter of Sheep

Anna sighed as her husband Jack came stomping into their ranch house, huffing and puffing as if he controlled the wind. He blew angry gusts all around the kitchen, ruffling everything but her feathers. Anna looked at him for a second, giving him a long stare before he spoke. “What’s wrong.” She asked, less as [...]

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #5

Superhero Higgledy Piggledy #5 Amazon wonder-ous Wearing big bracelets and Not too much more. Forced by your lasso of Verisimilitude: You are my fav’rite, I Love and adore!     A Higgledy Piggledy/Double Dactyl poem is made up of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones. You can guess which superhero the poet is talking about. [...]

Death, the mother, the word

Death, the mother, the word my mother’s death brings me closer to my own. she died but death hasn’t flown over my marked door, not yet, and until perennials do not arise year after year from the soil you cannot despair so far it’s whatever I’m made of Death cannot eat dangling this writing like [...]

Clerks and Quirks

As a sporadically employed clerk, Harold had heard the phrase “I’m going to have to let you go” far more often than he preferred. The phrase was a mark of closure, each time heralding the necessity to pick up the pieces of his existence and struggle onward. The phrase was never welcome, but, for Harold, [...]

Twenty Dollars

Twenty dollars. Twenty whole dollars. The tramp bent down and picked them up. Still dry. Just been dropped by the look of it. He peered round cautiously. Not a cop in sight. Just people hurrying to get out of the rain. Nobody paying attention to him; but then, they never did. There was a bar right [...]

So Not Tina Fey

Picked scabs bleed. When I write, something also leaks. I want to write comedy, but can’t. I write grit. Sometimes my stories are like dirt in wounds, foreign objects in eyes. Like stepping into a scalding bath. I fight those tales. I imagine a pen, a shining silver fountain pen that smells of lollipops. The [...]

Into Space

Many of my readers will remember the mysterious radio messages which were heard by both amateur and professional short wave operators during the nights of the twenty-third and twenty-fourth of last September, and even more will remember the astounding discovery made by Professor Montescue of the Lick Observatory on the night of September twenty-fifth. At [...]

F.A.T.E.

One mundane day, F.A.T.E. (Farseeing All-powerful Table of Elders) assembled at the official club shack. Two thermoses of coffee and a plate of croissants and doughnuts waited on a side table. Everyone drank decaf. “Well, gentleman,” said Carl the Wise, F.A.T.E.’s chairman. “It’s time to decide the Prophecy of the Century.” Sighs echoed around the [...]

Ultraviolent Rodentia!

I saw the first rodent droppings on the counter in my kitchen the other day. Rodents are foul beasts that you typically find living in sewers and under houses. I had no intention of sharing my home with one. I asked, “How did a mouse get in my house and on my kitchen counter?” “It [...]

The Last Hunting Trip

“Good morning, Sunshine,” Dad whispered, and my eyes sprang open. “Got your bags all packed?” My bedroom was dark, but I could see the outlines of my furniture and my posters, and my Dad’s silhouette against the open bedroom door. He was wearing his camouflage coverall and holding a mug of fragrant coffee. His black [...]

The E.T. in Aisle Three

I’m sitting out on my porch last Saturday, nice bright day–blue skies, cool breeze–when Billy Greene comes jogging up the sidewalk, grunting and puffing. This strikes me strange. Billy spends most his time working on his prideful pot-belly and nigh-on-legendary tolerance for warm Coors. “Hey, Billy,” I say. “Hey… Jack… howzit… hanging?” His face is [...]

After Juanito’s Visit

It’s dusk. I’m finally alone. “Finally,” as in final–that’s it. Eleven years ago, I lost custody of my pre-teen son, and, according to the judge, that was final. The air is still, the forest immobile. Down the hill, in the distance, a dog barks. A duck’s quack wafts up from the lake. Juanito was here [...]

Within the Asteroid Belt

Within the Asteroid Belt There are ghosts among the asteroids: The nameless dead of many races, creeds, and laws. Miners whose bodies float in starred black space, and colonists, where some forgot, the environment is hostile and died of that forgetting. But those who lived, bred children who remember, and few of us die now, [...]

The Haunted House Sitter

Good morning! Are you from the employment agency? Good, we’ve been expecting you. Come in! Come in! Oh, don’t worry about Rocky. He’s already been fed. Well, then . . . welcome to our home! I’m Renfred. Sorry about the cobwebs, but our housekeeper has gone missing. That’s why we called. No, you don’t have [...]

American Microbes

Paul Philips arrived at the small office of American Microbes at precisely 9 A.M.  A young man was on the phone speaking in a muted voice.  Paul took a seat and relaxed.  He was delivering the second Summons for the Chairman of this International Corporation, and he watched the receptionist for 10 minutes, nodding his [...]

Cosmic Journey

Meditate upon travel Through the material plane. Leave your mortal self behind As the spirit wanders free. Let your mind’s eye uncover The wonders of the cosmos. Surf the savage orange wind Of a churning gas giant. Spy purple methane floaters Feeding in the swift current. Avoid the electric death Of a green ghunglider’s sting. [...]

Seven Something

For those of us with a predilection for nature in its more orderly forms, parks and nature areas offer a guarantee of sorts. We rightfully expect land, water and greenery in various heights, quantities and shades. We appreciate that care has been given to the organization of trees, trail, water, rock, fauna and flora. But, [...]

The Pianist

The Pianist Red faces and gushing crowds surround the small bristling world class artist Needing to make his exit to ready the already gloved hands for the long journey to the Stage and almighty concert. The anxious pianist tore away from the grasping hands in preparation for the taming of the Black monster of scrutiny. [...]

Error 404 , Sock Not Found

It was a long night and I didn’t sleep well. I woke up late for work and raced through the shower routine. Then I reached for my socks, but only 1 dark blue sock stared back from the drawer. When I shook it, a small piece of paper fell to the floor. I picked it [...]

The Quarry

The Quarry Again you tracked me down to my lair by the river, white as the absent moon, and hollowed out by sorrow. And I winced, as you lay back upon the frozen earth, to see the skin, caved in, from your ribs and pelvis, like an abandoned tent. But I pushed myself in, rejoicing, [...]

Homecoming

The wind brought with it the scent burnt ash and magic. It mingled with the damp earth and sweet pine trees that surrounded the pack. The wolves sleeping around me didn’t think anything of the scent. Few bothered check their surroundings. My wolf eyes didn’t see anything unusual, but the scent told me everything I [...]

One Day

Outside room 23, Sheri Tinker glanced over the patient’s history charts before entering. Twenty-six years old, the newcomer was Caucasian, male. His name? Brent Holdman, and he was…Basically a human vegetable. An unconscious one. Great. She scrubbed wearily at her eyes. Could this day get any worse? I could really use a break. Coma patients [...]

Does Anyone Hear Me?

There were people on the corner; I called them from the stair. Perhaps my voice was muted, for they didn’t seem to care. Their continued conversation was interrupted-not, and I stood mouthing words, while riveted to the spot. I had this dream before and the only thing that changed was the words that I had [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 8: Final Orders

Sataurnos sat on the edge of his bed. He ran a whetstone along the blade of one of his dirks, examining the edge in the low light from the room’s fireplace. The light dancing along the metal captured and held his gaze as though there were some deep truth etched into this sharp blade, a [...]

The Ghosts of Venus

The Ghosts of Venus Calcified organic dust From ancient bones Shimmering in molten slag On a once green planet Fossilised hydrocarbons Converted to insulating gas Trapping relentless heat From an indifferent sun The temperature soared And we rejoiced at first Enjoying false benefits Decades of hot summers As critical temperatures Released heavy gases From porous [...]

Song of the Sea

Song of the Sea Tight-knit knots in my neck uncurl at the shingled-muttering surf-roar. Crimped kinks in my mind unfurl at the tingled-fluttering wind-soar. Nose pricks at the clean, reaming stenches of  brine-braided weed, stone, broken shells. Eyes flick over the gleaming, keen trenches of  charging crests, spray,  cone-caught swells. My soul sings with the [...]

My Caroline, My Love

The air is so sweet! Much sweeter than usual. And the grass: it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. Is it even green? No, it’s more like emerald….no, teal? No, it’s both! It’s changing, shimmering in a different shade with every delicious zephyr. What is that scent? It’s so familiar, so very soothing. It almost smells [...]

The Haunted Isle

I lie beyond the narrow sandy strand, A jagged mote upon the horizon, A rugged speck upon the ocean. Sailors skirt past my flanks in morbid dread. My dark hollows house the unshriven dead. I lie amongst the angry, swelling waves. Churning foam obscures my treacherous shoals, Doom for innumerable imperilled souls. Wretched spirits weep [...]

Sphere of Destiny

Shala-Ka’an, princess of Dao-Bala, rose up on her cot and sat perfectly still, listening. Something had awakened her. Within the tent, all was darkness and quiet. Outside, where a thousand soldiers slept, she could hear the sound of snoring men and the occasional cough of a Myrak. It was still several hours until dawn. She’d [...]

Dahtoe and Sheba

Put me down. Put me down. Oh I wish I could fly. Put me down. Oh wait, what is that thing? I don’t like those things. So much fur. I don’t like things with fur. Even Makers don’t have that much fur. It’s looking as me! Don’t put me down. Don’t put me down. “Dang [...]

The Funeral of the Queen of the Cats

Good evening my good friends. Your company is quite welcomed in these blustery days. Let me take your coats and hats. Now, come closer to the warmth of the fire. Yes, pull up your chairs to the hearth and make yourselves comfortable. That’s it. Now set back and listen to my tale that will raise [...]

The Man on the Sidewalk

The sidewalk was cracked, each grey slab split by dozens of lines criss-crossing each other like crazed spider-webs.  He committed each slab’s pattern of cracks to memory as he walked, oblivious to everything else around him: the smells of the restaurants in the food ghetto, the cars parked by the curb, the people who stared [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 7: Exaltation Through Subjugation

The robed man nodded.  The movement was almost unnoticeable in the low light of the small room. “Aye, that I am,” he said to Demas. “And as a Hand of the Gods, I can sense the conviction in your heart, my large friend.” Demas studied the man.  “You’re too short to be Vaelas, though. Are [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 4: Blessing of the Patron Father

“I hate bustin’ up that place. It’s the only decent beer in the city.” Jass collapsed onto his bed, closing his eyes. The rest of the group filed into the room behind him, heading for their respective beds. “I blame Caless. He acts smooth and composed, but he’s got himself a temper.” “That captain had [...]

The Billboard

The dark blue sign crackled into existence around 4 P.M. on the first Thursday of June, near the westbound lanes of Interstate 565 in Madison Alabama. It was 60 feet by 40 feet, surrounded by a neon red border, but anyone could tell that it wasn’t really there – it was clearly some kind of [...]

The Biter Bit

I cannot resist a well-turned ankle. Come to think of it, I cannot resist any ankle. But permit me introduce myself before I tell you how this noble, single-minded passion led to my downfall. My name is Chang and I come from a long and distinguished line of ankle connoisseurs. My forefathers were Pekingese, the [...]

Dead Eyes

I let the dry dirt of the grave filter through my fingers like the sand in an hourglass, except this dirt forms a plume as the cool north breeze catches it, blowing it south. I couldn’t do this before. Not two weeks ago at the funeral and not right afterwards. It took that long for [...]

Two Steppin’ To Tie The Knot

Two Steppin’ To Tie The Knot She met a cowboy from the Southwest Who in boots and Wranglers was dressed He lassoed her mind With his twang so divine And his love that he quickly professed He lived in the town of Big Spring After three months he offered a ring She did quickly accept [...]

The Promised Land

After forty-five years as a “man without a country,” I was going home to New York, where I was born seventy-two-years before. America is a land of dreams, a Promised Land for many, and it had now become my dream. What was I looking for? At seventy-two, my life was in a shambles. Could America [...]

Twig

Twig When the prince asked for the youngest daughter, and said he loved her above all women, the king asked if he would know her from her sisters.  In my garden, twelve trees grow. Each one is an enchanted daughter. Which of those trees is your own true love? Some were covered with pale flowers. [...]

The Winged Men of Orcon

CHAPTER I The Wrecked Space-Ship When I came to, it was dark; so dark that the night seemed all but fluid with black pigment. Breathing was difficult, but in spite of that, however, I felt exhilarated mentally. Also I felt strong, stronger than I ever had in my life before. I tried to raise my [...]

So Fast, It’s Like I’m Not Moving

So Fast, It’s Like I’m Not Moving The best speed shocks me still, Procyon, Mira, Delta Cephei, how do they get there? where do they go? My breakneck motionlessness turns universe to slide show, Nova Cygni. . .click… Eta Aquilae. . . .click No question, star cluster out the corner of my eye is soothing… [...]

The Bats of Elvidner

“They have taken my son,” the sorceress said. “You must get him back.” Elian Tellen, wandering scion of the doomed lords of White Star, made no immediate reply. A log fell in the fireplace before them, sending up a shower of red sparks. He picked up the iron poker lying on the stone hearth and [...]

Soul Windows

“The eyes are windows to the soul.” Blake’s lips twitched in an ironic smile. “Our philosopher.” Talbot lifted his tiny cup of Turkish coffee in the air. “Just what do you mean by that?” Jim asked, ignoring Talbot as he leaned farther over the tiny table. Blake shifted his gaze to Jim, an older man [...]

Dahtoe and the Sailor

Hungry Hmm, hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Fish or crabs? Feeling like food would be good now. Sigh. But my wings are sore after flying all the way out to the small land. Why did I fly out here? I was lucky to find the small land, but now I will have to fly back. I do [...]

Robotic Acceptance

“She is deteriorating, and we can’t do anything to help her,” were the last words I heard from my wife’s doctor before she died. I remember his name was John, a silly thing to remember, but I do. John told me that they had done everything they could for my wife, Rebecca, and I couldn’t [...]

The Hyperspace Railroad

Malu almost turned back when she saw the Andrean. The thing looked like a giant insect that had escaped from some freak-show. But she couldn’t go back; only slow torture and death awaited her if she stopped now – the only fate that ever befell an escaping slave was a slow and very public execution. [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 2: Firestorm

The main room of the Addled Friar was hosting a night similar to any other. Old Town on the whole had been all but abandoned by the Church, the national coffers being allocated more toward the comfort of its richer citizens. The streets were as dreary as the rainiest night. Inside, however, was a bright [...]

Fulghum’s Synthitar

It was Uncle Vanya’s sincerest conviction that all the particles in the universe had conspired to make his life miserable, he having been born into the poorest family on the smallest, most worthless colony any harvest moon had ever seen. The inhabitants were mostly old, dying people who refused to die. This meant poor business [...]

It’s Me

“It’s me.” “I beg your pardon, madam? Are you sure you have the right number?” “Oh, I think so.” “Who’s speaking?” “I told you: it’s me.” “And what can I do for you, whoever you are?” “Can’t you guess who I am?” “I don’t care to guess. I’m hanging up, now. Please don’t call me [...]

Drawn to Wonder

Drawn to Wonder Skies the hue of blue glass above the summer sunken low, below, clouds on the horizon merging, into the verge of the ocean, light on the eyes, slowly lowering, distant thunder, ears, I’m drawn (at least my eyes are) to wonder– white, nigh motionless, almost sightless, lying like dust upon a blade [...]

The Impulse to Punish

Milton Colony, Mars 2169 A.D. The helicopter came in low over the red dunes, spitting up scarlet dust and spraying Beadle Jedediah Prine’s goggles. Buffeting from the whirling blades rocked the tall man back on his feet as he stooped and waved the pilot to the landing beacon glowing nearby. The helicopter came to a [...]

The Eternity Compact

It had been a cold night, now giving way to morning as the early sunrise gradually cast a slight red glow over the sky. It was entirely different to the last time, and yet entirely unchanged in all relevant respects. Then, as now, he was the first to arrive, and found a certain familiarity in [...]

How The First Words Were Invented

Long ago, before hot stones burned their weight into the aching earth and the air quivered in pain at the Sun’s scorching touch, this land was very different. Grass grew as high as a man’s waist, O, Cherished Child, swishing with the movement of countless  creatures.  Huge trees stroked the skies, while myriads of bushes [...]

Absinthe and Chrome

Angel dust blues and rocket fuel 100 miles from the end of time cloaked in the dust of ages choking on the ashes of gods drowning in dreams and visions that never have been or will be ours i saw god in the painted face of a dead street corner mime watched the angels turning [...]

Terminal illness

The bed lies in a dim corner of the habitually silent room. Heavy-laden curtains mute both sound and light, encasing me in darkness. The scene is bleak, exacerbating my aching bones and feverish body. Gingerly I arise, pulling back the curtains, so that a band of warm sunlight illuminates my face. I pull back long [...]

The Best Things In Life

“Son, if you want to keep them, they’ll have to be paid for.” Seven-year-old Tim objected. “But Dad — ” His father, Marty, cut him off: “No Tim. That’s final.” He checked his watch: if they didn’t check out completely before ten, there’d be late charges and the incidentals. This had been their first holiday [...]

Mutability

“It is the same!–For, be it joy or sorrow, The path of its departure still is free: Man’s yesterday may ne’er be like his morrow; Nought may endure but Mutability.” – Percy Bysshe Shelley Outside the building, some boys were playing cricket on the road. The weather was pleasant and slight breeze was blowing. “What [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 9: The Belly of the Beast

Raimand peered over the rise of the hill. A steady wind whipped through his hair as he calmly tied it back into a long tail. The Divine Golem loomed ominously in the distance, dwarfing the soldiers around its feet. Bruised clouds filled the sky above, obscuring the sun, but even in this diminished light the [...]

The Taste of Bitterness

The queue at the cafeteria’s rail counter moved slowly. Patrons, shoving aluminum trays along the attached shining shelf, carefully chose dishes to their taste and purse. A pause ensued when hesitant hands carefully lifted plates of chosen food; then with a thought of two placed the choice on their individual trays. But food wasn’t on [...]

Ménage à Trois

The man’s helmet pressed against mine allowed us to communicate without radio. Radio was a no-no in our line of work, and wasn’t necessary in any case. He simply shouted, and the contact between our visors carried the sound. “Ms. Lombardo?” I nodded. “The plans are in the storage drive!” I pulled back and nodded [...]

The Flying Dutchman of MacKinnon Hall

« Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien » — proverb ‘Better’ is the enemy of ‘good enough’. This is another story taken from real life. In a course in Basic French for Reading Comprehension, students occasionally ask whether they are allowed to bring a dictionary to the final exam. The answer is a resounding No. The following [...]

Gift Wrapping

Gift Wrapping in sunlit spaces after raining goodness and grace, the unchangeable spirit flashes colorful smiles, continues accentuating, grooving, extending the line of true passion from where God knows to where aimers go, manifesting into us along the way with stylish, bold strokes, a never-ending, free-flowing fountain of thriving, rejuvenating potential, enough for every thirst, [...]

Two Hundred Miles the Hard Way

It was still dark, but the morning was quickly approaching. This is a good time to bike through the desert country to avoid the daytime heat. I was on my way back to the United States from Chihuahua, when I saw a bar was still open, so I turned my bike off the main road [...]

A Prompt Delivery

An April shower chased me off the street into a basement tavern. Inside was dim and chock-full, except in one corner some chap was sitting alone–a dark, vague figure. “Would you mind if I join you?” I asked. “Not at all, take a seat.” I sat down and ordered a lager while he emptied his [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 10: Judgment of the Gods

Sataurnos cursed loudly and readied his daggers as the soldiers surged toward him. In a single, giant step Demas stood between Sataurnos and the wave of armed men. “Go!” he shouted, shoving Sataurnos hard toward the upper staircase. With a loud cry, he rushed toward the oncoming soldiers, gripping his axe’s long handle sideways in [...]

Wambago Drive

Somewhere in that hazy dance club of the afterlife, a lonely DJ is spinning tunes and taking requests for the chance to tango with death. I know. I’ve had my dance. Everyone loves a great ghost story. The type of fantastical tale that sends a chill down your spine and sets new standards for increasing [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 1: Silent Dirge

The room was black, save for a single shaft of moonlight streaming in through a hole in one of the darkened windows. In better light, the thick layer of dust that covered the furniture would have made obvious the fact that no one had used this little office in quite some time. A sudden cloud [...]

Three Wishes in the Iraqi Desert

“Spider Hole, boss,” called out Patruno.  He never looked back at Connor, but kept his eyes on the black hole in front of him.  They were scouting the cold desolate mountains for signs of an Iraqi stronghold or a cache of weapons. “Blow it!,” yelled Connors, never taking his eyes from the mountainside. “Fire in [...]

Infiltration

titanium bones grow synthetic tegument deadly creation human encounter enables social program assimilation government system accesses secret data target acquisition strategic promise precedes political rise android accession artificial man amongst the ruling elite assassination

Upstream

The spaceport lay at the far end of the bay, a collection of steel and concrete buildings, rusted antenna arrays and metal towers linked by loosely strung communication wires. Charcoal-grey clouds obscured the mid-day sun while a stiff breeze swept across the rippling blue water. Fishing sloops rocked gently in the distance; gulls circled lazily [...]

Scream Quietly

Scream Quietly or the Neighbours Will Hear – Erin Pizzey Oaklands, Cathedral Rise, Lincoln, Lincolnshire. England. 7th July, 1849 My Dearest Joanne, Sweet sister, my husband grows more violent. Little Julian greatly admired the wooden horse you sent for his first birthday, and he gave me a wonderful present, by taking his first steps! Naturally [...]

E. Alexander HillBuilding a Brighter Tomorrow

Malevolence is not easy. Neither are legs. Odeon Pensacle worked tiny creases into the clay where the knee seemed to belong. The contour still evoked the sense of a sick fish and nothing pedestrian. He smashed out the clay and worked it over again. On the second attempt, he managed something elephantine. Odeon made another. [...]

Roland of the High Crags: Evil Arises

From the Book of St. Albans- – The death of a city is a grim spectacle to behold. Terrible knowing all your efforts to save it were for naught. The thundering crash of masonry. The searing heat of ravaging fires hungrily consuming the city. The billowing smoke filled with terrible smells. But worst of all, [...]

Pleonasm

Thank you for pressing the ‘I’m Feeling Lucky‘ button on the Google search page.  This super-hyper-linked story about ‘pleonasm’ was synthesized by: Google Gossip – bringing you the latest Armstrong/Tau Station facts and gab.  Scenes and analysis of actual 3D video bit streams from the Google Brain are used with permission.  Copyright 2109, Google Off-World/Armstrong. [...]

When Wizards Dream at Night

While aged heads full of magic rest Gently upon soft feather pillows, Magely imaginations run wild. Released from the bounds of consciousness, Dreams and notions wander the ether As shadows of spirit and power. Adrift across the vast firmament Like dark tendrils of deeper blackness, Nightmarish thoughts slowly coalesce Into fanciful monstrosities. Imbued with an [...]

Beyond the Amethyst Mountains

It had started with a meeting in the Tontine Coffee House on Front Street, in summer of 1835, listening to Astor talk about opening trade, dividends and other dull financial subjects. That coffeehouse was now over a quarter million miles away. Yet I could still look up in the sky and see it. Well, I [...]

Daddy’s Home

It was a beer spiller straight out of a Charles Bukowski novel. A shotgun style hole-in-the-wall joint with a sticky bar decorated with bowls of stale peanuts, empty drink glasses, and overflowing ashtrays. It was the perfect place to find a scumbag. Standing just inside the entrance scanning the dismal scene, Steve was sure of [...]

Off the Scent

Martha read him like a book and poked her nose where it wasn’t wanted.  If only George’s sister would get on with her drinking and shut up. No chance.  “Mind you take your coat.  And don’t forget Aunt Rosalind’s medication.”  Even before George knew he was going out, she’d second-guess it.  Uncanny, maybe, but he [...]

Johnny

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” – St. Augustine The Salesman waited at the crossroads. It was a sweltering July day in 1817 but still he wore weathered boots and dust colored wool slacks, a cotton shirt, and a long leather duster jacket that hung [...]

Adan Rupert in the Window: Haiku

Adan Rupert in the Window: Haiku 1. Somber gray and white Eyes that shine with green disdain Looking down his nose 2. A curl of gray tail Shining jade eyes in the sun His cat nap disrupted 3. Slats of sunlight fall Bathing soft gray and white fur And a warning look 4. Ridiculous cat [...]

Behind the Barn

Mandy ‘n me snuck over to mean old Mister Smither’s farm twice last week.  My dad says that he owns the biggest operating farm in Madison County, and he told me to stay away from Mister Smither.  “Son, there’s somethin’ wrong with that feller.  He just ain’t right.” Well Mandy’s birthday was last Sunday, and [...]

The Next Big Whatever

Behind her, the film crew prepped the final scene for tonight, something involving an explosion and a staged avalanche. What a fiasco. A film called the “next big romance flick”, Titanic meets Mission: Impossible. In Hollywood, everything was the next big thing. Megan needed to stop moping and just get over there. What if their [...]

Chasing Jerohim

The drop-off point had been chosen well. So how could everything have gone so badly? Addison rested both elbows on her desk, her eyes focused on the view screen, watching the recording for the third time. The screen showed a corner of an antique market, sunlight spearing through the window and highlighting the rusted, filth-encrusted [...]

Concessions of a Tour Guide

Concessions of a Tour Guide Leaving the island by the westward side, we encounter a plethora of seagull songbirds. They swoop over our skiff like a series of intangibles. After lunch we tour the town, passing through the north-gate. There a group of men is gathered, pondering a prisoners last walk across The Bridge Of [...]

The Wraith

It was cold; the snow lay deep on the ground and a silence-that was only occasionally broken by the tinkling of bells-hung over the city. At the zero hour of this night that was supposed to celebrate the brotherhood of man, one soul wandered, lost and alone. It was far from its home and its [...]

The End of the World (Apocalypse Limericks)

The End of the World (Apocalypse Limericks) There once was a man from Gränsberget, who hated the world from atop it. He invented a bomb which would end all his qualms If the governments didn’t submit. There once was a world ending bomb which convinced all the world to be calm. Someone made a mistake, [...]

The Legend of the Four Dragons: A Chinese Fairy Tale (Retold)

The Chinese legend of the four rivers of China dates back into ancient history. I came across the legend on a Chinese Ministry site and was overwhelmed by the complexity of the tale. I had originally been searching for the Eastern Dragon’s accession to heavens and how one could capture the dragon at that time [...]

Once a Great Warrior

Once a Great Warrior Once a great warrior He now stands defeated The mighty sword that led him to victory so many times Too heavy to lift He sits, slumped in his chair Surrounded by dirt and filth An unknown voice calls his name He cannot lift his head to see A young girl calls [...]

A Dimension of Water

A Dimension of Water Still creatures who are rain fragiles appear to me for a moment, curving behind a thunderstorm of lilies. So much the likeness, our substances of shaped rivers and churning stews— creeping along buoyant airings and parenthetical firmament. Our lips move fully upon our lips when the fire of day scorches through [...]

The Seer

The Seer That time, it holds a quality for me. My vision’s faint but large enough to know. I know what happened then, when men found gold. And if I think just hard enough, I see. Our last most desperate plan to save our souls. We borrowed sums from greater, stronger men. When planets reach [...]

Sunset

Sunset Fireflies light the way for fairies– tiny wings enormous next to blades of grass. Brussel sprout plants flower at the edge of yellow– orange glowing over the lazy calico cat. Fireflies light the way for faries– big glow and small eyes. Red sings drowsy dogs to sleep and the purpled dusk will melt the [...]

Say Goodbye

“You’ve been drinking again, haven’t you, Bill?” “Indeed I have.” “How many this time?” “Not as many as I’d like.” “More than we can afford, that’s for sure.” “I had to buy a couple of rounds; we were having a going-away party for someone at work.” “Who – who was it?” “No-one you know. Chap [...]

Frontiers

The question of the frontiers came up often in the Empire, but only recently had it come to concern humanity, bottled up as it was on one small world. The position of that world within its native galaxy is why the question had come up now rather than much later. The Empire was vast, that [...]

Worrying

The imprints of the world’s worst sorrows Are laid across your wearied face like Jagged cracks along a porcelain mask. Ragged lines drawn by time’s cruel hand Are deepened by stories of anguish and strife. Storm clouds trouble your toilworn mind, Black thoughts darken your wavering soul. A multitude of angry words and foul deeds [...]

Broken Dreams

“If we put a window into the wall, Margaret,” he pointed up at the old farmhouse they had just retired to, “We would have a magnificent view of the moors and we’d get the evening light in the bedroom.” “You’ve broken my dream, Brian, ” she laughed,” I dreamed last night that there was a [...]

Fireworks

They’re coming for me tonight. No one will believe me until it’s over but I swear it’s true. They are coming. Real aliens. Not the kind that jump borders or those sissy movie aliens. Not those gray bug-eyed things you see on t-shirts either. These are great big hulking things with bony, gnarled fingers and [...]

Gothic Window

Through the stone-traced panes I see The ancestral plot below. A pale murky mist obscures The white marble monuments That mark the graves of my kin. Time has worn the names and dates But cannot erase the past. In the foggy gloom I see Ghostly figures beckoning. Restless spirits summon me To join their ghastly [...]

Scratch Handicap

“Hello, Harry, how’s business tonight?” Maude leaned on the counter of the manager’s desk and gestured at Harry’s 20-lane bowling alley. Only about half a dozen lanes were in use, three or four at each end. “Well, hi, Maude. Not bad at all. See that crowd from the Legion post at alleys 10 and 11? [...]

In Memory of Homo Sapiens

He had won the day, or so it seemed. The arguments in opposition were few and had not amounted to any particular consensus when the great discussion had ended, and so Earth was to be left alone, to peacefully evolve towards whatever fate it made for itself. He felt satisfied, which was a clear reflection [...]

Sunset

Sunset we watch the bombs bloom through the windows pass the potatoes, turkey, corn say grace over tightly-clenched hands here is our peace. through the windows, the sky grows dark, then red we turn up the gas on the propane lamps clear the dinner table, light a fire spread blankets over the children, falling asleep. [...]

A Taste for Stars

A Taste for Stars Gazing at the heavens Is like peeking into a candy store. The chocolate creams perfume the air With the cocoa dust of dreams. My stomach rumbles, Saliva gels — Pavlov at its worst. I walk about, my hands apocket To keep them from stretching out with greed: Bonbons, truffles, the pastel [...]

A True Gift

I guess I just needed a break. My Dad was angry with me for refusing to follow the city curfew and for sneaking into Lakeside Cemetery. “Jesus, Lacy, you’re a cop’s daughter.” He pulled my car keys and grounded me. My boss was on my case, too. I called in too many times and went [...]

Borrowed Time

Often have I wondered if the old legends are true. Could it be possible that, somewhere in the night sky, the original planet of our race orbits peacefully about a yellow sun? This has often been said. Can it be true that the great-grandparents of The People came to Xenland in machines capable of bridging [...]

Mirror

“Who are you looking at?” “You.” “See anything interesting?” “Me.” “I have a riddle for you –’If I’m you and you’re me, then who are we?’ ” “Us –Ouch! Now I’ve gone and cut myself.” “Us. You’ve gone and cut us. You ought to be a little bit more careful with that razor.” “Well, I’m [...]

Step Lightly

Step Lightly Step lightly, O friend On this aged worn earth Oh step lightly, live as a guest In the world of men, live abundantly In the world of nature Where many unsung beauties Nurture the ever-new blossoms Of the ever-present now Let your senses flower Beyond the accumulated dross Of the centuries of civilization [...]

They’ve Come for me Again

Bright lights, strange silhouettes, voices inside my head signal my departure from Earth once more.

The Grand Station

There stands, in the manner of one who wanders insouciantly up to strangers in a bar nods and orders a drink while the patrons stare through narrow, slitted eyes, a hotel that has no business being in the middle of the desert. Not quite a hotel, and yet not quite a desert. The desert, for [...]

A Fish was I

A Fish was I I think that once I was a fish And as a fish I’d often wish That ocean beds were filled with trees For oceans are quite bare of these But ‘neath their boughs the carp and I Could hide from shark and octopi And so ne’er fear to end a meal [...]

Evasion

Trellez stood at a thick viewport, watching the shuttle approach. It came in fast, maneuvered effortlessly among the gantries and headed straight for the docking tubes. Only at the last possible moment did a flash of steam indicate retro braking, matching ship speed to that of the station’s rotation, but the docking itself was nearly [...]

First Contact

Who’s there?’ whispered the young girl, her voice heavy with misery and hopelessness. David recognised the emotions. He sighed. How old was she? Twelve, fourteen maybe? ‘David,’ he replied quietly. ‘My name’s David.’ The silence lasted almost a minute. He let it happen. ‘Can I talk to you? Or will you tell someone?’ David could [...]

The Dream

The Dream Last night I dreamed of 12-feet-long dolphins Flat snouts Triangular flippers Underbellies pure white swimming gracefully in crystal blue seas consuming massive goldfish that glistened in sun’s reflection I heard peculiar sounds A succession of haunting tones One finished Another began Then, all joined in an intricate sea ritual that led them to [...]

Just for Her

Angela basked in the silence of a household sound asleep on this Saturday morning. She awakened early enough to beat the daily cacophony of the kids. Her slippers slapped softly on the linoleum as she moved from sink to cupboard to coffee pot, all the while humming softly along with the radio. The gurgle of [...]

Howard’s Keys

The midnight cup of coffee stared up at him steaming and he swore, breaking the quiet. All these years and you’d think I could manage a cup of coffee. But there it was. The school hallway was void of children’s voices now, echoing its loneliness until the lack of sound burned his ears like the [...]

A Small, Hairy, Black Bassoon

On the principle of writing what I know, I write a series of true-life books about my farm, my animals, and farm life. They’re true, and as there’s always some odd incident occurring on a farm, I’m never short of material. Mid-January of 2010 however, life outside became a bit too exciting. This year Ginger [...]

Tricycle

I knew this guy once, lost his heart down San Francisco way; to this effeminate guy wearing yellow spandex and a handlebar moustache in a club called The Chocolate Tunnel. I’m pretty sure they wrote a song about him. That was a while back. Anyway, I’ve still got the ticker, but I lost my arms [...]

Into the Breach

Only the shrieking of carrion birds disturbed the silence looming over Constantinople. A stench festered in the air above the red-speckled carpet of gore tracing the length of the crippled land walls. Ottoman corpses layered the ditch; Byzantine dead lay heaped, dashed and broken at the foot of the outer wall. Months of decay. And [...]

Smileys

“Smileys, emoticons, happy faces, that’s what’s causing the problem, General.  The world wide web is down because of Smileys” “Captain James, that can’t be – they look happy, they’re cool to use.  My granddaughter puts them in her emails to me.  See here.”  Air Force Brigadier General Patrona tried unsuccessfully to pull up his emails [...]

How To Be An Evil Genius

So here I sat. Undesired. Unemployed. Uneverything. I squirted pilfered ketchup packets into a cup of lukewarm water. Not strictly tomato soup, but it’ll get you by in a pinch. And I was in a pinch. When I finished my soup, I tossed it into the waste bin. Nothing worse than being unemployed and a [...]

A Light To Guide Us

Excerpt from the log of Captain Iliad D. Chambliss marked personal, stardate 2421-11-14. Wandering among the stars has taken its toll among my crew.  This may be the last entry in my personal log for some time.  It is taking  much of my time to keep the ship’s systems running properly. I should have foreseen [...]

K.N.S.

K.N.S. It wasn’t so much a surprise, there was milk in the wine bottle; her smile said it all as I sat opposite her, legs crossed. “la la la,” She grinned. “la la la,” I replied. She told me the story about smoking in Las Vegas, a flight that cost too much a room that [...]

Dreams by Candlelight

Dreams by Candlelight Not a wrinkle in her best dress tonight; My light glows coffee in her silk tresses. One last stroke of the brush and to the door, Smiles, leaves; she is lovely tonight So happy, she forgot to blow me out. She deserves the chance to live a bright dream For one night [...]

Two Thousand Years in a Matter of Moments

Two Thousand Years in a Matter of Moments The cold pallid blanket of winter chill had already been laid tucked into an unmade bed of towers, castles, halls, mansions, and arks stretching to the tall wooden bedposts on a lone icy jut of land from the crest of which, at the head, a host of [...]

The Restless Ghost

“Cheating, my friends is in my eyes the evil of evils,” piped the old colonel during the chatter of the six old duffers of the town. They had been nattering this and that on skullduggery when the old boy said his piece. ‘Ye be right’, were voiced by one or two on the opinionated words [...]

String Theory Musings

String Theory Musings Humbling. Everything, everyone, every being—even me, deconstructed into a tangle of threads almost infinitely thin. Or a drunken spider’s knotted weave of sticky filaments binding us all like dangling silk-shrouded dead flies caught in a web. Or maybe the medieval music of the spheres might yet be heard given the right radio. [...]

The Gray Div

The boulders came out of the clear blue sky, falling like hail into the narrow gorge. Men and horses cried out in fear to the accompaniment of bone-jarring crashes. Arshan the Pahlavan commended his soul to Ahura Mazda, for Ahriman the Lord of Divs would surely crush his body to paste. Two dozen of Shah [...]

Letters Home

Day three of our Invasion. Dear Mother, It won’t be long before our soldiers are home again. It’s lucky that I’m the General’s secretary. I have a fine, (and safe), view of our war, but I am in a position to see everything. I may even write a book about our campaign when I return. [...]

Mother, Edith, at 98

Mother, Edith, at 98 In a nursing home blinded with macular degeneration. I come to you, blurred eyes, crystal mind, countenance of grace, as yesterday’s winds have consumed and taken you away. “Where did God disappear to?” you murmur over and over again like running water or low voices in prayer: “Oh, there He is, [...]

Ben and Jake

Ben and Jake were inseparable. Sure, Ben loved me. We had been married thirty years. But there was a bond between him and that retriever tighter than a three-ply cattle rope. Every night like clockwork, Ben would come home from driving the DTA exactly at 6:00 p.m., shake off his boots, and hang up his [...]

The Faces

Electronics allowed them access Into our mundane world of matter. Pixels formed inhuman images Within the pastoral background scenes On my glimmering monitor screen. I gazed into their dark, glaring eyes, Mesmerized by the peculiar sight. Fear began to take hold of my heart When their frowning mouths started to move In silent semblance of [...]

The Patron Saint of Headaches

Before the weekly all saints meeting, I knelt in the garden as was my custom and prayed for guidance. The gardener boy was busy digging in the daffodils today, however, and his incessant whistling made concentration impossible. It dawned on me that the good Lord’s ways weren’t always mysterious so I rose to greet the [...]

The Banshee’s Cry

A fell keening echoes across the moor, Punctuated by the pealing thunder. Pouring rain lashes at the windowpane While argent cracks flash in the darkened sky, But the tumultuous storm cannot quell The ominous wailing of that fey hag. A figure wrapped in a funeral shroud Glides swiftly across the tempest-wracked heath And draws closer [...]

Galactic Road Trip

Time and space being relative, One can always burn the former To travel through the latter. Fire up the plasma drive, Pack your environment suit, Tune in an ambient wave, And go for a galactic joy ride! Zip to the Zynterra System. Sip some puguberry wine At the Corrosive Cafe. Watch the blue binary suns [...]

Seven Years of Bad Luck

How do I describe the loathing and longing creeping slowly up my arms as I sit, glassy eyed, in front of a reflection blurred by proximity and tears. Plucking grey hair and stray brows, cleaning pores and pulling, pulling convulsively at skin that doesn’t need anymore help from gravity, I watch as the podgy freshness [...]

A Touch of the Law

The basketball bounced slowly in Alex’s hand. Even though anyone could have stolen it, no one dared. Alex studied the dark courtyard as he continued to dribble the ball. Both his teammates and opponents watched him nervously. The player nearest to him was coated in sweat, and not from exertion. Most people said they were [...]

Shake, Rattle, and Roll

The phone rattled the air with its ringing. Jeremy sighed. It had been a long day. He thought about not answering, but a few minutes remained before closing time. The customer had to be served. “Hello, Bandi Breads, how can I help you?” “I need some bread, and a cake for my son’s birthday party. [...]

Deflationary Universe – Scenario 1

(to the Tune of Thus Spake Zarathrustra) “Sssss-quarks-leptons-heat-dummm-dummmmm-DUMMMMMM-DA-DAHHHH-lnTheBeginning-WHOOSSSSSHRapidExpansion-darkmatter-electrons-protons-ChildParticles-Time-GasWhorls-AncientSuns-Galaxies-Sol-Earth-Dinosaurs-Evolution-Mammals-Cavemen-War-Music-Language-Spears-Knives-Bows-SewingNeedle-TwistedRope-Agriculture-AlcholicBeverages-Granaries-Metalworking-Ceramics-AnimalHusbandry-Irrigation-TheCity-Plough-WheelAxle-Writing-WaterReservoir-Cement-Button-Soap-Plumbint-Pharmaceuticals-Jesus-Chariot-Currency-Aqueducts-Alphabet-Ink-IronSmelting-Clocks-Astrolabes-ArmillarySphere-Coins-Scissors-Surgery-Maps-Trebuchet-Catapult-Crossbow-Compass-StarCatalogs-BlastFurnace-Lever-CompoundPulley-Horseshoes-Glassblowing-ShipRudder-CottonGin-Chess-Inoculation-Pottery-SpinningWheel-BlackPower-GunPowder-MunicipalSolidWasteHandling-EyeGlasses-AstronomicalSextant-Coffee-Triangulation-Mohammand-Pendulum-Planisphere-StarChart-Camera-MovableTypePrintingPress-MagneticCompass-Rocket-ProgrammableRobot-ProgrammableAnalogComputer-ExplosiveCannon-Handgun-BallisticWeapon-Torpedo-Mines-SolidFuleRocket-Condom-BallBearing-SteamTurbine-CompoundMicroscope-Pencil-Telescope-Logarithms-SlideRule-MannedRocket-SteamEngine-Submarine-SteamBoat-CircularSaw-HotAirBalloon-JacquardLoom-Stethoscope-ElectricMotor-ElectricalGenerator-InternalCombustionEngine-Reaper-CombineHarvester-ElectromechanicalRelay-SewingMachine-MagneticTelegraph-RotaryPrintingPress-Telephone-PassengerElevator-Gyroscope-MasonJar-LeadAcidBattery-LightBulb-Pasteurization-Dynamite-Typewriter-StockTicker-GasolineCarburetor-PunchedCardAccounting-Automobile-Motorcycle-PolyphaseACElectricPower-Radio-Telegraph-Television-CellPhone-Airplane-TriodeAmplifier-LiquidFuelRocket-MilitaryTank-CruiseMissle-Radar-RadioTelescope-Nylon-Velcro-JetEngine-Xerography-Computer-Bra-Bikini-BirthControlPill-NuclearReactor-NuclearWeapons-PolaroidCamera-Transistor-OpticalFiber-CommunicationsSatellite-Laser-HumanSpaceflight-Email-Microprocessor-PersonalComputer-InternetAndTCP/IPNetwork-GlobalPositioningSatellite-IGiveUpThisUniverseIsn’tWhatIExpected-Pop!SSSSSSSSsssssss-hiss-s-s-s-Dark-Gone.”

Last Demon of Earth

They hung like jewels on black velvet on the viewscreen. The ships of the Anzari Collective were arrayed before them, shields charged, weapons primed, hulls glinting white in the light from the nearby star. The Anzari had them pinned here, in an asteroid belt on the rim of the galaxy. Captain Mason studied them intently, [...]

Selected Scifaiku

purple methane swamp yellow vampire tree polypod at home (Originally published in Aphelion, July 2007) rainbow against black birthplace of shining children spiral nebula (Originally published in Illumen, Issue 8, Spring 2008) minute murderer a planet’s people wiped out nanobot virus (Originally published in Scifaikuest, Issue 20, May 2008) ray gun destruction end of civilization [...]

Local News

“Oh, hello there!” exclaimed the visitor at the reception desk of the metropolitan newspaper, realising another man dressed in a business suit had entered the foyer from the ‘staff only’ door behind him. “My name’s Paul Jameson. I’ve been ringing this service bell for five minutes. Glad someone finally showed up – I was starting [...]

At Sunset on the Mendocino Coast

At Sunset on the Mendocino Coast A single bat flew in and out of the pine grove diving and jerking against the pastel horizon’s merging of violet to red. It returned, a dark dab against orange like a passing defect on a movie screen. I made a small fire of newspaper and twigs. Smoke swirled [...]

Without You

Without You For the last fifteen years we have shared a love of heart and soul; We have shared days and nights, bodies; We have had our ups and downs, tragedies and triumphs; Joys; Ecstasies; Now you have found someone new, have left me high and dry; So I am left to carry on and [...]

Sorcerous Evolution

youthful apprentice mystical studies cabalistic tomes amusing cantrips novice magician occult tutelage weird incantations humble enchantments adept sorcerer canny scrivener dweomercraft volumes mysterious spells venerable mage perilous power eldritch miasma nebulous demise                

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 5: What Makes A Leader

“The others will wonder if you’ve gone soft on us.” Raimand glanced at the townspeople around them as he and Sataurnos walked along the cobblestone street. This was one of the nicer areas in Old Town, which largely meant that muggers preferred to ply their trade away from the main streets. “What did you hope [...]

Answering the Call

Dolby strapped himself into the cockpit and powered up the Walkabout. The readout screens informed him that the auxiliary systems were coming online as they were supposed to, even though the modified optional systems differentiated the Walkabout from other Mekwalker 74s. Sporkburg wasn’t a safe place, and there had been a lot of talk lately [...]

The Surgical Option

The inscription on the door indicated, to anyone who might have been interested, that the chamber beyond it was Galactic Senate meeting room #12, and did so in the usual seven million major galactic languages. Sadly, its being a somewhat average-sized door meant that the seven million beautifully tooled inscriptions were too small to be [...]

Prompts: A Year’s Worth of Story Ideas

I just realized that I’ve been writing these little story primers for exactly a year. My first blog posting was in April 2010. I have to admit that I wasn’t sure I could keep this up long term, mainly because I have a very busy life and several other writing projects that place demands on [...]

Writing Poetry: Nouns and Verbs

Making a poem better is often a matter of using stronger nouns and verbs. Nouns and verbs are the flesh and blood of a poem. Adjectives and adverbs are simply the make-up, used to cover up blemishes. Yes, I agree we cannot totally get rid of adjectives and adverbs, just watch how you use them, [...]

S4F: Paradox Found

by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD   In my quest to tie up the loose ends from my S4F series on time travel, I have a final paradox to share: the twin paradox. See Paradox Lost for additional time travel wackiness. My version of the paradox is the story of twins named Alice and Betty.  One [...]

Flights of Fancy

“At least we’re in regular work!” Number 1 checked the mirror and adjusted her new wings. “Tough for everyone in a recession but we fairies do have permanent contracts.” Lucinda, her opposite number on flight patrol, managed a sigh of the glass-half-empty variety. Rookies can be like that. “Okay, flight patrols aren’t romantic, anonymous streets [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 11: To Live By the Sword

“I didn’t even get to use the blade,” Raimand said weakly. “Hardly seems fair . . .” Sataurnos looked up at the voice, his eyes searching the room. Raimand lay toward the center, his body pinned beneath the beam. “Stay still!” Sataurnos shouted, rushing to Raimand’s side. “We can move this beam. Don’t make things [...]

Subterranean Bread-​Sick Blues

If there was one thing Wagner knew, it was bread. The world, now that was a different subject. But there was comfort in knowing the loaves would always rise; at least that could be counted on. Bread equated normalcy and stability. His wife Maria, however, equated unpredictability. “Consistency’s all wrong,” she said, rolling her eyes [...]

Lawyer Referral Service

A sickly smile tugged at the corners of the concierge’s mouth. His ghostly complexion exaggerated the bright red lips that surrounded his aging teeth. Sam stood in the lobby of the Grand Armistad Hotel. Uncertain as to why he had been summoned here, he glanced around the marble entryway, assessing his situation while the concierge [...]

The St Peter Principle

This is no weather for tigers, thought the tiger as he prowled through the sodden grass. No weather at all. Warm rain lashed the bars of his enclosure and the incongruous palm trees drooped with the weight of water in their once-proud leaves. Tigers, even caged ones, are not given to introspection as a rule, [...]

Restruct

Roaring filled Tom’s head. A brilliant light blinded him. He was spinning and falling. Nothing made sense. Gradually the spinning sensation slowed, the sound faded, the light dimmed, and scattered bits and pieces of Tom’s awareness coalesced into thought. He was lying on his back. No Ref… No count… Was it over? Uhhh, Kid Carson [...]

Luddite

Detective Lee scanned the console rooms, finally finding the door number he had spent the past ten minutes looking for. The offices all looked the same to him; pristine, clean and without character. It wasn’t like his younger days. Sure the boys then decorated their desks with tacky stuff, generally the smuttier the better, but [...]

Link with the Past

Mom and I liked the same things. Had our moments but didn’t bear a grudge. I worked at the grocery store and she was at the local pharmacy. Dad had left years ago. Wasn’t that she didn’t trust me with guys either. Must say she did go on a bit though – not much chance [...]

Tinnitus

“Dear, my ears were ringing again last night.” “I wish you’d go see the doctor, Josh.” “I know, but you know how much I hate doctors.” “Yes dear. But your tinnitus won’t fix itself. Do you want me to make an appointment for you?” “Okay, I’m tired of listening to the ringing, night after night.” [...]

Terribly Beautiful Things

Terribly Beautiful Things dust under my wobbly bed cares not enough won’t stick to rag of authority buckets of dirty water refuse to be rinsed clean and sway with delight at the gummy scum left behind beautiful shoes, sloshed through rain and mud, dance like a ballerina and find their place on white carpet misty [...]

Lovely Day

Lovely Day (A Pantoum) Today was oh, so lovely, The sun was hot and bright. A soft breeze stirred young leaves Tomorrow will bring more splendor. The sun was hot and bright. I heard the ocean breathe. Tomorrow will bring more splendor. Now the moon embraces me. I heard the ocean breathe. It calmed my [...]

The Observer

The Observer It pervaded space and time – flickering, and reshaping – a field of an unknown variable – unseen, unheard of and unfelt — flowing within our veins, passing the lucid waves and crossing through that opaque tip of grass. In another world, it is the field of love, hatred, emotions – jittering the [...]

To E—– 1

To E—– 1 i weigh my lust for you not in the breasts that mold the cups that give the gods the dew with which to mold the downs and ups; i weigh my lust for you not in the face so smooth and clear that autumn’s purest blue is thicker than good German beer; [...]

Me and My Doppelgänger

“How could you,” Belinda shouted when she walked in the door. “I can’t believe you said that to me.” I frowned and took a step back. I hadn’t seen her all day. “What did I say?” She glared at me and walked away. I had never seen such contempt in her eyes. I chased after [...]

The Last Crusade

“In the years of the Age of Science, mankind attained a great understanding of his universe. He lacked, however, much of the fortitude to use this power, for he knew that hand-in-hand with mans potential glory lay his utterly certain doom. The self-restraint he exhibited during those centuries of learning was lost with the fire [...]

The Ambitious Fox and the Unapproachable Grapes

The Ambitious Fox and the Unapproachable Grapes A farmer built around his crop A wall, and crowned his labors By placing glass upon the top To lacerate his neighbors, Provided they at any time Should feel disposed the wall to climb. He also drove some iron pegs Securely in the coping, To tear the bare, [...]

Hypochondriac

“So, what brought you here today?” asked the psychologist, in a pleasant up-beat voice, apparently ignoring the client dossier in front of him. Tom, the client, replied, “Well, I had an accident at work – bumped the back of my head as I stood up in a confined space after working on a back-up power [...]

Prompts: Spring Into Story Ideas

Spring is in the air! It seems like the winter was particularly long and brutal here on the East Coast, and now that the weather has finally turned, it is only natural to want to frolic a little in the great outdoors. But don’t let all the lawn lazing put a crimp in your writing, [...]

Nursing Shortage

Reading the classifieds was a little like daydreaming on the job. It allowed me to imagine making a change I would never have the courage to make on my own. One of those ads read, “Registered Nurse Teacher needed at local community college.” The starting pay was terrible and retirement plan non-existent. I would enjoy [...]

Deviation

The supervisor on duty sits on his chair in front of a huge panel for the control of mental activities. Right now he’s a bit drowsy, but that’s all right because the automatics would warn him if any irregularity turned up. Still, nothing at all is happening on the panel now; nothing has happened since [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 12: The Burdens of Leadership

Overhead, the sound of gulls filled the air. Sunlight sparkled brightly upon the sea as wave after wave rolled against the hull of the Silent Dirge. The shouts and calls of deckhands going about their work were loud enough to compete with the cries of the birds above. Caless climbed the ladder to the main [...]

Prayer to St. Imelda

Prayer to St. Imelda Oh, the lizard! Oh, the leather! Oh, the high heel and the wedge! Ah, for cute and ah, for comfy, stepping out to fashion’s edge. Give me pumps and give me sandals; give me flats and brogans, too; trendy walkers and cross trainers; even canvas tennis shoes. I want dressy patent [...]

Attack

Feint and roll, Hit hard to the other half, The attack is full blown, In the heat of the attack, Its cause is forgotten. The stronger half challenged Weakens and breaks. Roll through and onward. Catching a moment’s relief; In that moment A belief born, A belief that battle Buries strife quickly In a way [...]

Submissions

NOTE: Abandoned Towers is temporarily (as of May 1 2013) closed for submissions. Thank you for your interest. We will remove this header when we are again accepting work. Our Submission Process: Step 1: Read the submission guidelines. Seriously. They are there for a reason. We hate to have an author waste their time sending [...]

The Birth of Sentience on Aggraboth V

A green jungun raises her head Out of the black primeval muck. She spreads her rainbow hued neck frill And stares at the huge crimson sun. The sight ignites a mental spark; Enlightenment widens her world. Strange ideas course through her brain And fill her mind with new notions. “Who am I?” she wonders gravely, [...]

The Doorway

A wasteland of drifting sand, Choking weeds and tripping vines Encompassed by a featureless wall. Overhead a dust-dimmed sun Marks the shadows of stragglers below. Stumbling people with unseeing eyes Struggle through a dying waste, Their bleeding hands groping along the cold wall, Blinded by ignorance, Unable to verbalize what they search for. A fellow [...]

S4F: Paradox Lost

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD “Je ne parle pas Français.” (Bart Simpson, The Simpsons) All hail the great Ouroboros, the dragon that continually consumes itself.  He’s the symbol for self-reference and yes, he’s the guy hanging out at the top of this post having a light snack.  He’s joining us because the next couple of [...]

Mars Draws Near

Mars Draws Near Do you know where now or in what lands Are the voices that sang of vibrant Mars? Of slender spires on iron-red sands And canals, night-necklaces with stars? They sang of visions that once seemed clear. Who sings of the Mars of yesteryear? Does sadness tinge new Eden’s rainbows Or the sin-abrading [...]

Northern Waters

“Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an  overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city,  and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants  of the land shall howl.” —Jeremiah 47:2 “I don’t love you anymore.” How could he [...]

The Dogs Plot Their Revenge

“Ever notice how cats get away with murder?” Ian, a dark gray Scottish terrier, was snoozing in the corner of the backyard when he heard Frankie’s voice on the other side of the fence. “Hmm?” Ian shook off his dream of running free through fields of flowers in hot pursuit of a cute little Pekinese. [...]

Granny’s Stories

“I’ll talk to you later,” Ruth blurted into the phone, tired of waiting for a break in her sister’s monologue. “My stories are coming on.” Lucille gave no sign that she had heard. “Anyhow, Inez says to me, she says….” “My stories are coming on!” Ruth shouted. Didn’t she understand? “What do you mean, your [...]

The Tower of Dreams

If there is one thing I learn from a life of magic it is never trust a hobgoblin. Now, this is not a thing I say lightly, because the other thing I learn from a life of magic is to keep the mouth shut as much as possible. An acquaintance of mine, a mage of [...]

Newgrange

Newgrange The passage tomb where the dish of ash was brought out each year, on alternate years, beneath a full moon perhaps, or in the total eclipse, and the bones gone to dust, the old ancestors who had transformed, were swept up by the wind and carried aloft into the air over Ireland, seeding the [...]

Hope

(Inspired by Britt Olinder-Stevens) Every day was the same for Leonard.  Each morning his alarm clock would go off and he’d wake up and stumble into the shower, soon to be joined by his wife, Meryl, who’d stand in front of the mirror brushing her teeth; he’d leave for work by eight fifteen on the [...]

Trip to Earth: Final Report of Ambassador Kla’atu

Ambassador Kla’atu visited planet Earth 60 years ago in his personal space craft.  He also brought one of the G.O.R.T. series of planetary enforcement ‘bots who wound up killing 2 soldiers.  While visiting Washington, D.C., he encountered some most interesting humans, and learned about the local culture from Mrs. Helen Benson, and her son Bobby.  [...]

Red Light, Green Light

“If that ain’t the strangest thing I ever saw.” Frank brushed his hand over the red lens. “You see this, Lou?” “We’re paid to install it, not admire it.” Lou tucked a screwdriver into his belt. “Traffic’s backing up, Frank.” “It looks defective. Check this bubble.” Frank tapped the red lens. “Red lights still stop [...]

A Brief History of the Internut

“Professor Stanley Wellman, we would like you to say a few words for the Henry County Register about the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Internut.” Sure.  I was there.  I think that the big drought of the last few years is what triggered the Internut;  that plus the roadside computers, of course.  I [...]

Writing Poetry: The Work of Making Poetry

Jim’s How to Write Poetry Posting Making Good Poems is hard work – Let’s look at the word ‘work.’ It doesn’t take much to throw a few words together and call it a poem, but it takes ‘work’ to make those words a good poem, a poem that ‘works.’ It takes work to make the [...]

Easy Pickings

Two brilliant suns blazed golden heat down on my head, almost as hot as the heat radiating from the burning back door of the Wailing Woman Inn. I knew I should run straight for the caravans and make my escape, but I just had to know how much gold I had lifted from the old [...]

Things in the Swamp

The black backwater bayou Harbours many foul secrets Within its dark stagnant pools. Unnatural beasts lurk amongst The mossy bald cypress trees And lie unseen in the shadows. Swampland natives weave dreadful yarns About unspeakable horrors. Gators, snakes, and trackless wastes Aren’t the only mortal perils. Terrors beyond comprehension Also call the swamp their home. [...]

Ugly Stone

Just beyond the edge of the woods squatted the ugliest chunk of rock I had ever laid eyes on. Beneath the dappled shade of the evergreens surrounding the clearing, a horrid figure hewn from drab stone crouched and stared through eyes the color of fresh scabs.  A sinewy body had been chiseled, stringy and tough.  [...]

Prompts: Love and Madness, Great Fodder for a Good Story or Two!

With Valentine’s Day just passed, hopefully you have shown enough forethought to have given your loved one some heartfelt token of your esteem such that you are not now dwelling in the proverbial (and let us hope it is no more than that) doghouse. But if you happen to find yourself in that most sorrowful [...]

The MacDonegan Bear: A Scottish Folktale

Dedicated to Rebecca Lorraine Reid – 1954-1994 Many hundreds of years ago, in the Caledonian forest of auld Scotland, when the blue-green waves of the cold Atlantic ripped the shore with foam and brine, when wonderful trees of oak and pine grew tall and wide and beautiful, when great mountains rose against the beryl-blue skies [...]

Tidbits

A Six-Word Story: Redneck Surgeon: “Pass the duct tape.” A Limerick While eating a cake from his mom, a young man declared it “the bomb.” So the CIA, eavesdropping away, arrested him with great aplomb. A Joke: Q: What does a joke with no punch line sound like? A Parody: (From the album “Warped Children’s [...]

Intelligent Plants in Science Fiction

The weeping, talking trees in Virgil and Dante suggest that the idea of communication with plants is of great antiquity, but only in the sense of transmigration of human souls into plants; the subject is not yet real plant intelligence in its own right. Then comes the transitional example in the early part of William [...]

Zatanna vrs. Ms. Marvel

Comics are, sadly, a rather male dominated industry. Not only in terms of their creators and fans, but also in terms of their most iconic characters such as Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and Wolverine. However there are legions female characters that don’t always get enough attention. One of these is DC’s Zatanna the sorceress.. She is [...]

Mike Grell Returns to The Warlord

First Issue Special # 8 hit shelves in 1975.  Inside its pages was the story of a Vietnam era pilot named Travis Morgan who’s plane crash landed into a world, which exists below our own, called Skartaris.  This hidden world was a strange place of beauty, of eternal sunlight, and magic.  Dinosaurs, lizard men, wizards, [...]

The Ultimates – Not Your Dad’s Avengers

A few years back, Marvel decided it was time to update its characters and make them more relevant. Not wanting to totally revamp the icons that the company had become known for, they created a new line of comics. Their flagship character, Spiderman, was the first book released in this new Ultimates line, taking Peter [...]

The Super Hero Squad

2006 saw the birth of a new toy line from Marvel Comics called The Super Hero Squad. These toys were small replicas of the heroes and villains of the Marvel U presented in a kid friendly fashion. These toys not only became a huge hit with Marvel collectors but also the child audience. The initial [...]

Marvel’s Spiderman Reset Button

As most Marvel fans know, Civil War was one of the biggest events in the company’s history.  It changed the Marvel Universe as a whole, making it into a sort of police state under the control of Tony Stark (Iron Man) who became the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Almost all of Marvel’s characters were impacted deeply [...]

Secret Invasion

A vast armada of enemy, alien vessels encircles the Earth.  Aliens walk among us clothed in human form.  Technology has been crippled and trust is a fleeting and dangerous thing.  The intergalactic empire of the shape shifting Skrulls has long sought to lay claim to our world for its own and in Marvel Comics’ line [...]

Marvel Zombies 4: Finally a good Sequel

A few years back, Marvel Comics rocked the comic world hardcore with their smash hit mini-series, Marvel Zombies.  It was written by Robert Kirkman and featured variant covers by almost every “name” artist in the industry.  The premise was simple:  unleash a deadly virus which kills the living and reactivates the dead into flesh hungry [...]

Marvel vs. DC ‘07

Marvel and DC face off once more this summer with each hoping not only to top the sales charts but hold the attention of fans recently won back by the Civil War and Infinite Crisis events of the last two years.   Marvel certainly has a huge edge thanks to the recent success of Spider-Man 3 [...]

Moonstone

Doctor Karla Soften first appeared in Captain America issue 192. Back then, she had no powers but she was still as evil as her future identity, the villainous Moonstone, would be. Karla began her life in high society only to become the poorest of the poor after the death of her father. Her mother was [...]

The Micronauts

Bill Mantlo is not one the best known creators in comics. The titles he worked on often gained loyal but small followings, though he did create numerous lasting characters such as Cloak and Dagger, and The Micronauts. The first issue of The Micronauts hit the stands in 1979 during Marvel’s era of basing titles on [...]

The Legion comes to Smallville

The Legion of Superheroes made their first appearance in Adventure Comics # 247.  Since that time in 1958, they have been one of DC’s leading three superhero teams.  With a membership larger than the current Justice League, The X-men, and the New Avengers combined, they struggle to keep peace throughout the galaxy in the 31st [...]

The Future of the Green Lantern Corps

Green Lantern is a name that may not be as recognizable to the general American public as Superman or Batman but any fan of comics can tell you that a Green Lantern is a kind of space cop who protects the rest of the DC universe like the other heroes protect Earth.  There are in [...]

A Super Powered Bedtime Book

It will come as no surprise that books are a very cherished commodity around my home.  Reading is important to me and it’s a value my wife and I are trying hard to instill in our son.  We’ve read him all the popular books like Thomas the Train and Bob the Builder but I take [...]

Waiting Game

Waiting Game positions set they wait Queens, pawns bishops knights, rooks Kings who will move them when they wait

The Flash 3 (Wally West) part 4

While Jay Garrick and Barry Allen both got their powers as adults and started off their crime fighting careers as mature heroes, this was not the case for Wally West.  Wally was the nephew of Iris West, a love interest of Barry Allen.  He gained his powers in his teen years and became known as [...]

The Flash part 3

In Showcase # 4, the Flash returned to DC Comics. The character was rebooted entirely for this 1956 re-launch. Jay Garrick was replaced by Barry Allen, and gone were the winged helmet, lack of a mask, and the casual attire Garrick wore. In its place, Barry donned the full body red speed suit which is [...]

A history of Speed (The Flash part 2)

When the average American thinks of the Flash, they usually think of Barry Allen because in many ways he is the definitive version of the character.  Barry has been referenced throughout pop culture in everything from films like “Catch Me if You Can” to a legion of DC cartoons and even had his own live [...]

The Fastest Man Alive (The Flash part 1)

Someone recently asked me who my favorite comic super hero was. Being a life long comic collector, and a person who writes about comics for several publications, one would think I would have had a prepared answer for this but I didn’t. I love the J.S.A. for being one of the best written books on [...]

The Blackest Night

The ever amazing, Geoff Johns, has turned the mythos of the Green Lantern Corps on its head, and in the process is changing the entire DCU as we know it. Several years ago, the whispers of what was to come began in The War of Light and The Blackest Night. Long time Green Lantern foe [...]

Animals in Capes

When one thinks of the modern comic book industry, one does not usually think of a rabbit leaping tall buildings in a single bound or a pig swinging through New York on spider webs but things do exist. Most anthropomorphic titles are generally aimed at children.  DC’s most popular animal title is Captain Carrot and [...]

Alpha Flight

John Byrne is considered by many to be a comic creator of legendary status.   He’s worked on numerous titles from Superman to the Uncanny X-men, though he is perhaps best remembered for his definitive run on the Fantastic Four.  His work there not only helped define who the heroes were but made the book new [...]

Absolute Justice

Over the last few years, Smallville has grown immensely more popular among diehard DC fans. Though the show centers around a young Clark Kent, prior to his donning the role of Superman, Smallville’s numerous guest stars are its prime appeal to comic readers. Even in the show’s early seasons, it featured one shot, team up [...]

The Legion of Three Worlds

As fans of the Legion know, the latest series of the Legion of Superheroes, which began in 2004, ended with issue # 50 as the mini-series Legion of Three Worlds kicked off. This series was a tie-in to DC’s epic Final Crisis storyline. During the events of the Sinestro Wars, Superboy Prime tore his way [...]

Chicken

As the elevator carried us towards the roof of the tower, I sat down on the edge of the bench and watched Timmy. I could see something was wrong. He curled into a corner and stared at the scrawlings on the wall. His arms were folded so tightly across his chest I thought he might [...]

Beneath Narsalia’s Veil

An amber light began to blink on the console, signaling an incoming message. The starfighter pilot frowned and flipped a switch. “This is Captain Bradley Brackett of the Galactic Peace Force, come in.” The reply started with a high-pitched whine that made him wince. Then there was static, finally a voice. “…Station Three… Potanko escaping… [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 3: A Personal Errand

For the second time in one night, Sataurnos found himself in an underground tunnel. No torches guided him now. The lantern he carried in his hand was his only illumination. He didn’t mind. He knew this tunnel was rarely used. It was likely filled primarily with fungus and rats. Elowea had followed him quietly, though [...]

Writing Poetry: Surprise

Surprise – a surprise in a poem may be just what the poem needs. Many readers expect a surprise at the end of a poem. I know many good poems that don’t have a surprise, but a surprise can work. A surprise accesses the child within, both of the poet and the reader. Show a [...]

War Story

Jahl sat by his son’s grave and wept quietly.  It was 40 years ago that Jahl al Medini was cut down by a weapon of The War.  It had taken that long for Jahl to cry. Do’bal and his wife Se’lua, a middle-aged couple walked by and saw him crying on the gravesite.  “Is there [...]

S4F: Do You Know the Time? Part III

by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD Welcome back to Science for Fiction (S4F).  I have sad news. It looks like time has nearly run out for my series on time.  I also have good news. I saved the fun for last: time travel.  Time travel isn’t as far-fetched as you might think. Einstein’s theory of relativity, [...]

Onward

The fog was so thick that Captain Larosso didn’t see the town until they were in it. It was just shadows whirling in the freezing fog, carried on a wind that whistled through his clothes and armor, scraping tiny shards of ice across his skin. And then the shadows were right in front of him, [...]

Dust

In a small terraced house a woman pushes a broom across polished wooden floorboards, sweeping with the air of a sleepwalker. Her movements are slow and deliberate as she presses down with the handle forcing the stiff plastic bristles into the crevices between the boards. Now and then she stops to brush the small piles [...]

Grishenrock

“Look up in the sky! It’s a bird!” said the balding old man. “It’s a plane!” said the buxom young lady. “It’s an orc!” said the pimply teenage boy. “AN ORC?” cried the whole crowd. In the blink of an eye, the dentally challenged superhero flew down to the crowd and perched on a tree. [...]

One and the Other

Two tightly focused beams crossed the interstellar void. They had been designed in such a way as to leave no back trail. This meant that they could never return the way they’d come, but it also meant that they couldn’t be tracked to where they were going. The beams contained information. Enough data to create [...]

Peebles’ Contraption

It was only the second week of the summer holidays, and Peebles was a little bored. So one day he invented a contraption whilst tinkering around with some fractal physics equations. It was quite a sophisticated, high-tech contraption, but still basically a contraption. Peebles was a bright, lonely fourteen-year-old boy, the only child of a [...]

Writing Poetry: Pacing

In poetry, pacing is the controlled variations in the poems forward momentum. All poems must have some sort of momentum to drag the reader/listener through the poem. Two things vary the speed of a poem. The first is the reader’s desire to see what happens next. By making the reader desire to see what happens [...]

Collateral

Could tell she didn’t believe me. For a so-called psychiatric nurse, she messed around too much with my thought processes. “Don’t you remember anything?” she’d say. “Do you think everything squares up?” Now don’t get me wrong, the hospital’s all a man can expect. “How’s your head today?” is a regular question and I appreciate [...]

Prompts: New Writing Ideas for the New Year

Happy New Year! Personally, I’ve never been much for New Year’s resolutions. But if I was to make one, this year it would involve pursuing a few of my writing projects to their completion. I have a couple long-term pieces that could really finish up this year if I keep at it. It will take [...]

The Maginot Line

Illustrations by Richard H. Fay, Story by Doug Hilton Bbod was looking for food in Professor Julia Reynaud’s lab – that is the nature of ants.  Bbod found some tasty goo on the counter top and promptly deposited a pheromone spot that declared “FOOD HERE”, and then she headed for the hive with a sample.  [...]

Freedom For Orion

Thoth turns slowly toward Anubis, his baboon features enhanced by his small obsidian eyes. The scent of olibanum and myrrh wafts slowly from an alabaster censer set next to walls carved with intricate hieroglyphs. In smoke-filled shadows on a thick Persian rug Amamet sits hungrily awaiting his next meal. Thoth softly, almost daintily, adjusts his [...]

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Smoke woke to a sound he had never heard in his cave before, a very unusual sound for a dragon’s lair: he heard the tinkling of tiny bells. A little voice near his ear suddenly screamed. “Smoke! Wake up and protect us!” The dragon’s eyes—black slits in smoky amber, big around as tea trays—flicked open, [...]

Identity

There was something strange about the woman driving the Hotel limousine which had just picked me up at the airport. The awe with which she greeted me made no sense. Then she insisted that I was already registered!. And it was with great excitement that she walked with me to my suite and unlocked the [...]

Writing Poetry: “So What” Poems

I’ve read many poems lately that leave me with, so what? Meaning, why did I read this thing? I had no emotional connection, no desire to reread the poem, no connection at all to the poem. I’ll admit up front before everyone gets upset, I understand that not all poems are for every person. As [...]

Chris McKenna (interview)

Tell us about what you have written. Paradigms is a science fantasy story set in post apocalyptic Scotland. Years after an apocalyptic disaster, the surviving people have reverted to clan life and are living off the carcass of the old world. But not everyone has forgotten the technology of the past and not everyone has [...]

Colonists

Tom stared across the vast, empty wasteland. They’d lied. This wasn’t a paradise. It was a planet of pain and suffering and death. He had seen enough of that. All of the other colonists were dead now. And he wouldn’t be far behind. He absently swatted at his neck, looking down at the squished bug [...]

Healer

I first glimpsed the girl as a small bundle wrapped in the sergeant’s cloak. “What do you have for me?” I asked. It was my turn to take the fourth watch, midnight to dawn; a quiet night, until now. Moonlight spilled through the doorway as the sergeant carried the bundle into the Infirmary and gently [...]

Unhistory

The bad thing about the Net is the way it makes you think, which is, you stop thinking. I noticed it a few years back. You log online and you read this, jump to that, and never focus on anything. I remember a time when I could read a book. A whole book – two, [...]

S4F: Do You Know the Time? Part II

by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD Welcome back to Science for Fiction (S4F). It’s time for us to continue our journey through time–or rather our understanding of what time is. Last post, I covered a few classical ideas on its nature, but now the ride gets bumpy as we travel through the domain of modern physics. [...]

Cyberia Rising: Love and Evolution

Garmin Mammin exited his hovercar, standing in the driveway beside it and letting the warm Santhan breeze ruffle his brown hair. It felt good to be home. He smiled at his textured brown residence; its small domes arched over a handful of rounded windows and doors. Its shade and shape had been chosen to blend [...]

Butterfly Boy

I sat perfectly still. Or, as perfectly still as a human being can while sitting cross-legged on a flat wooden bench in Shiojiri Nawa park. At that moment, the butterfly landed on me. The way he flew should have been my first clue. Butterflies flit; they dip and dive, they meander, they stroll. They never [...]

West Dingleton’s Loss of Humanity

It all started with a strange cloud, A nebulous mist of colours Glowing faintly In the night. An aurora in the east Some suggested. Electrically charged fog Others said. Ambient mood lighting A few joked. It descended upon the sleepy town In a dull rainbow shroud. Noises were muffled, Bare flesh Tingled. No one worried [...]

Morning Embrace

Morning Embrace Glowing embers float from our passion Ignite the room around us Lighting up our world We always kiss while smiling Your eyes are happy jewels Set inside your sacred frame Existence grows sweeter while you reside beside me Time has no meaning unless it’s time with you

I Tried To Be A Genius

I Tried To Be A Genius I sat in a chair And twirled my mustache, Smoked a cigarette Dressed in white and bearded One leg Crossed over the other Looking bored. I called you petulant, Said you usurped And acted offended. I guffawed. My cigarette- Holder’s no chillum, I learned that. And in the end [...]

Shark’s Tooth

Key West Florida : 1992 Benjamin Crabb enjoyed sweating in the salty air that swirled off Florida’s Keys. Today the sweat on his forehead made him feel especially alive, the moisture beneath his shirt making him feel forty years younger. Preparing the complex rigging of the Sonia’s Smile convinced Crabb that age was only a [...]

Falstaff and the Friar

My name is Friar Tuck and I am a liar. Barely a sentence into my account and I have lied already, because my real name is Robert Stafford. Friar (properly Frere) Tuck was the alias I used when I was not just a liar but a thief, murderer, extortioner, poacher and outlaw. I am now [...]

Writing Poetry: Tension

In prose, tension is what won’t let us put down a book. In good poetry, it does the same thing. It makes us want to read the whole poem. Tension in prose and poetry is created in various ways: subject matter, plot, etc. There are many ways to increase tension unique to poetry. Today, I’ll [...]

The Realm of the Big Sandbox

I remember the realm of the big sandbox
A twenty-foot square where the children flock

Prompts: Keeping the Brain Warm During the Deep Freeze

It just got real cold here in New York City. The temperature dropped like twenty degrees in a few days and it’s staying that way for the foreseeable future. Combined with the earlier sunset after daylight savings time, and it can be downright depressing outside. Heading into the months of cold and dark, sometimes it’s [...]

Monsieur Picardy

Madame Edythe Picardy was greatly respected by all the staff at the Clermont Spa. The manager of the watering place bowed and scraped as he attended to the bejewelled widow and saw to her comfort. When she arrived for dinner the headwaiter rushed to arrange her seat; the wine waiter was near at hand to [...]

My Inner Companion

Often in a shroud of whispers entrapped in a world of echoes my inner companion my muse conveys its oracular interlude as it saunters casually randomly beside me adheres to my voice and places me in bondage to its whimsical fancies Thy prosody is powerfully controlling my thoughts my voice my inner companion always beside [...]

Buy the Sword

Bartholimus, my friend, what wonderful news I have to share with you!  My own little quest was most rewarding, as I have managed to collect many new stories to relate at the nobles’ parties this season!  It was no small feat, I can tell you.  I even left our beloved Empire of Trycadia and wandered [...]

The Un-​Toaster

Edward McNathy sat on his couch, staring at the television. The clock on the wall ticked its way past 2:00 AM. His infomercial was just getting started. “Say, Barbara,” began the charming and heavily medicated host, “do you like toast?” “I sure do!” replied Barbara, a vapid wannabe actress slash professional blonde. “Well, how often [...]

Works On Any Surface

Every available surface was covered with something for sale.  Collapsible stands were hastily installed between permanent structures on the small moon that boasted the largest galactic flea market anywhere. Flashing lights, hand painted signs, holographic images and blaring noises that passed for music all struggled to capture the attention and wallets of assorted visitors and [...]

Helpfulness

Being helpful to others is a virtue that sometimes brings unexpected rewards… “May I help you?” The Hallmark employee’s nametag read “Mack.” Medium height, curvy figure, long ponytail—and a smile that was pure sunshine. Blue eyes behind glass lenses were a summer sky. “Well…” Officer Jack Stevens hesitated. The doorbell dinged. “Mack” spun. “Another customer. [...]

Crash and Burn Casanova

When Rudy finally broke up with that Tiffany chick, let me tell you, they’re still cleaning up the bodies. I should probably go back. We’re Power Corps Shock Troopers, the five of us. This interstellar intelligence program called M.I.C.K. set up shop on earth and sought out five people to bestow his awesome technological superpowers [...]

S4F: Do You Know the Time?

by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD Science fiction writers get a lot of mileage driving their characters through the space-time continuum. In most cases, the protagonist manages it without the benefit of a TARDIS (I really need to get one of those). But, what is time? Physicists know how to measure it (time as a metric, [...]

Holiday on Phreetum Prime

Twin red suns rise over a crimson sea As wudols twitter a raucous chorus Amongst the majestic etafal trees. Saunter beneath the weeping purple fronds And sip a cup of sytunn flower tea While wine-stained waters kiss a chartreuse shore. Sail the ruby waves on a solar sloop. Watch black-winged tijucks fish for mugaspits. Feel [...]

The Grim Reaper’s Day Job

The Grim Reaper’s Day Job During the day, The Grim Reaper earns his pay By collecting cans Out of dead men’s hands.

Medallions of Lashiva

The Widowed Peasant was no different than it was on most nights as Del stepped through the doorway into the murky interior. A permanent haze of smoke hung thick as a blanket over the entire room from his waist to the ceiling, stinging his eyes slightly as they adjusted to the dim light. “What can [...]

Demons of the Dark Nebula

With engines burned out by an ion storm, An Earthling vessel hangs dead in deep space. Explorers come to probe the black unknown Stoically face a bleak, lonely fate. Adrift amidst a mass of sooty dust, Men wait for aid they know will never come. Something stirs within the nebula’s heart. Shards of shadow detach [...]

Gheeyant: the Giant Fairy

“When you feel alone, and all your hope is lost Think of something big and follow the wind. For magic exists and it will find you Whoever you are, wherever you are.” – “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” by The Elven Squad Size doesn’t matter. See that Billboard? Whoever wrote it must be a [...]

Writing Poetry: Music

Music – In the last few years, many critics have mentioned that they think modern American poetry has no music. They may have a point. Many modern poets place too much emphasis on meaning and little or none on music. A poem needs to have many ingredients to become successful, perhaps the three most important [...]

Jam Packed

Jam Packed By nature, I’m a fairly laid back guy I seldom lose my cool or rant and rage But lately I’m so fed up I could cry If I don’t get control, I’ll need a cage. What makes my blood boil over, you may ask It isn’t cell phones, rudeness or TV Or wild [...]

Prompts: A Time to Give Thanks, and a Few Good Ideas

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! If your Thanksgiving is like mine, there’ll be plenty of turkey and stuffing, a ridiculous amount of desert, a lot of family, and precious little time for writing. The holidays are like that. Plenty of cheer and good will and getting together with relatives. And there’s that nagging voice in the back [...]

House Cat

It was another of those long days at work.  Ever since the company started cut backs, I go to work and come home, eat, and sleep.  There isn’t time for any other events in my existence. With my longer hours, my social life has disappeared. Like every other night of the week, I was dozing [...]

Shopping: A Kayla Ann Dailee short story

I needed a new pair of jeans for the trip and decided to stop off at a discount department store after work. My mother had other ideas. “Darling, why don’t you come on home and we can go together?” “No mom, it will only take me two minutes. I’ll just run in and buy a [...]

Writing Poetry: Imaginary Readers

Imaginary reader – when you work on a poem always be aware that poetry is communications. A poem must say something to somebody. You are not writing for yourself. Okay, yes we all occasionally write a poem just for ourselves, but… Ted Kooser recommends that when you set down to write a poem you have [...]

Holy Cow

I was just standing in the sun one day last year when the first thought came into my mind.  It was more of a memory than a thought, but it was a surprise.  As I stand here now, I have come to realize how slow my mind really is, so forming ideas through the thick-as-pea-soup [...]

Professor Knowsall

The low price should have warned me. I spotted it near the video games at the electronics store. Professor Knowsall. Any question. Any problem. Get all the answers in seconds. Only $5.99. Wow! With this, homework would be a snap. I rushed home and loaded Professor Knowsall into my computer. I could ask questions through [...]

My Lizard Came in the Mail via FedEx

My lizard came in the mail via FedEx. I had seen an ad in Sports Illustrated or something like that for gecko lizards and the ad described them as being the best pet in the world: small, quiet, easy to clean, fun to watch and cheap to feed. Being lonely, by myself most of the [...]

Insider Tips for Writing Middle Grade Novels: What Are Kids Reading Today?

If you have aspirations of writing a popular middle grade novel, there are certain factors to consider to make it truly attractive to the kids out there. Much of this has to do with excellent storytelling skills mixed with a little bit of imagination that will have middle grade kids eating it right up. • [...]

Dimmity Dumpling and the Scarlet Cloak

The freighter Scarlet Cloak ceased vibrating as her thundering jets went on auto shutdown, leaving the ship to coast toward its jump point high above the orbit of Mars. The galaxy spangled the viewport with a glorious ribbon of stars, but Dimmity Chaperon had seen enough to get bored with it in the past several [...]

The White Wyrm

The White Wyrm His breath is cold, he eyes are deadly, his mind is angry and his wings are violent, Sharp as a knife, fast as a dagger, his teeth can shred steel, and his way is silent None can stand in his way, none can dare say his name, for he is an being [...]

The Space Clown

The Space Clown When caught in The romantic comet Of the moment I touched her pixied face And said, I wish I could make love to You on 3 million different planets All at once She pixeled a look so scientific And said, Oh don’t clone around with me

Abandoned Towers Magazine Issue #7 now in print!

If you’d like to look through the issue before you snag your copy of it, I’ve created a nice flash flipbook for you. You can find it here:Abandoned Towers #7 Flash Flipbook Now what are you going to find inside? Here are a few excerpts: Observations of Bravery by Chad Weiss To better understand cattle, I’m going [...]

S4F: I Have Virtually Nothing to Say About Zero-Point Energy

by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD This month I have two more quantum phenomena you may want to use in your fiction: virtual particles and zero-point energy. And guess what–they both owe their existence to our old friend the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Recall from last month’s post (If You are Uncertain—Call a Quantum Mechanic for a [...]

An interview with Deputy Zack in the wake of “Bigfoot War”

(These events take place between Bigfoot War and Bigfoot War II) Tonight I will be slipping into a world of my own creation to speak directly with one of my characters who has seen more than his fair share of horror. His name is Zack and he was a deputy in the Macon County Sheriff [...]

Whine

I am searching the trailer for a straight pin.  In a place this size, with the amount of accumulated stuff crammed into every square inch of space…you would think  I could find a straight pin.   It’s very important.   You might say it’s a matter of life and death…. Let me go back to the beginning.  [...]

Writing Poetry: Imagery

Editor – This post was previously titled Jim’s Poetry blog post. Today’s blog is on image – What is an image? “Poet’s Dictionary (William Packard) defines image as “A simple picture, a mental representation.” In addition to being seen, an image can also be felt, heard, smelled, tasted, touched or otherwise sensually represented or experienced. [...]

Sacrifice

Sacrifice The sun like the blood red eye of a god Glared over the barren moor. We knelt and we prayed to the ancient ones For the rain that came no more. “Oh bring us the rain and the fertile crops,” The old priest prayed and he stood At the centre of the circle of [...]

Babel 3000

Unbeknownst to Smith, archaic words had become cool. “Nicola…” he protested. “You’re making that word up.” The blonde girl’s cheeks flared crimson and she was clearly befuddled. She leaned her bicycle against the crumbling bark of a naked oak tree. “Honest Guv…I ain’t. I…I heard it only yesterday. My boyfriend hooked it in London, 1236 [...]

How Can a Literary Agent Help You?

If you have a manuscript just waiting for exposure on your computer, you may be wondering exactly what a literary agent will do for you. Many novelists are stuck between whether or not they should self-publish or use a literary agent for their work, so here is a little more information as food for thought. [...]

Walter Rhein (interview)

Tell us about what you have written. “The Bone Sword” is an old-fashioned action/adventure fantasy. My purpose was to write a fast-paced chase/pursuit adventure set in a mythological ream which keeps the reader’s blood pumping and the pages turning! My characters are essentially good people, but they find that their sense of morality is often [...]

Damn Net

Damn Net When I was living in northeast Thailand, my friend, Supachai, occasionally invited me out to join him in whatever daily activities he was engaged Suphachai promised we’d shoot rabbits. By his home, the shrubs were gnarled,                birds pecked at low-lying guavas                we decided to fish instead of hunt. Evenly spaced trees [...]

Temporal Crack

temporal crack steel man meets allosaur dragon slays knight

In the Barrio

In the Barrio From the gas works a faint funk hangs in the air like soiled underwear. Woodframe houses huddle together, refugees excluded from the marbled domes of commerce. Cars and trucks maneuver around potholes past a junk yard, bump and rumble over a railroad crossing as yellow dogs rage alongside. Blight blooms in windowsill [...]

1969

Handau enjoyed sunning herself while stretched across a small hillock, eyelids half-closed, her wings spread to catch every last particle of sunlight. As a junior member of her clan, only six hundred years old, she got the hardship duty–thirty years patrolling the airless, lifeless void of Luna. Endless plains of gray dust and rock made [...]

Prompts: More Stories From the Idea-tron

In my last entry, I noted how sometimes it seems almost too easy coming up with cool story ideas from the news items that filter through my in-box. But there are also times when it’s not so easy, times when it’s even kind of work. I know, bizarre, right? How can being fun and creative [...]

Day One

Day One Darkness, warmth, my safe place I know love as she rests with me Time passes and seasons change I see something strange Bright lights and things I cannot understand Comfort in the darkness lost Cold air touches my fragile skin The cord is cut, my lungs taste the frost I cry in protest, [...]

Writing Poetry: Inspiration

Today’s subject is ‘inspiration.’ Where do poets get their inspiration? Inspiration forces poets to write, to say something important, and poetry is their only way to say it. There’s a power to poetry not found in any other art form. Each poet has their own way to access that inspiration, read, travel, write down their [...]

Hope

Always give them hope, hope and encouragement. That’s what momma said. Would have been nice if she’d passed on her special ability with the advice. Of course, momma might have been faking it too. Dorinda sighed to herself and studied the young woman who stood at the edge of her porch. She’d been crying but [...]

The Best Query Letter Tips from Literary Agents

Your first impression and only chance to secure a literary agent is in the way that you write your query letter, so it needs to be attention-getting, professional, and to the point. How do you achieve all of this within one simple letter to get an agent for your unpublished work? • Don’t do mass mailings. Yes, [...]

Alone

Before the sun crested the horizon, pale streaks of dawn teased through the morning mist and gently caressed gloomy shadows within the heart of a weathered barn.  It greeted the coming of yet another morning with sulky indifference.  It was alone and abandoned, bordered by an overgrown field on one side and an ignorant, encroaching [...]

Lincoln Crisler (interview)

Tell us about what you have written. The bulk of my output (and the main reason I write at all) falls into the horror, science fiction and fantasy categories, though I’d venture into outside territory in an instant if the story called for it. I have two collections of short stories in print and my [...]

The Woo’kushii

Powerful magic. Still present and shimmering in its afterglow. Very strong. The smell of rotten eggs filled the merchant’s cubicle strong enough to make one’s eyes water. Occasional brilliant pinpoints of bursting starlight flashed here and there in random patterns around him. Many of these bursting points of lights hung in mid air. They would [...]

Blackout

“Bloody blackout,” Mr.Smith muttered to himself. “Bloody Luftwaffe.” This was the second time in two weeks that he’d got off at the wrong stop in the dark. His supper would be cold again, and Mrs .Smith would not be pleased. Sparks flew when Mrs. Smith was not pleased. She insisted on his being home every [...]

The Detective

“Would you let me look inside your bag, madam?” “What? No – No, I won’t. Who are you? What do you want?” “I’m the store detective, madam. Here’s my identification. Now, please let me check your bag.” “If you must – ” “Thank you. Let’s see, what have we here? Did you pay for this?” [...]

The Pict

The last breaths of morning mist whispered over Northern Britannia. In its wake, the wall of Emperor Antoninus Pius traced a ridge of green and grey across the land. Autumnal sunlight examined every fissure in the tumbling ruin. Dead centre of the wall, an oak yawned from the crumbled foundations, its golden canopy bathing the [...]

Is There A Frog In My Pocket

Is There A Frog In My Pocket Is there a frog in my pocket There’s a frog in the lake There’s a student in the class room I wonder what he takes

S4F: If You are Uncertain—Call a Quantum Mechanic for a Fix

by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next. – Ursula K. LeGuin In honor of Halloween I’m writing about a spooky topic: quantum mechanics (QM). Don’t run away!  I promise this post won’t be too scary. But I warn you, although it [...]

I Love You

I Love You I say it everyday too many times I m sure Each time I say it though, the sincerity remains as pure I want you always to know it I want you always to feel it I need you to see the depth of its passion I need you to know its unbound [...]

Essential Tips to Find the Right Literary Agent

Finding a literary agent is no simple task, and as you begin your search, you may realize that most literary agencies are not even accepting queries or unsolicited manuscripts. So what are you as an unpublished author to do? The most essentail tip to keep in mind is that you must never give up because you need [...]

Writing Poetry: Cacophony and Dissonance

Dissonance – Dissonant – harsh-toned, clashing, inharmonious. In poetry, dissonance is the avoidance of patterns of vowel sounds. It is opposite of assonance – the resemblance of vowel sounds in nearby words. Cacophony – Cacophonous –  harsh mixture of sound, generally the hard consonant sounds, hard c, g, p, k, x sounds. Cacophonous sounds take [...]

Fleet-Winged Fate

In showers of flame the dragons will rise, wielding claws and teeth and armor-like squame. Beware and prepare; they bring our demise. Within an old book the grim prophecy lies— future predestined by man’s wicked fame: in showers of flame, the dragons will rise. The last storm approaches. We’ll look to the skies, dreading the [...]

One-by-One

One-by-One One-by-one my relatives walk the plank. They sink with a cold splash amid flailing limbs and a cloud of octopi ink. Their faces recede into the murk as mist whispers its indifference. Gulls blame their passing on the ever-falling night.

Prompts: Insert Story Idea in Slot A, Add Inspiration in Slot B

Sometimes, it’s just embarrassing the stuff I come across in the course of my daily job as a news editor. In terms of items that can be adapted into decent sci-fi stories, some of these are just too easy. I’m not saying my mind works the same as yours, or that my idea would necessarily [...]

Can You Get Your Children’s Book Published?

If you have had the creative and fulfilling idea to write a children’s book – and even if you have already put it down on paper – you may be wondering what next step you can take toward getting it published. You may have also discovered that the children’s book market is highly competitive since [...]

A Single Snapped String

“It’s certainly, shamelessly scandalous!” said Punditt. “What is?” asked Strate. Punditt looked shocked. “You mean you haven’t heard? Plunkwell was arrested in the wee hours of the morn!” Now Strate looked shocked. “Plunkwell?  The minstrel?” “The same!” Punditt confirmed, and nodded sagely. “Plunkwell? The minstrel? Arrested?” Strate repeated, still absorbing the unbelievable information. “Whatever for? [...]

A Day at the Museum

“Children. Children. Stay in line. Single file, please.” Noreen waved her thin arm in the air. The field trip to the museum was not her idea, and at first she was against it. Now that they were almost half-way through the ancient building, she found that she was indeed enjoying this outing. “What’s that?” Eight [...]

Writing Poetry: Diction

Diction – the choice of words or phrases in speech or writing; the words of the same social order. IE: high diction – formal writing or low diction – informal words. In poetry, diction has come to mean ‘word choice,’ but actually means much more. Diction is the particular type and style of language a [...]

S4F: Parallel Worlds

by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD Our topic de jure: Parallel Worlds, a staple of science fiction.  There are at least four theories you can use to explain an alternate Earth or an alternate version of a character in your story. They are all reasonably justified and easily summarized in the realm of science fiction, but [...]

Sins

Sins A bandage can be useful. It can cover any sore; Like the words, “I’m sorry” Can deal with sins galore.

Magpie Swamp

“People has no business in our swamp!” Magpie stomped down the dusty street, kicking up stones and dust devils. Crystals and baubles dangled and jangled from her ragged clothes. “Oughta listen to us, ‘stead of thinkin’ we’re crazy.” She looked angrily around at the villagers. Each in turn averted their eyes as her gaze turned [...]

Looking for Inspiration to Write a Novel?

Many writers out there are itching for the opportunity to write their first novel, whether they are hoping for a literary agent to tap on their shoulder, a big idea to hit them, or just the free time to put it all down on paper. If you are looking for such inspiration, mark down National Novel [...]

Words

Words Spin and tumble in my head, Churning, spinning, Building pressure like steam in a kettle, Seeking escape. Words Buzzing in my brain Like a wasp on a window, Watching with alien malevolence Waiting for me to approach, To smother or smash into complacency, Only to be stung as the words demand release. Words Burning [...]

Spirit

Spirit These ears that sense the sounds of life; That I may suffer the sweet agony drawn from my soul by the master maestro; That I may respond from the depth of my being to the soft yet insistent call of the infant; That I may know the silence of spirit within a world sound. [...]

One Man’s Trash

“I’m not a tinkerer – I’m an inventor”, Don told his wife for the hundredth time.  “This is a time machine, and I’m going to throw the switch in a few minutes.  You’ll be my witness.” “Inventor – Ha!  You need to clean up this mess.  When was the last time I got to vacuum [...]

Needle

Needle Inside the trail armed with pain killers the needle glistens and gleams. A nurse cleans my thigh over, with little smooth wet cotton streamlined like feathers. “Relax” she tells me. Her hands are the soft flesh of cold yellow watermelon you sink your teeth in a dribble of pleasure. I don’t like injections recalling [...]

Have To vs. Want To

Hi! It’s Jaleta Clegg, your alternating Tuesday guest poster. I’ve been fighting a struggle I think most writers fight. The Have-To list vs. the Want-To list. I would love to get up every morning and only have to worry about two things – what to eat for breakfast and which story to write. But life [...]

Have You Overlooked: Clare Bell?

Clare Bell (born 1952) is primarily known for her “Ratha” series. The first two were published in 1983 and 1984 – Ratha’s Creature, and Clan Ground, and while officially they were classified as YA (as were many of Andre Norton’s books on initial publication) most adult fantasy readers ignored this and read them anyway. They [...]

Fire Desert

Fire Desert You are alone in an entropic land of myth-breeding fear. An inferno of abandoned mines and sacred trees whose jasper leaves subliminally whisper tales of what lies beyond the topographical mirage of mountains, lakes, and dancing girls of flame and desert whirlwinds. A jade palace descends from the heavens. Its golden domes and [...]

Goethe’s Groan

Goethe’s Groan Hello Faust. I’ve heard all about you. Big deal. You think you’re the only one who read a book? You’re just a little sneak. As for your tempting friend, what’s he doing these days, peddling junk bonds?

In Dreams

In Dreams Flashbacks, devoid of rules And life experiences recalled In colored carousel lights Often shaded by coincidence. Nuggets, tortuously hidden away Unrequited by guilty thoughts Or casually thrown to the curb As if with yesterday’s garbage. Taboos, sensuous in their account Lusting in cerebral pleasure From sorely missed memories In those waning hours of [...]

Prompts: A Little Exercise For the Old Creativity Muscle

I don’t know about you guys, but if I find myself in a rut where I haven’t been writing for a while, I get a bit stale. And not just in terms of word choice and style, but creativity, too, coming up with interesting plot twists, funky angles no one else would think of. That’s [...]

So, a Doctor, a Lawyer, and a Writer Walk into a Bar…

Have you ever noticed that the more critical people are of someone else’s grammar and spelling mistakes, the more likely they are to commit egregious errors, themselves? The more supercilious they are about it, the more glaringly stupid the errors they make are likely to be. Nowhere is poetic justice more apparent than when one educated person is sneering at another.

What if you were a baby dragon – all alone? – a must read children’s dragon stories from Toy Box Books

When WarmthInMorningSunAfterALongWinterNight heard a tattletale pebble go bouncing down the mountainside, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was doomed. The creatures had been watching her from afar for days, she knew, but Wimsaalwn could not fathom how they had guessed exactly when to come for her. Just hours before she had [...]

Pleasures

Pleasures Swim in a cool lake Dry in the sun Catch a fish Enjoy Life

Cul de sac

I heard them land last fall. In the middle of the night Hermes barked, then growled, and then peed and hid under my bed. I looked outside just in time to see a white-hot meteor hit the ground. I stared for an hour as it turned bright yellow, then molten orange, then it was just [...]

What Makes a Professional Writer?

Are you a professional writer? Some newbies to the fiction world tremble in fear at the very thought of considering themselves professionals. They may voice it in hushed whispers, as if a circle of professional writers will leap out of the shadows and commence stoning them to death. When can you say with a clear [...]

Writing Poetry: Revision

If you pick up nothing else in this blog, remember this, “Poetry is the art of revision.” Yes, sometimes, very rarely, a poem will come whole. But that only will happen if your mind is open to the muse, the moment. I also believe that you must get the words on the paper when they [...]

Introductions

Hi! I’m a Cyberwizards author. I’ll be posting the first and third Tuesday of every month. Since it’s the first Tuesday of August, I thought I’d stop in and introduce myself. I’m Jaleta Clegg. I write science fiction and comic horror with a dabbling of other genre fiction. My first book, Nexus Point, can be [...]

S4F: The End of Infinity (Infinity of Fun Part III)

by David Siegel Bernstein, PhD To conclude my series on infinity, I will now attempt to answer the question: does size does matter? Answer: maybe (at least for infinity . . . which is what I am talking about). According to the mathematician Georg Cantor there is an infinite number of infinities including “little bits” of infinity. [...]

Healthy Food Recipe with Halibut for a Quick Meal

With the heat of the summer and the fact that we have longer days, many times we would like to eat something light as well as later in the evening. Ideally speaking, a quick easy dinner as well as an easy healthy dinner. Here is a healthy food recipe for a quick meal. Based upon [...]

Saving My Dog’s Mobility

One of the happiest moments in my life was when I gave my dog his very first dog wheelchair. Coco, my golden retriever, became a paralyzed dog when a neighbor’s car the poor dog inadvertently. He barely survived the accident and when he did, he lost his limbs permanently. And it was such a sorrowful [...]

Jess C Scott (interview)

Tell us about what you have written. Porcelain is a collection/portfolio of new and previously published short stories, poems, essays, and artwork, by contemporary novelist Jess C Scott (me). Porcelain offers a personal draft of my navigation through a world that is fantastical, offbeat, ironic, unexpected, and true. What inspired you to write those things? [...]

Writing Poetry: Using the Five Senses

In my last posting on showing not telling, I mentioned that it is easier to show if you use more than one sense. This blog post is on using the senses, all five: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. We all experience the world through our senses. Use that to your advantage when writing poetry. Sight [...]

Abandoned Towers Magazine Print Issue #6

Table of Contents Featured Story: Magnificent Pigs By Cat Rambo

Abandoned Towers Magazine Print Issue #5

Featured Story Zap Zachary Returns by Stoney M. Setzer

Abandoned Towers Magazine Print Issue #4

Abandoned Towers Issue #4 Featured Story A Warm Welcome By Rob Mancebo 2

Abandoned Towers Magazine Print Issue #3

Abandoned Towers Issue #3 Featured Story The Ghost of Preston Manor By S.J. Higbee

Abandoned Towers Magazine Print Issue #2

Abandoned Towers Magazine Issue #2 Featured Story The Man in the Feathered Cloak by Jack Mulcahy

Abandoned Towers print magazine Issue #1

This issue starts off with a thought-provoking editorial by Bill Weldon. Weldon says “I believe we should all take a little time to consider the amount of work and dedication, as well as talent, that goes into the composing, writing, and revision that these artists perform to provide us with escape and entertainment.” Work indeed, [...]

I Won WHAT?

by Holly Jahangiri You would think anyone would be pleased to receive an award, regardless of its prestige or professional importance. And yet many people, including writers and bloggers, have taken to shunning and disparaging awards given to them and to others. Until recently, I was one of them. There are four categories of awards: Prestigious [...]

Praise Patrick

Patrick Henesey, short, skinny, and cursed with uncontrollable red hair and geeky looks, sets out to find a way to make people like him. Unfortunately for them, he’s a biochemist.

Prompts: The Stories You’re Dying to Write

Wrack thy brains no longer. From the farthest flung corners of cyberspace I have collected, mulled and otherwise digested a veritable ocean of tidbits from the real world of science and academia to produce these few cultured pearls shiny enough to light the fires of brilliant storytelling. Or maybe you’ll just yawn and click “next.” [...]

Writing Poetry: Show Don’t Tell

Howdy gang, in my last blog I talked about ‘abstracts’ being ‘tell’ not ‘show’, let me talk about showing not telling. It’s likely a cliché to say show don’t tell, but maybe we all need to be reminded of it. If someone came into the room and said, “There’s a dinosaur outside,” maybe we’d believe [...]

Candlelight

It was approaching the third hour of the third full moon of the third year. They gathered outside the gleaming spaceship, in a loose kind of circle. Whiskers and skin twitched in anticipation. Ears turned this way and that. Tails swished and then quieted. All sizes, colors, patterns. A rare meeting of the Different: Forest [...]

S4F: Infinity of Fun, Part II

By David Siegel Bernstein, PhD Welcome back for Part II of our discussion on infinity. Drum Roll. Now as promised last month, I’m going to take a bullet in the name of math. My arch nemesis, who oddly enough volunteered for this job, aims her rifle at me and fires. According to math, do I [...]

The Warrior Kell

The Warrior Kell “If not on this planet, then another,” Swore the warrior Kell of Earth. “How’s that,” cried his lame mace-bearer, “Do you count on a second birth?” Kell’s hall grew still as a threshing floor When the last of the grain’s been won. “I’ve thrust men to Hell for less,” swore Kell, “And [...]

community unrest

community unrest silence shattered  2am security alarm blasting a block or a mile away relentless until it stops abruptly leaving a void of non noise yet not quiet serenity in the darkness of my bedroom did someone return home forget to enter the code within the time limit push the wrong button on their car [...]

M.S

M.S Just two letters only to change our lives Blissfully unaware, why should we care for the anonymous thousands weeping Unseen? Selfish hopes and desires, that bike of Tebbit’s had taken us far. Such talent could move me to weep, Gentle waves breaking, slowly eroding, impotent like Canute I cannot stop the tide. Dark pain, [...]

Song of the Quasar

Song of the Quasar Like the ringing of a gigantic Balinese gong, A quasar shook once in the Forever, And its echo was felt in the Far, far away. In a small clump of fluffy dust The rhythmic gravity waves compressed and expanded, Resonating with the quasar’s beating heart. Ice-cold dust was imparted the slightest [...]

Mother Earth’s Children

For each their own place Reclined against mother’s bosom. All feel Gaea’s cool caress, Hear her droning lullaby: “You are my children, You are my life. Hush, rest now. You’ve returned Home.”

An Empty Stage

An Empty Stage Coiled torso frozen on an empty stage, a living sculpture trapped and placed with no gown of tulle to hide her age but with weeping knees below her waist. Framed in light her insides groan with pent up passion poised for release, she now waits long and alone for rhythm to carry [...]

Speculative Poetry: Past, Present, and Future

Occasionally shoved into a dark, stuffy corner of the literary attic by its critics, speculative poetry actually possesses a heritage and current potential at least as rich and exciting as that claimed by its mainstream kin. Dealing with the fantastic as opposed to the mundane, speculative poetry travels winding roads leading to wondrous worlds, regions [...]

Rocks, rivers, camping and motorcycles: A ride through the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia

In recent years the term ‘adventure motorcycling’ has come to the fore. In no little way because of the Long Way Round and Long Way Down movies made by Ewan MacGregor and Charley Boorman. Yet years before the now famous duo were exploring the world on their motorcycles and making movies of their two wheeled [...]

The Era of Faeries and Dragons

Illustrations by Richard H. Fay, Essay by Lisa Agnew Folklore is often dismissed as an irrelevance, even by some scholars. Yet as a branch of historical study, its examination can throw much light upon a myriad of subjects. Within the folktale and the nursery rhyme, everyday lives of mediaeval residents can be glimpsed as if [...]

Nursery Rhymes – Poems and Songs Meant for Children

One of my past and fondest memories was hearing my two grandchildren at their bedtime when they called out, “Grandpa read us a story.” Off course I agree, so I told little Annette, a cute little tyke of three and Johnny, a freckled kindergarten scholar of five to run upstairs to their room and get [...]

Midnight Wolves

The outlet mall was dark and empty.  It shut down when poverty stricken South Texas couldn’t afford the big city prices.  Smaller business moved in later, but the area still had the desolate feeling of abandonment.  We drove into the dark parking lot intent on our goal. Jason’s Deli had better be open or I [...]

Writing is the Key

I sometimes ask myself, Why in God’s name do I want to be a writer? And then I think: Why does anyone want to be a writer? Then I sit down, usually on the unswept floor of my apartment, among the leaning towers of paperback books, and I dwell. That’s right: I dwell. We writers [...]

Fifth Book Syndrome

Recently I was re-reading a series of books by an author that I really like. I’d loved the first four of her books, but found that the next book sagged badly. Once I finished reading the work it occurred to me it was probably a case of ‘fifth book syndrome’ – about which new, or [...]

Rhonda Parrish (interview)

Tell us about what you have written: I write a lot and just to complicate things I don’t stick to just on genre or medium. What inspired you to write them? I have found inspiration in so many different places. Sometimes I’ll watch a movie and one part of it will tweak with me, and [...]

D. Harlan Wilson (interview)

Tell us about what you write. I blend a lot of genre fiction together—science fiction, fantasy, horror, detective/spy fiction, magic realism, irrealism, critifiction, and others. I guess my writing could be classified as interstitial insofar as it is difficult to classify, or at least pigeonhole, because it resides within the boundaries of multiple genres. Do [...]

Tabitha Shay (interview)

Tell us about what you have written: I’ve written three paranormal romances so far under my Tabitha Shay pen name, Witch’s Brew, Witch’s Heart, and Witch’s Moon. WM is scheduled for release in Oct. from my publisher, Eternal Press. The Winslow witches of Salem series is a combination of the past and present. Book one [...]

Timothy A. Sayell (interview)

Tell us about what you have written: Ok, good, start with an easy one.  Let’s see, there’s “A Single Snapped String” in the CyberAliens anthology “Strange Worlds of Lunacy” AND the online humor section of Abandoned Towers.  “Buy the Sword” in Flashing Swords (#11), who have also accepted “The Ghosts of Memories”.  “The Crystal Cage” [...]

Douglas E. Richards (interview)

Tell us about what you have written. I’m the author of The Prometheus Project series, science fiction thrillers for kids 9-14 (although many adults have reported enjoying them as well). My goal was to write books that kids wouldn’t be able to put down, but were also driven by accurate science that would seize young [...]

Robert G. Pielke (interview)

Tell us about what you have written. Having lived in the academic world, rather uneasily at times, I did the necessary publishing in philosophy not to perish. But at the same time I moved into popular culture studies and had a book published about rock music in American culture. From that point on, my academic [...]

Matthew Moses (interview)

Tell us about what you write. I write in various genres. Satire, sci-fi, and horror are some of my favorites. The best description of my work would be epic. I create worlds, mythologies and cataclysmic events. My narratives deal with upheaval and critical points in the times of the characters involved where any action can [...]

Kinsy McVay (interview)

Tell us about what you write. Actually, as an artist, I had always wanted to illustrate children’s books, and had never really given much thought to writing them. My wife and I have always had this grand plan: she would write the books; I would illustrate them, and although this dream has not yet come [...]

Paul McDermott (interview)

Tell us about what you’ve written: I’ve dabbled with many different genres of writing as and when the mood takes me. I believe in pushing myself to see just how far I can get with every project I begin, and it’s not unusual for me to have half a dozen different ‘pots boiling’ at any [...]

Jonathan Maberry (interview)

Jonathan Maberry is a prolific, bestselling, and amazingly talented author. He began his career writing nonfiction, went on to write horror such as Ghost Road Blues and even genre nonfiction books like Zombie CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead. Today his original character, Joe Ledger, from books such as Patient Zero may be headed [...]

Keith Love (interview)

Some times we forget that there’s a lot more talent out there than just that shown in the mass market.  There are often “indie” books which are far better done and compelling than the stuff the big publishing houses release.  Keith Love is one of those super talented creators who truly uses his talent out [...]

Hugh C. Howey (interview)

You have several items in print. Tell us what they’re about. My first novel, MOLLY FYDE AND THE PARSONA RESCUE, came out last year. It begins the saga of a young woman as she sets out to recover her father’s old  spaceship. During her adventures, she’s joined by a band of alien misfits and runaways [...]

Kimberly Grenfell (interview)

You are staff for Writer’s Beat. Tell us about the site and what you do: Writer’s Beat is a friendly online writing community where writers of all levels can post work and receive feedback on it. I am one of two active administrators who oversee the day-to-day goings-on at the site, answer members’ questions, assist [...]

Bruce Golden (interview)

You have several items in print. Tell us what they’re about. My newest book, Evergreen, is about a frontier world where an alien intelligence exists unknown to the humans who’ve settled there. But as much as it is about this strange world, it’s about the characters who travel there–their emotional conflicts — revenge, redemption, obsession, [...]

Ciara Gold (interview)

Tell us about what you have written: Oh goodness, that might take volumes, but here’s the mini-mart version. First, let me introduce myself to readers. I’m Ciara Gold and I write romance when I’m not working my other two jobs. I have two sci-fi futuristic books out that boast dragons and alpha heroes with beta [...]

Vicki Gaia (interview)

Tell us about what you have written: I’ve written five historical romances and one contemporary romance. Warring Hearts is a World War II trilogy. The story begins during the London Blitz and goes through the end of the war. Long Strange Trip takes the reader back to the turbulent Sixties during the Summer of Love [...]

Janrae Frank (interview)

You have several books in print. Tell us what they’re about. I have several series in print; Dark Brothers of the Light is about an apostate necromancer named Isranon who is taken as a slave by a demon-eater, Anksha. In a sense it was Ghandi meets Hitler. Isranon is a sa’necari-born, which means that he [...]

Rhiannon Frater (interview)

Rhiannon Frater is an Independent Author living and working in Austin, Texas. Her As the World Dies Trilogy has taken the zombie world by storm in the past year even winning the 2008 Dead Letter Award for Best Book (Fiction). She already has a massive established fan base and presence on the web. The third [...]

Margaret Fieland (interview)

Tell us about what you write: I’m a professional Computer Software engineer – BA in mathematics, MS in computer science, and it never even occurred to me to be a writer. That said, I’ve written poetry as far back as I can remember – somehow that didn’t “count” — but not with publication in mind [...]

Angela Dove (interview)

Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing. Angela:  I’m one of those writers who really tries to balance home life and professional life-I’ve got two small kids, 3 dogs, and a husband who wants to spend weekends out doing stuff: playing soccer, riding bikes, taking the kids to festivals and concerts. Left to [...]

R. L. Copple (interview)

Tell us about what you have written: Much of my writing early on was in non-fiction articles, like devotionals, bible studies, and theological writing. Nothing that ever made me much money, but many have enjoyed them. Now, I primarily write fantasy and science fiction, with a smattering of other genres thrown in. And I appreciate [...]

Eric S. Brown (interview)

Tell us about what you have written: Eric:  My career is centered around the zombie sub-genre of horror and end of the world tales.  Some of my past books include Cobble, Madmen’s Dreams, The Queen, Waking Nightmares, and Dying Days among others.  I have three new books due out next year:  Season of Rot from [...]

Starstruck On Tuesday

Remember the name Brandon Quinn. You’ll be seeing it very soon at a theatre near you. And no, I’m not psychic. I’m an actor, or should I say a major star on the horizon. I have that rare combination of talent plus charisma that equals superstardom. Even I can hardly believe the whirlwind that has [...]

The Best Laid Plans

It was my first day at work from vacation. There was not a truck so it meant a slow day. I opened up one of my books I brought from home. It was Hunger By Knut Hamsun, a large hardback edition. I was on page 43. I made it to page 45 when the phone [...]

Gerald Costlow (interview)

Tell us about what you write. I write fantasy fiction, in the broadest sense. Fantasy in that it has some fantastic element and fiction in that it’s make believe. Your novel, The Weaving, was just released by Pill Hill Press. Tell us about the book. The Weaving is a love story, a quest, and a [...]

The Jaguar Lady (The Sequel To Identity)

I have been asked to tell you about The Jaguar Lady, which is only fitting, I suppose, since it was I who bestowed upon her that title. The Jaguar Lady is a very unusual individual, which is also fitting, because I first met her in the course of my lawyerly duty of executing for my [...]

The Korishu

“Here, Gudo, let me hold the candelabra.” The voice came from out of the darkness. A deep voice. A powerful voice of measured resonance. A calm voice. A voice only a god could command in such a dreaded place. Two creatures — queen and slave — stood clutching each other in terror in the middle [...]

“Silent Dirge” Ep. 6: A Light In the Dark

“I don’t like it.” Caless searched the exterior of the large building with his eyes. It was relatively nondescript, looking more like a large warehouse than an armory. Caless had expected it to look like a fortress, like the high, stone wall that surrounded the city, yet here was a simple building of wood and [...]

Score!

“Score!” crowed Alex. “Dude. I’m rich!” He waved a shiny rectangle in triumph. “You know how much one of these babies is worth?” “Sure rub it in,” said Peter, struggling to hide his disappointment. “Why, what’d you get?” the other boy asked. “Nothing big,” Peter replied, holding his cards close to his chest. He took [...]

Looking for the future that was

It made sense at the time. You see, I had cancer, and the doctors of the 1930’s told me that it was inoperable. Big, hard malignant masses; first in my lungs, and then adrenal grands and liver. But even though I was dying, slowly and painfully, I still had my imagination, fuelled each month by [...]

Bad, Bad Habits to Avoid When Writing Fiction

As an author of fiction, it poses thrilling and tantalizing possibilities since your work is an open slate before you. However, there are a few bad habits that you must steer clear of if you want to excel in your next writing project: 1. Cut out generic nouns and verbs: There are so many words in [...]

Hero

He was an android, so he did what he had to do – he ran like only an Asimov can run.  The Third Law forced him to do that, he opined, as he passed 86th Street and leapt over a bus that was barreling down upon him.  “I’m sorry, friend.  I am forced to protect [...]

Purple Rain

(Holiday on Phreetum Prime used by permission, copyright Richard H. Fay 2008) Last time the Earth was destroyed, Val wound up on a dark planet, circling a purple sun.  This time, he wasn’t so sure that he’d be that lucky. Last night at about 8 o’clock, he was messing with the alien device on his [...]

Staff

Managing Editor: K.E. Abel – Official Site Assistant Editor: David Cowley Poetry Editor: Sonnet Mondal Nonfiction Editor: vacant Fiction Editor: vacant Assistant Editor(s): vacant × ∞ Webmaster: David Cowley Bloggers/Columnists Bethany Ramos David Siegel Bernstein Jason Kahn K.E. Abel vacancies Slush Readers: vacant × ∞ Contest Judges: vacant × ∞ Ahimsa Kerp (short story) Christopher [...]

Ad Rates

Online We are currently adjusting our online advertising rates as we prepare for the relaunch of AbandonedTowers.com. If you are interested in advertising on the site for the relaunch, please contact us for prices.  Otherwise, we’ll adjust the rates and ad sizes available after the launch and we have updated visitor traffic information. 100×100 pixel [...]

About

Abandoned Towers, dubbed “the reader’s magazine”, is a market for fiction, poetry and non-fiction.  Since the beginning, Abandoned Towers has been both an online source for reading material and a print magazine, featuring content not previously available through the website.  To this point, there has been a strict divide between the online and the print editions of Abandoned Towers, [...]

Publishing Schedule

The next planned print edition of Abandoned Towers is tentatively scheduled for summer 2012.  We are deciding on the size and frequency of issues beyond that.  We expect to produce at least two print editions of Abandoned Towers annually, and possibly as many as 12. We are looking for volunteers to assist with the production [...]

Abandoned Towers Issue #6 is Now Live and Available

I’m really happy with this issue. The cover art is great, and the content inside is even better. Anyone that would like to read a preview of the issue, or pick up a print copy, can do so by going here: http://atprintissues.blogspot.com/ I thought I’d give everyone a taste of what’s inside.  So here’s the [...]

Have You Overlooked: William R. Burkett

by Lyn McConchie. William R. Burkett was born in 1943, has written three genre books and has also written several non-fiction/technical works. He’s been a State Representative, U.S. Attorney, District Judge, and Presiding Judge of the Oklahoma Temporary Court of Appeals. His first, and by far the best, of his three genre books, THE SLEEPING [...]

Writing Poetry: Abstracts

Hi gang, today’s poetry blog is on ‘abstracts.’ What is an abstract: dictionary – a word denoting a quality or intangible rather than a concrete object. To do with existing in thought rather than matter. Ezra Pound once said, “Go in fear of abstracts.” As a poet and poetry teacher, he disliked the use of [...]

Prompts: Free Story Ideas, No Waiting—Did I Mention They’re Free?

From the hidden depths of my e-mail I have once again collected and sifted through the accumulated dross of press releases and news items I receive on a daily basis looking for those gems that jump to the head of the cool-story-idea line and shout, “Hey, look at me!” These are the chosen few, mulled [...]

Drifting North

It was a wet, bad year on the Old Western Trail. From Red River north and all along was herd after herd water-bound by high water in the rivers. Our outfit lay over nearly a week on the South Canadian, but we were not alone, for there were five other herds waiting for the river [...]

Writing Poetry: Endings and Closings

My last blog was openings, so let me discuss: Closings and endings – in poetry ‘closures’ and ‘endings’ are not quite the same thing. Most poems have closure; the poem wraps up the problem discussed, resolves the conflicts, it closes the rhythm, the sound, the diction. Some poems end; the poem seems to just stop, [...]

S4F: Infinity for Fun

This month I thought we’d have some fun with math. And what’s more fun than infinity? Nothing! Get it? You know infinity—being nothing (I can hear you gentle readers groaning.) . . . oh never mind. Anyway, this is Part I of II where we discuss the fun (and headaches) mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers have with infinity. If you leave [...]

On Fanfic

So, it’s the first Friday of the month already? Wow, how time flies. Those of us who are a part of the SF and Fantasy community are well aware that everyone-knows-everyone nature of our little corner of the literary world leads to some interesting arguments. Most times, the best description would be “tempest in a [...]

Learn How to Improve Your Writing

Whether you write recreationally or for a living, there is always room for improvement, is there not? These simple ideas will help you to fine tune your existing style of writing so that whatever you construct will be clear, to the point, and captivating for your reader. Of course, this can be used in any setting, [...]

Have You Overlooked: H. Beam Piper?

Piper wrote over an eighteen year period with his first short story published in Astounding in 1947, and works written in his lifetime but still coming to light being published into 1984 with continuing reprints in this century. He was a self-educated man, the son of a minister, and at 18 he went to work [...]

Writing Poetry: Openings

Hi folks, here’s another blog on my poetry theories.   Enjoy. Openings – The beginnings of poems, the first lines, are called openings. Carl Sandburg once wrote, “Poetry is the opening and closing of a door…” Probably even more than in a novel or news article, the beginning of a poem, the opening, must make [...]

Prompts: Real-World Stories to Kick Start Your Creativity

Before you lock yourself in your room and cudgel your brain into coming up with the next great premise for a killer story, just take a look around you. There’s inspiration everywhere. Here are a few gems I’ve run across in the course of my job as a news editor. Just take a gander, and [...]

Writing Poetry: Linebreaks

Linebreaks Poetry lines do not end by accident. The poet determines the length of each line. With what ever else I say, you can break your lines where ever you wish, but line breaks are a poetic device why not use them for your advantage. Before I get to deep into line breaks, I’ll mention [...]

What if the Battle of Gettysburg had Never Happened?

Announcing the release of a very special Science Fiction novel: A New Birth of Freedom by Robert G. Pielke It has taken centuries to recognize that all humans possess certain unalienable rights. There will come a time when we have to consider whether others deserve those rights as well. That time will come on July [...]

The First Friday of the Month

Hi there! Good news (well, news, in any case) for everyone following the Abandoned Towers Blog. We now have a new blogger who will be sharing his thoughts with all you loyal readers once a month, on the first Friday of the month. So who is this new kid on the block? Why, me, of [...]

Writing Tips from the Experts

Whether you are someone who enjoys writing casually or does it for a profession, writing tips from the experts are truly valuable! Especially in this day and age that is entirely digital, it is important to have advanced writing skills to communicate, speak with potential clients, and even promote your own business. Here are some [...]

How to Break Through Writer’s Block

As a writer, if you are having a difficult time pushing through writer’s block, here are a few simple tips to get you started in the right direction. There is nothing more frustrating than being unable to complete a project or even get started for that matter, but often times, all it takes is a [...]

S4F: Splicing Science from Fiction

Welcome back. It’s me again, David Siegel Bernstein, and this month (the trumpeter’s fanfare begins) I want to write about science (the trumpet falls silent). Come on… science is cool. If you want a more exciting introduction to this month’s theme, I suggest you listen to the They Might Be Giants album Here Comes Science. Here [...]

Writing Poetry: Use of Details

Howdy folks, Jim Fowler again with another blog on writing poetry. Have fun with it. Details in poetry – Many people think poetry is too hard. It takes too much effort to understand. It’s mysterious. There are many reasons for that, but I’ll discuss two for a moment. They were taught in school that poems [...]

Have You Overlooked: Gael Baudino?

HAVE YOU OVERLOOKED – GAEL BAUDINO? By Lyn McConchie, science fiction and fantasy author. Gael Baudino born in 1955, started selling in the 1980s. Most of her work is solid but not outstanding. Always competent and sometimes compelling, it appeals more to women than men, is primarily fantasy from a semi-real background, and is a [...]

Prompts: Ripped From Today’s Headlines

Hello all, more news you can use to fire your imagination and come up with fantastical stories, all pulled from real life happenings. I’ve gathered together another bunch of excellent jumping off points sure to spark that creative fire. So without further adieu: Professor’s Research Finds No Evidence of Cannibalism at Donner Party Campsite Research [...]

Writing Poetry: The Importance of Sounds

Here I am again folks, another blog post on the art of writing poetry. This week – Sounds in Poetry Poetry is an aural art form. (In both the definitions). Poetry is made for the ear. Here’s the first three and a half lines of Denise Levertov’s “Night on Hatchet Cove,” (fm; Poems 1960-1967 New [...]

S4F: Meet David Siegel Bernstein – Forensic Statistician

Hello. My name is David Siegel Bernstein and I have a confession to make. (I take a deep breath) okay, here we go: I love Science Fiction and Fantasy. Yes, I dream about voyages between worlds in starships fully equipped with FTL drives, battling aliens from other dimensions, traveling the multiverse while standing still in [...]

Have You Overlooked: Tom Godwin?

HAVE YOU OVERLOOKED – TOM GODWIN? By Lyn McConchie, science fiction and fantasy author. Tom Godwin was born January 1st 1915, and died on the same date in 1980. In his career he wrote three books and 27 short stories, most of which have very justifiably vanished into the dustbin of history. Little is known of [...]

Writing Poetry: Introduction

Hi folks, I’m going to be throwing out blogs on what I think of poetry and how to write poetry. I’ve been having poems published for over fifteen years and been teaching poetry for nearly ten. I edited an anthology of poetry “Heartbeat of New England” (Tiger Moon Productions, 2000). Yes, much of this you can [...]

Poem: Windshield

Hi folks, Jim Fowler back again with another poem. This one was originally published in Pine Island Journal. This one was written while i was attending the Poetry Festival at The Frost Place, Franconia, NH. Enjoy. Windshield Two moths spiral upward in my headlights. I stop to keep from hitting them. I’ve launched jets off [...]

Prose Poem: They Want Them Back

Hi gang, Jim Fowler here again with a new poem, a prose poem. This poem originally appeared in Diner. My prose poems are very surreal but I am also literal, so I try to keep the world of the poem as straightforward as possible, but it is a different world. Enjoy. They Want Them Back In [...]

Here Again with Another Poem

Hi gang, Jim Fowler here again with another poem. This one first appears in Animus #19. I am a Vietnam and Desert Storm vet. The second Iraq war brought back many memories. Here’s a poem. Years Later, Thinking of the Invasion of Iraq I sip my Earl Grey, set the cup on the table, lean back in [...]

Abandoned Towers Magazine Issue #5: Look What’s Coming!

Issue #5 goes on sale on March 1. Here’s a little taste of what’s you’ll miss if you don’t get a copy: Table of Contents Zap Zachary Returns by Stoney M. Setzer Gold by Arthur Mackeown Ray Guns by Doug Hilton Othan, Debtor by Kurt Magnus The Horrors of War by Chris Silva Mindforms by [...]

Prose Poem: Renowned

Hi folks, here’s a prose poem that first appeared in Space and Time magazine. Have fun reading it, I did writing it.     Renowned The atom, that received the first blue ribbon for existing, still exists. After the awards banquet, the atom caught the red-eye on Big Bang Air, its ribbon around what it calls a [...]

Prompts: Inspiration, Free of Charge

In my day job, I run a medical news service for cardiologists. To come up with story assignments for myself and others to write about, I wade through a veritable mountain of scientific information every day. These sources include medical journals, press releases, and other scientific communications. Given that I also write genre fiction, one would [...]

Prose Poem: Silver Coin

Hi folks, here’s a new prose poem. This originally was published in The Cold River Review. This is very surreal. The rest you can figure out. Jim Silver Coin In our cave, I dance around the dying fire, chant your name backwards and wave a mammoth’s tibia. I need you to create a cloud shaped like [...]

Music & Writing: Siblings With A Parent In Common

I’ve often railed out (into the wind, it seems) that “writing is writing,” that the differences among the various “kinds” of writing are insignificant. I pretty much want to make the same protestation that “music is music” with the same message in mind. However, rather than expand on this latter truism, I want to venture [...]

Witch & Wizard

I was drawn to buy this book because I recently wrote a novel where a girl was accused of being a witch, and I published a novel with a sorceress in it. I also wrote one about a wizard. That explains my interest. The clincher was the author’s name, James Patterson. Below his name was [...]

Poem: Hike 10/6/09

Howdy gang, here’s a new poem. I hike in the woods alone a lot and having been educated as an environmentalist, I touch, tear into, study or talk to everything. My wife hates to go with me because of that tendency. Enjoy the poem Hike 10/6/09 Mile one The wind, the western sun, arrange the [...]

Dean Koontz Breathless

Admittedly, Dean Koontz is currently my favorite author. He is, to his chagrin, most often refered to as a horror writer. This is a misnomer, for although he has writen in that genre extensively, a large number of his novels contain little or no horor or supernatural aspects. The one thing you can count on [...]

Announcing the Release of Poet Burgess Needle’s New Collection

Diminuendo Press is proud to announce the release of a wonderful new book of poetry by Burgess Needle. Burgess Needle is inspired by the natural wonders of our planet, the virtuosity of contemporary poetry, love, friendship and the two-edged sword of 21st century technology. After earning a degree at the University of Massachusetts, Burgess joined [...]

Poem: Corridors

Howdy folks, Jim Fowler back again with a new poem. It’s a night poem, and very surreal. Hope you enjoy. One thought of explanation, though I dislike doing that, i lived in Japan for twenty years, so some of their myths make their way into my poems. Werefoxes are a very popular myth. Vixens who [...]

What Am I Doing Here?

Well, here I am diving head-first into something new. I suppose old dogs can learn new tricks after all. I have been hearing about blogs, and reading a few, for some time now. Thanks to Abandoned Towers Magazine for inviting me to put in my two cents worth on writing, reading, and other subjects I [...]

Poem: Villanelle for My Lady

Hi gang, sorry, I’ve been a little out of touch lately, but I’m back. This poem originally appeared in New England Writer’s Network Magazine. Most readers think it’s about my wife, but I had thought it was about nature, but whatever… It makes no difference who it ended up for, I think it works. NEWR, when they [...]

Abandoned Towers October Update

It’s October, and that means it’s time for an update on Abandoned Towers magazine. Starting this month off, we have a brand new story from Michael McGlasson called The MacDonegan Bear.It’s a scottish folktale, written by Michael and here’s a small piece of it: And after all the terrible tales that grandfather had told him, [...]

Writing is Writing?

So…I was conversing a while ago with some friends who knew I was in the midst of both writing a novel and updating a non-fiction book I did a few years ago about rock music in American culture. They seems bemused. It turns out, they didn’t see how it was possible to concentrate on such [...]

Abandoned Towers Issue #4: Sneak Peak

I know this is only the first of September, but issue 4 goes live on Nov. 1 and well… I thought you might like a taste of what’s in it. So, here’s the table of contents to whet your appetite: Table of Contents Editorial: Regrets by Bill Weldon, Editor vii Featured Story A Warm Welcome [...]

End of August Update

Can you believe it’s already the end of August? Man the summer sure flew past! Over at Abandoned Towers things have been flying pretty fast too. We’ve had all sorts of cool stuff come in during August. New cartoons, new stories, new poems, new odd reviews and new… everything. The big news now, of course, [...]

Prompts: Something to Think About

Hello all, This is my first post here, so I hope I don’t completely bore everybody to tears. Anyway, in my day job, I write and edit a lot of news items specifically aimed at doctors–cardiologists to be exact. I ran across something last week that actually seemed of interest to normal people. The story [...]

Jack of all Trades: the Most Enjoyable Fantasy Romance You’ll Read All Year!

Cyberwizard Productions is thrilled to be able to announce a new fantasy romance by K. C. Shaw. Jack Bywater is loved by the entire town. Handy with a hammer, able to drive a coach, great at getting wasps out of an orchard, he truly is a Jack of all Trades. And he’s just the man [...]

Midsummer at Abandoned Towers Magazine

Well, July is almost over. Here in Texas summer’s half gone and the new school year is fast approaching. June bugs are still hatching and flying in my back door, too. Someone needs to tell them that June ended several weeks ago, though my cats are certainly enjoying the feast. Over at Abandoned Towers Magazine [...]

What Is Poetry?

Much to my surprise, a venue that I feared had rejected me actually published me. You can find me in Poetry Magazine in the Spring 2009 features. I’m in good company with Dorianne Laux, Jane Hirschfield, Frank Gaspar and Ellen Bass. These are some of my best poems. But they were written long ago. ************************************************************ It’s not just a [...]

Readercon

For SF/F folks unfamiliar with the fact of this famous fandom fest [don't try to say this at home], here’s the info on this year’s model: “Readercon is, depending on your point of view, either an annual literary conference (except it’s infinitely more fun than that) or an annual science fiction convention (except we’ve stripped [...]

How Mike Resnick and The Goddess of Ganymede Saved My Life

Oddcube has posted a quite excellent review of this classic pulp ride, and I urge you, if you haven’t already, to blaze on over and read it. Go on now! I’ll be waiting here when you get back. Back? Good. Now, here’s how it goes down… I was fifteen years old, not old enough to [...]

SF&F’s Famous Flounders [sic]

Years ago, in a galaxy far far away… No! Stop me before I puke out literary wastage! Once upon a time…before there was the insidious notion of “genre,” people used to write stuff…some of it was good stuff and some of it was crap stuff. But it was writing – and they didn’t know into what “genre” it fit. That’s because they [...]

Abandoned Towers Magazine July Update

It’s July and there are several updates to the AT website at http://cyberwizardproductions.com/AbandonedTowers. I’ve posted a new Odd Review by Oddcube. This time he reviews Mike Resnick’s The Goddess of Ganymede (pulp sci-fi all the way). A new Dragonslayer’s cartoon is up, and there are several other items that’ll go online in the next couple [...]

Response to Robert Frost’s “Mowing”

Hi gang, JimF here again. This month i’m posting a poem that was published in NEWN. I’ve read a lot of Robert Frost and one of his poems, “Mowing” has always bothered me, in that he refers to the tool as a ‘scythe’ When I was growing up, my father called it a ‘scythe-and-snath’ as [...]

Bizarre Topics Bazaar

We’re all list-keepers, right? I thought so. Well, one list of mine concerns potential topics for future writings — either the long or the short of it. Number one on my list is the undisputed fact concerning the demise of one of my favorite writers: Ambrose Bierce. I’m sure you all know about this, but [...]

Newsletters

How many newsletters do you receive every week? How much time do you spend reading about writing or your current research topic rather than writing? Yes, they are full of useful information. Yes they are fun to read. Yes we all look for things to do so we don’t have to actually write. Really now, [...]

Prose Poem: Snagged

Hi gang, Jim Fowler here again. This month, I’m going to my surreal side. Here’s a prose poem which first appeared in Diner. I tend to rewrite many, many times, until the poem tells me what it wants to say. As other poets have called it, I write the poem from my unconscious side and edit [...]

Book Review: Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Orphaned kids, Pirate ships with huge brassieres for sails, near escapes, giant flying crocodiles, shipwrecks, mermaids with sharp teeth, massive storms, belch humor, talking porpoises, and bashing the bad guys with coconuts. What more could you ask? Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have melded together a wonderful midgrade action fantasy that serves as a long-past [...]

It’s May!

Spring has sprung and the May flowers have arrived with a boatload of new goodies over at Abandoned Towers magazine at http://cyberwizardproductions.com/AbandonedTowers. To start the month off on the right foot, we have a new Odd Review by Oddcube, and boy is it truly odd this time! Calling his review Attack of the Retro-Clones, Oddcube [...]

Middle of April Update

In the ongoing effort to make Abandoned Towers easier to use and easier to find stuff on, I’ve added a What’s New page. I update that page every time I add something to the website (which is just about every day) so check it frequently. In case you haven’t found it yet, and don’t know [...]

Book Review: Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore

The first installment of Rosemary Clement Moore‘s Girl Vs Evil series was easy to write about, and the words just clicked out of my fingers. This one was just as good a read as the first, and I finished it the same day I got it in my hot little hands. Then I spent over a [...]

A Haibun: New Places

Hi folks, Jim Fowler here again. This month I have a different form. A haibun. A mix of prose poem and haiku. I’ve had good luck with these. This particular one was published in Frogpond the Haiku Society of America’s journal, issue Winter 07. The trick is to have as big a leap from the prose to [...]

Beware! The Sha’Daa is coming!

The Sha’Daa: Tales of the Apocalypse by Michael Hanson is on it’s way and scheduled for official release on May 1, 2009 but you can pre-order copies now by visiting this page: www.cyberwizardproductions.com/altered/shadaa.html The Sha’Daa has its dark, eerie, terrifying roots anchored deep in the soil of fictional horror and mythic apocrypha. The end-of-days is [...]

Marsh God Story About to Finish Up – Don’t Miss It!

Dalacroy crouched in the reed bed while flies swarmed around his sweat-soaked body. Nauseated by the stench of decaying plants and rotting wildlife, he gnawed his hand, stifled a cough, mumbled, “I left the northlands for this?” To his knowledge he was the lone survivor of the caravan escort. In their wisdom the caravan masters [...]

Book Review: The Patriot Witch by CC Finlay

What does it mean when you get a free PDF download of a book, and you feel like you have to buy a physical copy just to tear it up? It means it’s a damn good read. C.C. Finlay’s The Patriot Witch is one such book. This book is about a single thing, against a backdrop of [...]

A Sonnet: A Sailor’s First Girl

Hi folks, Jim Fowler here again. There was a comment on my poem (ghazal) from last month, I wished to answer. Yes, you are right, ‘squirrel’ likely is a bad name. My only excuse is that I have used the alias through a dozen or so ghazals. But thinking about the comment, the alias likely [...]

Spring’s Just Around the Corner!

Outside my window, there’s a tree covered with tiny green leaves. Purple crocus have opened in one flowerbed, while bright yellow daffodils are nodding in the shade nearby. The signs of spring are all over, at least here in Texas. Before long, the highways around Austin will be covered with wildflowers and tourists having their [...]

A Particularly Harsh Cliché – and Penguins

Over on Jay Lake’s blog I found a link to a reviewer who among other things — (including a review of a Jay lake story) — posted a link to a short story on Tor’s site. The story contains the following quote – I also admit to being more than a little confused as to how I [...]

Poetry and Manic-Depression

At my personal blog I just posted a piece on manic-depression and poetry. Poets suffer from manic-depression more than other artists, some reasons for which I offer. My new book, “Unexpected Light,” explores manic-depression among other subjects. In fact, portions of the book were reconstituted from a previous ms. called “Sine Wave,” which was devoted to the experience [...]

A Ghazal: Fighting the Love of Battle

Hi, Jim Fowler here again. This month I’m posting a ghazal, an Arabian/Indian form pronounecd ‘guzzle’ It is a couplet form where each couplet is its own poem on a unifying subject. Traditionally there are a lot of rules to follow. I used the following rules, repeated word or phrase at end of each line [...]

Book Review: Modern Magic by Anne Cordwainer

So, this is a review of the promising first novel … err, collection of short stories… Errr, anyone for “cycle”? Modern Magic, by Anne Cordwainer. Can you tell that terminology is going to be a problem here? This is a novel in the sense that Asimov’s Foundation is a novel – a book-length work of prose [...]

Abandoned Towers Issue #2 Sneak Peek

So, feast your eyes on this. The Table of Contents for Abandoned Towers Issue #2 is: The Man in the Feathered Cloak By Jack Mulcahy The Cat’s Scientist By Daniel E. Wilcox It’s a Superman’s World By Colin P. Davies When Tomatoes Go Bad by Scott E. Green The Ultimate Salesman by Dean Grondo Language Barrier By [...]

Welcome to February 2009!

Welcome to February! This month, Abandoned Towers Magazine has several new serials just getting underway, all for your reading pleasure. First up, The Script of Sages by Andrew Cooper. This is a short serial of only 5 chapters, but don’t delay. You’ll want to read it right from the beginning. To whet your appetite, here’s [...]

A Prose Poem: Storm

Hi folks, I, James Fowler, have been seriously writing poetry for fifteen or so years and being published for twelve. I write in many genres and forms becuase I believe the poem itself dictates what form it wants, though in my rewrites (many) I try the poem in prose poem, iambics, etc. Here is a [...]

Introducing Poet C. E. Chaffin

Due to the beneficence of Crystalwizard (also known as Kelly), the Grand Poobah of this whole operation, my first book of poetry in 11 years has just been released by one of her publishing arms, Diminuendo Press. It is entitled “Unexpected Light: Selected Poems and Love Poems 1998-2008.” Here’s the direct link: Unexpected Light Nearly every [...]

The Amazing, Revised, All New, Spiderman?

What in the world has happened to spiderman? For those who haven’t been reading the comic books, but have been reading the comic strip, Jan 1, 2009 came as something of a heavy shock. What did Marvel do? You can read all about it by visiting Abandoned Towers at http://cyberwizardproductions.com/AbandonedTowers and clicking on Eric S. [...]

Reviewing Murdoch

NY Times writer David Carr reviews Michael Wolff’s new book — The Man Who Owns the News”. Pull quote from the review: The book is a strangely alluring artifact, with huge gaps in execution and stylistic tics that border on parody; it will nonetheless provide a deeply satisfying experience for the ­media-interested. And the end graf: Many before [...]

Comics!

If you haven’t been reading Eric Brown’s articles on various comics, now is the time to start. His series on Jonah Hex will finish up with the last piece on Jan 1. And starting in Feb, he’ll be exploring The Flash. In addition to the longer series of several parts, you’ll find quite a few [...]

Book Review: Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Okay, so let’s suppose you are stuck in high school, reading books like eating bonbons, with a college vocabulary and a wicked sense of humor. And let’s suppose that you exhausted Encyclopedia Brown in third grade, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew by fifth, Buffy is off the air and you are starved for entertainment. [...]

Trailer for DFF: Dead Friends Forever

Okay, this trailer’s pretty darn rockin, (although I’d say it’s too long). J.R. Turner’s DFF: Dead Friends Forever is out for the kindle at Echelon. The first three chapters are on her site here. A bit tough slogging on the skater terms in chapter one, but it speeds up pretty soon. This bit’s in Chapter Three, when she’s [...]

The Forest of Hands and Teeth Book Trailer

Aprilynne Pike, whose YA debut novel Wings will be coming out in May, has linked to an awesome YA book trailer by a friend of hers named Carrie Ryan. I’ve also linked it, below, for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy! Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth will be coming out in March, and I should review it then.

Vampire Kits, Fairy Lamps, Southern Gothic

Okay, I’ve written a little Urban fantasy and a little Southern Gothic, but some things you just can’t make up. Alley over at NTSFW just pointed out an auction that sold a circa 1800 Vampire Killing Kit that went at auction for just under $1500.00. The awesome picture is at Neatorama , and the text and info on the [...]

Abandoned Towers Issue #1 Now Available

Abandoned Towers issue #1 is now available in print. To pick up your copy, just go to the AT home page at http://cyberwizardproductions.com/AbandonedTowers or go direct to the order page at http://www.lulu.com/content/4592024 Remember, you’ll never find the stories and articles which are contained in the printed pages also online, so make sure you get your [...]

Back from FenCon

Abandoned Towers, in the person of Crystalwizard, spent Oct 3-5 roaming around at FenCon, handing out slips of paper with the magazine home page on them and taking in all the sights. We now present this overview of the con. Far too many panels to choose from, but that’s a good thing. It did mean, however, [...]

New Story Added to Fantasy On-line Content

Today I’ve added a new story called Dust to the Abandoned Towers online fantasy page. Have you ever noticed that, no matter how hard you try, the dust is every where? You scrub, you clean, you vacuum… but no matter what, the dust remains like some living thing with malicious intent. Maybe you’re not just [...]

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