IHOW

The orc scratched his cheek, considering the menu. “An order of bloodwaffles, please,” he spoke in a clear tenor voice. He ignored the two children tearing up their paper children’s menus who also sat in his booth. Hattie took his lead and also ignored the kids. “Would you like your bloodwaffles topped with anything?” One […]

The Peace of Home

“Home,” Deren answered. The Sargon’s smile faded. His brows drew together. “Oh, dear, dear Deren, I would give you kingdoms and blessings beyond imagining for what you have done for us. I would give you a story that would end in glory. You have given so much and given up so much more. But I […]

My Girl

OK. Maybe I didn’t make the smartest choice. Maybe. Don’t give me that look. Hey, just because my girl – all right, ex-girl – why you gotta go correcting my stories all the time? You and me, we’re not dating. You don’t get that right. And no, you’re not my type, so don’t get any […]

In Memoriam

They stood at the end of the world, the cliff overlooking the sea, golden waves of grass behind them, a champagne sea before them reflecting the explosion. They watched as the shock wave raced toward them. Beside them the wreckage of a skimmer lay smoking. She put her hand in his. “Do you remember,” she […]

Permission Slip

Greetings, Parents! Through a grant from the Jennifer McFly Memorial Fund, all third graders are invited to attend a field trip to the dawn of time on Tuesday, October 14. Every year there are a few parents nervous about time travel, so we’ve included a few notes here. If you would prefer to excuse your […]

Hard Reset

Well, if he messed up this time, he could always rewind. Again. Just keep thinking that, he reminded himself. You’ve still got a safety net. A couple more rewinds. Just remember what you learned last time so it doesn’t go badly this time. It’s not like the fate of the world rests on this. It’s […]

Dead Worlds

World 0731. She’s still dead. *** World 0732. No newspapers here, and no public records of deaths anywhere I can find. Had to visit the House. Found an urn with her picture on it, with incense burning to it. Apparently we use some sort of ancestor worship here? Doesn’t matter. She’s still dead. *** […]

The World She Left Behind

The planet shuddered as the moon passed too close. Atmosphere dragged from the turbulent blue planet to the rocky satellite. Tidal tsunamis spread across the oceans and onto the continents. Bryan spread his fingers against the observation glass. He squinted down at the planet, sussing out the obscured continents, searching for a large bay […]

The Book Orchard

Marlene knew she shouldn’t have read the unsterilized book, but sometimes it’s hard to say no. She’d been hired as a booksheller and placed in the “pleasant books” division. She slept through training – who didn’t? – and then was placed out in the orchard, plucking the ripened nuts from the thick, thick branches. She […]

A Good Book is a Mirror

I just finished reading Still Life with Tornado by A. S. King. This is a Good Book. It paints a chillingly accurate picture of spousal abuse from the eyes of a child with a stunningly original speculative twist thrown in: Sarah, sixteen years old at the time of the novel, encounters herself as a ten-year-old, […]