Aphelion

I'd hate to think I was the only one to have enjoyed this story. It's a great exercise in controlled over-the-top catastrophe, not to mention controlled over-the-top dialog. Read it, you'll see.

Oh, there's also an unusual plot premise: a species of aliens who, instead of reproducing, do the opposite.

For all the weirdness going on, it's very well-constructed, with internal continuity and a solid plot progression. These qualities disappear when they're working correctly, as in this story. I was carried along by the colorful characterization and dialog and the well-balanced setting details, and only realized afterward how carefully constructed it all is.

When I was reading through it for edits, though, one oddity caught my attention: the number of em-dashes used to separate parenthetical phrases in sentences. A lot of these could have been replaced with commas, which would have made some of the sentences flow more smoothly, but they tend to add a little emphasis to the text, which is in character with the tone of the writing. So, they fit in, but they chop up the rhythm of the prose a bit.

Overall, very well done, and a lot of fun to read.

Check it out!