Aphelion

This is a typical "What the hell was that?!" story . . . nothing is explained -- at least coherently -- even by the main character. His dialog in the tavern wanders drunkenly; of course, he doesn't fully understand it himself. His confusion is very well rendered. And he must be confused, because the other people seem normal in their behavior. Whatever this is, we can't even be sure if it's bad: it's just there, and of course it scares him.

I liked the dialog a lot.

Good story.

By the way, the overall style of the writing reminded me very much of Sergio's.

bottomdweller wrote:I wanted to expand my early post just a smidge: The Matrix takes on this subject matter, about the dreamer and the dream - however - as is typical of an American frame of reference - they turned it into a battle of right vs wrong. There is a wider range of thought than just good vs evil, but it is often overlooked in sci-fi/fantasy writing.

In the context of this story, the things that the protagonist sees horrify him -- but they don't seem to harm the people, animals or even inanimate objects in any discernible way. Are they evil (assuming that they exist outside of his perceptions) -- or does he only think so because they are (a) black, and (b) tentacle-like? (Maybe he has gained the ability to see The Force!)

RM