Hello and welcome to the 10th Anniversary Party Issue! Aphelion has been online for a solid decade. We hope to be online for many decades to come, too.
Not only do we have new stories and poetry for this issue, but we are starting to run a segment of "Best Ever" stories featuring our Editor's picks of the best tales from the last ten years. This "Best Ever" feature ought to take us two or three issues to complete. This issue has the picks from 1997-1999. I want to thank each and every reader and writer for helping to make Aphelion the best e-zine to be found on the internet. Plus, I'd like to thank the Aphelion Staff for doing all the work while I sit back and loaf around. Y'all make me look good, as well as make me proud!
After that announcement, what could I possibly have to rant about? Not much, really. I'm in the planning stages for ApheliCon 3, the annual get-together for Aphelion readers, writers, and staff. The date has been finalized: May 12th. There is a Poll up in the Lettercol where atendees can vote on the menu items for the feast. So far, it looks like my wife and I will both be cooking different types of chilli. I'm sure that there will also be veggies & dips, chips, a salad, and various sorts of beverages. Lyn and I are looking forward to the event. Y'all come!
One further announcement: Starting this issue TaoPhoenix has joined the ranks of the Editorial Mafia as Archives Editor. Please join me in hoping that he doesn't run screaming into the night when he finds out how much time that's gonna swallow! LOL!
Dan
PS: Start planning to come to ApheliCon 3 on May 12th of 2007!
Please notice that this calendar puts Sundays over on the right hand side of the chart. This is how my work schedule looks: Every row is a workweek/payweek.
May 2007
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ApheliCon
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I now return you to your regularly scheduled reading...
I'd like to thank those of you who have sent e-mails or signed
into the Lettercol for your feedback. Keep those messages coming,
folks! Without those messages we will never know what we need to
improve upon. Hope you like the improvements so far!
Aphelion Staff:
Dan Hollifield
Senior Editor, Publisher
Iain Muir
Poetry/Filk Editor
Robert Wynne
WebMaven
Robert Moriyama
Short Story Editor
McCamy Taylor
Assistant Short Story Editor
Jeffrey Williams
Production Editor/Serials Editor
Ralph Benedetto,
Jr.
Assistant Serials Editor
Carl Woollen
Archives Editor
Roger Bennett
Senior Editor Emeritus
Cary Semar
Short Story Editor Emeritus
Serialized Stories & Novellettes
The Veld Opal
By Jens Rushing "A priceless jewel, an ancient man, and a femme (with something just a little fatale about her) drag Hanjan into a nightmarish quest through a devastated city in the fragmented world of Aetheria."
The Epiphany
By Aaron Wicke
Ragnus' goal in life was to make his father proud, living an average life, doing the daily chores his father put him to. Ragnus was never concerned with the issues of the rest of the realm. Yet, when Ragnus and his father are drawn into the supernatural war of Setats Detinu, his life changes dramatically with the event of one Epiphany.
Nightwatch: Sed Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes? --Part One--
--Part Two-- By Bill Wolfe Nightwatch isn't the only organization watching the world. The Collective--an organized group of powerful psychics--has been watching them! But when one of their own goes missing, who else but Nightwatch can they turn to for help? Who else, indeed?
A new shared universe series: Nightwatch, under the direction of Jeff Williams.
Short Stories
The Periambulant Oracle
by Frederick Rustam The Oracle was the most sophisticated Artificial Intelligence ever created -- so much so that it needed to directly experience the world it helped to govern instead of seeing it only as data from other systems. Journalist Tom Topping thus found himself helping the Oracle go walkabout ...
Last Movement by McCamy Taylor 'The Butterfly Effect' is just a metaphor for the unpredictability of the effects of even the smallest of actions. Wiping out a species of worms millions of years in the past couldn't affect the modern world -- could it?
Hollow by Frank Byrns Eddie DiSilva had gone from small-time hood to steel-skinned superpowered enforcer. He'd gone mano a mano with some of the big guns in his time. But his impenetrable hide was worse than useless now that he was in a fight to the death.
Oota's Tale by J.W. Bennett The shaman Oota Dabun has seen the future, and it is a dark one. Now he must take young Yuma on a journey through time to prepare him for what is to come.
Girl Facing Village by Lee Alon The world had changed radically with the spreading of Societal Order as the central pillar of the justice system. The Good People had decided that they would no longer stand for boorishness and hooliganism -- leading to virtual civil war with the advocates of 'freedom'. Anna Fin had withdrawn from the whole mess after her own case had served as a flashpoint for the change. But it looked like she couldn't escape the chaos -- not for long, anyway.
Still Under Warranty by Arnold Emmanuel Henry Willingsworth loved Beth, his girlfriend, with all his heart. Even when her hand fell off and he couldn't get it to lock back into place, he couldn't imagine trading her in...
Foray by Mary Brunini McArdle The chance to do some serious research and make a little more money was irresistible. A bizarre murder mystery and an unexpected romance just made things more interesting.
Walking Subtly by J. J. Sherman Rodney never expected that the invitation from one of his idols in the field of Evolutionary Biology might change his life in an instant. And the possibilities revealed could change EVERYTHING, especially for his terminally-ill mother.
The Superior Species by Walt Trizna
The discovery of perfectly preserved specimens of Homo neandertalis created opportunities for great scientific advances. For example, one could clone a species that wasn't quite human. But the experiment would also reveal other things, things that no one wanted to know.
Cat's Eye by Jeani Rector She was a nobody, all but invisible to the world. But seeing the cat, with the impossible-to-ignore gaping hole where an eye had been, suggested a solution to her problem.
A Matter of Trust
by Robert Moriyama The Morningstar has penetrated the defenses of the Conlegium Magistris itself, seriously injuring the College's Master of Combat Magic in the process. It seems that Al Majius and his allies must prepare for a final battle against their godlike foe -- until Janine Majius suggests an alternative.
Aphelion's
"Best Short Stories Of Our First Decade:"
This issue featuring stories from 1997 through 1999
Best of 1997: Frightening Little Planet, Isn't It? by Roger Bennett When you take advice from a stranger, always remember to ask the next question...
Best of 1997: Barfly By Dennis Tallent Always do your homework...
Best of 1998: Cause and Effect By Kate Thornton There is always a reason...
Best of 1998: Max's Night Off By Mark E. Cotterill Larrye just can't get a break...
Best of 1998: Yesterday's Glory By Robert Wynne Was she the girl of his dreams, or something else again?
Best of 1998: The Drinking Contest by Rene' Steen Some drinks can be deadly to those unacustomed to them.
Best of 1999: Drinking Problem by Jim Parnell Never trust an alien who doesn't drink, particularly at the Mare Inebrium!
Best of 1999: Harry Chapin's Waltz By Jeff Williams The Mare Inebrium's jukebox holds the key to mysterious patron.
Best of 1999: An Argument In Favor of A Social Conscience By Gary Glass When the Mare Inebrium is threatened by a Culture Clash, its up to the Social Conscience to save the innocent.
Best of 1999: Brother, Can You Spare A Crime? By Dan L. Hollifield The Reever is called to the Mare Inebrium to investgate a murder, but the victim keeps coming back for more.
Best of 1999: Bluesman By Jim Peters The Bluesman had the gift of touching souls with his music. A powerful weapon, indeed!
The Mare Inebrium Starter Kit.
--Updated 2/7/2004-- This is a link to all the background information for the Mare
Inebrium stories so far. This is a must read for all Mare Inebrium writers and
fans!
Tales of the Mare
Inebrium
The banner above links to
all the Mare Inebrium Stories on one page!
Aphelion Interviews: Gareth Powell
By Chelsea Meyer Long Awaited and well worth it!
Double
Wide
by Jim Parnell The collected wisdom of Bubba WARNING: Contains Language.
Aphelion proudly presents the installments of Double Wide all on
one page of links. We wanted to make sure that the wit and wisdom
of Bubba wasn't lost for new readers, so we made a mini-archive
list of just the Double Wide features.
Aphelion Banners
And banner artwork for links. If you want to link to Aphelion and want more than a text link,
then this page is for you. Some of these banners are finished, but
most of them lack only my adding text to make them complete.
Unfinished banners can be completed and e-mailed to you within 8
days. The banner HTML code-- and image --can be e-mailed on
request, or can be more simply copied from the "View / Page
Source" option in your web browser. Finished images can be copied
from the banner artwork page itself. An exchange of links or banner
links is always welcome. Link Swap E-mail should be sent to: Dan Hollifield
A Challenge to
Writers... --8\8\2000-- Not a contest, but a series of ideas to spark off a story.
Challenge 1 is the paintings of Daniel Hannaquand, Challenge 2 is a
collection of narrative hooks composed by Dan Hollifield.
Aphelion Links
Page --3\01\2003--
Click here to see the Links Page. Our fellow E-zines, Astronomy,
research material, entertainment, and much, much more!
Aphelion IRC Chat --7\31\2003-- Information about an underused feature for Aphelion. IRC Chat is a fun
way to talk to our readers, writers, staff members, and other
netizens. This link takes you to a basic intro and provides further
links to the IRC software that you can download for free. Look for
new updates as we refine this feature.
Aphelion JAVA
Chat --Repaired 3\25\2003-- For a quick look at the JAVA chat client, this link launches a
new browser window that takes you to a Log-in form for a JAVA-based
chat in your browser window. No special programs are needed. This
will be a very simple, but passable IRC client, very no-frills.
This will also tell you if there's anyone else in the chatroom, by
the way.
If you would like to receive notices from Aphelion when this
page is updated, please join our new, revised, automatic mailing
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Send a message to majordomo@lists.america.net with the
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As always, this mailing list will only be used to notify you of
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hate spam as much as you do!
--1\03\2002-- Click here to
see the Links Page
