Issue 110, Volume 11 -- May 2007
Editorial
, and welcome to the new look for Aphelion!
As you can see, we've made a few changes to the
layout and format. Rob
Wynne sweated and slaved over the changes for several months in order
to bring you this updated layout. Everyone at Aphelion is very pleased
with the result. We hope that you will be pleased as well.
Also, one of the biggest changes is that
all the sections of
the zine are now on separate pages, accessible from the navigation bar
over to the left of your screen. That means that there are no longer
any huge delays in page downloads. No more endless index page, either.
Everything should be faster, cleaner, and less confusing on each page.
Along with the changes to the layout, I hope to
resume writing book
reviews within the next couple of issues. I have a huge backlog of
things that have been sent to me, with more arriving every day. Also, I
hope that we can start up the Interviews section again, as well as
other sections that have been overlooked in the past.
By the way, how did you like the cover for this
issue? Aphelion has
attracted the attention of pro artist William R. Warren, Jr. who
whipped out that little "crowd pleaser" of a cover as a sort of
audition. He said that he'd be open to contributing cover art as often
as his schedule permits. And he offered to do a few story illos, on the
condition that he be allowed to read the story ahead of time. He would
rather make his artwork fit the story than just offer up "generic" bits
that might or might not actually fit with a given tale. He also came up
with a wonderful suggestion for a new story series that would be based
on the spacecraft he invented for the cover, and their mission. There
will be more details available on a new page just as soon as we can
whip one out. So be forewarned, Aphelion is about to add a third shared
universe series to our featured Nightwatch and Mare
Inebrium
series. This will be tailored to the hard science crowd and will
feature near-future tech in an exploration of our own solar system.
This series will fit in between the strict structure of Nightwatch and
the "anything goes" structure of the Mare Inebrium series. More details
to follow as they develop.
ApheliCon 3 will be happening in the next week or
so. The date will be
May 12th, the place will be here at Casa Vila, and the time will be
from whenever the guests begin to arrive until the last guest
reluctantly departs. Directions are as follows: Chose your best route
to Athens, Ga. and get on Highway 29 North towards Danielsville.
Roughly five miles from Athens you will find the turnoff for Moons
Grove Church Road on your left. Casa Vila is roughly 7/10s of a mile
from that intersection. Here is a link to a page of photographs of
various landmarks between Athens and Casa Vila: Landmarks
to Casa Vila Lyn and I hope to see you here!
Other news: There has been some talk in the
Lettercol about running
flash fiction - and other types of story - contests inside the forum
itself. Most of the details are in a folder of the Administrivia
section and seem to have the support of many Lettercol contributers. As
the publisher, I'm not in the least opposed to the idea. I don't have
time for it myself, but this one seems to be self-regulating so I'd say
go for it. If it becomes a bandwidth problem, I'll have to call a halt
to it, but otherwise it sounds all right with me. My only objections
are that it'll take up some time that writers would usually spend on
longer stories for the main part of the zine, not all readers of the
zine read the Lettercol and thus won't get in on the fun, and that I'd
like the winning entries to be included in a special section that the
staff and I would have to add to the regular monthly issues, somewhere.
This will all have to be worked out in the near future, of course.
Dan
Cover art by William R. Warren, Jr.
Serials and Novellas
The Solar 1 Incident
by C.A. Massa
The story of two distinct races battling over an ice-world supposedly
rich in minerals and valuable jewels. Ancient alien prophecies foretell
doom if the great conflict does not cease, but it seems that neither
species is prepared to yield the frozen planet to the other.
Shadow Dancers
by Dale L. Willett
How could Sergeant Pete Gordon positively identify the body of his
high school classmate on the battle-field and then learn from his
friend's parents that their son was still in Louisiana?
On The Corner of Galaxy and Fifth
Part Two of Five
By Rob Wynne and Jeffrey Williams
A stranger's mysterious death lands Trauma and his companions in trouble
with the authorities, but he soon discovers that this is the least of his
worries.
(Read Part One here.)
Short Stories
Manila Envelope
By Robert Starr
The key to David's revenge on the woman who had stolen the love of David's father -- and David's inheritance -- had finally arrived, in a simple manila envelope.
ICE
By E. S. Strout
They had succeeded in retrieving a massive piece of a glacier from 20,000 years in the past. Okay, their aim had been a little off ...
Whitechapel
By Martyn Taylor
Despite the size of the haul from the body of Donkey and Weasel's latest victim, Weasel knew they had picked the wrong victim to mug. Especially with the coppers in an uproar over the Ripper murders!
The Rapture
By Daniel Devoto
Although the Bible said that it would be the faithful that rose up into the sky, in the end, it was the Godless who left the Earth in their spaceships. Those who stayed behind could finally live according to God's word ...
Full Circle
By Ezra T. Gray
They say that what goes around, comes around, and the wicked shall reap what they sow. Of course, things are never that simple.
The Way of the Warrior
By Michael G. McLaughlin
For the honor of the Broadhagh clan and an end to war, Briana must fight the warrior chieftain Kilian of the Coinneach. Could her wits and agility match his strength and experience?
In Deep Cover
By Mark Dykeman
Sander T. Anderson was one of the most successful evangelists in the ... business. Of course, no one knew that he was collecting faith as well as cash.
The Door
By Saki Channing
She found the brass rod while searching for the notebook that held every poem she'd written since junior high. And then she found the door, hidden behind a bookcase that hadn't been moved since before she moved into the apartment.
***Best Short Stories of 2003***
Last Man Standing
By L. G. Carillo
Trevor was in San Diego trying to close a deal when the Korean nukes fell. Now he had to get back to his family in Los Angeles ...
The Treasure of Agrinothe
By Sharon Partington
Brak of Calmor was the best thief in the Thirty Kingdoms. But the job he had planned would take all his strength, skill, and luck -- and then some.
The Case of Donald Phelps
By Cameron Neilson
Donald Phelps insisted that his wife had been taken by aliens. The police, of course, had other ideas. Dr. Lopp hoped to use hypnosis to find the truth ...
The Killer's Choice
By John Biggs
Molina was finally offering him a way out. All he had to do was kill one child ...
***Best Short Stories of 2004***
A Path of Ramble and Mist
By Jaimie L. Elliott
Jeremy only wrote sword-and-sorcery tales. He never expected to have to live through one.
Absolution
By Jim Rudnick
Miguel came to confess that he had been pursued by demons ever since he stole the strange silver locket from a dying man. The priest was more than ready to listen.
Beyond Sapiens
By Noel Carroll
She had been born different, with a brain a hundred times denser and more efficient than any normal human. Leaving the Earth with only her hundreds of artificially-gestated children for company seemed preferable to life among the inferior masses...
Helen Damnation
By Robert Moriyama
Helen 'Damnation' Mackay was the toughest Law Enforcement Officer in the Port Arthur lunar colony. When they told her to drop her investigation of one of the colony's founders, the results were predictable.
***Best Short Stories of 2005***
Uncle ... Uncle
By Robert Starr
People thought there was something odd about Karl Reusmensuen. They were right. But if they ever met his uncle...
Quintessence
By I. D. Weis
He's a tough guy, hired muscle in a city that makes Bosch depictions of Hell and Bedlam seem tame. Trying to hang on to his humanity and still get the job done isn't easy.
The Jazz-Jazz
By Dan Edelman
Every Mandaroy soldier was deadly beyond belief, but Kai Ferracane was the Dagian Guard, last survivor of the best of the best. It was time for him to show the Scorpio Gemfire troops exactly what he could do.
***Best Short Stories of 2006***
The Importance of Being Khan
By Gregory Adams
The crazy psychic told Warren Pohmer that Warren was the reincarnation of Genghis Khan. He had to be crazy to say that, right?
Blue Roses
By J. A. Howe
Transgenic plants had all but wiped out unmodified species, in spite of Tab's best efforts to preserve them. What would she do when the last "antique" rose died?
BANG!
By Mike Driver
Jeff thought that working as an assistant groundskeeper cum gravedigger sucked. And that was before graves started opening from the inside!
***Best Mare Inebrium Stories 2004 - 2006***
Just Another Day at the Office
By N. J. Kailhofer
The alarm came from the R&D Department. It was always the R&D Department that caused the most trouble...
The Customer is Always Right
By Bill Wolfe
All things come to they who wait- Even if they wait forever.
Helen in Wonderland
By Robert Moriyama
In the Port Armstrong lunar colony, Helen Damnation McKay has no equal. In the Mare Inebrium however, she may have met her match!
Enter The Dragon
By B. H. Marks
When one seeks vengeance to the exclusion of all else, one may find in the end that all the best laid plans go awry -- if one picks the Mare Inebrium as a hunting ground.
The Kitten Box
By Gareth Lyn Powell
What is the true nature of man? And if you knew that, how would you measure it?
Willing to bet your life on it?
A Fish Out Of Water
By Linda Kelly
Some bars don't know how to deal with a patron who is obviously drugged out of their mind, but at the Mare Inebrium, intoxication is just a state of mind...
Deus Ex Machina
By Wishbone
You'd would think that having proved that some planet's major deity was actually an alien Sociology Professor would be enough for one student's lifetime. But now Robert Landis had to survive the wrath of the disillusioned natives he'd "inconvenienced" with his secular revelation.
Poetry and Filk Music
Best Poetry of 2003
Best Poetry of 2004
Best Poetry of 2005
Features
Dream Songs of Lore: Superhuman
by Jaimie L. Elliot
In the first part of an ongoing series, Jaimie Elliot explores some of
the rich stories found in less familiar folklore and mythology.
Aphelion Webzine is © 1997-2007 by Dan L. Hollifield
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