Don't miss a single hillarious issue of Bruno the Bandit,
Freefall or The Melonpool Chronicles! Check back every day for laughs
from Aphelion's featured cartoonists!
Editorial
The Senior Editor's usual drivel about whatever...
Hello and welcome!
First off, I'd like to thank everyone who e-mailed me asking after my health. Your good wishes helped keep my spirits up. I beegun to be able to eat again, and have regained 5 of the fifteen pounds that I lost last month. I must say that I prefer the loss of the 15 pounds that I managed thru eating better and getting lots of exersise that I managed during my vacation to losing the additional weight VIA botulism. As I said, I've regained my appetite and am doing much better.
Secondly, I'd like to once again appologise for the lateness of this issue. Either I was at work, home sick, or sitting out a thunderstorm almost every day of June. It was almost comic. When I was home, I either had to spend most of my day in the bathroom, or I couldn't use the computer because of thunderstorms. When I was working, I'd have no computer access. I'm sorry, but the real world is rather cruel at times.
And as for what I should rant about this month... Well, I've gotten rather annoyed at my TV dish provider for lack of programming flexability, the Fox TV Network and the BBC for still not allowing the Paul McGann Dr. Who TV movie to be released in the US on video (&/or DVD) yet, Thor for making me need to buy a replacement VCR for the one shorted out by lightning and for not allowing me online last month, at the new Spiderman movie for making his web-shooters a mutant power rather than the original mechanical devices tinkered together by Peter Parker's genius, at a "local resturant" for serving tainted food, but mostly I'm mad at my self for getting depressed over all the downers my life has been throwing me lately. I don't like being depressed, being a writer is as close to mental illness as I'd like to get. I don't need the downswing of a manic/depressive cycle on top of everything else. But how does one go about dragging one's self out of it?
Simple- keep busy. The Great American Solution to Everything- keep busy, do something to take your mind off your problems. Things will get better if you work at them. Don't give yourself time to dwell on what's going wrong, get busy doing something right- and right now.
So I did, and things still went wrong. (I'll get you for this, Murphy!) But I kept at it and things began to turn around. I reached the bottom of the bell curve and survived to begin the next ascent. So now I'm playing catch-up with all the things I missed. I guess the moral of the story is to fight depression rather than submit to it. Find things that make you happy and do them more often. Don't give up, don't give in, claw your way out of the hole as best you can. Friends help, work helps, taking a vacation sometimes helps- but mostly, doing those things that you've come to love is the best medicine.
Thanks for your time.
Dan
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
Kim Holec
Poetry/Filk Editor
Robert Wynne
WebMaven
Cary Semar
Short Story Editor
McCamy Taylor
Asssistant Short Story Editor
Jeffrey Williams
Production Editor/Serials Editor
Ralph Benedetto, Jr.
Asssistant Serials Editor
Roger Bennett
Editor Emeritus
Serialized Stories & Novellettes
Aphelion Special Presentation
Starshock --Pt. 2 of 3--
By Roger Bennett A century ago the T'zirian Empire first found the Human colony near its borders. At first there was an uneasy peace, then finally there was war between the two expanding empires. After that there was another uneasy peace between the humans and T'zirians. But as always, peace was a very fragile thing...
The Dark Son
By Lara C. Hudson The hardened, orphaned son of galactic explorers survives alone by
exploiting the violent underbelly of 22nd-century San Francisco. As he
embarks on a perilous journey to be recognized by the powerful Atlas
Academy and finally re-claim his birthright as an elite inter-stellar
explorer, he
discovers the true color of his dark heart.
Evolution to Endeavor
By Greg Guerin When a team of galaxy wandering automated scientists arrive in Earth's
solar system and bump into inhabitants that are attempting to revive the
lost art scienctific endeavour, revelations are exchanged about the nature
of each party's existence.
Old Wounds
By J. M. Allen An ageless wizard joins forces with an Elven ranger and a diminutive thief
to combat an ancient evil. The price of failure will be more than their
lives; the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
1st Place Winner! Myth Is Dead
By Nicholas J. Perry
It is 1916 and the British army is prepared to launch the most disastrous offensive
of World War I. Now is the time for the Return of the King.
2nd Place Winner! Falcon's Lair
By Iain Muir I was bellied up to the bar in Merv's place, sipping what he claimed was
genuine Scotch, when this old feller walked in...
3rd Place Winner! Camelot Incorporated
By Robert Moriyama He's back and he is ready to save England. But how to do it?
The Runners-up, Alaphabetical by Title
Best Served Cold
By Jill A. Johns At last the thirty year quest had ended. The archaologist had found the grave
of the real King Arthur.
But I Am the King
By Kate Thornton Visit beautiful Glastonbury. You may already be the king!
The First Knight
By L. Hamons King Arthur returns. To the beach.
Moon Rise
By Amanda Marlowe Sandra had inherited a rosewood box. Inside was a Sapphire which glowed when
she held it. But it glowed only for her.
Links Updated -- 9-10-00 --
Each of the three links below have changed. Please take note and adjust your Bookmarks if necessary. The first link below gives you the introduction to the Mare Inebrium, the banner link now gives you access to all of the Mare stories, and the third link now gives you acess to the Mare Inebrium Online Starter kit. The online Starter Kit will be updated as often as Mare writers make necessary.
The banner above links to
all the Mare Inebrium Stories on one page!
The
Mare Inebrium Starter Kit.
--Updated 12/10/2000-- 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!
Features
Aphelion's Daily Comics
By Mark Stanley, and Steve Troop Did he say daily? Yep, Aphelion is proud to feature two of the funniest comic strips on the Internet, Mark Stanley's "Freefall" and Steve Troop's "The Melonpool Chronicles". Bookmark this page, you don't want to miss a single installment!
Double Wide
by Jim Parnell Say Good Night Gracie
WARNING: Contains Language.
Aphelion reluctantly presents the last regular installment of Double Wide. Jim informs us that he's begun work on a novel and wants to give it his full attention, and he's the kind of guy that can't stand to do less than his best. Please join myself and the Editorial Mafia in suporting his decision to take that next big step as a writer.
Dan Hollifield reviews: "Flatterland"
The newest novel by Ian Stewart The classic novel "Flatland" revisited for a new age. Multidimentional math made interesting and fun, woven into a classic "quest" story.
The Listening Room
by Rob Wynne Rob Wynne bangs his head against Phoenix's "Into the Fire"
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 --6\08\2001--
Click here to see the Links Page. Our fellow E-zines, Astronomy, research material, entertainment, and much, much more!
Aphelion IRC Chat --2\16\2001-- Information about a new 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 --2\12\2001-- 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 specian 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.
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
If you would like to receive notices from Aphelion when this page is
updated, please join our new, revised, automatic mailing list. To
subscribe:
Send a message to
majordomo@america.net with the following in the body of the
message:
subscribe aphelion <email address>
As always, this mailing list will only be used to notify you of new
issues and will never be given out to anyone else... 'cause I hate
spam as much as you do!
Instead of the back issues the banner below now takes you to the Archives-where all our past stories are available for you to read.
I've decided to ditch the back issues in favor of the Archives. The Archives are easier to use and can be indexed by author or story title. Hopefully this will ease the task of finding a favorite story. We may start a page of our past cover art, if
there is a call for it. Thanks for your
readership for without you, nothing we do has any meaning.
Dan Hollifield reviews:
--8\8\2000-- 
