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Editorial
The Senior Editor's usual drivel about whatever...
Hello and welcome!
Interesting times we're living in, aren't they? The war on terrorism is already a month old, so the price of gasoline has started to inch back up. Is it just me, or is anyone else outraged by the fact that it took a mass murder to drop the price of gas fifty cents? Suddenly I've got a little bit more cash in my pocket, but the newspeople tell me that the economy is in trouble... Airlines lose customers because people are afraid, and the telephone company starts laying off workers. The police are furiously searching for the anthrax mail-poisoners, and my mailbox is stuffed with mail-order catalogs. These are the Crazy Years, folks.
Doomsday cultists are ecstatic, conspiracy theorists are in nervana, and people are buying gas masks they don't know how to use. The hate groups are simmering, but too aware of hightened security nationwide to do more than that at the moment. Grocery stores are selling lots of canned goods. Charities are collecting record donations, and con-artists are bilking more victims than ever. But also, the police are catching more of them than ever. Airlines are installing the greatest leaps in onboard security since D.B. Cooper invented air-piracy. And every level of US law enforcement agencies are co-operating like never before. I'd really hate to be a crook right now! {8^)
So what am I trying to say? "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." pretty much sums it up. Life is tougher, so we adapt. People can adapt to almost anything. But remember, there is a difference in being alert and in being paranoid. Don't give the craziness a chance... Think it through. There are sensible precautions that anyone can take to lessen any reasonable risk. Take those which seem right for you. You cannot live in fear, or the terrorists have an edge. Be careful, but don't be afraid.
I do have to say that I'm proud to see we've pulled together so much. Americans have divided themselves in the past, but our greatest strength is in standing together.
As for the future? Spies and saboteurs is an old game- one that Governments have been playing for centuries. So this is not a new thing. We will prevail even though it'll cost us a bit more personal freedom. Security will become even tighter, more clues to the anthrax poisoner/s will be found, air travel will become safer than ever, and the war will go on. Everyone will become acustomed to the hightened security and soon learn to cope. Just as everyone has done in the past when similar things have happened. History really does seem to repeat itself sometimes. This war isn't going to last forever, but it may last a long time. The scars will last far longer, as will the lessons we learn.
The real test is not to go too far.
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
Assistant Short Story Editor
Jeffrey Williams
Production Editor/Serials Editor
Ralph Benedetto, Jr.
Assistant Serials Editor
Roger Bennett
Editor Emeritus
Serialized Stories & Novellettes
Mystery of GranLab Station
By Greg Guerin The spores of virus CD-100 released when the virology lab of
GranLab station was sabotaged killed Renna's lab assistant Natalie in minutes. Now vials
containing a strain of the virus and a trial antidote are missing and Renna is locked
in with the unidentified killer...
As Drums Beat
By E.K. Reid Yves had bought the set of bongo drums at a congested marketplace in Columbia six years before.
Dreamers: The Calling
By Christian R. Bonawandt Officer Delgado is forced to confront an incredible reality.
Magebane
By Liam Wilson In this tale, rival high school gangs use "magi-punk" against one another.
Racial Memory
By Hailey Gold Trais Four was a jungle planet. It was not all jungle; it had plains and
mountains with snow. Nevertheless, Trais Four was a jungle planet.
The Song of Birdie McBride
By Norman A. Rubin Come join the bearded balladeer, by the tavern's warming fire, somewhere along a Scottish road...
Stairway Through Agony
By Noel Carroll I am the only one who can see the eighth floor of our condo building...
The Exile
By Vandana Singh Below her lay the burning valley. Above her was the massive, dying
sun and the alien ships. Min had once been of the People, but now she was alone...
With These Hands
By Robert Moriyama He said, "Who am I?" They said, "John Doe Number Five."
A Fish for Orion
By Lee Foster “I hunt everything. Hunt dangerous things, no one else will hunt.” He touched the butt of a bone-handled weapon on his belt. “I hunt great cat-creatures. I hunt giant white, crushing creature. Use skeleton for trophy room. I hunt mutated giant killer quadruped.” He fingered his white furred GEEB polar bear cloak. He leaned close to me and said in a conspiratorial tone, “But I run out of things to hunt. No more great killer beasts. I become building-stick.” Then he smiled his toothsome smile and looked up towards Kazsh-ak Tier... A Mare Inebrium Story.
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: "Clovenstone"
The new novel by Ruth McIntyre-Williams A Celtic Medieval Fantasy Novel
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-- 
