If you haven't read of my tragic news yet, you should read this page: In Memorium.
Thank you all for being so understanding during this trying time. Everything has been so hard to deal with, but both our families have all pulled together to help me cope- as have all my friends, both online and off. Everyone's kindness is deeply appreciated. I am recovering; the grief is not endless, nor is it impossible to bear, it is merely intense.
As you may have guessed, I don't really feel much like my usual self. Most of the joy of writing went out of me then. It will take some time for me to regain it. Please excuse the lack of any real sort of editorial.
This is the yearly double issue of Aphelion. There are more stories than usual, plus my picks of the "greatest hits" of the past year. Hopefully, this will tide you over until February, dear readers. Rest assured, my personal problems do not spell the end of Aphelion.
Dan
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
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
Sunrise
By Jordana Slayer
A desperate obsession with an apathetic human girl has unexpected
and disastrous consequences.
Lamak Dying
By E. Markham
On an ordinary day in Lamak three travellers paths cross. One will
discover a half forgotten history, one will fulfil their destiny, and one will
determine the fate of an entire city.
As a teenager, Josh had wanted to fly to the stars. As an adult, he ended up with an oilfield job and a portfolio of hopeless dreams stashed away on his PC's hard drive. Alcoholism and depression ate away at him and drove him to spend lonely nights pondering his existence. Then he met an alien on the riverbank one night. An alien with a machine that created objects out of raw matter and energy. Even complex objects like components for starships!
Short Stories
Bandit
By Robert D. Buckingham
Way up north, on the DEW line, our fighting men are ready for anything. And sometimes, they get it.
Night Glow
By William Baxter
When the world changes, not everyone receives the benefits.
The Floating City
By Jason Beirens
"I have been waiting for a champion, or champions to face me. I have been waiting to be destroyed. I am so very tired, tired of it all."
Campout
By Ron Bruno
Memories can play tricks on you.
Shalan
By George J. Condon
What price would you pay for immortality?
Never Ask Why
By Ezra T. Gray
"A flash of light appeared above the small carpeted stand. A split second later Roger appeared. Helen and Winston were quite shocked."
Bicycle Mike
By Mark Knight
“Dave has to die,” the little demon said from Mike’s left eye.
Fright Reaction
By Joshua Scribner
“It’s been a year since Kendra died,” he’d said. “Stop drowning yourself in work and get away for a while, go up to that cabin you used to talk about. Remember her. Mourn. Then come back.”
Jumping Off Point
By Robert Starr “Look,” I say, “no one really understands anyone. We just relate to the roles we play. You can only understand who I’m trying to be if I make it simple for you.”
Best of 2004: Helen Damnation
By Robert Moriyama
In the Port Armstrong lunar colony, criminals beware: Helen Damnation McKay has no patience for sinners.
Best of 2004:
Catch A Burning Star
By Gareth Lyn Powell
Nick Malik had done some rotten things to survive, but on the eve of armageddon he found he owed a debt he could not ignore, even if it cost him his life.
Best of 2004: Beyond Sapiens
By Noel Carroll
I hate putting this down on electronic paper because, in doing so, I concede failure for the first time in my short life at the time of this recording, I am nineteen years old. I suppose I should also state that I am the biological mother of hundreds of children, all under two years of age.
Best of 2004: A Path of Ramble and Mist
By Jaimie L. Elliot
When Jeremy opened his door to find a mysterious robed figure, a mailed warrior, and a woman dressed like Xena waiting, he knew it was going to be an unusual day.
Best of 2004:
Absolution
By Jim Rudnick
Miguel was a pick-pocket who had committed a terrible sin. Only the priest could save him from damnation.
Best of 2004:
Eternity
By Zahid Zaman
A woman finds herself trapped in a dream world where she faces terror as she searches for someone she lost.
Best of 2004: Old Business
By Robert Starr
He knew what he had to say to be free, but somehow he could never bring himself to say it.
Best of 2004: The Customer is Always Right
By Bill Wolfe
All things come to they who wait- Even if they wait forever.
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!
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
list. To subscribe:
Send a message to majordomo@lists.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!
Best of 2004: 
--8\8\2000--
