audio engineering by Bruce McDonald

Illustration by the author, Liz Mierzejewski

Liz Mierzejewski is a middle school science teacher from Connecticut.  She is an avid (some would say obsessive) sf reader and uses it extensively in her science classes.  Her work has appeared in the online zine Toasted Cheese and in the magazine Motherverse. Liz is also a panelist on the popular Battlestar Galactica Roundtable podcast.  Look for it on Itunes!

Looking at that empty box covered with photographs and flowers that morning, I still held out hope.

“Is she dead?” they would ask me.  Some would pull me by my elbow, being discreet in the company of Maggie’s family, but it was always the same question.  “Do you think she’s dead?”

With as much discretion, I would whisper.  I had to whisper, my voice shot to hell from screaming her name in the endless caverns.  “I don’t know.”  I want to believe she’s alive, but even using that word right now seems ludicrous, considering the circumstances.

Music by Robert Farmer

Illustration by Lorraine Schleter

Walter Jon Williams began his writing career in the 80′s and he has been a very prolific writer eversince.  His first SF novel was Ambassador of Preogress, followed by Hardwired, Aristoi, Metropolitan, City on Fire, The Rift and his Dread Empire’s Fall series.  He won a Nebula for “Daddy’s World” and “The Green Leopard Plague.”  His short fiction is colected in Facets and Frankenstein’s and Foreign Devils.  His most recent novel is Implied Spaces which the clonepod team can’t wait to read.

This coming of age story is PG because it is a coming of age story where not every child gets to become an adult.  Younger children may be frightened, but parents should decide for themselves.

It’s your understanding and wisdom that makes me want to talk to you, Doctor Sam.  About how Fritz met the Blue Lady, and what happened with Janis, and why her mother decided to kill her, and what became of all that.  I need to get it sorted out, and for that I need a real friend.  Which is you.

Janis is always making fun of me because I talk to an imaginary person.  She makes even more fun of me because my imaginary friend is an English guy who died hundreds of years ago.

The story today is not for young children. It is PG13 for language, mature topics and violence

Read by Abby Kim

Music by Robert Farmer

Audio Engineering by Chris Moody

Jeffrey DeRego’s fiction has appeared at Escape Pod and Tales of the Zombie War. He also contributes funny commentaries about writing to The Writing Show (www.writingshow.com) and has appeared on both SciFi Dig, and The Eclectic Word.
 

So, we’re like in this mall in Wisconsin or Michigan or some other place I can’t find on a map, roped off and on a little stage. And, all I can concentrate on is how good an Orange Frosty from the food court would taste right now. Do I notice that a couple of hundred kids, mostly girls around between five and fifteen are screaming questions and snapping pictures? Sure, but that isn’t anyway near as interesting as how they mix orange juice, coconut milk, and soda water with a chopped banana.

PG-13 – not for young children!

Read by Leslie Ann Moore

Music by Robert Farmer

Audio Engineering by Bruce McDonald

 Ms Kelly received my MFA from Pacific University in 2006, and since leaving school, she has taught composition and fiction writing at Pacific. She has a short story appearing this summer in The Rose & Thorn. She was a finalist in a Glimmer Train short story contest in 2006, and in 2007 she won an artist residency at Caldera. In 1998 she was a writer in residence at Hedgebrook in Washington state, and in 1999, her short story “Scorched” was selected by Stephen King for his On Writing contest.

      After the cat died, time began to creep up on me.

      One day I set out to water and prune the tomato plants, and the next thing I knew I’d spent most of the day going through old clothes, shaking out the wrinkles and remembering when I last wore this dress, that blouse.

      In the trunk I also found a notebook. I don’t know how it got there, maybe scooped up in my last frenzy of packing. We are taught never to write anything down, not even directions or lists. I’ve obeyed this rule so well that I had to teach myself to hold a pen.

      You see, that was one way the cat helped. I wouldn’t have lasted a month out here without her, in the beginning.

Read by Rufus Nagel

Tannis is a standalone short story, but also forms the
bulk of the opening chapter of the young adult SF
novel Generations. Tannis is currently in production
as a short animated movie by a student filmmaker in
South Africa. The story previously appeared in the UK
small press magazine Xenos Issue 5 1993.

William Meikle is a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with
seven novels published in the States and over 150
short story credits in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland,
Saudi Arabia, Greece, India and Romania.

The autumn sun drifted through the trees dappling the ground around him in soft shades of yellow and gold and green. But Tom didn’t notice. All his attention was on the pond in front of him.

He’d been stalking the newt all morning –

by Leslie Ann Moore

Haunting Clues was first published at www.TheTownDrunk.org in March 2007.  This story is a light-hearted ghost story.  This story is also available at www.AnthologyBuilder.com.   Maria Schneider work can also be found at www.CoyoteWildMag.com in the January 2008 issue and in
Toil, Trouble and Rot at www.CoyoteWildMag.com  (forthcoming issue)

 When he walked into my detective agency, I was suspicious. No one hired me these days, not since the elves moved into the building across the street with their big sign, “We Can Find… Anything!” Semi-nude fairies peered out between the letters.

      “I need your help,” he said, swinging his keys around on one finger. He was bald, fortyish, and covering it well. I almost didn’t catch the hair transplant, but the black replacement on the top of his head was thicker than the flatter, thin strands at the sides.

      “Why don’t you hire the elves?” I asked, jerking my thumb towards the window.

 Warning PG13 for violence and suggestive language

Illustration is by Rikki Niehaus. You can find more of her work at http://rikkiniehaus.com.

Read by Leslie Ann Moore, author of Griffin’s Daughter

“I Have a Daughter”, was first published by Earlyworks Press in the high fantasy anthology, “The Sleepless Sands.” Ms. Edmunds is an English poet, novelist and short story writer, with many works in various anthologies, as well as one published novel.  Catherine Edminds’ recent poetry book can be found at our site’s bookstore.

“I have a daughter.”

      My father’s deep tones rang out, commanding silence, and the moment I’d been dreading since I turned sixteen finally arrived. I clutched Shull’s fur and watched intently from behind the grill that had helped keep me invisible all these years.

      The tall warrior’s eyes lit up. These were the first words of a ritual, and barbarian or no, he knew them well, but had never expected to hear them himself. None in the hall would have known of my existence; the fact that my father had a daughter. There was a murmuring of surprise, then a hushing to silence.

      “I have a daughter,” my father repeated, softly this time, and this time the warrior responded. The ritualistic words were spoken harshly, his voice cracking with the strain of sudden unexpected hope.

      “I have need of a wife.”

Illustration by Steve Cartwright.  Y ou can find more of his work at www.angelfire.com/sc2/cartoonsbycartwright.

Read by Rufus Nagel

Now that I’m a Robot was originally published online at Science Creative
Quarterly in November, 2006.
He has had other humor pieces published at McSweeneys
Online Tendency, The Big Jewel, MonkeyBicycle, The
Morning News, Weird Tales, Fantastic Stories of the Imagination and
Talebones.  You can find Mr. Gamelli at http://webpagewithlinks.blogspot.com/ 

Illustration by Phil Eggerding. His website can be found at http://www.wilderhom.com/mindex.htm

Read by Bruce McDonald

PG for low level violence

You can read more about Jig the goblin in Jim C. Hines’ books Goblin Quest, Goblin Hero and Goblin War. You can purchase these books through an Amazon Bookstore link on our site.

You can find Jim Hines and his goblins at www.jimchines.com

Jig had muck duty again. His shoulder ached from hauling the muck pot around as he scooped gobs of green sludge into shallow indentations in the stone floor. So far, he had made it through his duties without splashing himself. Even the unlit muck blistered skin in a matter of seconds. When burning, the yellow and green flames were almost impossible to extinguish, which was why the goblins used the stuff in the first place. Unlike most muck-workers, Jig had survived several years with his skin and lungs intact.

Illustration by Kayngi – www.kayngi.deviantart.com

Read by Bruce McDonald

PG for low level violence

Originally appeared in Fantasy Gone Wrong edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Brittiany A. Koren

You can find out more about the author at http://freespace.virgin.net/diri.gini/brian.htm

WORLD’S EDGE 4 miles said the relevant arm of the signpost. At least, that’s what it said now. The 4 replaced a scratched-out 5, which had replaced a scratched-out six, and so on to 10. There had been other numbers before that, but someone had repainted the sign some years ago to make way for a new set….

PG for low level language

Forget Me Not is about a young scientist’s bid to become famous.

A warning to the faint hearted, Forget Me Not does contain an instant of extreme but not explicit violence.

Illustration is from the Wikipedia article Forget Me Not picture released into the Public Domain by Jonas Bergsten

The illustration for Spooklights was created by Marc Sandroni. Our clonepod illustration was also completed by Marc.