     
Hello and welcome to the infernally late 2025 issue of Aphelion.
First of all, I would like to both explain and
apologize for the debacle that has been my life in 2025. 28 years and I
never faltered or took a break, the staff worked tirelessly, and the
world gained several hundred new professional writers. And yet, there
was a balrog hiding in the woodpile.We endured the plague years, but
some of us lost beloved family members. But at last, time caught up
with me. I had retired from the factory and pursued my writing again
content in my ability to finish several unfinished tales, and go
forward with new creations. Yet, unknown to me, there was a serpent in
my newfound paradise. My home, my wife's fortress against
the constant upheaval of her life before we met, crumbled underneath
our feet. Plumbing half a century old, undetected, sprang multiple
leaks and began undermining the very foundation of our blissful
security.Our water heater rotted away, unbeknownst to us, causing even
more damage and needing replacement. And then we found the termites.
Once we determined what was happening the damage had been done. A
year's worth of retirement funds, maybe two, were diverted into saving
Casa Vila. Contractors were hired to make repairs. Every week, another
princely sum was spent on lumber and labor. Then, after leaving all our
furniture outside under a trarp in the rain, more expenses piled up to
protect same. A prefab barn to store everything out of the
weather--though some things had already been ruined before I took that
step, as the contractors vanished for months before finally returning
and half-assing the remaining work. We were finally shed of them by
August, though they began work in March. Two weeks worth of actual work
took months. They finally came back and finished what we'd paid for.
The final stages of what we had hired them to do would have enraged my
late father's pride in workmanship, even as they inflamed my own.
During this time, a pest control company was hired to deal with the
termites, and are now on a yearly retainer to prevent the insects from
returning. Money well spent, I say. The fridge, microwave, and stove
all packed up during this same time. I began to suffer from a quite
severe depression. I felt both useless and helpless, and the darkness
grew over my very soul. I felt crushed under the weight of
circumstances beyond my control. More money, more money, and yet more
money vanished into a pit of despair.I could no longer think, I could
no longer write, I could no longer administer Aphelion as I had
joyfully done for decades. And worse, worse than I am willing to
admit...
After having survived nearly 50 years in the factory, I was finally
defeated by termites, plumbing, and a house older than myself gradually
falling apart. There were times when I contemplated becoming some
15-minute segment on Unsolved Mysteries. "He walked off into the forest
and was never seen again" sort of thing. But yet, I could not, however
much oblivion called with its seductive voice. My wife needed me, as
did my kids, so I could never take the easy way out. I suffered from a
crippling depression, situational rather than clinical, to be sure. But
nonetheless crippling. Getting out of bed to face a new day became a
hardship. Basically, there was no joy in Mudville. No respite, no
relief, but yet no one stopped believing in me, knowing that this too
shall eventually pass. It may pass like a kidney stone, but eventually
there will be a light at the end of the tunnel that isn't an oncoming train. With the help of friends I am making a recovery. But, I have a long way to go.
As for Aphelion, I don't want to end it totally. Nothing will be
deleted. It will remain as an archive for now. I can't say when, or
even if, we'll resume regular production. I hope it will, once the
darkness lifts.But after almost a year of non-issues being posted? Can
it return? Will there still be a staff? Will there still be
submissions? Will ther still be readers? All I know is that I need a
break, a hiatus, time to heal and to cope. I don't want to give up. I
never want to give up! Events have conspired against me. But as I still
draw breath, I will not surrender to the darkness. Is this the end? If
so, I demand a rewrite!
With all that said, it's high time I
shut up. I hope to see you again, once that damn train gets out of my way.
Enjoy
yourselves, go forward in all your pursuits, no regrets, simply prove to me that you are indomitable, you are
Aphelion, and you will make your own marks on the world as you go. I've
seen you at your best. You've now seen me at my worst. I believe in
you. I'm sorry that I've failed you this year, but at least you now
jnow why,
Dan
ON
THE COVER
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