Aphelion Issue 292, Volume 28
March 2024
 
Editorial    
Long Fiction and Serials
Short Stories
Flash Fiction
Poetry
Features
Series
Archives
Submission Guidelines
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Flash Writing Challenge
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Issue 214 Volume 21 February 2017

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Archives Editorial Serials and Long Fiction Poetry and Filk Music Short Stories Flash Fiction Features Series

Editorial

Dan L. Hollifield

The Senior Editor's usual rants about whatever…


Serials and Long Fiction

Six Thegn Quean, Episode Seven
David Ulnar-Slew
The story concludes, but for those who survive, there are more adventures waiting.

Aristeas Of Passyunk Avenue
Paul Lubaczewski
A dying old man with enormous wealth commissions a new body for himself, with unpleasant results.

The Best Long Fiction of the First Twenty Years

Best Friend in Greyworld
Glenn M. Diamond
There was a clear path back to their ship… if only they could see it.

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Short Stories

Amidst the Heavens
Carmenn Alexander King Kocznur
He has one goal: to save his people; but the madness may kill him first.

Customer Service
Annie Percik
Sometimes being a lowly customer service rep had its perks.

Downsized
Matthew Harrison
Tanya just wants to make sure employees at the company are happy, even when they're let go.

Ethiralz
Sergio Palumbo
When vigilante justice comes to the Mare Inebrium, it doesn't go well for anyone involved…

Just a Matter of Time
Karen Heslop
A famous scientist brings his wife back to life, and changes the course of humanity.

Scraps
Thomas A. Mays
Eva's parents made her a robot dog, like that's going to make up for everyone abandoning her.

Tenfold
George T. Philibin
When humans decide to build a colony on Mars, they find more than they expected.

The Machines at Ellison
Glenn M. Diamond
When the world ended, they found safety; now it was time to leave that safety.

The Best Shorts of the First Twenty Years

1997

The Devil They Knew
Frederick Rustam
When a stranger arrives, a family fears the worst.

Copilot
Thomas Allen Mays
Liam spends his time memorizing his Copilot's instructions.

The Mist Leaves Scars
W. Fraser Sandercombe
Malcolm didn't mind his neighbors at first, but enough is enough.

1998

Vinnie's Cargo
Kate Thornton
It was supposed to be an easy run, but then Vinnie decided to smuggle a dragon's egg.

Case of the Lost Dog
Andrew and Ilona Gordon
What would you do to avoid the dogs of hell?

Becoming Estavan
McCamy Taylor
In the process of catching a serial killer, Estavan learns the truth.

But wait, there's more!

Congratulations to Tyra Tanner. Her story below took a Top Ten Award for Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Story at the Predator & Editor's 2016 Reader's Poll, which marked the third straight year an Aphelion-published short story achieved this honor.

P&E Top Ten
The Voice Catcher
Tyra Tanner
Don't listen to the trees, Pumpkin.

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Flash Fiction

Doggy Door
Jeff Dosser
It seemed innocent and cute, until…

Galactic Seed
Denny E. Marshall
Time after time, things stay the same.

Present Tense or Future Imperfect
Dan Hollifield
Drat that cat!

To Serve Man
Thomas Wm. Hamilton
Would the mission ever be completed?

To the Bitter End
Jim Harrington
To the greatest hero in the multiverse, it was just another day.

The Aphelion Flash Fiction Contest

We run a monthly flash fiction contest in the "Fun and Games" folder in Aphelion's forum. In the contest we post a challenge with a specific theme and genre and participants write a flash story based on the challenge guidelines. The contest is a great place to hone your writing skills, meet some fellow writers, receive some feedback, and possibly win a prize. New participants are always welcome. Submissions for the contest are done through the forum. Flash stories from all of our previous contest challenges are archived in the forum as well.

Over 500 stories are included in our archive. To start reading some of these great flash stories, check out either Index 1 or Index 2.

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Poetry and Filk Music

Archaic Déja Vu
Randall K. Rogers

Grouchasaurus
Richard Tornello

The Judgment
Jean Jones

On The Brighton Road
Ron Larson

S Mail Received
Denny E. Marshall

The Human Experience
Jonathan Beale

The Best Poetry of the First Twenty Years
1997-1998

The Last Flight of the Cradle of Commerce
Robert Wynne

Choose Another Dream
Mark Bernstein

Locrine
Cary Semar

How can you help a little blue man?
Dan L. Hollifield

I Don't Like the Sunshine
Rob Wynne and Jeff Williams

Query
David Blalock

What Is The Sound of One Heart Breaking?
Iain Muir

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Articles and features

Alpha and Omega
Excerpt from Division One, Book One

Stephanie Osborn
Megan McAllister was the ideal candidate for NASA's astronaut program, then she met a man in a black suit who would change her life forever…

The Best Mare Inebrium Tales from Our First Twenty Years
1997-1998

Frightening Little Planet, Isn’t it?
Roger Bennett
When you take advice from a stranger, always remember to ask the NEXT question…

Cause and Effect
Kate Thornton
There is always a reason…

Max's Night Off
Mark E. Cotterill
Larrye just can’t get a break…

Yesterday's Glory
Robert Wynne
Was she the girl of his dreams, or something else again?

You Don't Mess Around with Grym
Jeff Williams
Sometimes the price is more than simply counting the cost…

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