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The Cross-Genre Police by Hans Albanese
from Issue #3
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Goldi, formerly known as Goldilocks, and Daneiko, the tiger from "Little Black Sambo," are members of the Cross-Genre Police. Their mission: apprehend a dragon who has illegally kidnapped a princess from another genre. Seems straightforward enough, but when genres get mixed up anything can happen...
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The Little Cat in the Attic Window, the Blue House on the Corner by Jennifer Rachel Baumer
from Issue #24
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Jess saw the cat in the window every morning and evening on her way to and from work. Lately she found she was anticipating the cat, as if they were old friends. And she was even dreaming about the cat. One day the cat meowed insistently at her, and she knew that something was wrong...
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The Dragon of Thistledown by B. R. Bearden
from Issue #5
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The people of Thistledown had never seen a dragon before. So when one arrives at their village, they are understandably afraid. Except for Tawny, who boldy marches up to meet the huge creature. It turns out that the dragon is friendly, and has been wounded by a knight who's on his way to finish him off...
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Dead Man With a Stick by Greg Beatty
from Issue #18
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Miche was the sixth of seven men chosen, men who were now dead and whose names were taken from them to be used by the newborn. He would be known only as //////, and in six moons he would leave to try to find and defeat the sorcerer. And all he would take with him was a stick...
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Black Magic by Greg Bechtel
from Issue #2
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No one watches when Omar dances frenetically beneath the clock tower. But they know that when there's no way of getting something done, and it absolutely must be done, they go to Omar. He can get it done. Of course, there is always a price...
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Pieces by Paul Benza
from Issue #2
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Life is always the same, but it's certainly not boring when you spend all your time on matters of survival--food, water, shelter. And killing. Because it's either them or you, and you'd rather it be you. Until someone new shows up, someone who remembers that life wasn't always this way...
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Ethne by Stacey Berg
from Issue #6
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Long ago, everyone came to Ethne for advice and leadership. Although no one had visited her in years, she had come to enjoy the peace and quiet. Then a young woman showed up, claiming that she was about to be executed -- because of Ethne...
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In the Land of the Free by Carol W. Berman
from Issue #5
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Trishi is proud of her father, a renowned civil rights attorney who had proven that robots were capable of consciousness. When her dog Springer runs away, he is found by X-T 380, a client of her father's. X-T 380 brings Springer back, but he has some startling news about the dog...
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Judah's Breath by Ilsa J. Bick
from Issue #13
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Judah travelled for days through the desert, riding on the ass he stole, a griffin-vulture following him in the air. He sought the goddess known as the Mother, because only she could help him. He carried with him the dead body of someone very important...
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The Eighteenth Vow by Bonnie Blake
from Issue #3
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Mara chooses seven to participate in the seven tests. The winner will take all. So it has always been, and Mara has always been the winner. But this time one of the competitors is not what she seems...
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Bread by Jennifer Bosworth
from Issue #23
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Harper's mother and father were the Master Bakers of Golden Valley, and she was finally learning some baking herself. Her mother told her, "If everyone knew our secrets they would take away our magic, and we wouldn't be Master Bakers; only regular folk, like anyone else." Harper promised never to tell the secrets to anyone...
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The Beauty of the Arrangement by Mark Anthony Brennan
from Issue #11
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Years after the Human/Laj conflict, Meeka works to fulfill the Master's mission, spreading the harmony of duality. Due to the efforts of Persix, the high priest, most dogs and cats are paired. But after attempting to pair a snake and a rodent, Meeka still has a lot to learn…
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Camouflage by Corey Brown
from Issue #24
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The hermit finally heard something over the radio -- music. But it wasn't in any language he had heard. So it wasn't their rescuers -- in fact, it was coming from the third planet, which they had always thought to be lifeless. He raced down to the canal, dry these million years, to tell the others...
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Bread and Circuses by Kate Burgauer
from Issue #9
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While the president speaks, the teleprompter changes his speech based on the results of instant polls. But does he really want to only say what the people want to hear?
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In the Sight of Eternity by Justin E. A. Busch
from Issue #12
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The man was awakened from cryonic sleep by the ship's computer, an incredible 15 billion years after the ship had set out. Had the computer finally found a habitable planet for them to colonize? The final decision was up to him...
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Her Watcher by J. R. Campbell
from Issue #23
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On interstellar ships, new crew members always try to commit suicide at some point. Of course, it wasn't something you talked about. But then Collin was called into Lynette's office and offered a job: act as watcher for the new crew member coming aboard. He accepted. There were four simple rules...
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Hard Efortt by Timothy Carter
from Issue #4
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In the future, unemployment is a crime. If you can't find work within five months, you get deported. Lieutenant Job Efortt is a Deporter, and he believes in what he does. Even when one of the people he has to deport is his own son...
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Elias Pin Returns to Nature in the Garden of New Eden by David Chato
from Issue #10
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Everything is pure and clean at Elias Pin’s house in New Eden. His lawn has been replaced with PlastiTurf, and even his dog Woofy has been genetically modified to make her metabolism hyperefficient. But one day he smells something terrible...
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Bobby's First ABC's by E. L. Chen
from Issue #14
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There it was on the cereal box: Free letters with proof of purchase. When the letters arrived, Bobby discovered that they had minds of their own. Bobby wanted to keep them, but the Wildlife Control office decided they were dangerous…
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Tickling the Siroko's Chin by E. L. Chen
from Issue #19
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Isemi used to dive all the time for sea urchins, shellfish, and abalone. Now she was too afraid, because her stepmother and sister had disappeared into the water. What if the stories of the siroko were true? But her father was ill, and the lord's tax was due soon…
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Waste Management by Suzanne Church
from Issue #21
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Lorna was tired of her loser boyfriend, and needed to get off-world. When her landlord told her his cousin needed engineers, she jumped at the opportunity. It turned out to be in waste management. With all of the different species using the facilities, they were having trouble passing code...
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Final Vow Incident by Charles Conrad
from Issue #1
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A police officer on patrol meets a crazed man who wants to be shot. Before the officer can apprehend him the man disappears, leaving behind a tape that chronicles a bizarre story of monsters among us...
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Astral Talent by Hugh Cook
from Issue #13
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Danzburg Tosterburger isn’t having a very fun 44th birthday. He’s in jail, in a cell with his assassin brother-in-law. The grogs keep him from using his astral talent to escape. And on the autopsy show on TV they’re cutting open his grandfather…
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Basque by Hugh Cook
from Issue #11
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It's been discovered that once you've travelled back to a particular time and place, that time and place cannot be visited by anyone else. A moratorium has been placed on time travelling while the phenomenon is studied. But that doesn't stop some people from doing it anyway…
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The Earth is Flat by Hugh Cook
from Issue #6
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Ida wanted to be a xenologist. And she would be one, if she passed her exams. The exams have gone well, and now she's reached the final phase -- the personal question. Ida is shocked to find out that the thesis she's expected to support is anti-scientific nonsense...
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Invasion of the Chickens by Hugh Cook
from Issue #7
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According to prophecy, today is the day that the city of Chi'ash-lan will be invaded by a monstrous regiment of Chickens. Vorn the Gladiator, slayer of dragons, is reluctantly persuaded to venture forth against this new dreaded enemy. But the chickens are not what Vorn or anyone else expects...
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The Invention of Stones by Hugh Cook
from Issue #11
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Just when Adam thought he’d gotten used to life after Paradise, his sons start inventing games with stones. And the girls they hang around with start playing music. Eve says it’s natural for their children to be doing different things, but Adam thinks there’s going to be trouble…
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Lost in the Moid by Hugh Cook
from Issue #10
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Growing up near the green tarj, Ida Brahma had always been interested in alien environments. Now that she was lost in the moid, though, she wasn’t so sure. And the camera recording her every move was starting to get on her nerves…
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Night on Bear Mountain by Hugh Cook
from Issue #5
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Roy Pajelva is a teacher at Clean Start House, and jumps at the chance to take some of his big-city students hiking at a virtual mountain. Nothing can go wrong, because they're not really there. But one of the students impossibly gets hypothermia, and there's no way out until morning...
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That Nightmare Known as Life by Hugh Cook
from Issue #12
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Daniel Ashrami finds himself on a mountainside, seemingly with selective amnesia. He can't remember anything that happened in the past 20 years. All he knows is that the Seven Numbers of the Sun are important, and that he murdered himself...
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The Trial of Edgar Allan Poe by Hugh Cook
from Issue #14
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Edgar Allan Poe had been snatched from his last week of life to appear before the Court of Unitary Justice. Halsey is a reporter covering the trial. The weirdball lawyer who’s representing Poe says he’ll give him a scoop, and he also claims to be a relative of Halsey’s…
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Lonesome Cosmogonist by Ian Creasey
from Issue #20
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Your girlfriend has left you so your apartment feels empty. Not wanting to sit in a bar or whine to your friends, you head to your office. But the search for extraterrestrial intelligence seems futile today -- there's no one out there, is there? Maybe the universe was designed that way, to restrict intelligent life to one species...
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Proper Names by Ian Creasey
from Issue #15
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You work for the marketing division of CosmoCorp, and it’s your job to name everything that needs naming on new planets. The only problem on this planet, which you’re thinking about calling Jewel, is your manager Hawk who doesn’t appreciate the poetry of the names you’ve chosen…
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Sunset Manor by Monte Davis
from Issue #23
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Ebner was 112 years old. Some days he did well to remember his wife's name: Kori. On a particularly good day, he remembered that he had a data block with his wife stored on it. Kori had contracted a terminal disease 80 years ago, but now there was a cure...
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Doppelganger Voices by Stefano Donati
from Issue #2
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James has a decent job and a loving wife named Lucy. He also has an alter-ego from another universe, Jimmy, with whom he can communicate. Jimmy has had a troubled life, but he's recently met a woman he likes who also happens to be named Lucy...
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The Reluctant Scholar by Stefano Donati
from Issue #7
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No one ever confused the students in Henry's English class for intellectual giants. But Steve Koger was worse than most, and Henry wished he would just disappear. Then one day he did. Several weeks later, he was back -- sort of. Steve's voice was now coming from inside Henry's own head...
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Weed by Peter S. Drang
from Issue #11
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Richard is a genetic botanist who senses feelings from plants. When he takes his son Tommy to his new mountain retreat, they find a weed he’s never encountered before. And this weed seems to have more complex feelings than any plant he’s encountered before…
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Jhyoti by Marcelle Dubé
from Issue #25
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Cadet Jhyoti was working on her final field assignment for exo-anthropology. She broke into the bashravi to find the secrets of the body washers. But she tripped over a dead body, and was found by the yighsilchi. Who would leave a dead body like this, and who killed the woman?
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Primitive Thinking by Jeff Dundas
from Issue #15
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Every day the tall man would grab his spear, join the others, and leave the cave to venture forth on the hunt. Because their survival depended on trusting each other absolutely, the men shared a special bond. This bond made the tall man want to share his new idea…
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Unnecessary Dreams by Timothy Dyck
from Issue #1
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Descartes has been urged by a close friend to develop a philosophical proof of the existence of God. While meditating on the subject, he receives a rather unexpected visit...
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Skullier Than the Average Bod by Christopher East
from Issue #13
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Steffi and Nicole were surprised when the normal guy approached them in the Fleshmart. They were used to mod-bods like themselves. But Steffi knew that normals had upgrade points, and she was intrigued when the guy made them a unique offer...
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Death and Taxes by Suzette Haden Elgin
from Issue #25
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Bill loved his StarSpangly motorhome, and he wasn't going to give it up. But his wife had died last night, and he was supposed to turn in the RV so that someone else could make use of it. So he did what any rational person would have done in that situation. He stuffed his wife's body into the refrigerator...
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The Man Who Mistook Himself For a Superhero by Karl El-Koura
from Issue #18
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He had awakened in the alley behind the Chinese restaurant. He couldn't remember who he was, but he saw his green-and-yellow costume and his muscular physique in a mirror. And when he was shot by a ruffian and there was no blood, what other conclusion could he draw? He was a superhero!
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The Truth About Edward and Wormwood by Karl El-Koura
from Issue #11
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Every spaceship has a galactic map installed in it, but Algie has maps of places that aren’t on the official maps. One day someone demands to be taken to Wormwood, a shielded planet rumoured to have some very nasty people on it. When they get to his ship, Algie is surprised to find that it’s the Laubron, the fasted ship ever created…
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The Way of the World (Part 1 of 2) by Erik Allen Elness
from Issue #3
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The world is not what is once seemed. Preston's uncle Randall has opened a whole new world to him--a world of magic. Preston eagerly becomes Randall's apprentice. But in this world where unicorns, shapeshifters, and dragons exist, Preston isn't sure who to trust...
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The Way of the World (Part 2 of 2) by Erik Allen Elness
from Issue #4
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With his uncle Randall incapacitated by some unknown magic, Preston assumes the role of Chancellor. His first job: to forge an agreement between the dragons and the Ajaius, the human magic-users. Preston has the requisite knowledge of magic, but it seems like there's a lot going on that he doesn't know about...
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The Great Grandelle by Erol Engin
from Issue #13
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When the national theatre was rebuilt after the war with the Americans, all of Paris was eager to see the Great Grandelle play the role of Merviel. No one could play the tragic noble peasant like the Great Grandelle, and the audience pleasure level was bound to soar...
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Suck of Clay, Whir of Wheel by Pat Esden
from Issue #23
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Meg had sold her cottage, moved to America, and bought a potworks. She had boasted that in five years she'd be selling twice what the Clews' Pottery did, where she worked back in England. But right now things weren't going so well. And then a man came along whom she had a hard time getting rid of...
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Ex Libris by S. Evans
from Issue #19
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Henry Champe's former master -- the famous wizard Cassius Jenson -- had died and left him his Library. But Henry had been far away at the time of the death, and now the Library was nowhere to be found. Most of Cassius's possessions had been sold at auction so it will be difficult to track the Library down, but Henry is willing to pay so William Littlejohn, P.I. will take the case...
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The Gifts of the Phoenix by Donna Farley
from Issue #13
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An elder tells the children the tale of Aikeso the Maimed. Aikeso would not fight his brother for rulership of the tribe. As Aikeso was leaving the tribe, some of his kinsmen beat him up. He was found by an extraordinary hermit with a golden foot…
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Kelmscott Manor: In the Attics by C. A. Gardner
from Issue #25
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Georgie's friend Topsy was dying, worn out from trying to make the world a better place. They loved each other, but had never acted on that love -- even though their spouses had had many affairs. Now Topsy handed her a letter which explained how he had obtained an unbelievable machine from a man named H. G. Wells...
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Skins by W. D. Glenn
from Issue #15
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When your uncle died, he left you a large inheritance. Of course, everyone wanted your money. And then there was Harry, who never asked for money. Harry wanted you as a partner in a business that, he said, would define the next trend in American style and culture. It started with a tattoo…
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A Virtual Ruse by Douglas Grant
from Issue #1
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Dr. Richard Peterson has created a virtual reality suit that masks his ugliness. Even his girlfriend has never seen what he really looks like, and he hopes she isn't too shocked when she finds out...
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The Message by Richard R. Harris
from Issue #23
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Charlie was in Sleep when he received a message -- there was a crossover. He checked his instruments and discovered it was an Apollo-class spacecraft, circa 1970. The ship was damaged, but its communication system seemed to be functional. Although they'd never contacted a Ghost before, this was a manned spacecraft and Charlie couldn't just leave them out here alone...
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The Bodysnatchin’ Man by James A. Hartley
from Issue #8
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When a man from the city comes to the small town of Snake Eyes, he accidentally runs over a kid with his skimmer. Naturally, he takes the kid to a med centre. But the Sheriff of Snake Eyes had other plans for the kid, and now he’s after the Bodysnatchin' Man...
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The Bonebreaker by Kenneth Mark Hoover
from Issue #21
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The government in Russia was changing, and things were falling apart. Stepan made it through Tyuratam station because his regional contact had VIPed him through. His assignment was to break an organic AI who'd been selling information about their organization to the authorities. The AI was over 50 years old, but looked like a 20-year-old girl...
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Skeletal Structure by Kelly Howard
from Issue #8
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Brian and Tan have built a house with a frame of living bone. They were pleased that the house withstood earthquakes very well. Then some foreign cells contaminated the system, producing some unexpected results...
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A Manner of Speaking by Harrison Howe
from Issue #11
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The patient was known as Q -- he was so embarrassed about his condition that he didn’t want his real name used. Doctors had tried everything they could think of, but Q was a mutant. What do you do when you have a condition that makes you involuntarily act contrary to the fundamental law of your society?
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Early Adopters by L. Blunt Jackson
from Issue #18
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James was a software developer who really didn't like it when his boss fired him in front of a co-worker he was attracted to. He was rehired, as always. But when his boss decided to get a Neural Interface Circuitry Extension, James saw an opportunity for a high-tech practical joke...
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The Lost Japanese Years of Antonio Stradivari by Anne Louise Johnson
from Issue #5
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Oita and her brothers and children are happy living in the homes that Master Antonio builds for them. They feel the singing of the strings, and they eat the mites and rosin dust to keep their homes clean. But one day Master Merchant from America takes them away against their will...
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Solitary by Corey Kellgren
from Issue #15
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Garvin Rinne is enduring the worst punishment man has ever devised, when he’s taken out and offered a deal. He’s given the experimental Empathizer drug, which allows him to feel the emotions of people around him. It’s hoped this will keep him free of the correctional system for the rest of his life…
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The Suction Method by Rudy Kremberg
from Issue #12
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The person from the carpet cleaning place claims that their exclusive method is the most thorough cleaning process there is. Max is dubious, but his wife’s out of town and the carpet cleaning person is a stunningly beautiful young woman who seems very eager to please…
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Benedice Te by Jay Lake
from Issue #18
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Algernon narrowly escaped being killed by a runaway steam ram. Then Her Imperial Majesty's Consul-General asked him to go to San Antonio de Bexar, capital of the Texian Republic, to retrieve a stolen Crown Privy Report. While on this strange mission, Algernon hoped he could find out who had tried to kill him...
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Eye Teeth by Jay Lake
from Issue #22
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Daley ran into Shark who, even though he had known him as a kid, looked pretty scary with teeth all over his body. Shark said that Daley had something that belonged to Big Yakov, and Big Yakov wanted it back. Daley had no idea what he was talking about, and he also had no idea why a beautiful woman would want to kidnap him at gunpoint...
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To Live Forever by Jay Lake
from Issue #21
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The Children of Gol Goth had given the humans immortality. But the humans' babies are taken from them and once grown return as Deadwalkers or the Lost. Centuries later a couple of gentlemen decide that enough is enough, and they will try to make use of the fact that the Children have an aversion to iron...
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BehaviorNorm by Sue Lange
from Issue #22
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Shoalie was in her fifth month of her fifth job in as many years. Then she found out her fellow Xeres workers were planning on striking because the Dushens got a pay raise. If they did strike, management would likely fire her as a scapegoat -- since she was still on probation -- so she couldn't allow that to happen...
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Malkai by D. K. Latta
from Issue #9
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After hunting prackit for many years, Faggin decides to go for the big time -- malkai. It’s a natural energy source that the local aliens provide the humans with. But no human who has gone in search of the malkai source has ever returned...
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The Oil-Spattered Corpse by D. K. Latta
from Issue #7
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Garfield Ayres wakes up in a future with no humans in it. Only sentient androids, robots and computers living a very orderly existence. Why has Garfield been awakened? Because he used to be a detective, and there's been a murder...
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Swarm by D. K. Latta
from Issue #12
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Marvox works in the mine on asteroid 6566700911. Like everyone else, he takes his turn in the Kel-427 suit blasting the diamond-hard surface into rubble. That's exactly what he was doing when a swarm of deadly bwakies came by looking for energy to consume...
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Browsers by Mark Leslie
from Issue #5
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Browsing in a used bookstore is a favourite pastime of many book lovers. They can browse for hours, and may or may not make some purchases at the end of that time. But there's one store where things don't work that way...
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Anna's Implants by Marissa K. Lingen
from Issue #19
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Jackie's sister Anna was just finishing up her citizenship class, and soon would get her implants. She was worried about Anna, because she knew all too well what could go wrong. Her other sister Julia had gone crazy after getting Vincent van Gogh's personality implanted in her head...
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Dark Thread by Marissa K. Lingen
from Issue #17
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Anne was a concert pianist, even though she had gone blind some time ago. But in the other world, she was the Weaver Queen -- and she could see all of the dazzling colours of that world. Using her hands so much in both worlds is wearing them out, and she may have to give something up...
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Heart-Shaped Hole by Marissa K. Lingen
from Issue #22
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Ginny didn't tell Nancy she was dying when she asked her to go to Greenland with her -- it might have spoiled the mood. But the village where they were staying had no shaman, and Nerrivik the sea goddess was angry. Ginny agreed to act as shaman, to dive into the icy waters and placate Nerrivik by caring for her needs...
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When the Traffic Lights Failed at the Crossroads of Time by J. S. Lyster
from Issue #9
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A temporal wave is discovered in the Arctic -- when it crests you can surf the wave to another time. Sam Pearson is a graduate student in physics who goes to observe the phenomenon in action. There are many other scientists there, as well as journalists, and some unexpected guests from the future...
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Primal Dividends by James Mahoney
from Issue #1
|
When a cavern of unidentifiable artifacts is discovered on Primal, a world of penal colonies, Dr. Susan Naiad arrives to determine whether the artifacts are of alien origin. She learns that the cavern is a treasure chest, and the intergalactic pirates are likely to return any time...
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The Scapegoat by Joe Mahoney
from Issue #9
|
When his old nemesis shows up, the nothingness is really not in a good mood. For one thing, the nemesis changes the shape of the nothingness against his will. Then the nemesis wants to show him what’s happening on the planet Earth...
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Demon in the Sea by Nye Marnach
from Issue #10
|
The artificial planet of A’quaii was divided into oceanic zones, which contained life forms from planets whose oceans were no longer viable. Dh’mar works on the marine base Quahog in the Earth Zone, but then Quahog is sabotaged and sinks…
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Losing Face by Nye Marnach
from Issue #13
|
In the future no one is judged on the basis of their features--because everyone wears a mask. Mirrors are illegal. Six college friends meet for drinks--they chat about the good old days as they do every year. But this time, two of them go home together…
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Soothe the Savage Beast by Michael R. Martin
from Issue #16
|
Hirs'taelyn is a master of the art of al kelalim, in which the audience becomes one with the artist's inner vision. He is used to a very appreciative audience, but one night their reaction is restrained. There's a new player, an outlander who plays like no one has played before...
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The Beauty in the Beast by K. G. McAbee
from Issue #15
|
Erik’s father has a gambling problem. His latest debt had been paid by the richest woman around, who lives in a huge old castle behind high forbidding walls. In return the woman wants Erik to go live with her, where he will have everything he might desire. But he can never return to visit his father…
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Not Poppy, Nor Mandragora by K. G. McAbee
from Issue #14
|
After Carill lost his wife and son to a monster, the village council decided to send for a monster slayer. But they had nothing left to give as payment, so Carill offered himself as a servant. Both the monster slayer and the monster turned out to be very different than he expected…
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Optical Orifice of the Beholder by K. G. McAbee
from Issue #7
|
Ril'na and ArGre were happily engaged in battle -- otherwise known as their diurnal discussion on doctrine and its diversities. They each appreciated the intricate patterns that the other made in their shell and stone collection. Then an oddly symmetrical creature came along and interrupted them...
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With Murderous Intent by K. G. McAbee
from Issue #6
|
When Andru is summoned by the king, he dutifully reports. He's shocked to find his ex-lover Madren there, since he thought he'd killed her months earlier. Madren is the best assassin around, so Andru doesn't expect to be living much longer...
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Freya's Flight by Andrea McDowell
from Issue #24
|
Today Freya would become a priestess in the service of the Huntress. She had rejected the wealth and power of the family business -- she wanted truth and meaning. She would walk up the steps of the Temple to the top, and then she would fly. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to fly...
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The Dao of Stones by Ian McHugh
from Issue #24
|
Yin Xi had been a teacher of the Way for many years. When the shi-ren approached him, his interest was piqued -- he'd never had a student who was an alien before. "The Way that can be spoken is not the true Way," Yin Xi said. The shi-ren scuttled away, but he would be back...
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Dirt Roads and Robots by Will McIntosh
from Issue #19
|
One day a robot came along and started helping Tommy and his son Wayne fix up an old-style airplane -- which was surprising since robots cost thousands of dollars. Then another robot came along and started cleaning their house, leaving his wife Jacklyn to watch TV -- which is what she did anyway. Things were looking good, but the robots kept coming...
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Faller by Will McIntosh
from Issue #17
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Rohan's parachute malfunctioned one day, and he found himself hurtling towards the ground at an incredible speed. The only thing he could think of was to try to make it over the edge of the city. But no one had ever gone over the edge of the city before...
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The Chermasu by Brian Patrick McKinley & Mark Jenkins
from Issue #24
|
Alia ground blue corn in the traditional way, using the same three stones that her Mother and her Mother's mother used before her. She was interrupted by a stranger's singing. She invited the visitor in for lunch. He turned out to be an old man from a distant clan, but he seemed familiar somehow...
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The Miller and the Old Hag by G. C. McRae
from Issue #18
|
The miller's sons never helped him with the work in the mill. His sons wanted to be a musician, a painter, and an architect. But they didn't have enough to eat, and soon they would have no choice. He was on his way to sell his ox in order to buy a bigger millstone, which his sons would have to turn themselves...
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Granvort the Discount Wizard by R. E. Mendel
from Issue #19
|
The King of Thysland wanted a court wizard, after learning his arch-rival the Monarch of Thaghtland had recently acquired one. His cabinet had trouble figuring out how they were going to pay for the wizard, until they realized the King hadn't said anything about a competent wizard...
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Granvort Goes to War by R. E. Mendel
from Issue #20
|
Soon after the King of Thysland discovered Thaghtland was producing magic beans, he met with his arch-rival the Monarch of Thaghtland. Soon after that, the neighbours were at war. The King was more than a bit worried when he discovered his Knights were on their spring break and his flying horses were grounded for safety reasons...
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Queen of Silver Clouds by Bonnie Mercure
from Issue #4
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The Queen is guide and advisor to the unborn, and helps them cross over into the world of the mortals. Most of the unborn patiently wait their turn. But the time has come for Nebulance, her oldest friend, to be born. He doesn't want to leave, and she doesn't want him to go...
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When the Fog Came by Carl Mills
from Issue #4
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John is superintendent for a quiet little cottage community. But when the unnaturally dense fog comes, and people can't see one another, they do things they wouldn't normally do. John hears gunshots, and other incredible noises. He even hears a voice calling him out of the fog...
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Casebook: In the Matter of Father Dante Lazaro by Michael Mirolla
from Issue #7
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Father Dante Lazaro is delighted to find many of the aliens converting to Catholocism, while none of them convert to any of the other sects or religions represented on his team. The aliens are enthusiastic and devout. But are they converting for the right reason?
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The Mother by Michael Mirolla
from Issue #2
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When you're a mother with a small child to feed and protect, you can't spend too much time thinking about your demolished city or the winged creatures that prowl the night. When you're a good mother, you do what is best for your child no matter what...
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Acid Man by Caroline Misner
from Issue #22
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The man sat in the furthest corner of the bar beneath a faded poster of a character once known as Mickey Mouse. He was the cleanest miner I'd ever seen, and I noticed that the other miners ostracized him. Because he was different, I knew that by the end of the evening one of the drunks would challenge him...
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The Day the Zombies Came Walking Up Out of the Sea by Steven Mohan, Jr.
from Issue #21
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Timmy knew it was a zombie right away because of the sickly pallor, the ragged clothing that hung in tatters from its lean, gray body, and because it wore not a stitch of Gortex. The unholy creature held its arms out before it menacingly, which was another clue, because most people in Lincoln City were pretty nice, even the tourists, and hardly any of them ever held their arms out before them menacingly...
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Heroes and Villains by Steven Mohan, Jr.
from Issue #22
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One time when Charlie's drunk father hit him, as his nanomed was releasing pain killer into his bloodstream and repairing the damage, Charlie decided right then to become a superhero. But Charlie lived in a world where there wasn't much crime and you'd have to look pretty hard to find someone who went to bed hungry. So he went to another world...
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Last Request by Steven Mohan, Jr.
from Issue #19
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Katya was in the mood for sushi. So she grabbed her neighbour Amy, whose husband had recently left her to join an apocalyptic cult, and went to the Red Dragon. It was a place you could get "special" items that weren't on the menu, and maybe find a man or two...
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Murder in the Shadow of Exile by Steven Mohan, Jr.
from Issue #20
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Inspector Kenneth Smythe-Barnes, Scotland Yard, arrived at St. Helena to solve a murder. He wasn't particularly sympathetic to the victim, since Prince Zayed had been a ruthless dictator. And now in order to help solve the murder, Smythe-Barnes had a sim of the Prince uploaded into his brain...
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Marika’s World by Shelley Moore
from Issue #9
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Karen and Nick are initially very happy with their new house in the country. Karen settles down in a veterinarian job, and Nick tries to do some painting. But there’s someone -- or something -- in the house with them...
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The Anabe Girls by A. R. Morlan
from Issue #22
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The models of the Anabe Agency were highly sought after. They were incredibly thin, which allowed garments to hang and drape and flutter perfectly when they walked. They didn't smoke, they didn't chew gum, and they didn't complain. And they had a brand on the back of their neck just under the bottom of their hairline...
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Dora's Trunk by A. R. Morlan
from Issue #12
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In the early thirties in Cimarron County, dust got onto everything. But Miz Dora just couldn't accept that. She would clean her pillow cases, and then cry when the dust resettled. If she could only open her locked hope chest, that would surely make her feel better...
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Etamin at East 47th by A. R. Morlan
from Issue #16
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The aliens gladly shared their scientific and mathematical knowledge with their human hosts. All they asked for in return was privacy -- no one was to speak to them without being spoken to first, and then only under specific rules of alien etiquette. But Masahiro has a semi-private room at the YMCA and now he must share his bathroom with an alien...
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The Gemütlichkeit Escape by A. R. Morlan
from Issue #8
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When Bud receives a Christmas card from Rolf in Germany, he recalls their meeting 50 years earlier. Bud was a prisoner of war, and Rolf was the commandant of the camp. Even in such a horrible situation, something magical can happen...
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Pretty Birds by A. R. Morlan
from Issue #25
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Arna had been pregnant, but she hadn't borne a child. One ultrasound she had seen her baby, and the next ultrasound the baby had disappeared. Once in a while Arna would see a baby girl lying on the back lawn, but she wasn't crazy. Another woman in her group was having similar experiences...
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Ridin' the de Novo Shinkansen by A. R. Morlan
from Issue #20
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In the old days you were a tattoo artist, but now you handled the medical requirements of the people in Nyx's sideshow -- as well as fixing up the occasional faded tat. Cutters, bod-mods, 'phalt boarders, freaks, geeks. The strangest were the parasoms, who were close to non-functioning when awake but did interesting things when they were asleep...
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Robin Williams, Speaking Spanish by A. R. Morlan
from Issue #17
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Temple was a social worker, newly arrived on the ship to make sure that Dalton, the Savant-Contingent, was being well treated. The Savant's only function was to remember important numbers in case the computers went down. But Temple thought Dalton could do much more...
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Making Contact by D. Sandy Nielsen
from Issue #2
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Although Runner and his crew look human, they're actually from a more advanced civilization. They've stopped on Earth to refuel and interact with the locals for a while. But Runner falls in love with one of the locals, and it's going to be tough leaving her...
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The Red Sled by D. Sandy Nielsen
from Issue #5
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Ever since the change, Jules Klausman has driven his rig along the endless roads, stopping only to eat, sleep, and make his deliveries. It's a lonely life, but he tries to make the best of it. And he tries not to think about why...
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Clark Bland Saves the Planet by Jason Offutt
from Issue #21
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It seemed like everyone else in the world was a superhero. But Clark found them all annoying, and untrustworthy. Even his wife had taken Super Power Advantage treatments, and then she left him for Moth Man. When a bunch of superheroes created a ruckus near his house battling some invader or another, Clark decided it was time to take matters into his own hands...
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Progeny by Tom Olbert
from Issue #3
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Humans, at least the rich ones, have left Earth behind. The poor are struggling to survive, but it's hard to avoid the ultimate predator--dragons. Dragons have been genetically engineered to bear the children of the rich. But no one has asked the dragons how they feel about this...
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Frank Among the Franks by Brian N. Pacula
from Issue #17
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Frank accidentally summoned the Principate of Anthropology, the angel in charge of preserving human societies. The Prince takes representative samples of endangered societies and transplants them to suitable empty worlds. There are only so many angels to oversee these societies, and he needs help...
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Over the H.I.L.L. by Daniel Pearlman
from Issue #6
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All of Mark Hazman's family and friends have ostensibly gathered to make his Day of Transition a joyous one. But he didn't particularly want to be around most of his guests. Even though he knew he would die of a massive stroke today, Mark felt fine...
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A Matter of Taste by Nicholas Pollotta
from Issue #6
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A crowd of Scottish villagers tracks down the vampire, and tries valiantly to destroy him. But to no avail, and as the vampire disappears he tells them that he will return exactly one year later to reap his revenge...
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Turnabout by Nicholas Pollotta & Phil Foglio
from Issue #4
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One fine summer evening, Prof. Felix Einstein and Lord Benjamin Carstairs are taking their constitutional through the forest when suddenly a monstrous shape thunderously lands in the clearing before them. It's the sphinx, who's up to her old tricks. But these men know the answers to her questions, and they even have a question of their own...
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Crossing by Ken Rand
from Issue #8
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You can't send live tissue through a transmitter. But when Graham is shot on an important mission, his body is sent home through a transmitter so that the OSA can access the data he's carrying. To everyone's suprise, including Graham, he shows up alive...
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The Ear of Mt. Horiuchi by Ken Rand
from Issue #16
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Peter had discovered the whereabouts of Sgt. George Horiuchi, apparently before anyone else. If he could get him to talk, this would be a rare exclusive. But would the man who single-handedly ended the Spiratz Mining Division Altercation tell him the real story?
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The Vampire Who Doted On His Chicken by Ken Rand
from Issue #23
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A feller parted the batwing doors of the Lucky Nickel Saloon, letting in a bucketful of snow and a cold gust off Second Ave, Laramie, Wyoming Territory, U S of A, holding a chicken in his hand, and he looked bewildered. The feller, I mean, looked bewildered. The chicken looked dead...
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The Grid by Tim Reid
from Issue #1
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No one meets other people in the flesh any more. Why bother, when you can do anything, experience anything, from the comfort of your own perfectly designed chair in your own perfectly designed cubicle?
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The Gift by Chris Reuter
from Issue #9
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Thomas Hell's music blits skirted the boundaries of what was considered acceptable by the government. He was also addicted to the nasty drug called trill, which the government frowned upon. But these days not even trill could help him produce good music...
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Franklin Out by Matthew J. Reynolds
from Issue #10
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Zach’s colleague Franklin suggested they try to set a record for two non-deaf people working in the same room but communicating without speech. Franklin was a big fan of instamessaging, and Zach decided it might be fun…
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General Density by Uncle River
from Issue #16
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If there's a way to stay healthy in low-G, someone's going to find it and that someone is going to make money. Gertrude Querchansky wants that someone to be her company General Density. Unfortunately the person best qualified to do research on the subject is a drunk...
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Piñons by Uncle River
from Issue #22
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Ray lived so far out of town that the mail arrived only twice a week. But he did occasionally get letters. He got one from his niece in New York inviting him to come for a visit and meet her new baby. She'd even sent a voucher for gas and meals, which would help since inflation was around 100%...
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Reciprocating Wind by Uncle River
from Issue #20
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A woman doctor wasn't good enough for folks back in Pennsylvania, so you moved all the way out to Alma, New Mexico Territory. It's a long way from anywhere else, and more than a few went there to get away from their past. Including perhaps George Singleton, who had dreams of powering the mill and lighting the town by electricity...
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Expectations by James Wesley Rogers
from Issue #25
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Parker was a normal, and having a good week. He saved a convict's life, and helped his friend become class president. He was interviewed on national television, and was invited to a very exclusive party. At the party he decided to try a pill which supposedly made you believe in God like old people and rejects...
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Service With a Smile by Craig Q. Rose
from Issue #23
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Whoever said you couldn't buy happiness has never been rich. Or hungry. Even after the Collapse, the rich get by. But working the cash register at the grocery store is tough -- you have to smile, and mean it, and there are rules about what you can say to the customers. One awkward comment and it's back to the camps...
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Deciphering Vermilion by Helen Rykens
from Issue #14
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Leona told fortunes using Tarot cards. When she learned that an unknown alien ship was approaching, she packed up and prepared to leave -- all previous first contacts had resulted in war. When she learned that ExoBi wanted her to communicate with the aliens, she thought they were crazy...
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Part of the New Master Plan... by Vincent W. Sakowski
from Issue #16
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Mr. and Mrs. Nomore were spending a quiet Saturday afternoon at home. When they doorbell rang, they checked to see who it was before answering -- they didn't like unsolicited visitors. It was four government troops, and it didn't look like a social call...
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The Screaming of the Fish by Vincent W. Sakowski
from Issue #8
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Once there was a man who had a fish-bowl for a brain. And there were two goldfish in the bowl too. But the the man went jogging every day, and the goldfish didn’t like that very much...
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War by James Schellenberg
from Issue #2
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When virtual becomes reality and someone gets killed, the people at DataScreen want to know what's gone wrong. A representative from their source of funding arrives to tell them what they don't really want to know...
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Jack Be Nimble by Fraser Sherman
from Issue #17
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Jack would like to go into business for himself. Something that would allow him to make enough money to support his mother with her poor health. But his mother has other ideas -- she'd rather he do things like climb a beanstalk, steal some gold, and marry a princess...
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Many a Knot Unraveled By the Road by Fraser Sherman
from Issue #20
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Atropos had been reweaving destinies for almost two thousand years. Senator Rick Gordon -- who was having second thoughts -- would one day be president, thanks to Atropos. Although Atropos's time was coming to an end, she wanted to play one last game of chess with her old friend Raoul, who was once known as Jesus...
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Thought Mites by Carl Sieber
from Issue #12
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Alex starts trading emails with his old lab partner Owen. Owen tries to tell him that he’s discovered mites that feed on thoughts in people’s brains. Alex doesn’t believe it, but Owen seems serious and says that the mites can even transmit ideas from one brain to another…
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Rust by Leah Silverman
from Issue #6
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When Loren returns to Lighthouse station, she is shocked to find that her friend Sky has died. And that Sky had been scheduled to go back to the war, even though he hated killing. Loren doesn't know what to do, until she meets someone who knew Sky
during his last days alive...
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The Keys to the Yellow Kingdom by Matthew Sanborn Smith
from Issue #25
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Carlos had spent a lot of money to get here. He had climbed the pyramid and now stood in front of the Wonderbox, which supposedly could grant his wish. He would wish to become a famous writer. But then a man appeared, the creator of the machine, who told him the machine didn't work quite the way he thought...
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God of Lemons by Arwen Spicer
from Issue #25
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Karen Nguyen was listening to her iPod on the bus to the Embarquedero. The next thing she knew she was waking up in a forest. But the trees didn't look like any trees she'd ever seen before, and they were in rows. The three people with her claimed to be Charles Darwin, T. E. Shaw, and Peter Abelard. They decided they were in hell...
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How to Kill the Sun by Karina Sumner-Smith
from Issue #10
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It’s always hot outside, and you have to wear a hat, jacket, and sunscreen. One day Emily, one of Ms. Lawrence’s students, tells her that she knows how to kill the sun. She’s going to capture lots of coldness in a pickle jar...
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In the Wake of Columbus by Terry Thwaites
from Issue #1
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Panduvia is a beautiful Earth-like planet with a population of intelligent humanoid lifeforms. They are a lot like us, but there are some things we can teach them...
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Pulling Weeds by Kate Tompkins
from Issue #7
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When her village chooses Jori to learn how to become a Councillor, she is happy to go. She doesn¹t think she's any more worthy than anyone else, but she'll work hard. But what question keeps nagging at her: what happens to the students who fail to become Councillors?
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The Case of the Twisted Coil by Hayden Trenholm
from Issue #21
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The great detective had come to America and donned the guise of a tramp, so that rumours of his continued existence wouldn't reach Europe. When a dead body is discovered nearby, he is surprised to find that the young man had been electrocuted. Even more mysterious was the man who led him to the body, a man who seemed to know his true identity...
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Like Water in the Desert by Hayden Trenholm
from Issue #24
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Max was riding the rails in search of employment when he met George. George had a job for him, but he only spoke of it cryptically. He seemed like a nice guy, though -- he even shared his food with him. They jumped off the train and headed off to see a man named Robert Goddard...
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The Queen of Self-Help by Diane Turnshek
from Issue #11
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Belzei is the only survivor of an accident aboard her ship, and with help she manages to land on Arkania. So she becomes de facto ambassador to the planet. When she discovers something disturbing about the Arkanians during negotiations, her collection of self-help books may not be enough to help her solve the problem...
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Atlas and the Alchemist by Robert Vanderwoude
from Issue #3
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Reintz de Ruijter is captain of a ruthless company of mercenaries. But he leaves his campaign behind to rescue the woman he loves, Saskia, who has been accused of murdering her husband. Reintz vows to figure out what really happened, but one way or another he will free Saskia...
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Perfidy by James Viscosi
from Issue #14
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The king has demanded that Miranda’s acting troope put on a play for his soldiers tomorrow. But the troope only has one play at the moment -- a satire that portrays the king in a bad light. Miranda decides she’ll have to write a more suitable play, but her lead actor has other ideas…
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Sky Pearls by James Viscosi
from Issue #8
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After a hailstorm, Ralph finds slithery black things squirming in his yard. When it rains again, the worms all jump ten feet into the air. Then Ralph, usually calm and reserved, feels like jumping into the air himself...
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The Dragon Laureate by Chris Webb
from Issue #10
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When the merchant suggested they take a shortcut underneath the mountains, everyone readily agreed. They weren’t so sure about it when they came across the dragon, though. They figured they would have to fight, but then the dragon started reciting poetry…
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Abigail & Chang by Harvey Welles & Philip Raines
from Issue #24
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The visitors popped in without warning, as they always do. Abigail tried to chase them away, but to no avail. They were looking for photos, and they found her photo of the temple at Banteay Srey. Then they were gone. Now she'll have to redecorate before they come back...
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Second Skin by Gord Zajac
from Issue #1
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With The Government, The Society and so many special-interest groups vying for your loyalty, it's difficult to figure out who's right, especially when you're always in a drug-induced haze. If you could only remember your name you'd feel a lot better...
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