The Little People:

Captain Confederation is as strong as a steamhammer! Tougher than polymer-based metals! Faster than a space shuttle reaching escape velocities! He saves the world, changes the course of mighty rivers but just…can’t…stand the goddamn bureaucracy.

The Bigger Picture:

Cpatain Confederation is one of those stories that are going to be interpreted differently by different people. Superhero nerds (such as myself) will see this as the conflict of superhumanity and mankind and will raise the question ‘why does he put up with this, exactly?’. Cynics will see this story as a comedic look on the very real possibility of interaction between superhumans and baseline, ‘vanilla’ humanity.  And finally, the average scifi nerd will get a pretty eloquent definition of what it means to be superhuman in comics.

Captain Confederation is a funny little look into what superhero culture is about, how it works and why it deals with its existing tropes and it brings it pretty much condenses 40 years of history into a single, superdense narrative point.

Specs:

• 3500 words
• Featuring the trite, grey world that dwells behind the printed pandemonium!
• Brought to you by AE scifi, the Canadian Carnival of Fictitious Sicentific delight!
• To be read here, for free!
• Wholesome fun for the whole family! (WARNING: Contains above-average concentrations of cynicism per word than your average scifi story. Read with caution.)

Konstantine Paradias is a Greek science fiction and fantasy writer. He has a blog, called Shapescapes (shapescapes). There, you can find comic book and movie reviews, a collection of his short stories as well as lots of other (slightly unrelated) articles to while away the time. He also likes making whoosh noises with his mouth when he thinks there’s nobody looking.

For comments or plain old contact, you can find him at kosparadias@gmail.com

What Pushes Your Buttons?

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that “everyone has a limit” or “everyone has a breaking point.” I know I sure have mine, and I’ve been pushed to it a few times… mostly by my kids! Anyway, here is a story about how an alien culture uses that special point in all of us to learn about the crew of an amazing spaceship. It’s a pretty clever and cool story!

Non-Spoiler Summary

The five men who man the indestructible, unbreakable Earth Ship Ambassador have just landed on a beautiful alien world to make first contact with the civilization there. They proceed slowly and cautiously, as any good first-contact crew would. But when strange and unbelievable things begin to happen to them and their ship the stress level of the crew goes sky high! The aliens make contact, but as the men are picked off one by one, the remaining people begin to doubt their sanity. The funny thing about scared people is that they each have a point where they go absolutely bonkers! It’s a good thing this ship has a psychologist to help them know when they’ve reached that point… just in case they missed it themselves!

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 15,834 (32 pages)
• Did you know that the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America made James Gunn its 24th Grand Master back in 2007? Yep. You can learn more about this science fiction author at Wikipedia.

Where To Find Breaking Point

• This short story first appeared in the March 1953 edition of Space Science Fiction.
• You can download or read "Breaking Point" online for free at Project Gutenberg.
• It is also collected in the 1975 anthology Space Opera: Science Fiction from the Golden Age.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you enjoyed "Breaking Point" then you might also like “The Hell Ship” by Ray Palmer – about a man who is forced into service on a horrific space ship!

A Man and his Dog

Fred Marlowe’s sixty-two and a widow. He’s also terribly miserable. His son barely ever writes and he knows it’s only a matter of time before he’s dead and the farm is left to rot, his life’s work forgotten. But at least he’s got his dog, right?

Nope.

The Farm is a really strange story. Not because it’s convoluted or because it deals with high-brow matters that plague human society (well, not largely, anyway) but because its format, pacing and set-up in itself is reminiscent of a 60’s Twilight Zone episode.

It is also designed to probably piss a few overzealous pet owners off, as well, which is a good thing.

The Farm is one of those rare examples of a short science fiction stories where you get a complete commentary on human social relations, useful exposition and an engaging (and also infuriating) adversity that mankind may not be able to overcome. It also pretty damn funny, which sort of helps, as the story is so unimaginably depressing.

The Farm:

• Population: 3,000 words
• George Right has published a number of his works outside of the American Market, despite being an American writer himself. Hmmm, I know dat feel.
• The story is available here: http://buzzymag.com/the-farm-by-george-right/
• I’m never getting a dog.

Konstantine Paradias is a Greek science fiction and fantasy writer. He has a blog, called Shapescapes (shapescapes). There, you can find comic book and movie reviews, a collection of his short stories as well as lots of other (slightly unrelated) articles to while away the time. He also likes making whoosh noises with his mouth when he thinks there’s nobody looking.

For comments or plain old contact, you can find him at kosparadias@gmail.com

Those macho aliens – always fighting and looking for a new way to beat somebody up. Sheesh! You’d think they would get tired of it – especially when they are constantly losing vital body parts!

Read Fregh and Young Brawl at the Skev online for free.

Master Needles is a true practitioner of the Way – a type of renegade, futuristic martial art. But it is his tiny, super strong needles that you have to watch out for – especially if you are a thug-like robot!

Read The Art That Keeps online for free.

Enjoy!

Sometimes, Science Fiction is about the little things…

Fleep is the story of two hotel owners, Nicholas and Boon, struggling to get by with their tiny two-room hotel business in Singapore, while struggling with hospital debts and day-to-day survival. Things are looking downright grim, until the Brindlefarb family comes to save the day… thanks to some gross tourist exploitation.

Why this particular story about little things is important:

Well, first off, this is a story about the financial crisis blues, plain and simple. It’s the tale of two broke dudes who try to get by, devising a number of ways (both legal and illegal) and use all manner of underhanded ploys to make themselves a buck.

In many ways, this story reminded me of my own experiences during my summer jobs in a hotel, acting as a concierge and emergency cleaning staff, as well as the nightmarish experiences of trying to keep three dozen people happy inside a tiny little complex.

Fleep spoke to me in the manner, but it also showed me a society which, despite all its advances, is so chillingly close to our own. The fact that Jeremy Sim’s funny writing style is also evocative and the Brindlefarbs are funny as hell also helps.

Visit the sunny world of Fleep today and find…

• 4000 words worth of fun!
• Subtle and intelligent social commentary!
• A night’s stay in the mind of a man who knows the future is just as bad as the present!
• Follow this link and get it here, for FREE! Brought to you by Waylines magazine!

Konstantine Paradias is a Greek science fiction and fantasy writer. He has a blog, called Shapescapes (shapescapes). There, you can find comic book and movie reviews, a collection of his short stories as well as lots of other (slightly unrelated) articles to while away the time. He also likes making whoosh noises with his mouth when he thinks there’s nobody looking.

For comments or plain old contact, you can find him at kosparadias@gmail.com

Bring Out Your Head!

Have you ever wished that you could purchase new body parts? I guess in a way you can… but that wasn’t the case in the 1800s in Liverpool, England. Here is a clever alternate history story about what that city may have been like if scavenging for body parts had been a normal part of life for those people.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Tom has a precarious job. He works for the Peels, a rich Liverpool family, and so enjoys some benefits of that association. But his job isn’t the nicest one – he collects things that may be of value, especially human body parts that may benefit one of the Peels latest needs… or desires. The lower strata of society look upon him with mixed emotions – hoping to make some money, but knowing where that money is coming from. Anyway, when Tom meets the widow of a famous sailor his life begins to change in some very big ways – more than anybody knows, or even guesses!

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 7,397 (16 pages)
• Did you know that Priya Sharma is a doctor in the UK? Yep. You can learn more about this talented writer by reading her bio on Tor’s web site.

Where To Find Rag and Bone

• This short story first appeared in April, 2013 on the web site Tor.com.
• You can still read "Rag and Bone" for free online at Tor.com.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you enjoyed "Rag and Bone" then you might also like “The Fluted Girl” by Paolo Bacigalupi – about the vengeful plot of a servant girl whose body has been extensively sculpted by the ruler of her fief.

“And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.”

Anna is suffering from depression. She hasn’t slept in her bed for months, hasn’t made herself breakfast or done much else but trudge around the house all day and watch crappy shows on TV, while she waits for her medication to kick in. Her situation seems pretty hopeless, until an experimental new therapy comes to her aid…

“So Messiah was once offered to bear the sins of many;”

I Have Placed My Sickness Upon You is a very special kind of story that probably requires the proper mindset to enjoy, so I’ll just give you the cliff notes on my personal thoughts:

About a year ago, I suffered from depression. I’d hardly eat, go out or really care for anything other than seeing the day through. I was a boring, aggressive old bastard and I felt like crap most of the day. When I couldn’t handle anymore, or when someone who gave a crap about me decided to confront me about it, I only lashed out at them in the worst way.

And that made me feel better.

This might just mean that I am a horrible person, but unfortunately this is not the case. If anything, I was just desperately needing to get this burden off my chest, to make someone else carry it for me. A scapegoat, to trek the desert in my stead. This story is not lighthearted in tone, or in theme. If anything, it’s the most depressing thing a balanced person will read all week. But to someone who is (or has gone through) depression, it’s soul medicine, plain and simple.

The Technical Bits:

• Word Count: 3,000
• Karin Tidbeck is an unrelentingly talented Swedish author, with a website of her very own: www.karintidbeck.com
• You can read the story for free here
• Make sure you thank her for it, afterward. You’ll know what I mean.

Konstantine Paradias is a Greek science fiction and fantasy writer. He has a blog, called Shapescapes (shapescapes). There, you can find comic book and movie reviews, a collection of his short stories as well as lots of other (slightly unrelated) articles to while away the time. He also likes making whoosh noises with his mouth when he thinks there’s nobody looking.

For comments or plain old contact, you can find him at kosparadias@gmail.com

A Great Gift!

So last month I helped my friend John choose the short stories for his Classic Science Fiction reading group. I quite enjoyed it, not only because it was really fun but also because I “killed 2 birds with 1 stone” and used those stories for my weekly reviews here on this site! Anyway, when all was said and done John sent me a great book of short stories, The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Vol. 2, as a thank-you gift for helping him! What a pleasant surprise! The book is packed full of great SciFi stories, so I thought I would pick one at random and give it a try this week. Turns out it was a really great story – and we can all thank John for it being featured here this week!

Non-Spoiler Summary

Mac is a special type of farmer – he grows stone roses which have special physical properties and uses them to make a living producing portals. So it is understandable that he is a little bit worried when the desert begins encroaching on his territory. As he fixes his broken fence he meets a fascinating nomad girl and they fall in love – aw…how sweet! Anyway, after she gives him a special telescope he suddenly receives an off-world visitor who tells him quite a tale – a story about humanity’s last stand in a ancient war, how the roses got their special properties and, of course, the unique woman who is behind it all. Will Mac believe him though? Let’s hope so, because he is kind of the key to setting everything right again!

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Page count: 26 pages
• Did you know that Tony Daniel is an editor at Baen Books? Yep. You can learn more about this awesome science fiction writer on Wikipedia.

Where To Find The Valley of the Gardens

• This novelette first appeared in the 2007 anthology The New Space Opera – edited by Gardner Dozois.
• You can read "The Valley of the Gardens" for free online at Scribd.
• Obviously, this story also appears in the fantastic collection The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Vol. 2 – which is where I read it.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you enjoyed "The Valley of the Gardens" then you might like “A Dry, Quiet War” – which is also by Tony Daniel. That one is about a hero from the war at the end of time who returns to his home planet and discovers even more trouble!

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s AAAIIIEEERRRGGHHH!

Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex is a superhero story that looks at the Superman mythos with a coldly realistic, scientific approach and in the basest (almost most vulgar) way possible. It asks the simple question: if Superman is the kind of man any woman couldn’t help but lust over, what’s keeping him from getting laid? And if he can, what’s stopping him?

Just close your eyes and think of dead kittens or something…

I consider myself to be a moderate superhero nerd and have found myself exposed to a number of ‘grim and gritty’ iterations to iconic superheroes, most of which are, in my opinion, tired and pedantic. From Garth Ennis’ The Boys to Alan Moore’s Watchmen (two excellent examples) to the entire Image Comics run of the 90′s (worst examples), superheroes have been presented as serial killers, mad god-kings, perverts and deviants.

Man of Steel is a story that is good-natured and wants to tell the tale of Superman’s coital problems. It’s well-written, well presented and terrifying where it needs to be. Even though I am, myself, a big Superman fan, I found this to be an enjoyable read that I highly recommend.

But is this a kind of story I would like to see repeated? No. Man of Steel is so blasphemous, dark and clever that it cannot be easily reproduced and does not need to. Like Batman and right-wing extremism, the superhero does not lend itself to exposure under the harsh light of scientific fact. If anything, this short story needs to remain contained within itself as is and not reproduced or imitated.

What I’m trying to say is that ‘grim and gritty’ Superman sucks and the new movie is going to suck, no matter what the trailers and media hype say.

This nightmare generator is brought to you in…

• 3,500-o-Vision!
• With brain-visuals by scifi lengend Larry Niven!
• Available on Internets near you!
• WARNING: Larry Niven, Bestsciencefictionstories.com, Rusty, Rusty’s immediate family nor the writer of this review may be held responsible for having Superman ruined for you forever. If you experience fits of night terrors or the occasional panic attack at the sight of Superman’s symbol, the DC comics logo or J.J. Abrams, please consult your physician.

Konstantine Paradias is a Greek science fiction and fantasy writer. He has a blog, called Shapescapes (shapescapes). There, you can find comic book and movie reviews, a collection of his short stories as well as lots of other (slightly unrelated) articles to while away the time. He also likes making whoosh noises with his mouth when he thinks there’s nobody looking.

For comments or plain old contact, you can find him at kosparadias@gmail.com

Another Good Unique Idea

Here’s a story that I quite enjoyed, and one that has some new ideas I’ve not seen before! After reading another of Mr. Castro’s stories (“My Wife Hates Time Travel”) I found that I enjoyed his style and his unique spin on things, so I figured I’d give this one a try. I’m glad I did – I enjoyed it all the way through!

Non-Spoiler Summary

This is a story about 2 women. One of them is an unborn fetus named Jennifer who has postponed her birth so that she can live out several lifetimes via special hosts who carry her in their bodies and let her experience the world through an advanced interface. The other woman, Molly June, is the latest woman who has been chosen to be the “vehicle” for Jennifer. Molly has no problems with this – she has been bred for this purpose and she accepts that. In fact she feels a tiny bit of pleasure that she can be of service. Jennifer, on the other hand, has had years of experience trying all kinds of things, and she is ready for something truly different – even if that means something very bad for Molly.

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 5,159 (9 pages)
• You can learn more about Adam-Troy Castro on his web site.
• "Arvies" was nominated for the 2011 Nebula Award for Best Short Story.

Where To Find Arvies

• This short story first appeared in the August 2010 edition of Lightspeed Magazine.
• You can still read "Arvies" for free online at Lightspeed Magazine’s web site.
• This story is also included in the collection Lightspeed: Year One.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you enjoyed "Arvies" then you might also like “Bridesicle” by Will McIntosh – about a dead woman who is “awakened” to a very strange proposal.