Archaeology and Science Fiction – Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I am intensely fascinated by anthropology and archaeology. And when they are combined with a great science fiction story by an excellent author… well, let’s just say that its better than Reece’s Peanut Butter cups!

Non-Spoiler Summary

Ever since Simmilgord was a little boy growing up among the brightly colored savannas of Majipoor he has longed to study the planet’s history and tell its story. After many years of school and hard study he and his friend are given the chance of a lifetime – to excavate the tomb of the first Pontifex of Majipoor! He starts off as a skeptical scholar, but as they make several exciting discoveries his skepticism melts away and the two friends revel in their work – that is until the Superintendent of Antiquities becomes aware of their dig and stops by to (ahem…) help them out. Can their friendship survive the snobbish intrusion? Or will everything literally fall to pieces?

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 13,708 (34 pages)
• Did you know that Robert Silverberg has written more than 580 short stories? Yep. You can learn more about this prolific writer at majipoor.com.
• "The Tomb of the Pontifex Dvorn" is part of Silverberg’s Majipoor series. If you like it be sure to check out some of the other novels and stories set on this amazing planet – beginning with the award winning Lord Valentine’s Castle.
• Special thanks to the excellent Variety SF for pointing me towards this awesome story!

Where To Find The Tomb of the Pontifex Dvorn

• This story first appeared in the Winter 2011 edition of Subterranean Online – where you can still read it for free.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "The Tomb of the Pontifex Dvorn" then you may also enjoy “Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge” by Mike Resnick – a story set in the far future when a group of anthropological aliens are studying the long and brutal empire of mankind.

NON SPOILER SUMMARY

Cinnamon is a young princess who cannot talk.  Her parents are desperate to teach her to speak, and offer treasure and riches to anyone who can help her to do so.  Many try, but none succeed.  Until one day a fierce tiger arrives and wants to help Cinnamon.  Her parents are worried that the tiger will trick them, but they agree to let him try.

MY THOUGHTS

I may be a little biased here, after all, this story bears my name!  Yep, Cinnamon is my name, so I was stoked to stumble across this story last week when I was checking out Neil Gaiman’s website!  As with most Neil Gaiman stories, this one falls into the fantasy category of science fiction.  It was a very quick read with some great illustrations that your kids will enjoy too!

INTERESTING TIDBITS

• Word Count: 1,138
• Page Count: 3

WHERE TO FIND THIS STORY

You can read Cinnamon for free at Neil Gaiman’s website.

In the style of Mr Men and Thomas the Tank Engine (with a bit of Douglas Adam’s style reality) comes Alien Characters, a monthly series of science fiction short story ebooks for Kindle for children aged 6-10. Separate titles include Alien Bob the house grower, Alien Hamish the star mover and intergalactic navigator, Alien Robert the robot technician and child care worker, Alien Christine the crystal energy technologist and healer, Alien Tim the Time Minister, Alien Vince the air recycling plant and environmentalist, Alien Carla the Galactic biological communications channeller, Alien Rex the parallel reality trade specialist, Alien Amanda the galactic immigration minister, Alien Nathanial the electromagnatheric energy and First Contact specialist, Alien Anneke the galactic flash relocation accountant, and a number of other residents of the Large Magellanic Cloud. From series 2 most characters are somewhere on board the ship The Celestial Breeze along with its Companion Planet, collecting more Alien Characters before leaving for their journey to the Milky Way Galaxy.

Each short story focuses on a new Alien Character and whatever problem they need to solve on the way. For example, in Alien William, he decides to move some of his millions of descendants to multiple alternate realities where his race doesn’t exist so they can spread throughout infinite levels of reality, but is told by the consciousness of the galaxy that her other parallel selves won’t allow it, so he needs to find another way.

A few of the stories are available on Kindle with pictures. Most are available as text-only Kindle ebooks. These may be released with pictures by 2013. A new Alien Character story is available every month.

Find out more at www.AlienCharacters.com.

NON SPOILER SUMMARY

Chloe recently broke up with her BFF, and now to be considered part of the cool gang at school, she has to do whatever they tell her to do. Chloe takes a dare to break a window at the Cat Lady’s house. The Cat Lady is rumored to steal children and turn them into cat food for the dozens of creepy cats in her yard. But when Chloe hurls a gigantic rock, and hurts a cat instead of a window, the consequences are very severe.

MY THOUGHTS

My kids are always asking me about the science fiction short stories I am reading. So when I was browsing at the school’s book fair, I was delighted to find a “Science Fiction For Kids” section! (Two birds, one stone, my friends… or in this case… two cats, one stone, haha!)

I read The Cat Lady aloud to my kids and we were all pretty happy with this (not too) scary science fiction tale. It had a good buildup, some fun creepy details that grossed my kids out, and a great moral to the story that satisfied the mother in me. While it wasn’t a hardcore science fiction story, it was a fun family read.

INTERESTING TIDBITS

• Word Count: approximately 10,000
• Page Count: 51
• Published: 2006

WHERE TO FIND THIS STORY

• The Cat Lady is one of the 3 Terrifying Tales collected in “The Midnight Library”, a book I purchased at the school book fair.
• You can purchase The Midnight Library at Amazon.com.

Only A Little Bit Outdated!

I get a kick out of reading older science fiction stories like this one. It is fun to see the possibilities that are imagined for our solar system – even if we know better today. There were a few parts in this story that I was like “What?” – and then I remembered that is was written almost 80 years ago, so I just relaxed and went with the flow. It was much more fun that way!

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

The great thirty-fourth century astronomer Phobar has made a disconcerting discovery: he has found several new stars in the past week, and each of them is getting closer and closer to Earth! It doesn’t take him very long to figure out that something is on its way to visit our planet. As this object gets closer it begins to disrupt the orbits of the outer planets, and even affects the sun. Something needs to be done, and when Phobar is given an amazing but short opportunity he definitely makes the most of it. But will it be enough against such a powerful foe?

Interesting Tidbits:

• Word Count: 8,030 (16 pages)
• Did you know that Donald A. Wandrei was a friend and protege of the famous author H. P. Lovecraft? Yep. You can learn more about this accomplished write at Wikipedia.
• Special thanks to QuasarDragon for pointing me towards this fun story.

Where You Can Find Raiders of the Universes:

• This story was originally published in the September 1932 issue of Astounding Stories.
• You can read (or download) a free version of “Raiders of the Universes” at Project Gutenberg.
• It is also included in the book Colossus: The Collected Science Fiction of Donald Wandrei.

If you liked “Raiders of the Universes” then you may also be interested in “The Colour Out Of Space” by H.P. Lovecraft – about a meteorite that falls from the sky in the 1880′s and the devastating consequences it has upon the people in a rural New England town.

Anyway, I just wanted to trumpet announce let you know that one of my SF short stories has been published in the latest (September 2011) edition of the web magazine Aphelion.

"Jane and the Queen" is a SF / Fantasy story that takes place in a world where werewolves are captured and allowed to return to their human state gracefully. But one werewolf is different from all the others, and her case worker wonders if that may have something to do with the alien space ships that recently landed on Earth.

If you are so inclined you can read "Jane and the Queen" for free at the Aphelion web site.

Okay, we now return you to our regularly scheduled programming…

-Rusty

Non-Spoiler Summary

Giovanni Guasconti has come to attend the university at Padua, in northern Italy. Being a student he rents a modest room that happens to overlook a garden full of beautiful but deadly flowers. It is here that Giovanni is captivated by the exquisite young lady who helps her father tend the garden. (Who wouldn’t be, right?) As he learns more about the dark and foreboding gardener, Giovanni discovers that the crazy old man is a highly competitive doctor who is willing to experiment on just about anything for the sake of science – and that is bad news for Giovanni!

Some Juicy Tidbits About This Story

• Word count: 11,372 (16 pages)
• Did you know that the DC Comics character Poison Ivy was partially based on Rappaccini’s Daughter? Yep. Learn more about this famous story at Wikipedia.

Where To Find Rappaccini’s Daughter

• This short story first appeared in Hawthorne’s 1848 collection Mosses from an Old Manse and Other Stories.
• You can read "Rappaccini’s Daughter" for free online at Sam Houston State University.
• It is also included in the classic book Hawthorne’s Short Stories.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "Rappaccini’s Daughter" then be sure to read about her continuing adventures in the excellent modern story The Mad Scientist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Pid the Grom is under some intense pressure to succeed. He is the leader of the 21st expedition sent to Earth to try and plant an invasion device inside one of its nuclear facilities. Even worse is the fact that he has no idea how or why the previous expeditions failed! They were just never heard from again, and that makes Pid a little bit nervous about himself and his crew. As they arrive on Earth everything looks peaceful enough, and that should make the objective easy to accomplish, right? Nope, the Groms are about to learn a very hard lesson about life on the 3rd planet from the Sun. Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

Some Juicy Tidbits About This Story

• Word count: 5,766 (14 pages)
• Did you know that Robert Sheckley was once a pretzel salesman? Yep. Read more about this amazing author at Wikipedia.
• Special thanks to QuasarDragon for recommending this great story!

Where To Find Keep Your Shape

• This short story first appeared in the November 1953 edition of Galaxy Science Fiction.
• You can read a free online version of "Keep Your Shape" at Project Gutenberg.
• You can also find this story in the Sheckley anthology Untouched by Human Hands.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "Keep Your Shape" then you may also enjoy “Reborn Again” – about a man whose whole-body transplant operation is botched by a morally indecisive lab technician, also by Robert Sheckley.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Nico hates the aliens, and agrees that they must die. That is why he is signing up for the war effort. They’re ugly too – with their lizard heads and green scaly hides. But as Nico is forced to make several physical changes in order to become a better fighter he begins to realize that maybe the enemy isn’t so different after all! Oh well, he has a job to do… right?

Some Juicy Tidbits About This Story

• Word count: 1,847 (4 pages)
• Special thanks to Free SF Reader for recommending this awesome story!

Where To Find Scales

• This story originally appeared as a podcast on The Guardian – where you can still listen to it for free.
• You can read "Scales" for free at the LightSpeed web site.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "Scales" then you may also enjoy Alastair Reynolds other story “Diamond Dogs” – about a group of highly specialized people who travel to a deadly alien tower on a remote planet.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

A young Filipino boy and his brother James are obsessed with comic books during the late 1980s and early 1990s. You know, typical boys who spend all their money at the local comic store, have walls plastered with super-hero posters and routinely pretend to have super powers. Ah… it reminds me of my youth! Anyway, when these brothers get the chance to meet a real live comic book artist (who is their uncle no less) they are ecstatic – that is until one of them makes a very strange, albeit innocent, request.

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 12
• Word Count: 5,034
• If you enjoy reading comic books, or know anything about the creators in that business, then you owe it to yourself to read this wonderfully fun story!
• Did you know that Andrew Drilon is a comic creator himself? Yep. You can learn more about this talented author by reading his biographical blurb at Top Shelf 2.0.

Where You Can Find The Secret Origin of Spin-man:

• This story was first published in Philippine Speculative Fiction IV edited by Dean Francis Alfar and Nikki Alfar.
• You can read "The Secret Origin of Spin-man" online for free at the Best of Philippine Speculative Fiction 2009 web site.

If you liked this story then you may also be interested in "Last Son of Tomorrow" by Greg van Eekhout – about a super-hero who gets tired of doing the same old thing all the time.