The End of the Whole Mess is a post-apocalyptic short story by Stephen King, as told from the view point of Howard Fonroy, the older brother of one of the smartest (and few remaining) men on the planet.

Non-Spoiler version in a jiffy:

Howard Fonroy is a moderately successful writer, who has lived his entire life in awe (and fear) of his Lex Luthory-type genius of his brother, Robert. During his talks with Robert, the reader realizes that things have indeed taken a turn for the worse and that the world is teetering at the edge. Drastic measures are required, or else mankind will end up destroying itself pretty soon. Thus, Robert dedicates his life to finding a way out of this, convincing his brother to follow along with a madcap plan that actually works. In a surprising twist, not only does he make it, but everyone also lives happily ever after with nobody dying.

Hahahahaha…no. That’s not what happens at all.

My thoughts on the story:

Say what you will about Stephen King, but the man can write a wicked backstory for his characters. In the story’s few pages, you actually get emotionally invested in both characters and you end up loving the infuriatingly intelligent Robert. However, the story does seem to suffer from comic book logic syndrome, with an oversimplified solution and execution, which might put some of you hard scifi guys out there off. As for me, I absolutely loved this story and its ending sent chills up my spine.

Specs:

• Word count: 10,000 words
• The story was first published in Omni Magazine in 1986, and later published in the Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection (1993) and Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse (2008).
• Stephen King is a world-renowned author. You’ve probably seen at least one movie version of his book. If you’ve never heard of him before, then welcome to earth, ye mighty alien overlords!

Where you can find this little gem:

• In the short story collection Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse (2008), which I highly recommend
• And here (http://www.scribd.com/doc/17129794/The-End-of-the-Whole-Mess) for free.

Konstantine Paradias is a short story science fiction and fantasy writer, who has his own blog, called Shapescapes (shapescapes). For comments or plain old contact, you can find him at kosparadias@gmail.com

One Dream Job Coming Right Up!

This story evokes a setting that I would die for: being one of the first explorers on a newly discovered planet! Honestly, how cool would that be? It would be rough, but it would still be my dream life. This is a very cool story with descriptions that reminded me of both Hyperion and Chasm City – and that is a good thing indeed!

Non-Spoiler Summary

Cord is a teen-aged boy with the Colonial Team on the outback world of Sutang. There is a lot of work to do and very few people to do it, which is why Cord often gets in trouble for doing some exploring on his own. In fact, Cord’s local leader wants to send him back to his home world, but Cord doesn’t like that idea at all. Lucky for him the Planetary Regent is coming to visit, and she wants Cord to accompany them while riding a local life form. This is Cord’s big chance to impress the people who control his destiny – but can he be both chivalrous and safe at the same time? He is about to find out… because a big test is heading his way!

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 8,935 (15 pages)
• Special thanks to Tinkoo at Variety SF for recommending this great story!

Where To Find Grandpa

• This short story was first published in the February 1955 edition of Astounding Science Fiction.
• You can read a free online version of “Grandpa” at Baen eBooks.
• It is also included in the anthology Explorers: SF Adventures to Far Horizons.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked “Grandpa” then you may also enjoy “The World That Couldn’t Be” by Clifford D. Simak – about a farmer who tries to save his crops by hunting a very dangerous alien beast.

“Monument”, a 1961 novelette by Lloyd Biggle, Jr., is about destructive tourism on an idyllic world.

Non-spoiler summary

O’Brien, a mechanic, crashes his ship on a beautiful, idyllic planet. He begins to live with the planet’s natives and soon looses interest in being rescued. As he gets old, O’Brien realizes an undeniable fact.

“It was a beautiful world. Its beaches were smooth and sandy, its waters were warm, its climate admirable. To the people of the myriads of harsh worlds whose natural riches attracted large populations, dry worlds, barren worlds, airless worlds, it would be a paradise. Those who could leave their bleak atmosphere domes, or underground caverns, or sand-blown villages for a few days in this sweet-smelling, oxygen rich atmosphere could face their lives with renewed courage.”

The world he has come to love is indeed a paradise and sooner or later, more men would come from the sky to take the land and do whatever they want with it. O’Brien, a simple uneducated man, but a man of action, finds himself reflecting on how he must protect the world he has come to love and cherish. Another fact he is aware of: he is slowly dying. After doing some serious thinking, he has the brightest young natives sent to him and begins to teach them about what they need to do when the time will come.

Time goes by until a developer finally arrives and begins building hotels, pools and golf courses. The native people put “The Plan” into effect…

The climax of the story is an unforeseen masterstroke delivered by the natives.

My thoughts on this story

• This story has a careful melange of humor, politics, economics, humanity, sense of responsibility/duty and law.
• I like the fact that the author chose to explore how a simple, uneducated man could, in his own and limited way and with a certain level of wisdom and patience, have such a profound impact on a planet’s native population.
• I really enjoyed reading and reviewing this story.

Interesting tidbits

• Word count:  16,702
• Lloyd Biggle, Jr. (April 17, 1923 – September 12, 2002) was a musician, author and internationally known oral historian.
• He served in World War II as Communications Sergeant (during which he was wounded twice).
• In the 1970′s, he founded the Science Fiction Oral History Association (SFOHA), which built archives containing hundreds of cassette tapes of science fiction notables making speeches and discussing aspects of their craft.
• “Monument” was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1962 in the Short Fiction category.
• In 1974, the novel Monument (based on the short story) was published.

Where to find the story

• This short story was first published in Analog magazine in June 1961.
• You can read it online at Webscription.

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.

The Nature Of Man. Since the days of Pinocchio, inanimate devices seem mesmerized by Man and obsessed with trying to discover the answer to what it is and what it means to be human.

This quirky yet wonderful novelette, written by Roger Zelazny in 1966, illustrates the frustratingly perplex struggle to correlate genius with folly, strength with frailty, and all the promise and pratfalls of what it means to be Man! (*)

Story Synopsis:

Long after the Last Man had perished from existence, the Earth is faithfully maintained by armies of robotized machines and computers dedicated to the rebuilding program initiated by humans before their demise.

Solcom orbits the Earth directing the effort .To aid him in this task, Solcom builds a super computer called Frost to rule the Northern Hemisphere and one called Beta to rule the Southern Hemisphere,

As a backup system, Man had created an Alternate to Solcom : Divcom. Divcom is activated prematurely and they have a constant battle to assert their claim to be the dominant force.

With no Man in existence to make the determination, Solcom and Divcom spend eons destroying each others’ rebuilding attempts.

Frost, having time and unused resources at his disposal, becomes interested in Man after unearthing some artifacts of this now extinct creature. Frost’s curiosity grows into a frantic obsession as his research produces more questions than answers.

In a parallel to God and Satan discussing Job, Solcom and Divcom make a deal between themselves based on the outcome of Frost’s insatiable desire to discern the Nature of Man.

(*) (If it’s any consolation, my dear Frost, we humans have pondered these very questions throughout our existence as well and have come away with pitifully few results.)

The Good:

• Very well written and does not suffer in the least for having no PEOPLE in the story.
• Provides us with a long hard look from the outside in, as it were, of ourselves.
• Suspenseful.

The Bad:

• Little action here and not a very complex topic.(**)
• The ending is a little corny but still a very enjoyable story.

This & That:

• Word count 11,249
• Page Count 28
• Similar Story: If you liked "For a Breath I Tarry" you’ll love “The Bicentennial Man” by Isaac Asimov!

Can be found here:

• The Last Defender of Camelot
• Science Fiction: A Historical Anthology
• You can read it free online here.

(**) This is the toughest part of doing these reviews…finding something negative to say! I agree with Rusty in his purpose for this site – namely ONLY THE GOOD STUFF! (I’m paraphrasing of course).

With very few exceptions, the only SF I read are short story anthologies and the only way I would review one here is if I feel it is one of the Best of The Best in the FIRST PLACE!

NON SPOILER SUMMARY

A man who is mourning his lost daughter decides to make journey to a legendary cave.  It is told that the cave is filled with gold, but that it is also cursed.  Most men are too afraid to seek the riches of the cave.  But our main character is no normal man, and he has had some unique experiences in life.  So he enlists the help of a guide, and together they make the long and difficult travel to the cave.  But when they arrive, things are not as they seem…

MY THOUGHTS

I’m ashamed to admit that this is the first story I have ever read by Neil Gaiman!  Tsk tsk…  But I am happy to announce that I now understand the cult following this famous author has acquired.  (1.5 million followers on Twitter.)

The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains was a delightful first read for me.  I enjoyed Gaiman’s writing style, and the vivid images that drifted off the pages.  This story had layers of meaning, and left me thinking about the age old saying, “What goes around, comes around.”

Although this one falls more into the fantasy side of science fiction, I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

INTERESTING TIDBITS

• Word Count: 10,517
• Page Count: 24
• About the Author: Did you know that Neil Gaiman’s first book was a Duran Duran biography?  Learn more fascinating facts about Neil at his website, or at Wikipedia.

WHERE TO FIND THIS STORY

You can read  The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains for free at Fifty Two Stories.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Jon Hall is a wanted man. He and his 19 brothers were very effective soldiers in the war on the planet Grismet, but now that the war is over they are being hunted down because they are so dangerous. Jon’s space flight to Earth is being followed by Tom Jordan, an agent of the Commission who is certain that Jon’s unique characteristics will give him away – things like his extraordinary mass, radiation signature and the fact that he stutters. Jon is off to a good start on Earth, but the more he interacts with people the more suspicious they become. Will he be able to express his message of innocence to the people of Earth, or will they clamor for his death – regardless of how cruel it is? One little Earth boy holds the answer to that question, and the end results are quite amazing.

Tidbits About This Story

• Word count: 9,991 (20 pages)
• I couldn’t find much information about author R. R. Merliss – do any of you know anything about him?
• Special thanks to Variety SF for recommending this story!

Where To Find The Stutterer

• This story first appeared in the April 1955 edition of Astounding Science Fiction.
• You can read "The Stutterer" online for free at Project Gutenberg.
• It is also included in the 2011 anthology Robot Tales: Eleven Short Science Fiction Stories About Robots

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "The Stutterer" then you might also enjoy “Scanners Live in Vain” by Cordwainer Smith – about a sensory deprived man who tries to stop his Scanner brothers from killing a human who has just made a great scientific breakthrough.

Like Mad Max!

Did you like the Mel Gibson movies based on Mad Max? If so then you’ll love this cool story set in the American Southwest after the collapse of society. There’s no “Thunderdome” here, but there are plenty of cool ideas to keep you engaged!

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Ooljee is a Navajo woman who lives at an observatory in Texas. This isn’t your everyday Texas – no, this is a post-apocalyptic Texas where communities are built on trust and outsiders often prove to be thugs who only want to kill and raid for supplies. The scientific community at the Fort Davis / McDonald Observatory is still holding up, however, and when they receive communication that there is something strange happening in Los Alamos, New Mexico, they decide to send Ooljee to investigate. With a few firearms and a couple of trust-worthy companions she sets out on the long trip not knowing what to expect. Along the way she discovers enemies, new friends and something bigger and more bizarre than anyone had imagined!

My Two Cents…

• I grew up in the Southwest and knew several Navajo people, so it was fun to read this story which respects their culture and shows what a resilient people they are.
• If you are a fan of post-apocalyptic stories then you’ll love this one – especially what Ooljee finds at the end!
• Often short stories are so concise that they leave out anything that doesn’t advance the main story line. This story isn’t like that – it has a couple of fascinating side-stories that really help bring it to life. Bravo!

Interesting Tidbits:

• Page Count: 14
• Word Count: 8,733
• Did you know that Nancy Jane Moore holds a third degree black belt in Aikido? Yep. You can learn more about this excellent science fiction author on her web site.

Where You Can Find Or We Will All Hang Separately:

• This story first appeared in August 2010 on the web site Futurismic.
• You can still read "Or We Will All Hang Separately" for free at the Futurismic web site.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked "Or We Will All Hang Separately" then you might also enjoy “…For a Single Yesterday” by George R. R. Martin – about a musician in a post-apocalyptic commune who uses a powerful drug to re-live the past.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Harry Morgan and Jack Latrobe have worked together as asteroid miners for a long time. It is a brutal and unforgiving job, but one which the citizens of the Belt Cities rely on to get their oxygen. The two men have become friends and learned to trust each other. So it is no surprise that when Jack goes missing on a trip to Earth that Harry wants to find out what happened to him. As Harry travels there he begins to unravel a deep corporate desire – but more importantly the big wigs on Earth begin to learn a few dark secrets about the citizens of the asteroid belt too! Mwa ha ha ha!

Interesting Tidbits:

• Word Count: 9,767 (22 pages)
• Did you know that in 1999 Randall Garrett won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History Special Achievement for his Lord Darcy series? Yep. You can learn more about this fascinating author at Wikipedia.
• Special thanks to Variety SF for reviewing this excellent short story and making me want to read it!

Where You Can Find Thin Edge:

• This story was originally published in the December 1963 issue of Analog Science Fact -> Science Fiction.
• You can read (or download) a free version of “Thin Edge” at Project Gutenberg.
• It is also included in the book The Second Science Fiction Megapack: 25 Modern and Classic Tales by Masters.

If you liked “Thin Edge” then you may also be enjoy “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick – about a man who desperately wants to go to Mars but can’t afford it, so he gets vacation memories implanted instead.

"The Land Ironclads" is a 1903 science fiction short story by H. G. Wells. It is an eerily prophetic story about a war correspondent and a soldier in a fictitious battle between “townsmen” and “countrymen”. What’s the catch? While one side has the brawn, the other may have the brains to turn the tide of the war forever.

H. G. Wells: Master Oracle of Future Science:

Even though we don’t have time machines and anti-gravity units yet, Wells certainly was a pioneer of these now almost ubiquitous concepts in science fiction. But what actual science did he predict? The military now uses heat emitting microwave rays for riot control. We live in a wirelessly connected world not so different from his utopian novel, Men Like Gods. He even described in great detail automatically sliding doors, escalators and airport people movers before the turn of the 20th century – a true visionary.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell:

A news reporter is on assignment at the front. He’s thrust into the heart of battle with his only source being a war-weary soldier with a very cynical attitude towards the whole ordeal. Can they survive the onslaught, dug in and entrenched, and ready to once again put up a staunch defense? Or does the opposition have a secret weapon that will finally put an end to the bloody stalemate?

Interesting Tidbits:

• Word Count: 8,690 (16 pages)
• Did you know that military officers frequently read The Strand Magazine and might have picked up a few pointers on trench warfare tactics from reading this story?

Where You Can Find The Land Ironclads:

• Originally published in the December 1903 issue of The Strand Magazine.
• You can read (or download) a free version of "The Land Ironclads" at The Scrapboard.
• It is also included in his many short story collections.

More About the Contributor, Slava Heretz:

• Slava Heretz writes science fiction and is the author of The Outer Pendulum, a serialized space opera: Amazon.com.
• Slava also posts free weekly flash fiction on his website: www.slavaheretz.com