#bewildering stories

[metaphorfordeath]

My latest story "Newshawk's Crawl" is now available to read for free in Bewildering Stories. Marlin Fletcher is committed to his work, and he'll go to any lengths to get the story he wants--but there are some things you just can't come back from. Content warning for claustrophobia.

Thanks to Don Webb and the staff at BwS for giving this piece a home, I'm thrilled to finally see it in print.

[evelynmlewis]

My short story “A Solipsist’s Country”, also known as “Solipsis” will be published in the online magazine “Bewildering Stories” on August 3rd 2020! Keep an eye out for the issue here:

http://www.bewilderingstories.com/index.html

It’s a long-running magazine and in fact has been publishing for 19 years.

[batgovernor]

Poem: “This Ape I Am” Under our armoured mirrors of the mind where eyes watch eyes, trying to pierce disguise, an ape, incapable of doubt, looks out,

[batgovernor]

Short poem: RHL, 'Planet Earth'

Like an obsequious waiter runs the attendant Equator round the fat gut of our obscenely glutted world. This great gobbed globe of God’s glory, spat by Him into space and spinning in spirals and falling forever further from Faith’s Face. ***** A religious poem? I don’t know, I like the sound of it though. Anyway, the continuing and global nature of the drift away from Faith suggests it is all…

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[batgovernor]

RHL, 'Cold Immortality'

The candle, blown out, still retains a spark; Nor is it burnt up, though the room is dark. No one cares. Its job is done. But sparks could still rekindle into flame Or stubs, restrung, redipped, refill its frame. But not both things together. Yet if the candle could keep sparks in wick, We’d keep it live, remake it long and thick… Continuous, unsevered. Like Lincoln’s axe, whose haft’s been…

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[batgovernor]

Sonnet: Martin Elster, 'Axis Denied'

Earth, always the same distance from her star, induced no crane to migrate, lark to sing, chorus frog to trill, violet to spring, nor leaves to turn. The solstice was as far as the edge where galaxies all disappear. The sun kept glaring down, as on that shore where, from your tower, you chose to ignore the thing I most desired. Wasn’t it clear? Earth didn’t tilt. Her poles were locked in glaze,…

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[batgovernor]

My own favourites: Sonnet: RHL, 'Death Will Be Harsher Now'

Death will be harsher now, as, year by year, we solve the clues of immortality: emotions sink to animality as false hopes tighten screws of desperate fear. Hormone control will make age disappear— after false starts, most horrible to see— but those already old must beg to be frozen for the genetic engineer. While war, starvation, pipe Earth’s gruesome jigs, successful businessmen will fight to…

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[batgovernor]

Semi-formal: RHL, 'When AI Rules'

So, to be fair: the AI doesn’t care. Drop your intransigence; forget belligerence: the universe just wants intelligence. Be glad amoebas, dinosaurs, don’t take pride of place; they were supplanted by the human race… but we are clearly not the end. Be glad we’ve helped the next in line ascend. Those who strive may fail; those with no drive may still prevail. So just enjoy the view… let AI keep us…

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