Sci-fi Author – Worlds of weirdness, aliens and humanity in 99 words
Only dried grasses stirred within the domed savannah. He'd always had to live alone. I waited by his favourite baobab. Before spotting his lumbering form, I sensed his mind. His, and another's. My stomach clenched - we were promised the holidays. He welcomed me with eager, gentle strokes of his scarred trunk - no sorrow,... Continue Reading →
Radiation reached his skin through UV-resistant clothes. "Four-hundred-thirteen billion credits for today's contestant! If he survives..." A hidden crowd cheered. He retrieved his only permitted secret ingredient with a blistered hand. "What's today's contestant chosen for us?" Blinding light. The crowd gasped. The glare receded and he staggered forward, balancing a platter, alien delicacies piled... Continue Reading →
Solar floodlights expose the beachfront like daylight. Crowds gathered there nightly to escape the endless heat, their music drowning the waves. I move on over slippery rock-pools and round the cliffs further up the coast. Human sounds fall away as the cliffs lower to reveal a river mouth and marshy swampland, visible now beneath unburdened... Continue Reading →
She and her brothers spent many summers out by the rusted cattle shed, before the sunburns became too much. They thought it was haunted. "Pantry and freezer are stocked, should do you all till we get back," their parents would say. Then they wouldn't hear from them for weeks. At first it was exciting, then... Continue Reading →
Neuro-tech students gathered on a rooftop, beneath the City-dome, drinks in hand, and watched the decade's worst electrical storm. "Shortest night... solstice?" "Yeah." "I went in today." "You didn't-" "There was no fear, y'know? Back then. They just lived. Under the sun for hours at a time." "Really?" "Barbecues, beers, no sunscreen. It was-" "Exhilarating?"... Continue Reading →
Almost unshielded, Earth is hotter now than my last visit. Yet, its natural chaos is still wondrous. These humans don't plan well, their cities struggled with the changing, despite how gradual. Chaos is hard to protect, to regulate. Impossible, they said. But humans inspire me. Their fragility breeds courage, authenticity. I had to return. Despite... Continue Reading →
Day by day, the population thinned. Babies weren't being conceived as often as they once had. The sun's radiation increased week by week. Cancer counts increased. Hospitals overflowed. Lives faded.Those with fair skin donned sunscreen every morning without fail, before continuing life. Most just stayed indoors.All were failing fertility tests. Years pass.A coloured President. Prime Minister. Council and Board members. School principals. Teachers.... Continue Reading →
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Rebecca Glaessner Author 