Bill W

If you enjoy well-written sci-fi, where aliens are invading the earth, then this short story is for you. It has a believable and action-packed storyline, with interesting and relatable characters, and it will keep you on your toes as you read along. It's also a romantic story, so you get two-in-one as you read it.

I'm late and just going back and reading the anthologies that I didn't get to before, but I was impressed by this story and enjoyed it very much. Not only did it have a good storyline, but it also had relatable characters, and a happy ending. Thank you so much for sharing this story with us. PS: I would to see how Simon and Fred were doing raising their two sons in this post-apocalyptic world.

A very powerful story addressing a problem in today's society in the U.S. - gun violence. This short story is well-written and forcefully addresses a student's reaction to gun violence and how some of those in power, both political and educational, attempt to stifle the protests and discussions on this subject. Read this story - it might change your mind.

I know this response is very late, but I just read this story and noted your response. First of all, the Second Amendment states the following: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" At the time, any citizen could be part of the militia (and they could remain a member of that militia as a civilian for life), which today might more appropriately referred to the armed forces, so the right of the people belonging to the militia (armed services) shall not to be infringed. The army should have weapons they need to protect the nation, but it doesn't mean those not belonging to that group should have the same weapons. Even Justice Antonin Scalia, the Republican Justice and Second Amendment defender stated: “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited. [It is] not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.” What that means is that being able to bear arms do not mean the right to any weapons, no matter how dangerous. Those weapons should be the purview of the military, or the militia as stated in the Second Amendment.

A cute and fun story about a young boy, Barrett, who like most boys has a penchant for superheroes and pretends to be one. His older brother, Gideon, may seem grouchy at times, but he seems to really love his little brother, while also keeping him safe. This short story will make you smile and will give your spirits a lift, whether you need it or not.

@Cia, I see you released your inner child to write this story. It was cute and I'm glad Ms. Oliver read the children stories that they not only enjoyed, but that they could learn from. Barrett sounds like a cute kid, and even though Gideon seems a little grouchy at times, it seems that his main interest is to take care of his little brother. I truly enjoyed this.

The mission started out a disaster, with a malfunction during the jump, and now the crew finds themselves in a galaxy that's farther away from earth than any humans had journeyed before. They have to reorganize and start planning as to how they're going to make it back home. I believe you'll find this an interesting and fun read.

Relationships have all sorts of reasons for breaking up, and sometimes the people involved don't adequately express their feelings and explain the reasons for what happens. This story explores the relationship between Brian and Eric, and long after their relationship ends, another encounter causes them to finally express the causes for what really happened. I think it will astound you at how this plays out, so read this short story and see what you think.

Cassie, thank you for this enlightening story. You managed to show both sides of what happens when a relationship goes bad, and possibly you've made some readers look at their own lives and wonder - am I like Brian - am I like Eric? Are there ways that I can improve my own relationship? Have I been aloof and unavailable to my partner and do I need to change things to improve the situation? Am I unhappy in my relationship, but I haven't adequately expressed my feelings to my partner and now I'm looking for a way out? I believe, Cassie, there was a lot of introspection by your reader as they attempted to relate this story to their own lives and maybe trying to become more involved with their partners. Kudos for this thought provoking tale.

A interesting and enlightening story about something that is an underdiscussed topic in the LGBTQ+ world, being asexual. Looking at what life has been like for a man who has lived his entire life not understanding his own situation will shed a light on the topic for you. Give this short story a read and you will become wiser for doing so.

When I was growing up, the older single women without a sex life were called Old Maids. The single men with no interest in have sexual relations with anyone else were called Confirmed Bachelors. Some even suggested it was the reason that some women became nuns and the men became priests, because it would stop the rumors and gossip about them and they wouldn't actually be giving anything up, since they didn't seem to have an interest in sex in the first place. It's a truly under-discussed orientation, so thankyou, @Valkyrie, for shining a light on it and giving us a better understanding about what it must be like.

I'm surprised you haven't tried to use the laser beams that @Myr uses to destroy those invasive bots on Steve. I good zap might change his attitude and motivate him to do the backlog of work he seems to be avoiding. 😁

Fatigues are the field or combat uniform worn by the military. Possibly given that name because at the end of the day the soldiers wearing them were fatigued.

Once you read this story, you'll never look at camping the saw way again. It's many years since they were in high school, but Dan and Fred have discovered how things have changed since then. Cute story.

I'm going back and reading anthologies that I didn't get to previously and found your cute story. I can imagine what Dan and Fred talked about when they got back to Dan's place. "If we'd had a little courage, we could have enjoyed doing this back when we were still in high school. Think of all the great times we missed out on! We could have camped out, just the two of us, and enjoyed ourselves like Johnny and Steve were doing - without the disco ball though." Thanks for this cute story, jfalkon.

A thought provoking sci-fi tale about two humans discovering something that it seems the ancient Egyptians encountered in the distant past. You may be surprised by how this story turns out, so give it a look, especially if you enjoy these types of stories.

You never know what might happen when you deal with aliens that maybe be millions, possibly even billions, of years more advanced than you. That is the risk every astronaut took, since they had no idea what they might encounter as they ventured to the moon, and that risk only increases as they go to Mars or beyond. Thanks for this interesting tale, Carl.

There are two extremes when it comes to relationships - those that fail horribly and those that end up better than you could ever expect. Jay explores both types of relationships in this story and leaves you feeling good when the story ends. Treat yourself and take the time to read this little gem for yourself.

I'm just catching up reading anthologies that I didn't get to before, and I enjoyed this story immensely. The characters were believable and interesting, it was well-written, and the pacing was good. Kudos of a great job!

A wonderfully poignant tale about what happens in a relationship when trust is lost and anger and hurt takes its place. This story is painfully realistic in its portrayal of what the main characters are going through and how sometimes they might even suffer from momentary lapses when they set their differences aside and things almost seem normal again. It would be well worth your time and effort to give this short story a read.

I'm just getting to read some of the anthologies I didn't read before and came across your story. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and when love falters or fades, hate often steps in to take its place. A very realistic portray of that concept. Well done.

Even though the outcome was inevitable in domestic abuse cases, I hope it doesn't end tragically, as so many often do.

Another hobby for people that don't have a life.

This is a well-written short story with great characters, including a dragon, and a little magic. If you enjoy a good fantasy story, even though this one is short, this would be well worth your time and effort.

Tim, I'm going back and reading the anthologies I didn't get to when they were first published, and I wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed this story. I loved the choices you made, from having the Prince reject his birthright and running off, to his calm and collected manner when confronted by the dragon, and to taking care of Gil. It was short and sweet and left the readers clamoring for more, and if you have written a follow-up, I'd be happy if you'd send me the link. Kudos on a job well done.