Stories

Other than giving his allegiance to Vini, god of grapes, wine and ale, distilled spirits, healthy bowels, prosperity, the Harvest, and boyoes who accept the love of another boyo, Spid Doop is your average fifteen-year-old Schtickist. He hates Normals with a well deserved passion, he gets in trouble with his Mamt and Pubi, and he dreams of the day when he can have his own habitat. However, there is one thing different about Spid, a Normal boyo wants him.

Philíppe, who is in his late fifties, wakes from a frequent dream one rainy Saturday morning. As he moves from bed to breakfast memories from his past flood his consciousness. Unexpectedly, he receives a phone call from a nearly forgotten voice. There is an invitation to the upcoming football game followed by a discussion of where to do planning for the weekend. All the while a squall line is coming in from out in the ocean.

Twelve-year-old Carlos suspects today is not going to be good. A boy from the spokes is coming to live with his family and Carlos has to give up the bottom bunk. Stefan has read all about living rim-ward, so he knows a little about what will occur in the perpetual summer of living on a farm along the rim. He’d like to know more but the source of that information is napping next to him. Both boys do not know their lives are going to dramatically change within the hour.

**warning adult content ahead** The title says it all.

Ian is a fifteen year old, socially isolated, orphan who can never seem to make his adopted parents happy. His guardians, an abusive Pentecostal reverend and his wife, force Ian to live in an oppressive, chaotic world, but all that is about to change when he is suddenly forced from the only world he knows. Can he learn to think for himself in a modern world? **warning this story contains graphic violence**

Harlon Eldrick's mother is dying of recurrent breast cancer and wants him to go tell his father. Harlon lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and his father lives across the country in a small collection of buildings called Black Dog, Washington. Harlon wants to make this an adventure. He will take the train to Chicago and hitchhike from there to Black Dog. It's been over a week, since Harlon left Chicago on a trip that's been anything but an adventure. He is welcomed into a semi by Steve Lennard for what he hopes is his last ride.

Steph, an ordinary teenager from a lake community tucked in the mountains. He was just about to accept his sexuality and end the struggles to fight against it. Then shortly thereafter, he met a new kid in town that will change his life for good.

Two college men who have volunteered to tutor black kids for the 1969 summer in the South grow more and more attracted to one another. But the summer ends before they realize the full extent of their love for one another, and they go separate ways—one to get married and have children, the other to join the military and go to Vietnam.

Jake’s Side is a continuation of Jake's Hand, which looks at the same story from Jake’s point of view.

The siege of the imperial city has ended due to the timely intervention of Dries from Analon. When offered his choice of reward, what will he ask for? and what will Prince Sikore say?