Category Archives: New

Woo! Woo! Darkness surrounds them, The owl sat on the limb              of the tree, He spoke ever so cleverly, “Halloween is here! The witch is here! Beware the witch! She is a soothsayer,” Woo! … Continue reading →

The pair stood on the dueling ground, sabers in hand, sunlight streaking dazzling silver into captive eyes. These two men hated each other. And why wouldn’t they? They were fighting for the hand of Lady Grace Pendor. A 14-year-old girl. … Continue reading →

His stomach turned as he thought about what lay ahead of him. Josh stared out the window, his sense of dizziness settling. His mind raced forward in a tangle of anticipation and dread. “You’re just going to stand there?” Nina … Continue reading →

If you think you’ve seen everything there is to be seen in the zombie genre of horror, 2021’s The Sadness exists to prove you wrong. Though subtitled and not dubbed, The Sadness is well worth doing a little reading for. … Continue reading →

John Byrne is perhaps one of the best known comic writers at both Marvel and DC. Over the years, he’s created Alpha Flight, changed the X-Men from a being a struggling title to Marvel’s flagship book during the 80’s, revamped … Continue reading →

The following pieces have since been removed from Altered Reality Magazine (per our three-year cutoff mentioned in the guidelines). They can still be found with the help of the “Wayback Machine”. They are linked below by request of the author. … Continue reading →

There is a poem in my heart a stop-gap love that cancels the chamber beats. I can’t dismiss the cane I walk with or the heavy, pounding heart, missing breath. There are prayers of my past etched in abuse that … Continue reading →

Read Previous Chapters. Twilight was upon the marsh when the village broke the tree line. An unabashed sigh of relief left Echo as if speaking for everyone. It wasn’t like any of them wanted to pitch camp in the swamp. … Continue reading →

“I will not serve her.” Flor stomped out of the room, waving away the enticing aroma of roasted boar and fresh bread. The distant creak of her father rising from his chair hastened her steps. “You’ve no choice, Flor,” he … Continue reading →

President Konstantin Antonopoulos and the Canadian Prime Minister Vincent Manicotti sat looking horrified at the Snow Monster from Uranus, Jezi. The Secretary of State, Mario Capetti, texted the Director of the CIA. Joe, Alien is here at the White House! … Continue reading →

The put-on smile he flashes is radiant. In his head, he hears the sound of heels standing at attention clicking smartly. ‘How was the flight? Good to have you back.’ The timbre of his voice is warm, full of heart, … Continue reading →

Do we take poison? We could of course, like Buddhist priests on Earth, set ourselves aflame. But I don’t seem to have any matches. We have no weapons. Even the knives are plastic. And if I smothered you with a … Continue reading →

I followed Gretchen and Dichall through the portal into another world. Bracey the Talonted, our owl companion, followed. The sky was bluer than I would ever have guessed blueness could get. The snow was the whitest white. But the strangest thing was the … Continue reading →

The cords of death entangled me; the anguish of the grave came upon me. I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Psalm 116:3 NIV Slow-moving through the bedroom, I don’t notice the slick, dark inky vines coming up and stretching … Continue reading →

This moon, clinging to a cloudless sky, offers the light by which we love. In this park, grass knees high, tickling bare feet, offers the place we pass pleasant smiles. Sir Winston Churchill would have saluted the stately manner this … Continue reading →

I found your life smiling inside a four-leaf clover. Here you hibernate in sin. You were dancing in the orange fields of the sun. You lock into your history, your past, withdrawal, taste honeycomb, then cow salt lick. All your life, … Continue reading →

I am going to write a p    o       e          m that is     not         so much               a poem as a … Continue reading →

It was the fourth time I went outside at midnight. The moon cast its light on the tiny waves of the serene lake, creating a soft, shimmering glow on its surface. I never thought that an instance without the light … Continue reading →

A pile of papers Grows in the corner Like mold on leftover rice He averts his eyes Glances at it a few times Still there Like a brick in a wall But he’s busy with reports          … Continue reading →

There, the bird in the cage– Motionless, mute, and barely living.  Its wings aimlessly flapping from time to time,  But of course, a very rare sight.  Then I thought: What if that cage wasn’t there? Would the bird, at least, … Continue reading →

Mira fluttered around her room. Today was the day. She was going to help watch the family’s shop with her big sister, Dina. The puny five-year-old zephyra— a good natured though naïve race of winged humanoids —was more determined than … Continue reading →

Strange, I’d never noticed that door in my bedroom before. I could’ve sworn the space, across the room from the familiar door I used to enter and leave the room every day, was bare. But one day, the door was … Continue reading →

Martin Pernell directed his late afternoon stroll into Latrobe Park. He had walked about the streets of Locust Point aimlessly lost in his troubled thoughts and vaguely noticing his urban surroundings. It was a pleasant October afternoon and escaping the … Continue reading →

            It was a cold, wintry evening in northern Maine in the year 2120. The snow was falling and eight inches had already fallen on top of the eighteen inches from the day before. Over a foot of snow was … Continue reading →

          1984 was one heck of a year in terms of movies. It gave us Ghostbusters, The Terminator, The Karate Kid, Night of the Comet, Nightmare on Elm Street, and so many more classic, iconic films. … Continue reading →

*This is the opening chapter in Winzek’s published novel, Space Cadets and the Legend of the Goliathon.* March 19th, 2346, A.D. Interstellar Commercial Transit 601 rumbled through deep space like a diesel train engine along its trade route. The rumbling … Continue reading →

I didn’t let on to Dichall and Eve how tired I was. It was terribly cold, and even tucked into Waffles’s fur I shivered. And I was draining my spirit to keep my moth familiar Emerson alive. Still, we had … Continue reading →

Communication with Earth failed on day four. Dr. Sperling-Pierce glued herself to the comms cube for six hours straight, flipping switches and muttering to herself.           I was just happy she wasn’t talking to me for … Continue reading →

*Beware of spoilers in the following review.* There are tons of fabulous foreign horror movies these days. The Winter Hunger trailer certainly makes it worthy to be counted among them. Unfortunately, the movie fails to live up to its potential. … Continue reading →

       My mother speaks to me in different ways—through the songs of birds, out of clouds, from my reflection in mirrors or in pools of water. Sometimes, I have Adeline dreams. That’s her name—Adeline, as it is mine. … Continue reading →

Ever-Endeavor by K.A. Kenny “You have a wonderful garden.” Khima shook his head as he scanned the hills and snowcapped mountains beyond the rolling grassland. “What do you call it?” “Wyoming,” the white-haired man said, looking up from his desk … Continue reading →

Day 492: I can hardly bring myself to write this: a few hours ago, while we tried to sleep, Major Tove Heimdal hanged himself in his quarters. We are all shattered. Our pilot and navigator is gone, and Captain Wren … Continue reading →

our brains were connected with a wire quaint, reminiscent of a landline no one was impressed short distance telepathy easily out strode  satellites circled overhead ever connecting   still, our communication was direct instantaneous all this work, this miracle could … Continue reading →

Like Marvel, DC Comics also releases massive, over-sized “omnibus” editions that collect huge amounts of comics. The third Justice League volume from the Bronze Age era of the team was eagerly awaited by many fans. It has a retail price … Continue reading →

     It was just a baby gate. The kind that prevents babies from climbing up the stairs, or keeps dogs out of the kitchen. That’s what we thought anyway. Maybe we were just too stoned, but I don’t think … Continue reading →

“This is crazy. You know that, right?” Christian says as he slows to a stop at a red light. He glances at Hailey in the passenger seat, her hands clasped together, and her head bent as if in prayer. “June … Continue reading →

Telco shivered as he stood on the hilltop and watched the sun go down, his shadow and those of his two companions merging with that of the standing stone behind them. It was a shiver not only borne upon the … Continue reading →

She’s back. Standing at the bright bay window, trembling fingers holding the sheer curtain out of the way, Hailey locks eyes with her best friend. June stares back, unblinking. She stands just outside the little wrought iron gate guarding Hailey’s … Continue reading →

The first step on Mars, An astronaut goes far, He samples the soil, He can feel his blood boil, The Red Planet, A new world to explore, The Red Planet, Plenty in store, An astronaut is superhuman, He has abilities … Continue reading →

Late afternoon sunlight soaked through the streaky windows of the corner sandwich shop, casting dappled shadows over the empty tables and uniform tiled floors. The popular chain restaurant stood empty between the lunch and dinner hours, but it would not … Continue reading →

      My head peeked out from behind the books, next to Dichall’s and Gretchen’s, but we dared not move them, even to hide. I was petrified that the faerie standing in front of us would notice the motion. … Continue reading →

by Jim Davies I left the home of the raccoon Vernon Grandmaster, following Waffles, Gretchen and Dichall through the dark tunnel. I had known that using the veilring would allow us to speak to humans, but it never occurred to … Continue reading →

by Jim Davies A moment later a raccoon’s voice echoed through the tunnel. “Who’s there?” Dichall, Eve, and I emerged from the tunnel through an opening in the floor of a crowded basement, holding up our beads. The head of … Continue reading →

by Alaric DeArment Finally, we went through a set of double doors to another wing, where he took me into what looked like some kind of lab for making pharmaceuticals, with more technicians dumping buckets of dissolved human remains into … Continue reading →

by Alaric DeArment “It’s off the books,” Amadeo grumbled over a pile of papers without looking at me when I visited his office to ask where I could get more information about the housing project. “I will tell you when … Continue reading →

by Alaric DeArment We arrived back in Ragusa Sunday evening, exhausted from the nonstop traveling and speeches – having often given two or three in a single day. As I looked out the window of the San Giorgio, I saw … Continue reading →

by Alaric DeArment From what I could tell, the accounts of the rally in the newspapers Amadeo tore up and burned were devastating, calling him a petty tyrant and demagogue and comparing him to historical leaders I could not recognize … Continue reading →

by Alaric DeArment When Amadeo and Raffaele returned home about an hour after the press conference, still wearing their black armbands, Amadeo ranted at Raffaele, who simply nodded and said “Sai, sai, sai.” “What happened, some kind of disaster?” I … Continue reading →

by Alaric DeArment It was jarring the next morning to hear a loud knock at the bedroom door, as I had become accustomed to sleeping late. “Buna desmun,” Amadeo greeted me in his Signoria suit as I opened the door, … Continue reading →

by Alaric DeArment While covering the crime beat, I had seen photographs of homicide victims in police stations and courtrooms, but never actually witnessed a murder taking place, let alone a massacre. As we exited Stagno and got onto the … Continue reading →

Are You Sure It Works Zvi A. Sesling On the planet Kapora the TBXW Special is the most desired vehicle because of its versatility. In addition to traveling at more than one stribolts per egami it can take to the … Continue reading →

To Mars on MAVEN Lauren McBride seeing red: rovers below, satellites above – Mars, yield your secrets Poet’s Notes: This poem was written in response to the “Going to Mars” campaign for MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft). It … Continue reading →

Curious Candy Hearts Vince Gotera Valentine heart shield,  sword-and-sandal warrior wields pink battle-ax   spaceship skywriting BE MY VALENTINE across the star-strewn black void   Bride of Frankenstein gifts a box of chocolate hearts to Valentine Boo   Valentine’s Day … Continue reading →

I stare at the message in disbelief, my guts churning and sour. Onye is already on the way? My fingers are trembling so much I can barely type the word. “How can this be? You don’t know where I am.” … Continue reading →

X Factor: Genesis and Apocalypse Eric S Brown For anyone who grew up reading comics in the 1980s, X Factor: Genesis and Apocalyse will be a nostalgistic trip down memory lane. It collects not only the original nine issues of … Continue reading →

Spring: six months after leaving the Monastery, a few minutes after handing over a criminal.   The police car drove at high speed, sirens blaring. Sunar sat and looked out the window. I don’t know why they are running emergency … Continue reading →

Clive Barker’s The PlagueEric S Brown In a fictional version of 1983, every child under nine years of age on Earth falls into a deep coma with no apparent cause.    For the following decade, every additional child born, emerges … Continue reading →

Realtor From Glendale K. A. Williams There once was a Realtor from Glendale who sold all his listings without fail, till the house on the coast that came with a ghost. Now his job is delivering mail. Originally published in … Continue reading →

Selkie Maiden Jennifer Ruth Jackson She dances, flashes the men Copper disks hidden in the waves Of her hair By the seashore silver splashes Coins and fish kiss The water as she moves Her favored skin hidden from view

Intergalactic Missionary Jennifer Ruth Jackson Let us lie beneath the metal trees scoured by the gritty, sour wind— clasped tentacle and hand, book perched between us. Your fleshy opening will form the words. Your vision sensors leaking, will glisten. I … Continue reading →

Tengu Lament Jennifer Ruth Jackson We are not demons, us birds of ashen paint Each flap across your sky rendering it a tender bruise Our talons shod in flip-flops (synthetic delicacy) Words for “fake” were once foreign to our squawking … Continue reading →

Severing Scars Jennifer Ruth Jackson We are interchangeable, have no names, as we struggle in the cocoon created by mother’s arms. She repeats the adage of oppression strengthening and plants the pinprick razors in our backs, already slick with sweat, … Continue reading →

What’ll it Be? Lauren McBride First bar built on Mars. My first Martian drink. Might try a “Marstini,” or “Blue Sunset Blink.” This poem first appeared in Star*Line 39.4, Fall 2016 with the following note: Dust in the Martian atmosphere … Continue reading →