Zotheca: SF/Fantasy
Zotheca, a Science Fiction Fantasy, is one of my earliest published short stories. It's about a lonely widower who has a close encounter of a different kind. I believe it will appeal to Twilight Zone aficionados and fans of writers like Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson. Here's a brief excerpt:
"Almost springing to his feet, Bill immediately noticed the absence of aches and pains, as though his arthritis was a memory left on Earth. Moreover, the soreness in his throat was gone. Reaching up beneath his collar, he rubbed his neck; the rope-burn had completely healed. “Gee, Mel,” he exclaimed, “I feel great, like I was forty years younger.”
Melanie gave him a gentle hug, and whispered, “Of course, Billy; we’re on Zotheca. Nothing hurts here.” Holding his hand, she led him to the portal, saying, “We don’t need space-suits, helmets or anything like that. It’s like Earth outside, only a thousand times better.”
Descending the now visible silvery-metallic stairs Bill viewed a vast expanse of broad, manicured green lawn bordered by familiar looking trees: oaks, elms, maples and weeping willows. At the foot of the staircase, he turned back to view the space ship and almost keeled over from vertigo. The gleaming burnished silver ship was enormous, reminiscent of flying saucers in movies but much bigger, like a gigantic ocean liner seen up close. “God,” he gasped, “It’s breathtaking; like looking up at the QE II from the dock.”
“Yeah,” Melanie replied, “I almost fell over the first time I saw it.”
Turning away from the ship, Bill took a deep breath; the air was pure and oxygen-rich; a mild breeze carried a sweet floral fragrance, like Melanie’s youthful perfume. A radiant, aureate sun glowed through drifting white clouds, lighting an aquamarine sky and casting purplish shadows on the green grassy turf. An eerie stillness made Bill uneasy; all he could hear was a slight rush of wind and the faint rustling of tree branches. “It’s very quiet, Mel,” he remarked.
The complete story is available free online at Bewildering Stories.
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/iss...
"Almost springing to his feet, Bill immediately noticed the absence of aches and pains, as though his arthritis was a memory left on Earth. Moreover, the soreness in his throat was gone. Reaching up beneath his collar, he rubbed his neck; the rope-burn had completely healed. “Gee, Mel,” he exclaimed, “I feel great, like I was forty years younger.”
Melanie gave him a gentle hug, and whispered, “Of course, Billy; we’re on Zotheca. Nothing hurts here.” Holding his hand, she led him to the portal, saying, “We don’t need space-suits, helmets or anything like that. It’s like Earth outside, only a thousand times better.”
Descending the now visible silvery-metallic stairs Bill viewed a vast expanse of broad, manicured green lawn bordered by familiar looking trees: oaks, elms, maples and weeping willows. At the foot of the staircase, he turned back to view the space ship and almost keeled over from vertigo. The gleaming burnished silver ship was enormous, reminiscent of flying saucers in movies but much bigger, like a gigantic ocean liner seen up close. “God,” he gasped, “It’s breathtaking; like looking up at the QE II from the dock.”
“Yeah,” Melanie replied, “I almost fell over the first time I saw it.”
Turning away from the ship, Bill took a deep breath; the air was pure and oxygen-rich; a mild breeze carried a sweet floral fragrance, like Melanie’s youthful perfume. A radiant, aureate sun glowed through drifting white clouds, lighting an aquamarine sky and casting purplish shadows on the green grassy turf. An eerie stillness made Bill uneasy; all he could hear was a slight rush of wind and the faint rustling of tree branches. “It’s very quiet, Mel,” he remarked.
The complete story is available free online at Bewildering Stories.
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/iss...
date
newest »
newest »
Owlseyes inside notre dame, it's so strange a 15-hour blaze and... wrote: "Nice story, interesting medication: "Lethe"pills.Where I live now (North of Portugal) there's a river called Lima. Yet the Romans called it "Lethes" river: if you would bathe in it you would forge..."
Thanks, Owl! :) In classic mythology the River of Forgetfulness flowed through the Elysian fields in the Underworld. The Classical hero's reward in the afterlife was an eternity of great days followed by a drink of forgetfulness so they could start each new day without memories or regrets for the past. I drew on that mythology for my story. Interesting that the Portuguese river was called Lethe by the Romans.
Moreover, when W.TG. Morton introduced ether to dentistry and surgery in 1846 he called it "Letheon" after the mythical river. However, it was soon revealed that Letheon was in fact ether and its use was adopted worldwide. About the same time Oliver Wendell Holmes coined the word anesthesia, from the Greek for "insensibility".
Where I live now (North of Portugal) there's a river called Lima. Yet the Romans called it "Lethes" river: if you would bathe in it you would forget about home ....
To the Romans it was the River of Forgetfulness.