Aurealis #139

By Stephen Higgins (Editor)

Aurealis #139 is the latest issue of Australia's premier science fiction and fantasy magazine. Featuring the best new fiction, articles and artwork, Aurealis always delivers quality reading. Aurealis is published ten times a year (February to November). To subscribe go to www.aurealis.com.au .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chimaera Publications
• Release date: Apr 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781922471048

Book preview

AUREALIS #139

Edited by Stephen Higgins

Published by Chimaera Publications at Smashwords

Copyright of this compilation Chimaera Publications 2021

Copyright on each story remains with the contributor

EPUB version ISBN 978-1-922471-04-8

ISSN 2200-307X (electronic)

CHIMAERA PUBLICATIONS

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the authors, editors and artists.

Hard copy back issues of Aurealis can be obtained from the Aurealis website: www.aurealis.com.au

Contents

From the Cloud—Stephen Higgins

Every Nook and Cranny—Daniel Baker

Taxman—Georgia Angus

All That Perfect Blue—Lora Gray

Fairies: Malevolence, Beneficence and Nature Throughout History—Amy Laurens

Tales of Ursula K Le Guin—the Extraordinary Life of One of the World’s Most Talented Authors of Our Time—Claire Fitzpatrick

The Death of the Superhero: Talking with Ryan K Lindsay—Peter Pascoe

Reviews

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Submissions to Aurealis

Credits

From the Cloud

Stephen Higgins

Many people in the Aurealis world know that I recently underwent knee replacement surgery. It isn’t something I would recommend unless you really needed it but I guess very few would consider undergoing it unless they really had to do so. So now a part of me is titanium. If I had a dollar for every time someone said, ‘We can rebuild you. We have the technology!’ I would have an extra two dollars. If I had the knee replacement surgery even 20 years ago, I would have made a lot more money. Back then, a lot more people would have made the connection to the TV show The Six Million Dollar Man. It was a huge show back in the 70s and it concerned the adventures of a man who had been enhanced with all sorts of technology. Anyway, all of this this got me thinking (again) about the longevity of science fiction and fantasy in various forms of media.

I have long bemoaned the fact the musical acts generally have limited shelf life these days. Bands and artists do not seem to be able to grow and mature in their craft over a long period of time. Of course, there are some who do. I’m making a rash generalisation in order to make a point, but the individuals who do build a career over time seem to have to push product out regularly in order to maintain their position. So we have albums that are perhaps a bit underdone and padded out released every few months, or novels that need more work or editing being released.

I am sure this is related the rise of digital media and, in the case of music, to the increase of streaming services. I record music myself and all of the advice I’ve received advocates the release of plenty of product on a regular basis, simply to keep your name in front of your audience. I’ve released an album a year over the last 3 years and that’s considered a very limited output. Fortunately, it isn’t my main source of income (or even a source of income!) and I can pretty much do whatever I want. But even as a consumer of music I find myself flitting over various artist streams and rarely really explore an artist’s release. Even major releases from major artists seem to suffer this fate. Last year, Bob Dylan released an album of original material for the first time in ages. It was a landmark day in recording history and for a few days it was a big deal in various online discussion groups. Then it was all over and forgotten.

The same seems to occur in the publication of science fiction and fantasy. Major books by noted authors are released, and then they seem to disappear. I’ve been told that this phenomenon is a partly due to the sheer amount of product being released and I’m sure that this is a part of the problem. The digital age has made everyone a journalist, photographer, columnist, musical artist, author, artist, etc. That’s the democratisation of the arts. Everyone might have a platform, but who gets heard? Everyone gets their moment in the spotlight, but that moment is being shortened.

This seems to be a very downbeat editorial. It might be the drugs! Fortunately, all of the digital issues of Aurealis are still available. If you need more than your monthly dose of Aurealis you might want to try some of the earlier issues. See the website at www.aurealis.com.au.

All the best from the cloud!

Stephen Higgins

Editor: Stephen Higgins

Stephen has been interested in science fiction for ages and has written a few stories for Aurealis in the past. Lately, he’s been creating a lot of music. You can hear his music on Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp and Soundcloud and all of the other usual places you get your music. You can find out more at www.stephenhigginsmusic.com.

Associate Editor: Scott Vandervalk

Scott Vandervalk has been a freelance editor for over eight years, with projects ranging across the globe, from educational textbooks to novels, short stories, roleplaying games and boardgames, amongst other types of text. Scott has previously worked in science and education support, both of which have led to editing projects related to those fields. When not editing, Scott can also be found dabbling in gardening, cooking, writing or designing and playing games. Scott currently serves as president of the Bendigo Writers’ Council. Website: scottvandervalk.com.

Back to Contents

Every Nook and Cranny

Daniel Baker

Elli knew that a god couldn’t cost more than five buttons. Squatting in the shadows of Slaughter’s Folly, she watched the little shop on the corner Every Nook and Cranny stencilled black above its door. Nobody had gone in. Not even a forehead smudge on its darkened windows.

The day smelt like rain. Elli took a deep, steadying breath. Seven buttons were slippery in her hand. She didn’t have much, but she had the buttons. And she’d ruined her second dress for them and that dress had cost a scar under her left eye. The scar was worthless to anybody else, but those seven buttons were a fortune. Not a small one either: a big one. Elli could barely imagine how big. Big times big plus two, maybe. She darted across the laneway and, buttons in one hand, doorknob in the other, hoped they’d be enough.

* * *

Mr Vergess looked up from the ledger when his door opened. He looked back down. He frowned. He wondered why he was frowning. The columns were working out, the stock sorted and shelved, and he had a customer. His frowned deepened. Customer? It wasn’t every day he had a customer, but then today wasn’t everyday, today was, was… He glanced at the ledger. Tuesday. Quite.

Closing the ledger, Mr Vergess straightened his collar and came around the long, polished counter, fingers squeaking over its darkly lacquered top. He knelt in front of this customer, adjusted his glasses, and stared at, at, at…

‘And what are you?’ he asked.

‘I’m Elli.’

‘An ellee?’

‘My name is Elli.’

‘Oh, I see. An ellee named Elli. Quite.’ Mr Vergess supposed that made sense and there was something familiar about this ellee. Stickish arms, scabbed knees, a tiny fist clasped around seven glass buttons.

‘No. I’m a girl.’

‘Girl?’

She smiled uncertainly. ‘Called Elli.’

‘A girl called