Where the Stars Be Still As Bright

By Jonathan Fisher

Come to the stellar, paranormal, majestic, thrilling science fiction and fantasy worlds created by the author, Jonathan Fisher. The writer of August Always and Ten Minutes on Mars brings you his latest spellbinding collection of stories.
A universe of incredible characters. Mythical beings. A clashing of ancient and future civilisations and undreamt-of technologies. All within Where the Stars Be Still As Bright.
This second volume includes the stories Vincent’s Room and The Battle of Gilgamesh. Halloween Town was just the outskirts of Fisher's imagination.
“A fascinating and impressive collection of science fiction short stories…there’s a remarkable symmetry between the (cover) art and science fiction in the prose and helped transport us into an adventure we will surely cherish – the (stories are) beautifully written, heartfelt, well-paced and I’m in awe of its ambience.”
– Pat Mills,
creator of 2000AD, the Galaxy’s greatest comic
and Spacewarp on Where The Stars Be Still As Bright

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Oct 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781398444362

Jonathan Fisher

Jonathan Fisher was also raised in the Bronx. He was one of those obnoxious brats pushing everyone out of the way on the subway trains so that he could look out the front window. After earning a master’s degree in transportation, Fisher pursued a childhood dream by working for the subway system for twenty-six years. He joined Seeing for Ourselves in 2013 as its storyteller. Project Lives was his first book. Writing and directing In a Whole New Way allowed him to cross another item off his bucket list.

Book preview

About the Author

Jonathan Fisher is a true survivor. He is the author of August Always, his memoir and the critically acclaimed Ten Minutes on Mars. August Always was cited by The Belfast Telegraph as ‘a triumph’. The book itself took the author 17 years to write; a testament to Jonathan’s endurance. In April 1992, age 22, he died – albeit briefly – from an undiagnosed Addisonian Crisis. Before then, Jonathan had a full childhood and subsequent teenage troubles. Thanks to his parents’ intervention, he was rushed to the local hospital wherein Jonathan was comatose for three months. The doctors said it would be a mercy to turn off Jonathan’s life support machines. Against all odds, Fisher moved his little finger to his mother’s voice, proof of a semblance of life.

Later that year, Jonathan began the long, slow, hard road to recovery. A journey that would take him through many institutions and heartaches, spending time in the forge and on the anvil. A refining process that reshaped the author, both mentally and physically.

His second book Ten Minutes on Mars was nominated for the James Tait Black Prize for literature in 2018.

Jonathan Fisher, the author, remains a wheel-chair user, fiercely independent and he does not let his physical disability stop him from achieving his goals. He is a keen costume player and a member of the Emerald Garrison and Heroes Unite Ireland, professional costuming clubs who dress up as super heroes and Star Wars characters to support worthy causes.

Come to the stellar, paranormal, majestic, thrilling science fiction and fantasy worlds created by Jonathan Fisher.

A universe of incredible characters. Mythical beings. A clashing of ancient and future civilisations and undreamed-of technologies. All within Where the Stars Be Still as Bright.

Halloween Town was just the outskirts of Fisher’s imagination.

Dedication

This one is for Geralyn Rachael Herd, the Girl Owl, and for Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg, who inspired Vincent’s Room. And for Doe Daring Williams, my fellow Trekkie author and narrator who brought to life the characters in that story.

Copyright Information ©

Jonathan Fisher 2021

The right of Jonathan Fisher to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398444348 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398444355 (Audiobook)

ISBN 9781398444362 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2021

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

[phone]

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Acknowledgement

Again, my greatest thanks go to Julian Mullins, my old school friend, for his work in formatting and the initial editing of the codename The Book of Doom II editor in mischief. Thanks to Heather McGarrigle for the final editing hurdle, editor in chief. Also, gracious gratitude goes to Graham Alexander for his input and Richard, the Munnisher for his contributions. I am extremely grateful to Jim Burns once more for the cover artwork. This time praise to Pat Mills, Ray Bradbury and Harry Harrison for their inspiration.

Also by Jonathan Fisher

August Always

Ten Minutes on Mars

Synopsis

Where The Stars Be Still as Bright is Jonathan Fisher’s third book and his second science fiction anthology collection, 16 futuristic, fantasy and frightening tales spun on the loom of Fisher’s fantastical imagination await you between these pages.

Roll up! Roll up! Come and visit the tent of The Astrologer of Halloween Town, will he divine your future? Take a trip to a new medieval age on the planet Mars and meet The Dirty Rascal That Became King of The Castle – Kordazo Eldritch – beast lord of Mars. Dare you pay a visit to The Chiropodist? Jill Hellion, the cat-loving, chain-smoking, cadaver-carving, classical music aficionado, whose clients all come to a grisly end.

Make sure your time machine is still in order. And you’ve had your permission slip signed by the teacher before taking a trip to Vincent’s Room. A young student, Dorothy Sails, studying in the year 2525 sneaks timidly into his studio. Pay close attention, all this will be on the test!

While we’re careening through time, let’s check in on John Callisto. All boys love frogspawn. Especially John, who embarks upon a quest along with his friends and the aid of his father’s rusty wheelbarrow to retrieve frogspawn from a local pond in a tender moment of childhood Erewhon and beyondertime. If we wish we can stop on the way to see Jeri, the New Zealand Owl Girl, who dreams of flying.

And that’s just the beginning. Who do you call when the president’s soul is missing? The devil himself faces his ultimate foe – Professor Stephen Hawking! What is the Secret of The Seven Knocks? And what ancient evils are hiding within the malevolent The Cherub?

Derek Toestep is a vampire – an alcoholic vampire. His father, Oul Albert, is an undead wraith trapped between worlds. His sponsor Chuck tries in vain – pun intended – to keep Derek on the straight and narrow with various degrees of success through the support group Vampires Anonymous.

With the day’s events behind us, it’s time to unwind with some fantasy classic pulp action! Follow the return of Ragecarn and company as they fight to be the wielders of The Hammer of Zrackon in this swords and sorcery throwback. And if high concept sci-fi is more your speed, follow Jason Zephyr in his war against the tyrannical gods in The Battle of Gilgamesh.

Set seven years before the adventures of Jason Zephyr and The Ascensionauts in Ten Minutes on Mars. Featuring ancient Babylonian Gods and Goddesses, Jason and his Adjutant Rapier seek to destroy the false gods that are enslaving humanity.

When Sharon Met Alfie is the story of a relationship that develops between a visually impaired woman and her new companion.

Earth Men Don’t Die Easily! Fisher’s raps and rhymes his final futuristic story with a poem in this hilarious song lyric.

All these stories will propel you through the outer limits of the imagination. Launch yourselves for another unknown trip to the uncanny valley that is Halloween Town!

Foreword by Pat Mills

A fascinating and impressive collection of science fiction short stories. I focused my attention on Vincent’s room in particular. It begins with a gorgeous poem that holds the key to the drama that follows and then it draws us into the world of time travellers travelling back to the world of Vincent Van Gogh.

The cover by Jim Burns sums it up perfectly. There’s a remarkable symmetry between the art and the story. Jim has captured the sunlight and science fiction in the prose and helped transport us into an adventure we will surely cherish.

The story is beautifully written, heartfelt, well-paced and I’m in awe of its ambience. Is there a connection between the anthology title and Don McClean’s Vincent, Starry, Starry Night? I would assume so.

Because both Don McClean and Jonathan Fisher have looked deep into Van Gogh’s soul and discovered profound truths there, which they’ve generously shared with us. And I’m a great believer in songs inspiring prose-inspiring art for a truly holistic experience.

I’ve listened to Vincent numerous times over the years. It’s one of my favourites. I will listen to it again tonight and discover how that Starry Night can also be the place Where the Stars Be Still as Bright. So, it can be a cause for optimism as well as despair. A cause which I strongly favour over the song’s melancholy. Jonathan’s wonderful story gives me the perfect excuse to reflect on all this.

And then there are all those other wonderful stories in his collection to follow…

Pat Mills, June 2020

Introduction

Here we are once again at the intersection of fantasy, Sci-Fi, horror and humour with another terrific collection from Lisburn (or should I say Halloween Town) based scribe, Jonathan Fisher. Fisher’s latest stories show a real step up in confidence and breadth of work which should delight and terrify readers in equal measure.

Where the Stars Be Still as Bright is a showcase of Fisher’s imagination, at times intimate look behind the curtain into the writer’s interests and desires. Readers familiar with the previous collection Ten Minutes on Mars will be thrilled to see the return of Fisher’s original characters like Jason Zephyr and Ragecarn (and not always how you would expect) and as well as a treasure trove of creative delights, all proudly wearing their influences on their sleeves and offering deeper insights for those who care to look.

One of the strongest elements of Fisher’s works is his ability to combine stories that can be huge and bombastic with the smaller, sentimental fare. This collection leans towards the former with more long-form works that celebrate the bizarre and fantastical joys of the human imagination. I was blown away by the story of Kordazo Eldritch, The Dirty Rascal That Became King of the Castle where it seemed every paragraph would introduce a mind-boggling new element that plastered a smile straight on my face. Fisher seems to delight in the inventiveness of science fiction. He offers its readers at times a juvenile sense of fun with these stories. It’s as if a child has been given a toy box of action figures and smashes them together in unusual combinations. The sense of fun is infectious and propels you through the stories at a tremendous pace, always encouraging reading just one more story. None outstay their welcome and you get the sense that Fisher understands when he has rung the last drop of creativity out of a scenario and decides it’s time for another macabre tale.

Fisher peppers his stories with references and homages to the stories he grew up loving and while some are spelt out for the reader, others are well-hidden and serve well as bonuses for the eagle-eyed reader and encouragement to reread the stories. The ability to wear his interests as a badge of pride serves the collection well in its true goal to recount and cement the days of childhood wonder from the dark heart of the human race. Fisher’s stories often serve as a battle between the innocence of childhood and the stark reality of adulthood. As a human, the writer has faced hardship and some of the darker stories display a wave of anger and sadness that’s palpable between the pages. This renders the joyful stories, all the more precious as if Fisher wants to protect that which he finds sacred from the ravages of an uncertain future. What is astounding though is that while the stories could come across as cynically nihilistic, they instead bore a cheeky playfulness, laughing in the face of the unknown. The satire, particularly in stories like The President’s Soul is Missing while cutting and showing clear dissatisfaction with our dystopian times is constantly hilarious and had me laughing throughout. There’s a feeling of well, if the world has gone insane, we may as well have some fun. It ensures that while the collection delves into some darker material, it never loses its sense of momentum of brazen fun.

These themes become most obvious in some of the more tender stories in the collection. The Frogspawn Boys for example, drawing major influences from Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine acts as an encapsulation of Jonathan’s childhood in the ‘80s. Understanding the character of John Callisto unlocks the magic of the entire collection. With this book, Fisher is hoping to capture the sense of wonder and excitement Callisto experienced as a boy. While this could run the risk of alienating modern readers by burying a lot of sentimentality amid ’80s’ pop culture, Fisher’s own stories feature enough timeless creativity to surely captivate any reader (maybe just don’t let them read some of the more horrific stories…while this collection may not feature the level of horror present in Ten Minutes on Mars, there are two stories in particular, The Chiropodist and The Cherub which are sure to cause nightmares.) The recounting of lost innocence lends a real sense of pathos to the collection that makes the grandiose stories all the more engaging. There’s a feeling that everything we know could be ripped away from us, so we need to enjoy what we can while we can, as no one is promised tomorrow.

For me, the highlight of this collection is Vincent’s Room, clearly the story Fisher is most proud of given that it adorns the cover and contains the wonderful incorporation of Ray Bradbury, where the collection gets its name. Here, all the themes of the collection are on display. The story’s premise of a time-travelling school trip is right up there with Fisher’s high concept ideas but is firmly grounded in a delicate observation of how the depths of depression can lead to some of the most beautiful works of art. The writing style here feels completely different. Fisher toning down his over-the-top theatrics to give a gentle, poetic story that strikes a real emotional note. It has a very deeply rich, sensuous style which shines through the often-harrowing content of the collection. A cyclical poem that begins where it ends on a sombre, yet hopeful note. This encapsulates for me the wonder of this collection. While a first-time reader will likely be slightly overwhelmed by Fisher’s unchecked imagination and boyhood stories of barbarians and space heroes. These are hiding gentle stories wherein Fisher struggles with his own emotions and periods of sadness, all of which he attempts to tuck away to provide the reader with a fun roller-coaster. Taking the time to understand is, in my opinion, the true goal of science fiction. Understanding our differences and how to overcome them and by mingling grand space operas with such a tender story demonstrates this is true in Fisher’s eclectic collection.

Jonathan Fisher’s writing is truly exciting and difficult to pin down. It’s like if a ghost train got converted into a roller-coaster. Taking the time to understand the man at the centre of these stories remains the true joy of his work.

These stories, more than any anthology work I can think of, provide an intimate look inside the author’s head. While the outlandish scenarios may appear to be obfuscating the man at the centre of these tales, the more you read the more you understand that you are being drawn into the web of Fisher’s mind. Jonathan Fisher is truly a unique and captivating voice in science fiction. His penchant for pulpy action heroes keeping alive a genre that has needed more interesting figures.

Where the Stars Be Still as Bright is a terrific follow-up to Ten Minutes on Mars. This collection shows continued growth from Fisher as a writer, his increased confidence allowing for more bombastic sagas guaranteed to thrill and terrify. While it is clear Fisher intends to continue writing short stories (and long may he do so), the thematic relevance, the interplay of intense sadness with childish joy seems perfect material for a novel. My favourite stories ended up being those like The Frogspawn Boys and Vincent’s Room, which play strongly within these themes when Fisher’s writing goes from celebrating the fantastical to finding the beauty and preciousness in the mundane. Wherever we go next, I’m happy to allow Jonathan Fisher to take me to a time of innocence, joy and splendour. A time where the stars be still as bright.

– Joshua McCullough

Joshua McCullough is an alumnus of Queen’s University Belfast, a graduate of English Literature and a current comedian and podcaster (co-host of Rob Explains in conjunction with Accidental Theatre). He remains a lifelong fan of science fiction.

Jonathan Fisher is emerging to be one of the most important writers of surrealist fantasy and science fiction. The variety of genres he tackles in this publication is astonishing. When picking this up, prepare for a journey through horror, adventures in space all through the lens of cutting social commentary.

– Chris McAuley

Chris McAuley is a colourist who has worked on various Marvel titles and assisted on some 2000AD strips. He has a background in comic book and video game journalism and works with several game companies as a programmer. Currently, he works with indie comic book publications and with the Disney Corporation.

The Astrologer

Opening the pages of the book, Old Woman Halloween sat in her aged rocker. She was ancient as the Pyramids of Giza, old as the hanging gardens of Babylon and decrepit like a corpse. Was she a witch from a Shakespearian play? Her cowl hung upon her thin, bony skeletal shoulders like it was her funeral shroud. Her face was lined and caked in limestone, her lips cracked like fossilised tree bark. However, the old woman’s azure eyes were still very keen and extremely bright.

***

The Ram, The Bull, The Heavenly Twins,

And Next the Crab, The Lion Shines,

The Virgo and the Scales;

The Scorpion, Archer and Sea-Goat,

The Man Who Pours the Water Out

And Fish with Glittering Tails.

(Isaac Watts, 1674–1748)

In Halloween Town, everyone wanted to know their future. From the results of the football pools to the lottery, every one of them would sell the shroud on their grannies’ graves for a bargain. Things were hard – finances as tight as the King’s arse. And the royal ass was clenched and not paying up a bean. The poor suckers went to see the Astrologer for a slim chance of a glimpse into the future – for an exorbitant, sky-high fee of course.

It said on his front door, No Clairvoyance without Coinage.

The Astrologer held court at Halloween Town Square in a tiny booth that was hardly enough to fit his substantial bulk – never mind his customers.

The Astrologer was named Caduceus Asclepius. A large, gluttonous man who considered himself to be a feinschmecker of the highest calibre. His face bore a goatee beard, beady eyes and he resembled in appearance Oliver Hardy, the famous American comic actor from the old 1930s.

This particular week had unnerved him. Those damn Astronomers had upset him and his horoscopes!

‘Of all the impudence! How preposterous for a rhinoceros!’ he exclaimed, snorting in disbelief and spraying angry saliva at his cohort and colleague, Earnest Cobham-Brewer.

Cobham-Brewer was a small, thin man with huge elephantine ears usually found poking out from the brim of a bowler hat, who was browbeaten by Caduceus Asclepius. He produced a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his face, blinking away the snot. The Astrologer was an impatient man with high blood pressure, who looked as if he would burst his arteries. His nostril hairs stirred in and out. They seemed animated by some unseen power, his follicles quivering as he spoke to Cobham-Brewer. Earnest replaced his muck-ender.

‘Apparently, due to a power that the infernal ass-astronomers call precession, there is a 13th Zodiac sign!’ Asclepius spluttered, his voice faltered as he spoke the name of the sign, ‘Called – Ophiuchus – the Serpent Bearer!’

The words Serpent Bearer came out of his mouth in a half-choke, half-spit.

The scientists at NASA had made a fine mess of the work of astrologers worldwide. Every chart had to be changed, all because of the wretched, ancient Babylonians, whose calendar was based on the phases of the moon. And their zodiac symbols were based on old legends and gods with 13 sigils! It was all too much. NASA had given the thirteenth zodiac symbol the dreaded name Ophiuchus.

‘How preposterous for a rhinoceros!’ Caduceus wailed. This was his favourite expression also used whenever he was perturbed and annoyed with the news of the day, which was often.

‘We are ruined, Earnest, ruined!’

They were in Asclepius’s booth, about to open trade for the day. It was a solemn moment as they prepared themselves. To begin with, they donned their purple robes. Inside the compartment were the tricks, trades and traps to lure the unsuspecting saps of the town into their snares. Upon a small round table lay the tools of the game, a crystal ball, a tarot deck, the usual superstitious claptrap – all spread out in a circle. Beneath it, there was a cunning lever system that Earnest Cobham-Brewer executed whenever an unsuspecting punter strayed into the lure. It was piano-like in operation. While he was seated, he manipulated the contraption with his right foot and that levitated the table, the left foot would then lower the table top up and down, similar to an oscillating engine movement, building up kinetic energy like a pent-up, wound-up spring. Honestly, the things he had done for Asclepius was unbelievable. Then the reading was set to start.

During a reading, Asclepius pronounced his spiel. In a grandiose way, he shouted the words, ‘Klaatu Barada Nikto!’

Whilst Cobham-Brewer sat beneath, raising the table up and down to the gasps of the townsfolk.

‘Oh!’ some exclaimed. ‘Ah!’ others proclaimed.

If truth be told, he pitied the Astrologer because Earnest considered his profession to be utter codswallop and hornswoggle. No one could see the future.

A cold wind was whipping up, the clouds were over-cast and full of the potential of rain.

For the occasion, Caduceus Asclepius dressed himself to the hilt or rather his assistant did it for him. Asclepius insisted on wearing an absurd swami-like head dress.

‘Quick! My turban,’ said Asclepius. ‘The illusion must be complete! Hurry man, hurry!’

Cobham-Brewer hurried as best as he could, wrapping the red burgundy turban around and around the Astrologer’s fat head.

‘I am going as fast as I can! I’m sorry, Asclepius!’ Clumsily, he dropped the turban – and it rolled out of his hands and into the filthy, dirty street. A passing stray dog with one eye caught it, sinking its jaws into the turban. Thinking it was a toy – or more likely food – the mutt pounced on the Astrologer’s finest turban and ran away with it.

‘Score,’ the dog said. He growled the word through his teeth. As noted before in Halloween Town, the creatures, people and denizens were not what they seemed and appeared to be.

Both Cobham-Brewer and Asclepius gave chase for a while but due to the Astrologer’s weight, they became out of breath.

‘Now just look what you have gone and done,’ said the Astrologer, exhausted by the pursuit. He reached out with his hand and cuffed Cobham-Brewer at the back of his head. Earnest’s hat fell off and his ears ricocheted back and forth from the impact of Asclepius’s mitt.

There was a brief scuffle between them. They fought like two naughty schoolboys. Finally, the Astrologer tired. Cobham-Brewer retrieved his bowler from the ground, brushed the dirt from it and placed it on to his head.

‘Damn you, you one-eyed Cyclops.’ Cerberus hell hound! Wait till I get you! I know where you live! I know the future!’ Yelled Caduceus Asclepius. Those facts were hidden beyond his knowledge. He had no idea of the whereabouts of the dog’s abode. He was about to add more insults whenever something smacked into his face. The increasing tempest brought a billposter.

‘Preposterous for a rhinoceros!’ exclaimed Asclepius furiously, peeling away the poster from his reddened face. ‘What in the name of the gods?’ His voice trailed off.

Asclepius and Cobham-Brewer read the poster slowly, mumbling the words.

COME TO THE CIRCUS!

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

ALEXANDER BUCK ALEC ROBINSON & TYCHO BRAHE PROUDLY PRESENTS THE

COOGER & DARK PANDEMONIUM SHADOW SHOW

AT HALLOWEEN TOWN SQUARE!