It took several attempts and some polishing but I finally found a home for one of my more unique, non-space opera science fiction shorts, the third ever short story I wrote. It’s in the latest issue of Tales Of The Talisman, bought actually last summer but too big for that summer issue, David Lee Summers held it for this year’s issue with my consent. It’s great to not only have it out but have made the cover list. Here’s the full TOC:
Table of Contents for Tales of the Talisman Volume 8, Issue 1
Sol Crystalis Miracalis
Story by Quincy Allen
Illustration by Teresa Tunaley
Silicon Searchers
Poem by Richard H. Fay
Dear Cthulhu
Article by Patrick Thomas
Through a Lens Brightly
Story by Brock Marie Moore
Illustration by Tom Kelly
Frontier Adventure
Poem by L.B. Sedlacek
Touch of Silence
Story by Simon Bleaken
Illustration by Jim Collins
The Day That the Screens All Died
Poem by Ann K. Schwader
Steam-Truckin’
Story by C.J. Killmer
Illustration by Teresa Tunaley
What Voids Are These
Poem by Anna Sykora
End Run
Story by Robert Collins
Illustration by Russell Morgan
How to Construct a Human
Poem by Lauren McBride
La Migra
Story by Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Illustration by Paul Niemiec
Shooting Star
Poem by Louise Webster
Listening
Poem by Larry Hammer
The Devil You Know
Story by M.E. Brines
Illustration by Jag Lall
Tempest
Story by Neil Leckman
Illustration by Paul Niemiec
Mission Stardust
Poem by Ann K. Schwader
The Elemental Just Can’t Explain Himself
Poem by CEE
The Ultimate Astronaut
Story by K.S. Hardy
Illustration by Laura Givens
A Conflicted Soul
Poem by Lauren McBride
Streaming Light
Story by Kelly Dillon
Illustration by Morland Gonsoulin
Obolusless
Poem by Neal Wilgus
Illustration by Filo Martinez
The Reaper’s Scythe
Story by Bruce Markuson
Illustration by Jag Lall
Misdirection
Story by Scott Allen Abfalter
Illustration by Erika McGinnis
Power Of Littleness
Poem by Alessio Zanelli
The Forbidden
Poem by W.C. Roberts
Portal
Story by Glynn Barrass
Illustration by Tom Kelly
Book Reviews
Reviews by David Lee Summers and Shawn Oetzel
Here’s the cover to the next issue of Tales Of The Talisman, and I got a mention. This is the third short story I ever wrote. Quite excited about it. Very much influenced by my time in El Paso. Editor David Lee Summers is a close friend and I’m excited and honored that he liked it enough to publish it. He as rejected stories from me before and since. “La Migra” is about two cousins from deep in Mexico who cross the U.S. Border at El Paso and get abducted by what they think are border patrol. But then they start to have questions about things going on. And it turns out, they were taken by aliens. It’s a humorous culture clash tale. Written with input from friends on both sides of the border, including Mexicans and an actual Border Patrol agent. Lots of local color in descriptions. Anyway, excited about it and wanted to reveal the cover. Really looking forward to it. Tales has published some great stuff by some great people, including friends like Jaleta Clegg, Jennifer Brozek, and more. Proud to be a part of that family.
Bryan Thomas Schmidt is the author of the space opera novels The Worker Prince, a Barnes & Noble Book Clubs Year’s Best SF Releases of 2011 Honorable Mention, and The Returning, the collection The North Star Serial, Part 1, and several short stories featured in anthologies and magazines. He edited the anthology Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 for Flying Pen Press, headlined by Mike Resnick. As a freelance editor, he’s edited a novels and nonfiction. He’s also the host of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chatevery Wednesday at 9 pm EST on Twitter under the hashtag #sffwrtcht. A frequent contributor to Adventures In SF Publishing, Grasping For The Wind and SFSignal, he can be found online as @BryanThomasS on Twitter or via his website. Bryan is an affiliate member of the SFWA.