I’d seen a lot of things in Magic Dance, but nothing like this. I sat at the bar, sipping a Moonage Daydream, no different to any other night, when she walked in. Legs like pins, and a head of the thickest blond locks you’ve ever seen. She took the stool next to me. “Space Oddity,” … More The Spiders of Mars
Any science, sufficiently advanced, can be called magic. It is the simple nature of man that he should think as such. Great men have always looked beyond such primitive notions and understood that just because something can’t be explained, it doesn’t mean that no explanation exists. And as such, it is with great consideration that … More The Science of Magic
Cupid caught the 716 every day across town. And every day it was late. Cupid was never late though, and so day after day, he sat at the bus stop and waited. And while he waited, he would look at the flower shop across the street. A young man worked there. Cupid didn’t know his … More The Man at the Flower Shop
David liked driving forklifts. He was the best forklift driver Constructech had. He never missed a pallet, and things alway got where they needed to go, in one piece. Working on the new SuperEnergy plant had been a particular treat for him. So many important and delicate pieces of equipment needed to be brought in, … More Awakeness
To her people, the queen was a prophet. To her enemies, she was a witch. She smiled across the table at the visiting dignitaries, all of whom shifted in their seats, unwilling to meet her gaze. “As I was saying,” one of the lords addressed his dinner plate. “Our carriages were molested during our journey, … More The White Snake (One Good Turn)
i You begin as a point, The essence of nothing. But with two points, We make a line. And the line is eternal. ii When your line meets another, We cross, as we must. But in our plane of existence, I see only a cross-section of you. And we are flat. iii You turn your … More A Theory of Everything
Ares is not what I imagined her to be. The great man of myth, muscular and imposing, shining in his armour, with crested helmet and mighty spear, does not stand before me. Instead I face a young woman, hardly more than a girl. She is soft and delicate, with eyes so large they will soak … More Sometimes You Don’t Have to Change the World
Let’s talk about building worlds. I love to write stories set in fictional worlds, and part of the fun of creating a fictional world, is that you have free rein to do almost anything in it. Something I’ve noticed is that while people are keen to have their characters running through fantastical places, they don’t … More Pants and Horses
Beginning: Part 1: White As Snow The doors to Gina’s chambers burst open, admitting Rolf in a flurry of movement. Gina looked up from her chair as he strode across the room towards her. Her brow furrowed as she took him in. His usual calm demeanour was gone, and instead, his eyes were wild, and … More Sweet as Poison (7)
Beginning: Part 1: White As Snow Gina and Lord Boden stood, facing each other, across the table in the court meeting chamber. “Well, perhaps if the Lady Dragonkeeper spent less time catering to the whims of peasants, and more time scouring the woods beyond the palace, we would have found the princess already.” “And perhaps, … More Sharp as Spice (6)
C. A. Harland 