Spec the Halls Newsletter 2009-3
Note from the editor
It's easy to think that this is the time for a last-minute flurry of activity to get everything done before Christmas. Nope. Now is the time to relax, breathe deeply, and enjoy what the holidays bring--the wondrous, the hilarious, and the "Well, at least this will make a good story later." Patience, good humor, and a sense of the absurd is essential equipment.
As is typical at this time, I've received more submissions I'd like to recommend than the ones I've excerpted here, so go enjoy them!
Happy holidays,
Abra Staffin-Wiebe, Editor
Recommended Submissions
When new recruit Ferris arrives on a planet ruled by an abundance of chlorophyll and mysterious aliens, he finds that all he can think about is Christmas back on earth.
A Green Christmas
by Jon C. Forisha
The snow was green because damn near everything on the planet was green. It had an abundance of chlorophyll - something like four hundred percent the amount found on earth (though, as the almost unending flurry of skeptics would point out, how the devil is someone supposed to measure that?) - which is what had sent NASA’s long-reaching grubby little fingers all the way out there. So much chlorophyll that even the water was forever tinted. Padnig had been there for three years and he was still marveling at it.
“So what’s Christmas like here?” I asked, still not entirely used to the way my voice echoed inside the suit when I talked.
“Nothing like home, I can tell you that right now. The first year of the mission here, we kept up a Christmas tree for a good portion of the year. I guess it was an attempt at making the place feel more like earth, but since then no one’s really tried.”
I had heard much the same during my training, but it didn’t make it any less depressing. My father was a minister for most of his adult life, and even though I didn’t identify myself as the most active Christian, Christmas still held something special for my family and I.
“Anyway, man, you won’t be missing Christmas too much once you see the Elves.”
I had heard of the Elves, too. “Those are real?”
“Real as my kidney stones five years back, man. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll meet them before too long.” Padnig grinned through his suit and motioned for me to follow him back to the bunker.
Read more at Spec the Halls Recommended Submissions.
Read all submissions.
Chris, having lost wife and son, tries to recreate the joy of Christmas.
A Son is Given
by Risa Wolf
Chris had never been one for Christmas celebrations. It had seemed gaudy and somehow selfish until Sarah came along. Sarah had loved all aspects of Christmas with unparalleled joy. The tinsel, the lights, the month of religious milestones, the pine smell, the cookie-baking, the red-and-green color scheme, the angels, the celebratory hymns - she had adored it all. Midnight between Christmas Eve and Christmas had been a magical time for both of them. Sarah would have finished all of her preparations, and she would kneel down in front of a bank of candles or, once they bought their house, the fireplace to sing her favorite carols. Chris, caught in the moment and struck with dumb love at the look of delight on her face, would follow along. Each time Chris had lit the next Sunday candle in the advent wreath, the memory of Sarah bending over them, her brown eyes shining, was a soft, sweet punch in the stomach.
No time for tears, Chris thought sternly, and turned back to the decorations. Everything was laid out in their boxes, all labeled with Sarah's precise block capitals, firmly taped with Chris' omnipresent duct tape. Sarah had packed away the Christmas decorations with more care than she had packed their old apartment. Once Chris had asked her what it was she liked about Christmas.
Read more at Spec the Halls Recommended Submissions.
Read all submissions.
Holiday Tips and Links
- If Christmas brings out your crafty side, you might try some of these DIY gifts: http://lifehacker.com/5425406/diy-gift-ideas-from-the-lifehacker-archives
- Travel safe by making sure you have a winter emergency kit in your car: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/20/fifteen-things-to-have-in-your-car-this-winter/
- For the easiest holiday decorating of ever, change your computer wallpaper: http://lifehacker.com/5426177/
Handy Links
Abra Staffin Wiebe's main webpage
Abra Staffin Wiebe's blog
Aswiebe's Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Market List
Spec the Halls Main Page - http://www.aswiebe.com/specthehalls.html
Submission Guidelines - http://www.aswiebe.com/specthehalls/guidelines.html
Recommended Submissions - http://www.aswiebe.com/specthehalls/recommended.html
All Submissions - http://www.aswiebe.com/specthehalls/submissions.html
FAQ - http://www.aswiebe.com/specthehalls/faq.html