December 24, 2008

Note from the editor

Merry Christmas! (Or other seasonal holiday of your choice.) Christmas Eve for me is a time to eat traditional foods, unwrap presents, and rejoice in not having to go in to work tomorrow. My belly is full of semmel, cherrymus, and blue cheese; I have more tea, coffee, and totes than I will use for at least a year; and for once the entirely unpredictable work schedule of my day job is firmly settled. Time to count my blessings and enjoy reading some holiday speculative fiction.

Happy holidays,

Abra Staffin Wiebe, Editor 2008 Spec the Halls Winner!

The human race may perish, the stars themselves may fade and die, but what if Christmas went on and on forever?

Last Christmas by Graham Storrs

It was at least a thousand years since Solvay had had toes or fingers. And now her toes and fingers were cold.

So she made her boots and gloves warmer and pressed on through the deep snow towards the house she could see across the fields. The Moon was full and the sky as clear as space itself. The snow sparkled as if sprinkled with fairy dust and the elves giggled as they played in the hedgerows. She called out with a voice that rattled the icicles in the trees but no-one heard and no-one called back.
Read more.
Read all recommended submissions.
Read all submissions.

2008 Spec the Halls Honorable Mention!

What happens when Santa and the reindeer wake up to find the human race has disappeared? He's a bit grumpy with the first person he encounters...on the Moon.

Wormhole Magic by Marianne Plumridge

There was a structure with a sharply inclined roof, all lit up from inside, and something long in the sky behind it. I looked at it for a long time, but couldn't make believable sense of it, so I turned my attention to the label. The script was so ornate, that it was even more difficult to fathom. After some minutes, I managed to decipher "T'was The Night Before Christmas".

"Who, or what, is Christmas?" I mused aloud.

Read more.
Read all recommended submissions.
Read all submissions.

Holiday Tip

Enjoy.

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

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