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Staying Still [MultiFormat]
eBook by Stephen Leigh
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eBook Category: Science Fiction
eBook Description:  The prevailing wisdom is that if you want to see and experience new things, you must wander and travel. But sometimes, it's only by staying in one place that you can experience all the wonders that life has to offer ... Mike Resnick asked if I'd be interested in writing a story for an anthology, written by male authors, where the story works only if the viewpoint character is a woman. As Mike put it: "If you can change the name from Doris to Donald and the story still works, then that's not what I'm looking for..." (And yes, there was a companion volume for female writers: Women Writing Science Fiction As Men.) I accepted the challenge ... and started two or three stories, all of which left me dissatisfied. I decided I needed an expert opinion. "Hey, Denise..." I said to my spouse. As it turns out, she was re-reading Lord of the Rings at the same time, and in our conversation about the differences between the female/male persepctive, she mentioned a specific incident in the book ... and I experienced that strange, wonderful moment of disorientation and surprise as the whole character arc and background flew into my head. No, there's nothing even vaguely Tolkienian in the resulting story. But it's interesting that story ideas can come from the strangest places...
eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: Men Writing Science Fiction As Women, ed. Mike Resnick, 2003
Fictionwise Release Date: March 2005
Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [198 KB], eReader (PDB) [30 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [17 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [16 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [77 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [88 KB], hiebook (KML) [48 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [44 KB], iSilo (PDB) [14 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [18 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [46 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [27 KB]
Words: 5134
Reading time: 14-20 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
 
Jax arrived during the night of the Falconian meteor showers. For several hours, thousands of dying streaks of yellow, white, and pale green were etched briefly between the stars in glorious, soundless bursts. At times, there were dozens all at once, originating from the constellation named the Falcon. I lay back on the wooden lounge chair on the front deck, staring up at the quiet fireworks: the dying fragments of a comet's tail through which Siansa plows every year on her slow, patient circling of the sun.
Her circling.... Strange, I don't think I could refer to any earth-like world as 'he.' Worlds are the womb from which we spring, a Mother who nurtures us, whose moods are complex and changing, who watches as we grow up and finally leave. I remember that the night we left Old Earth the world wept in sorrow, gray clouds lashing rain against our ship's titanium flanks...
A new star burned in the sky well away from the Falcon, moving quickly and growing rapidly brighter, the actinic blue-white glare ruining my night vision and destroying the delicate tracery of the meteors against the darkness. After a moment, I could hear the sound: jets roaring their defiance of gravity. I shaded my eyes, grimacing, as Padraic came from the house, the pale sea-blue of his skin a contrast against the black sleeves and neckline of his robe-like jhabaya, glancing with concern at the craft descending toward us. Even though we'd talked about it, even though he'd said that he was comfortable with the visit, I wondered how he felt, knowing who the shuttle carried. "Brenna?"
"I know. Jax is here."
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