Fear and Courage, page 1
Contents
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
THE SIME~GEN SERIES
DEDICATIONS
FOREWORD, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg
FOREWORD, by Jean Lorrah
MOONLIGHT SONATA, by Mary Lou Mendum
A MOTHER’S CHOICE, by Donna Fernstrom
OBSESSION, by Eliza Leahy
HOW FAR MUST I GO? by William Long
A JOURNEY INTO DEMONLAND, by Mary Lou Mendum and M. Alexis Pakulak
THE LEGEND OF THE CREEPING NEED, by Zoe Farris
BE NOT AFRAID, by Marjorie Robbins
RUNNING ON SELYN ALONE, by D.H. Aire
BLOOD TAINT, by Katherine X. Rylien
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE, by R. K. Hageman
THE BOX, by Laurie Pollack
PRELUDE AND FUGUE IN FOUR CHOICES, by Mary Lou Mendum
SHADOWS, by Zoe Farris
VINCENT OF THE GATE, by R. K. Hageman
DESTINY, by N. Eileen O’Neill
THREE MILESTONES IN THE FOUNDING OF CORDONA TERRITORY, by Mary Lou Mendum
A SHORT LIFE, by Eliza ambrov Halwyn
CONTROLLER’S DILEMMA, by Marjorie Robbins and K. L. Schaefer
THE GIFT OF ALAUNO LIGHT, by Andrea Alton
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Copyright © 2015 by Sime~Gen, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Cover Art by Eliza Leahy
Published by Wildside Press LLC.
www.wildsidebooks.com
THE SIME~GEN SERIES
House of Zeor, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg (#1)
Unto Zeor, Forever, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg (#2)
First Channel, by Jean Lorrah and Jacqueline Lichtenberg (#3)
Mahogany Trinrose, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg (#4)
Channel’s Destiny, by Jean Lorrah and Jacqueline Lichtenberg (#5)
RenSime, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg (#6)
Ambrov Keon, by Jean Lorrah (#7)
Zelerod’s Doom, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah (#8)
Personal Recognizance, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg (#9)
The Story Untold and Other Stories, by Jean Lorrah (#10)
To Kiss or to Kill, by Jean Lorrah (#11)
The Farris Channel, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg (#12)
Other Jacqueline Lichtenberg Books from Wildside Press
Molt Brother
City of a Million Legends
Science Is Magic Spelled Backwards and other stories, Jacqueline Lichtenberg Collected Book One
Through The Moon Gate and other stories of vampirism, Jacqueline Lichtenberg Collected Book Two
Dreamspy
Those of My Blood
The Savage Empire Series by Jean Lorrah
Savage Empire
Dragon Lord of the Savage Empire
Captives of the Savage Empire
DEDICATIONS
My work on this book is dedicated to my family: those of the present and past, as well as the “family of my heart” — dear ones who are not biologically related, but are my family of choice.
In addition, I also dedicate this effort to Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Jean Lorrah and Sharon Jarvis, who taught me the craft of editing, and continue to support me in it.
—Karen L. MacLeod
I’d like to dedicate my work on this book to Eliza Leahy ambrov Halwyn, my Companion in the true Sime~Gen sense, who has been there for me during this project. I also dedicate this book to all those fans of Sime~Gen who have kept this universe alive during its long hiatus until the republishing of the old books and release of the new novels.
— Zoe Farris
Acknowledgments
A big Thank You goes to Jacqueline Lichtenberg for creating the Sime~Gen Universe and encouraging her fans to play there. Jacqueline, along with co-author, Jean Lorrah, have been supportive and encouraging to all their fans over the years as we explore what life is like in the Sime~Gen Universe through art, role-play chats, and writing. I would also like to thank Karen MacLeod, who, along with Jacqueline, have guided and supported me during this project. To each of the authors in this book a big thanks for your contribution and willingness to tweak and review your stories. Without you this book would not exist. Last, but not least, I would like to thank Wildside for publishing this book.
—Zoe Farris
I’m in agreement in thanking these same people, as well as including Zoe, herself, and Eliza Leahy, whose “behind the scenes” assistance in this manuscript was invaluable, when software issues gave us strange characters and other oddities we just couldn’t eliminate from various earlier incarnations of the manuscript before the submission draft was made.
We probably drove Eliza crazy with the difficulties we couldn’t seem to get a handle on. Her unfailing patience, finding out what was incompatible, and offering solutions, kept Zoe and I on course, helping get this book into your hands in a timely manner.
—Karen L. MacLeod
Introduction
Welcome to the first Sime~Gen Anthology written by the fans. This Anthology is a compilation of stories and poetry written by people who have been influenced by the published works of Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah, in such a powerful way that they felt compelled to explore this universe in their own writing.
Since the early years of Sime~Gen there have been fanzines where people shared stories, poetry, art, and jokes; joining in on discussions about the lives, loves and fears of the people who inhabit this world. Of the three major fanzines one, A Companion in Zeor, edited by Karen MacLeod, has survived to the digital age. Some of these stories can be found in A Companion in Zeor on the Sime~Gen domain.
So what is Sime~Gen?
For those of you who are reading this book without previous experience of this expansive universe here is a brief introduction:
Sime~Gen is a series of novels written by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah. It is set in a future where humans have mutated into two subspecies. Simes, who go through a brief but dramatic change at puberty and Gens, whose change, while just as dramatic, is invisible to the naked eye.
The outward sign of the Simes’ change is development of tentacles on their forearms, four strong and flexible “handling” tentacles and two smaller tentacles just for selyn transfer, called “laterals.” Gens produce life energy called “selyn” which Simes require once a month to live. Unfortunately, the result in obtaining this energy is usually the death of the Gen.
This physical transformation happens just prior to puberty. There is no way of knowing, before that, if a person will be Sime or Gen.
At the chronological beginning of the published novels by Jacqueline, and Jean, a second mutation of Sime emerges. These “channels” are able to keep Simes from Killing Gens, thus saving mankind from self-annihilation. The stories that you find here, and the published books by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah, explore the role of these new Simes, and the Gens who live side by side with them as humankind struggles to become one again.
If these stories interest you, you will find more information about the culture in the novels listed above. As is common for fan fiction, much of the deeper explanation is excluded as the history and background is already known by the readers. For a more in-depth look at what Sime~Gen is, see
http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/welcommittee/Exciting.html
The world of Sime~Gen fan fiction is special because the creator and author, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, has been supportive, encouraging and inclusive in the writings of her fans. Jacqueline’s co-author in Sime~Gen, Jean Lorrah, wrote several fan stories for the Ambrov Zeor fanzine, and was also well known in Star Trek fan fiction, before publishing her first Sime~Gen novel, First Channel.
We hope that you enjoy reading these pieces as each author explores the varied aspects of living in a world where being a Sime or Gen could mean death, depending on where you lived, and how the human race might survive this dramatic split. These stories are about the human condition: love, hate, fear, courage, strength, loss and cooperation. All are put to life’s test in the Sime~Gen Universe.
What is the A Companion in Zeor Fanzine
http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/rimonslibrary/cz/
A fanzine is a non-professional publication of stories and artwork related to a theme. The word itself was a merger of fan and magazine, and dates back several decades.
‘A Companion in Zeor’ came into being in 1978, as the second of several publications tied to the Sime~Gen Universe. With the release of House of Zeor (1974), “The Channel’s Exemption” (a short story found in ‘Galileo Magazine,’ July 1977), Unto Zeor, Forever (1978) and other titles, the fans of the series became prolific writers, meeting almost professional writing standards, drafting their stories, and re-writing them several times for both ‘Ambrov Zeor,’ the first Sime~Gen fanzine, and ‘A Companion in Zeor’ which we abbreviate as CZ. At one point the two zines alternated release dates so there would always be something new between professional novels. In addition to poems and stories you will also see some of the fans’ artwork on the ‘A Companion in Zeor’ website.
A Companion in Zeor was originally produced by mimeograph machine, typewriter and stencils, with the mimeo relegated to Karen’s p
Later, Karen moved the mimeograph to her apartment, replacing it with a photocopier. Correction fluid, carbon paper, white-out, glue stick, scissors and a heavy duty stapler were always at hand to create the print issues, often with the “help” of several cats.
When Sime~Gen fandom moved to the Internet, it was a whole new learning curve for Karen both in computer and HTML website building skills. Because of editing the fanzine, Karen gained skills and confidence to turn her abilities into a career. Her work on ‘A Companion in Zeor’ online was discovered by an e-publisher who hired Karen to edit for them based on her fanzine work. Other publishers also did the same.
The pieces in this book have now become e-book and electronic files. ‘A Companion in Zeor’ has come quite far in thirty-six years, and we hope to continue on this journey.
FOREWORD, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg
When I was in seventh grade, my father bought a typewriter and taught me to touch type in 2 weeks. Then he insisted I practice every day.
Since the artwork in the science fiction magazines had annoyed me because it was inaccurate, I practiced by writing a letter to the editor lambasting the artists for not reading the stories. I was in seventh grade—what did I know of the business and trade of illustration? They published my letter with my snailmail address (it was a different era), and science fiction fans apparently agreed with me. I got dozens of letters inviting me to join “fandom.” I joined the National Fantasy Fan Federation, the N3F.
Today, people don’t understand that “fandom” was a web of social networks of organizations with constitutions, dues, by-laws, and internal publications, organizations of adults. Today people think “fan” means fanatic, childish, or not sane. Times change.
My first lessons in professional writing craft came to me via the N3F and a professional writer Alma Hill, who taught the N3F Writer’s Workshop. So I have endeavored to teach the fans of Sime~Gen some of the tricks of the trade she taught me.
The stories in this compilation are written by fans of Sime~Gen. They are fans in the old school sense, people who delve deep and become expert in a fictional universe’s quirks, then share their own creative variations on that universe using original characters they invent.
These stories were written by fans who then tediously re-wrote to more professional standards. Some have sold fiction or non-fiction professionally now.
These writers are “amateur” in the same way Olympic Team members are “amateur.” Their skills are often greater than the skills of those who make a living at the craft of fiction.
FOREWORD, by Jean Lorrah
When I read a book or watch a film or a TV show, of course I expect to enjoy it while I am reading or watching. However, some works give me more than that—an added value in that they provide something to think about after consuming them the first time. They may spark conversations with others who have experienced them, and if that happens it is virtually certain that I will want to experience them again. A work that affects me that way gives me double or triple the value of a work that ends when I have seen the last scene or read the last page, for I have the added enjoyment of re-experiencing that work and discussing it with other people.
All of us who read or watch films or television regularly probably have this experience with a fair percentage of the works we consume—perhaps as much as half of them as we learn what kind of work and which authors, producers, or directors are most likely to produce the desired response. If the same works produce that effect in many people, they become classics. If the number of their consumers is smaller, but loyal and persistent, they are called cult classics.
But for some people there is another potential layer of added value: a work may inspire me so much that I cannot help but create something in that universe. I go beyond re-experiencing or discussing, and become a fan.
Fans create in many ways. Some produce traditional artwork. Some costume. Some make videos or write songs (called filksongs when the genre is science fiction). But the largest number of fans write stories that allow them to share adventures in the universe and often with the characters they have come to know and love.
This is not a new phenomenon! It is as old as storytelling, and one of the greatest sources of fan fiction—though nobody calls it that—is the work of the ancient poet Homer. Literally hundreds of writers through the ages have not been satisfied with only two works, The Iliad and The Odyssey, in that fabulous universe, and have felt compelled to add their own. Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles created plays about Homer’s characters and events in classic Greek times. Vergil and Ovid followed with their own epics in ancient Rome. Boccaccio and Chaucer are only the best-known of the numerous Medieval poets who wrote in Homer’s universe, as did Shakespeare. Modern books, plays, and films are too numerous to mention.
The same thing happened with the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, first created by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain). From Morte d’Arthur through Idylls of the King, Camelot, and The Mists of Avalon, fanfic all, though none dare call the name.
We make no claim that Sime~Gen belongs in the company of these undisputed masterpieces. We can, though, demonstrate that it stands alongside Sherlock Holmes, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Harry Potter, and numerous other universes that have inspired the creation of fan fiction by a substantial number of their audience.
For me, and for others so inclined, the discovery of a universe so compelling that it practically forces me to create within it is an event that occurs only three or four times in a lifetime. Only Star Trek, Blake’s Seven, Alien Nation, and Sime~Gen have so inspired me—and I have had the great good fortune of being admitted as a professional writer into two of the four.
Yes, professional writers write fanfic. What’s good enough for Shakespeare or Tennyson is good enough for the rest of us! And fan writers often write at a professional level—some of them simply are not interested in writing other than in the universes they love. So don’t be surprised at the quality of fiction you find in this volume.
But if nothing else, these stories should reassure you that the Sime~Gen universe offers readers all the levels of satisfaction: a rousing good story for those who never read anything more than once, books worth rereading, books worth discussing, and a universe that inspires those so inclined to create within it. This volume is the proof: we have inspired our readers to become more than just consumers. They have become fans.
MOONLIGHT SONATA, by Mary Lou Mendum
Prelude
“I’m ready, Daddy. Come and tuck me in!”
Tallin, First Companion in Dar, smiled at the imperious summons. “What, not already?” he called, pretending dismay. “No, you can’t be in bed. I’ll have to come and check.”
He “tiptoed” towards his son’s bedroom, making sure that each footstep was clearly audible, and was rewarded by a giggle and a muffled scrambling noise. However, by the time he poked his head through the door, Califf was on the bed and halfway under the covers, bouncing with excitement as he pointed at the clock.
“The big hand isn’t straight up,” Califf announced with the delight of a six-year-old who has trapped a parent. “Now you have to tell me a story.”
“Oh, dear.” Tallin made a show of inspecting the clock. “I do believe you’re right.” He sat down on the bed next to the child. “Well, then, what sort of story shall I tell you?”
“Tell me a ‘venture story, with night raids, and bandits, and narrow escapes!”
