Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores, August 2020

“Glory Whales” by Marc A. Criley

Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett

There is one first publication short story in the August issue of Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores.

“Glory Whales” by Marc A. Criley

Dominic and Mara celebrate their fifteenth anniversary beside an interstellar comet in this short SF. DCSC has asked them to gather some samples if it’s safe. Time is short as the comet falls toward a fiery death in the sun and they are the only spaceship close enough.

Unexpectedly, the comet breaks apart as flying rocks bombard and damage their fusion drive. Curiously, some of the rocks are unnaturally uniform, resembling small cylinders with a cap. But the couple’s immediate issue is one of survival, as their crippled cargo ship follows the comet’s remnants toward the sun.

The characters easily held the reader’s attention as they grappled with both engineering challenges and extra-terrestrial mysteries.