Beneath Ceaseless Skies 
#468, October 15, 2026
“Islands in the Styx” by James Morrow
“A True and Faithful Chronicle of the Anglo-Saxon Voyage to the Moon in the Year of Our Lord 1261” by Jordon Jones
Reviewed by Wendy Vidlak
The novella “Islands in the Styx” by James Morrow followed the character of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa to the afterlife and back again. The highly literary and old school fantasy started with Marcus complaining about his eulogy and touting his many accomplishments in life. We then followed his shade into the afterlife down the River Styx. He wandered through the Island of Last Joys for an hour to remember that joy once existed before loading back onto the boat for the trip to Hades. It followed the map of Hades found in the Aeneid. When he arrived in Dis, he received a summons from Cerebras to see the god Pluto.
The real quest started here, with Pluto telling Marcus he intended to become the ruler of hell by allying with the Christian God. His quest was to return to save the baby Jesus from Herod. Since he already hated Herod for the ill treatment of a friend, this was an easy yes for him. He made his way to the ship made by Vitruvius, who made it clear he did not like Marcus and wanted his job. Introductions done, we moved on to finding a crew, with a side diversion that later becomes important: a brief reunion with his first wife.
The soldiers were found and loaded onto the ship for a long voyage to the top. A few minor incidents occurred on the way. They reached the real world and found that Herod was about to raid the village they landed in. The fight would begin soon. In the end, things did not go as planned, with a surprise twist that I thought fitting. If you enjoy reading about myths from ancient civilizations, this will be a great story for you.
Abbot Caelin embarks on a wondrous voyage as a Christian missionary with some pagans in the Northland. The title says a lot about the journey–“A True and Faithful Chronicle of the Anglo-Saxon Voyage to the Moon in the Year of Our Lord 1261.” Written by Jordon Jones, the tale follows the abbot across Europe practicing medicine to ingratiate himself with the Anglo-Saxon tribes. Eventually, his ruse worked, and he was summoned to the throne room of the high king, Wulfric Æthelwryhta. His presence was not for his physician skills but his unbiased skepticism of the pagan religion. He was invited along on the mysterious voyage to the moon, where Wulfric intended to sacrifice himself to right the wrongs of the land.
The abbot witnessed several amazing sights and felt that it was his God doing the miracles, while Wulfric believed that it was Mona. The debate continued through the trip. Ultimately, the abbot is faced with the choice of sharing the story with the pope, risking his job or keeping it quiet. At first, he stayed quiet and shared only the standard pagan tales told by missionaries at the time to show that the pagans were a backward people who needed saving, not the god-fearing people whose wondrous deeds he witnessed on the journey. This resulted in one of the first crusades against the Anglo-Saxon people. Appalled, the abbot eventually came forward and wrote this tale in an attempt to stop the next crusade.