Letter from the Editor

by Tristan Evarts

Dear Reader,

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It is a matter of fact that the unknown may always be more than the known and that the experiences we have are only a small portion of the experiences we could have. We can hear only a small frequency of sound waves and can see only a narrow band on the wider visual spectrum. Over the millennia of existence we have learned many things and we have re-learned just as many. Today we accumulate information to such a degree that we have expanded more than 10 fold our knowledge in practically every subject. Still, we can know only a small fraction of the information accumulated. It is almost impossible for a scientist to know everything about their entire field. Instead, they must pick a specific area of focus. Complete knowledge evades us at every turn.

But in the unknown there is the wonderful. In things not explained there are stories. Here, Science Fiction takes flight, bridging the certain with the uncertain, the possible-today with the possible-tomorrow. Adventure unfurls in the travels that take us between such places. Utopia Science Fiction seeks to capture these moments and stories and present them for your enjoyment.

The stories of this issue and of every issue are a small representation of the great sea of talent out there, but it is my general opinion, they are equal to the best of the great talent out there. I’m sure after reading you will agree. We have in the October issue a collection of stories that melds very easily with the theme of Halloween and the changes of the fall season. Our first story is particularly chilling. The Northernmost Side is a tale of the intersecting lives of man and ants.

Next is a story that reads like a movie, with some fantastic images Mephisto is the perfect story for film-aficionados. A retrieval team investigates an asteroid mining operation and discovers a ghost town. James Machell’s Sunflowers is also a brilliantly written piece about the danger and allure of space travel. The Soul World was written by the late Preston. A. Laris and features a genius who opens a window to an apocalyptic world. It was the first piece, though not the last, to approach hard science fiction. (Our upcoming issues will feature some fantastic hard science fiction). E=mCat2 is the perfect combination of science and cat.

Finishing our fiction section is Time for Such a Word. The title is taken from a line in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the writing is a brilliant reflection on the value of death and life in a world where death doesn’t have quite the sting it used to for everyone.

The poetry section is delightful. From the shorter poems of Sandra Hosking to the long narrative from LindaAnn Loschiavo they all carry with them a brilliance which I’m certain you will enjoy. J.E.A. Wallace’s Cleaning Log Sheet has been waiting since early August for the perfect time to release it and it fits quite well with the haunting vibe captured by other stories and poems in this issue.  I will also point out we have a return author. John Grey (who brought us Dear Interplanetary Development Society last issue) brings us An Altair Night.

We have some interesting content from our Science Corner. Leonard Snell shows us how to calculate a Schwarzschild radius for any object and gives us some information on the Karl Schwarzschild who was born this month (Oct 09) 146 years ago. We have a fair collection of new trivia questions as well as the answers to August’s trivia questions.

Our The Reader Speak section has grown a bit, but I feel we receive too little feedback from our readers. We’d love to hear what you think about this issue so please consider letting us know by sending an e-mail to utopiasciencefiction@gmail.com . We will never publish any content in The Reader Speaks section without your permission, but it’s nice to hear comments from you on anything. Both in regards that they help us to know what we’re doing write, but also in that they help us know what we could do better. The authors and artists enjoy receiving compliments on their work as well, so no matter what you have to say, positive, negative, or neutral, please let us know!

I’ll end this with a heartfelt thanks, both to the readers who support this magazine and to the artists and authors who have contributed to it. You do us a great service and none of this would be possible without you. So you have, as always, my deep gratitude. I’m getting ready for our December Issue. I’m still looking, particularly, for poetry submissions and for a submission for our Science Corner. So if you’re a writer (or know a writer) don’t forget to let them know we’re actively looking for more submissions.

Now, without further delay! Dear reader, I invite you to experience the spooky, the frightening, and the wonderful. Let us charge boldly into the unknown!

Sincerely,

Tristan Evarts

Editor-in-Chief