WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE
Floyd Scrilch has had a variety of nasty things happen to him in an assortment of currently trendy literary styles, and yet, to the dismay of almost everybody, has survived just about everything, even the ferocious onslaught of J. G. Ballard. As we left him in 1971 they have just begun to hammer the nails into the palms of his hands. Scrilch, in ecstasy, blesses the unruly multitude.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
It is an apocalyptic moment. Gaudy streaks of color stain the heavens. Across the harsh windswept screen of the sky ride the terrifying Four Horsethieves, Bloch, Korshak, Eshback, and Evans. Scrilch smiles. He weeps ultramarine tears of joy and relief. A lifetime of interminable and inexplicable suffering soon will be over. This is the Big Day.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
"Yes!" Scrilch affirms triumphantly.
In that instant of epiphany and apotheosis, there is an awful twanging sound, a sickly lurch in the underpinnings of the cosmos, a grisly grinding sound as of everything breaking loose from its moorings at once. Scrilch Crucifixus rises on high and floats at the right hand of Bloch.
Yes!
The legions of doom are unleashed. The rivers of oblivion are running. In the tormented cities of the world, blood runs like mimeo ink through the gutters. Scrilch is redeemed! Bliss has come!
"Smoooooooooooth!" Scrilch cries, and in that moment of mind-numbing orgasmic fulfillment the sun goes dark, the stars tumble, the whole goddamned universe comes to its everlasting end.
- TO BE CONCLUDED -
-- Bob Silverberg
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The next issue of SCIENCE FICTION FIVE-YEARLY will feature the breath-taking, mind-boggling, eye-rattling, pulse-pounding, fingernail-biting, compound of a noun and the present participle of a verb to form an adjective, earth-shattering conclusion of STARS OF THE SLAVE GIANTS, Calvin Aaargh's breath-taking, mind-boggling, eye-rattling, pulse-pounding, fingernail-biting, compound of a noun and the present participle of a verb to form an adjective, earth-shattering novel in four parts. Rush down to your newsstand today and reserve a copy of the November 1981 issue of SFFY.
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Data entry by Judy Bemis
Hard copy provided by Geri Sullivan
Data entry by Judy Bemis
Updated August 29, 2002. If you have a comment about these web pages please send a note to the Fanac Webmaster. Thank you.