Waystation Issue 2 Cover

 Our second issue is being released for free this Saturday, May 10th, 2025. In the meantime, here is the cover, illustration by Chase A. Folmar. 

Space is boring. We need more Astrocast Flashes!

Astrocast Flashes originated as a way for deep-space attendants to stay entertained and connected to the rest of humanity while stationed in isolated space stations. With limited bandwidth and transmission capabilities, long-form entertainment and communication were simply not feasible, so they had to come up with creative ways to share stories and experiences with each other.

At first, Astrocast Flashes were simple messages or updates sent out by individuals stationed on different space stations, sharing news, jokes, and personal stories to stay connected with one another. However, as technology improved and transmission capabilities increased, Astrocast Flashes began to evolve into short, pithy stories that could be broadcast across the interstellar gulfs in a matter of seconds.

These stories became popular among deep-space attendants because they provided a brief but welcome escape from the monotony and isolation of their lonely jobs. The stories were often imaginative, exciting, and filled with wonder, transporting listeners to other worlds and sparking their imaginations.

As more and more people began tuning in to Astrocast Flashes, they became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring a new generation of storytellers and deep-space enthusiasts. Today, Astrocast Flashes are a beloved tradition among deep-space attendants and continue to captivate audiences with their short, thrilling tales of adventure in the depths of space.

Have an Astrocast Flash to share? Contact spiraltowerpress@gmail.com. Because of interstellar bandwidth limitations, stories must be kept to 500 to 750 words.

Previous Astrocast Flashes

Astrocast Flash: Warp Rider's Lament, by Anthony Perconti

Astrocast Flash: Space Too Deep, Orbit Too Wide, by Jason Ray Carney

Astrocast Flash: Bug-eyed Monsters and the Women Who Love them, by Cora Buhlert

Spiral Tower Press

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Legal Terms 

By submitting your story to Spiral Tower Press for consideration as an Astrocast Flash, you agree to the following terms:

1. Rights Granted: If your story is selected for publication, you grant Spiral Tower Press first serial rights to the work. This means that Spiral Tower Press has the exclusive right to publish the story for the first time, after which all rights revert to the author. You retain the right to republish your story elsewhere after its initial publication, but Spiral Tower Press retains the right to archive and display the story in its original publication format.

2. Originality: By submitting, you affirm that the work is your original creation and does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party. Spiral Tower Press is not liable for any disputes arising from issues of originality or copyright infringement.

3. Editing: Spiral Tower Press reserves the right to make minor editorial adjustments to submitted works for clarity, style, or formatting while preserving the integrity of the story.

4. Liability Waiver: By submitting, you agree that Spiral Tower Press is not responsible for any legal claims, damages, or disputes that may arise in relation to the publication of your work, and you indemnify Spiral Tower Press against any such claims.

Waystation Issue #2: Call for Submissions

WAYSTATION is an amateur magazine that seeks to discover, inspire, and publish emerging authors who are enthusiastic about the tradition of "space opera." Space opera is a pulp genre of science fiction, known for grand, epic adventures, interstellar empires, and complex character relationships. Set against a vast cosmic backdrop, space operas explore themes of heroism, warfare and militarism, political intrigue, and occasionally elements of cosmic horror, as seen in the Aliens movies or fictional universes such as Warhammer 40k. Classic authors include C.L. Moore (Northwest of Earth stories) Isaac Asimov (Foundation series), E.E. 'Doc' Smith (Lensman series), Frank Herbert (Dune series), Leigh Brackett (Sword of Rhiannon), and Joe Haldeman (Forever War). These works captivate readers with thrilling journeys through the numberless stars, weaving human drama into the sublime vastness of the cosmos. Published by Spiral Tower Press.

Managing Editor: Dr. Jason Ray Carney is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. He is the co-editor of the academic journal The Dark Man: Journal of Robert E. Howard and Pulp Studies and the area chair of the "Pulp Studies" section of the Popular Culture Association. He serves as the Academic Coordinator for the Robert E. Howard Foundation. He is the author of Weird Tales of Modernity (McFarland Press) and Rakefire and Other Stories (Pulp Hero Press).

• Submission deadline: Friday, February 28th, 2025, 11:59p.

• Editorial decisions: Friday, April 26th, 2025.

• Publication of Issue 2: Saturday, May 10th. Published digitally as a free PDF at the end of the workday.

Length: We prefer short, compressed stories that are nevertheless complete and cohesive narratives (1500 to 2500 words). These limits are firm. No more, no less. Stories over or under the limit will not be read. We mean it, friends! This limit serves two functions: (1) the limit is an artistic challenge. It takes skill to tell a compressed, punchy story. (2) We are an amateur publication and only pay a token honorarium, so save your longer works for better paying markets.

Style: We prefer "dialog light, action heavy" fiction with vivid imagery that is unselfconsciously literary but nevertheless takes joy in an occasional technical word or pseudo-scientific jargon that immerses the reader in a sci-fi imaginary setting. Please eschew typographical emphasis and variation--e.g. bolding, italicizing, underlining (there are more artful ways of rendering verbal timbre).

Questions? E-mail us at spiraltowerpress@gmail.com

Publication, payment, and rights: Issues will be published as .pdf files. If work is selected for publication in WAYSTATION, authors will (1) be paid an honorarium of $10 and (2) will be asked to provide, by contract, "First North American Serial Rights." In our opinion, this means that copyright is NOT transferred. All copyright stays with you, the writer; however, you will have sold/transferred a form of "exclusive use rights" called "First North American Serial Rights" (FNASR). This is the right to publish your unpublished work for the first time, and ONLY the first time, no more. The important thing to remember is that some professional publications may ask for FNASR upon acceptance of a specific work; you are not legally permitted to provide those for that specific work after publication in WAYSTATION, for you have already rendered their use to us. In other words, once you publish a work in WAYSTATION, that works' associated FNASR have been sold/transferred. You CAN publish your previously published work elsewhere as a reprint but only as long as that publication does not require FNASR. This is a long way of saying that WAYSTATION is an amateur publication, meant for showcasing emerging talent for the consideration of professional markets (which is why we kept the word count so low). In essence: save your best work for higher paying markets!

Submit: Proofread standard manuscripts should be sent to the publisher at spiraltowerpress@gmail.com as .doc or .docx attachments. Please name your file your preferred last name: "Smith.docx". Include the following subject line: "WAYSTATION: [Last Name]." (Please note: No space between WAY and STATION). Please keep cover letters brief. A story title and a one- or two-sentence bio is sufficient.  If you have sold a story as a semi-pro or pro-rate, we appreciate the support but please refrain from submitting. We particularly encourage those who have not already been published to submit.

Facebook: Waystation: Amateur Magazine of Space Opera https://www.facebook.com/waystationmag

Discord: The WS Space Opera Multipurpose Module  https://discord.gg/bR9R2MZTgx

Associated Amateur Press Association: TRIAPA https://spiraltowerpress.blogspot.com/2023/07/introducing-triapa.html

Astrocast Flashes: Warp Rider's Lament

Astrocast Flashes originated as a way for deep-space attendants to stay entertained and connected to the rest of humanity while stationed in isolated space stations. With limited bandwidth and transmission capabilities, long-form entertainment and communication were simply not feasible, so they had to come up with creative ways to share stories and experiences with each other.

At first, Astrocast Flashes were simple messages or updates sent out by individuals stationed on different space stations, sharing news, jokes, and personal stories to stay connected with one another. However, as technology improved and transmission capabilities increased, Astrocast Flashes began to evolve into short, pithy stories that could be broadcast across the interstellar gulfs in a matter of seconds.

These stories became popular among deep-space attendants because they provided a brief but welcome escape from the monotony and isolation of their lonely jobs. The stories were often imaginative, exciting, and filled with wonder, transporting listeners to other worlds and sparking their imaginations.

As more and more people began tuning in to Astrocast Flashes, they became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring a new generation of storytellers and deep-space enthusiasts. Today, Astrocast Flashes are a beloved tradition among deep-space attendants and continue to captivate audiences with their short, thrilling tales of adventure in the depths of space.

Have an Astrocast Flash to share? Contact spiraltowerpress@gmail.com. Because of interstellar bandwidth limitations, stories must be kept to 500 to 750 words.

Warp Rider's Lament

by Anthony Perconti

Approx. 620 words

"Brane entry complete," the scout ship's AI said to Captain Sharma. The exploratory vessel was the first of its kind to breach the neighboring parallel. Isha Sharma's eyes welled up as the enormity of the moment overcame her.

"Goddamn," she mumbled, as she swiped at tears. 

Through all those years of trial and error. The sacrifices. Of the countless manpower hours poured into this endeavor; she was finally here. Now that the Indo-Chinese Republic had successfully crossed into the multiverse, humanity's future was secure. She let out a long sigh of relief.

"I feel much the same." 

Sharma gave a nod in the affirmative. "This must be how my distant ancestors felt when they harnessed the flame. Or when we first set foot on Chanda." 

"Or at the onset of the Great Machine Awakening amongst my kind." 

"Indeed. Scan vicinity for gravitational lensing and or bio-forms, Maan," Sharma said.  After a few cycles, the telemetry screens showed a vast starless expanse of darkness.

"Telemetry scan show's nothing, Captain."

"Huh. Just our luck to be crapped out into a cosmological desert." 

"So, it appears," the AI responded. 

"Extensive telemetry reading, Maan. Go deep. Let's hit that jackpot!" 

The cycles crept by. After what seemed an eternity, the telemetry screens updated-pitch black. "Long range scan found zero, Captain." 

Nothing? Could it be that she was ported over into a barren universe? That this brane was devoid of any celestial bodies? And yet-

"Zero? There has got to be something out there. We're just not looking hard enough." 

"Shall I run another long-range telemetry scan, Captain? Just to be sure?" 

"Absolutely, old friend. And don't rush it for my sake," Sharma said, chuckling to her companion. "We've got nothing but time on our hands." 

And yet, Sharma felt something out there. Some sentient presence lurking in the black beyond. She just knew it. She could feel it in her bones. That off-putting feeling of being watched, of being studied stuck with her, regardless of what the equipment readouts said. The sensation made the base of skull itch. It reminded her of that time as a little girl, when her parents took her into the city. They spent the day at the New Ahmedabad Aquarium. Her ten-year-old self goggle eyed at the profusion of sea life before her. Pitaajee scolding her for the incessant tattooing on the glass. 

After sixty cycles of nervous apprehension, the screens blipped to life again. A vast field of unbroken black, its velvet uniformity unmarred by any star, planet or nebula. Hell, not even an errant chunk of mineral was detected. 

"This just can't be. Something must be wrong with our sensors. Maybe the passage through the portal fragged our hardware?" 

"I'm afraid not. All systems are working at optimal capacity, Captain."

"Don't you sense that," Sharma asked the AI. 

"Captain?" 

"Some…I don't know what. Some thing. Some entity.  Watching. Observing us. Like a roundworm under a microscope." 

A shudder ran through the craft, followed an instant later by the barks and scarlet flashes of the emergency klaxon. 

"Maan! What the hell was that?" 

The ebon uniformity wavered like a heat mirage and gradually began to transform. A vast empyrean eye, lazily dilating open. A sickly golden iris expanding outward, outward until the darkness on the screens was subsumed by the light of this unnatural sun. A violet decagonal pupil the size of a moon pulsed and vibrated at the organ's center. 

Sharma sat transfixed in her compression harness, unable to tear her eyes from the alien tableau blossoming before her. 

"I'm so sorry, Maan. So sorry it had to end this way." 

The screams of the two explorers conjoined, christening the newfound world in blood and silica.

END

Astrocast Flash: Warp Rider's Lament

Astrocast Flash: Space Too Deep, Orbit Too Wide

Astrocast Flash: Bug-eyed Monsters and the Women Who Love them

 

Waystation: Amateur Magazine of Space Opera Issue 1 -- Free for Download

The first issue of Waystation: Amateur Magazine of Space Opera is now available as a free pdf.  Several people are responsible for this issue. First, thanks to our excellent contributors. Your stories are the main feature. Next, thanks to Ben Simmons, the Editor-in-Chief, for spearheading this and giving us the motivation to work through the project. Next, thanks to all the readers: Grey Cashwell, Nils Hedglin, Luke E. Dodd, and Aaron Cummins. Of course, thanks to our artists, specifically Geraldo Marinho, for his excellent cover. And thanks to you, the readers, for checking this out. We hope you enjoy it! You can access it here: Waystation: Amateur Magazine of Space Opera: Issue 1

Cover for Issue #1. Artist: Geraldo Marinho.

 Here is the cover for our first issue, available as a free PDF on Saturday, May 18th.

Astrocast Flashes: Bug-eyed Monsters and the Women Who Love Them

  

Astrocast Flashes originated as a way for deep-space attendants to stay entertained and connected to the rest of humanity while stationed in isolated space stations. With limited bandwidth and transmission capabilities, long-form entertainment and communication were simply not feasible, so they had to come up with creative ways to share stories and experiences with each other.

At first, Astrocast Flashes were simple messages or updates sent out by individuals stationed on different space stations, sharing news, jokes, and personal stories to stay connected with one another. However, as technology improved and transmission capabilities increased, Astrocast Flashes began to evolve into short, pithy stories that could be broadcast across the interstellar gulfs in a matter of seconds.

These stories became popular among deep-space attendants because they provided a brief but welcome escape from the monotony and isolation of their lonely jobs. The stories were often imaginative, exciting, and filled with wonder, transporting listeners to other worlds and sparking their imaginations.

As more and more people began tuning in to Astrocast Flashes, they became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring a new generation of storytellers and deep-space enthusiasts. Today, Astrocast Flashes are a beloved tradition among deep-space attendants and continue to captivate audiences with their short, thrilling tales of adventure in the depths of space.

Have an Astrocast Flash to share? Contact spiraltowerpress@gmail.com. Because of interstellar bandwidth limitations, stories must be kept to 500 to 750 words.

Bug-eyed Monsters and the Women Who Love Them

749 words

By Cora Buhlert

Captain Crash Martigan of the rocket scout squad was on patrol, protecting New Pluto City and its inhabitants from bug-eyed monsters.

Of course, bug-eyed monsters wasn't their real name. No, the creatures had a long and official Latinate name that no one could remember nor pronounce. So the colonists took to calling them bug-eyed monsters, because that's what they looked like.

For reasons only known to themselves, the bug-eyed monsters had started attacking New Pluto City, killing the men and kidnapping the women. The attacks had gotten out of hand, which was where men like Crash, true heroes of the new frontier of space, came in.

The cockpit alarm chimed. A bug-eyed monster was near. Crash landed his flyer, popped open the canopy and jumped out, looking very steely and manly in his gleaming silver spacesuit.

He took his electro-binoculars and scanned his surroundings. And then he spotted it. A bug-eyed monster – a particularly ugly one with long, sucker-laden tentacles – was molesting a dame. And not just any old dame either – not that there were old dames in New Pluto City, considering the maximum age for female colonists was twenty-six. No, this was a particularly fine dame with golden curls, luminous alabaster skin and a curvaceous figure swathed in a clinging gown of red silk that the bug-eyed monster was about to rip off her shapely body.

Crash activated his jet pack and raced to the rescue. For whenever there was a dame in danger, Crash would be there to save her like the dashing hero that he was.

By now, the dame had swooned in the tentacled embrace of the monster. Crash could hardly blame her. After all, women were known to be the weaker sex and this particular bug-eyed monster really was damn ugly. 

He took a closer look through his electro-binoculars and realised that he knew this dame. Her name was Geraldine Carmichael and she had been newly transferred to New Pluto City to work as a biologist or psychologist or nurse, some womanly profession at any rate.

Geraldine had already caught Crash's eye, for she was a true looker. So far, she had studiously ignored Crash and rebuffed his advances, but that would change once he'd saved her from the slimy embrace of the bug-eyed monster.

Crash landed on a rock outcropping overlooking the spot where the monster had dragged poor Geraldine.

He drew his atomic blaster. "Let go off her, fiend!"

"Eee-yip?" the bug-eyed monster said, which Crash decided to take as a challenge. 

Geraldine said nothing. She was unconscious, after all.

Crash fired his blaster, hitting one of the monster's tentacles.

"Eeee-Yaaah," the monster screamed and let go off Geraldine.

For a split-second, Crash feared that Geraldine was a goner, which would be a pity, for she was such a fine dame. But then she stirred and sat up, shaking her golden curls and pressing a slender hand to her forehead.

"Uh, what… what's going on?"

"You were attacked, Miss. But have no fear, for Captain Crash Martigan is here to rescue you."

Behind Geraldine, the bug-eyed monster was stirring, its slimy tentacles reaching for the hapless girl.

"Eeee-yuuup," the monster wailed.

Crash raised his blaster and aimed at the monster. "Begone, blackguard." 

He was about to shoot, but then Geraldine stumbled into his line of fire.

"What are you doing? Why are you threatening my boyfriend?"

"Your what?"

"My boyfriend," Geraldine repeated, "This New Plutonian here is my boyfriend." 

She reached for the creature's tentacle and patted it with her slender hands.

"Eeooouuh," the monster moaned.

"This… this thing is your boyfriend?"

"Yes, he's my boyfriend," Geraldine repeated for the third time, "His name is Eee'chuk-chi'up and he's not a thing."

"But…"

Geraldine sighed. "Yes, I know he doesn't talk much and what little he says I don't understand. But he's a rocket in bed, if you know what I mean?" 

She winked at Crash, still stroking the monster's appendage.

"Can you imagine how much pleasure all those tentacles and suckers can bring a woman?"

Crash couldn't imagine and he didn't want to either.

"But I… I thought you were in danger"

"Well, I'm not. And now be a good boy and scoot. Patrol the perimeter or whatever it is that you guys do. Cause…"

She continued stroking Eee'chuk-chi'up, who moaned in pleasure and began winding his tentacles around Geraldine's shapely body.

"…we'd like to be alone now, if you know what I mean?"

END

Astrocast Flash: Warp Rider's Lament

Astrocast Flash: Space Too Deep, Orbit Too Wide

Astrocast Flash: Bug-eyed Monsters and the Women Who Love them