Volume 42, Issue 4
Fall 2019

Star*Line 42.4 cover
Cover: Horror from the Deep
© 2019 Allen Koszowski

Dragons & Rayguns

Welcome to another issue of Star*Line! As we enter the holiday season, you will see here wonderful speculative poems on Halloween, The Day of the Dead, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, sometimes with a wry and refreshing view of these celebrations. For instance, directly below are a ghost poem that sends up Robert Frost as well as a monster poem whose title echoes a renowned Halloween rock & roll ditty.
          In this issue, it is our tradition to announce the winners of the SFPA’s annual poetry contest, the Dwarf Stars award for micropoems, and the Elgin Awards celebrating the best speculative poetry books and chapbooks published within the last two years. I offer my personal congratulations to all the winners, and would like especially to note that frequent Star*Line contributor Holly Lyn Walrath won huge this year! She won both the short form and long form categories in the poetry contest, as well as the chapbook division in the Elgin. Brava, Holly!
          I would also like to announce that I have a new editorial assistant, Robyn Groth, who is herself a speculative poet. Welcome, Robyn!
While you indulge in holiday feasts, I hope you will equally enjoy the smorgasbord of poetry we are serving up in these pages. Oppa!

—Vince Gotera, Star*Line Editor


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Star*Line Staff:

Editor: Vince Gotera
Editorial Assistant: Robyn Groth
Layout: Vince Gotera
Production Manager: Vince Gotera
Mailing: Andrew Gilstrap

Star*Line Reviews
Star*Line Archives
Star*Line History
Star*Line Contributor Bios

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Table of Contents

Departments

  • Dragons & Rayguns • Vince Gotera
  • SFPA Announcements
  • President’s Message • Bryan Thao Worra
  • From the Small Press • John Reinhart • David C. Kopaska-Merkel
  • In Memoriam: Vertigo Xi’an Xavier • Joshua Gage
  • Spanish Speculative Poetry • Carmen Lucía Alvarado (Translated by Toshiya Kamei)

Poetry

  • The End as It Was • Holly Day
  • Monster Mash • Alan Ira Gordon
  • Nothing Ghost Can Stay • Tara Campbell
  • Somewhere beyond outer space • Ronald A. Busse
  • Lunatic • Michael R. Collings
  • [naming animals] • F. J. Bergmann
  • Alien Hands of Deliverance • Russell Hemmell
  • [pink unicorn] • David F. Shultz
  • [a river terrapin] • Alzo David-West
  • A simpler time • F. J. Bergmann
  • The Scarecrow • Tara Campbell
  • [zombie view] • LeRoy Gorman
  • All’s Fair in Love and War • Avra Margariti
  • [our planet] • F. J. Bergmann
  • Why I No Longer Sherpa at Olympus Mons • Robert Borski
  • Summit • Rich Magahiz
  • [in a parallel universe doG] • LeRoy Gorman
  • In Name Only • David C. Kopaska-Merkel
  • [trying to remember] • F. J. Bergmann
  • Parents • James Dorr
  • Facebook Friend Request • Matthew Wilson
  • [O l] • LeRoy Gorman
  • Fast Forward • David Barber
  • [Aliens are here] • Richard Leis
  • [cosmic creature] • Brian Gene Olson
  • [battle drills] • Nick Hoffman
  • [lovely envoy] • ayaz daryl nielsen
  • Gourmet Warning • James Dorr
  • Android Thanksgiving • J. P. Brown
  • The Break Up • Gretchen Tessmer
  • [not enough pods] • Susan Burch
  • [politico] • LeRoy Gorman
  • Sailor Come Home • Kathleen A. Lawrence
  • [hiding] • Susan Burch
  • Prelude to Bygones • Marge Simon
  • hounded harriers • Rich Magahiz
  • Anachronism • Robert Borski
  • Bride of Frankenstein: Our Lady of RageAndrea Blythe
  • Steampunk Christmas • David Clink
  • Having a Ball • F. J. Bergmann
  • Robert Goddard at Roswell • Alan Ira Gordon
  • [a long day’s rest] • ayaz daryl nielsen
  • [Green Living for Dummies] • LeRoy Gorman
  • [tentacles emerge] • Denny E. Marshall
  • Mutant Narcissus • T. R. Jones
  • top 10 generation ship prototypes • LeRoy Gorman
  • [staring at] • Susan Burch
  • Cinderella: An Update on Carriages • Sandra Lindow
  • Martian Red • Naomi Libicki
  • All That We Love • Christina Sng
  • A One-Captain Ship • Gerri Leen
  • [alien poet] • F. J. Bergmann
  • New Planet Landscape 23 • Ken Poyner
  • Tour Guide to Immortality • Alexander P. Garza
  • The Laughing Kapre • Michael Janairo
  • [hungry and searching] • ayaz daryl nielsen
  • The Fledgling • Deborah L. Davitt
  • Goblin • Donald Raymond
  • Mountains of the Moon • Kim Whysall-Hammond
  • Waste Not, Want Not • James Dorr
  • Incoming Message • T. R. Jones
  • Tall Tale • Mary Soon Lee
  • [Casper] • Brian Gene Olson
  • The Planets? Sweet… • Harris Coverley
  • [camping at the edge] • David C. Kopaska-Merkel
  • Amulet • Michael Janairo
  • [a starship in flames] • ayaz daryl nielsen
  • Lichtenberg Bride • Robert Borski
  • Whole Brain Emulation • R. Mac Jones
  • [All Hallows Eve] • LeRoy Gorman
  • One Eye • Richard Stevenson
  • Red Globes • Matthew Wilson
  • Then I Vomited My Children • Cash Toklas
  • A Little Planet of My Own • Gene Twaronite
  • [bustling cityscape] • Marcus Vance
  • Drought • Matthew Wilson
  • Intelligence Imperative • Robin Helweg-Larsen
  • transmitting selfies • David C. Kopaska-Merkel
  • No trespassing • Matthew Wilson
  • The Nonpareils • Kathleen A. Lawrence
  • Society Page • T. R. Jones
  • Delicate flesh • Jenny Blackford
  • [Kemet computers] • William Landis
  • The Lovers Across the Strait • Dawn Vogel
  • Taking the Show on the Road • David C. Kopaska-Merkel
  • [Daredevil my god] • Robin Wyatt Dunn
  • Reboot • Benjamin Whitney Norris
  • [stale morning smog] • Nick Hoffman
  • Curves & Dimensions • Gretchen Tessmer
  • [pretending it’s rain] • Nick Hoffman
  • Area 51 Custodian Gets Coffee • Juleigh Howard-Hobson
  • Orbit • David C. Kopaska-Merkel
  • [snowmobile rentals] • Ronald A. Busse
  • The Red King’s Dream • DJ Tyrer
  • A Scream Pierces the Night / Un grito hiere la noche • Carmen Lucía Alvarado (Translated by Toshiya Kamei)
  • Go Bag • Marcie Lynn Tentchoff

Art

  • Prelude to Bygones • Marge Simon
  • Area 51 Rug • Boris Grann & Neil Strahl
  • Control Panel • Denny E. Marshall
  • Altered Fairy • Mindy Watson
  • That’s Odd • Boris Grann and & Neil Strahl

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