ADULT STORIES


Having joined the Glasgow SF Writer's Circle, I felt moved to put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard, these days), and write a science fiction story that had been bubbling around in the back of my mind for a while.  Out came The Niffen Fragment (12,500 words), which if you have read the corresponding blog post, you'll know was reasonably favourably received by the members of GSFWC.  It relates the tale of a mysterious alien artefact which comes to rest on Earth.  It is covered with symbols, which scientists (and the reader) gradually unravel - and at the point when the mystery is almost solved, another, bigger aretfact is discovered heading towards the Earth at a rate of knots.  The whole story is left on a knife-edge, nobody knowing whether the incoming alien aretfact or ship will prove friendly or hostile.

I had a lot of fun inventing the characters for this story, especially their names.  Here are some of them:

Samuel Delaney
Jake Vance
Jenna Henderson

and, of course, the name underpinning the whole story:

Harry Niffen.

If you are a SF fan, I'm sure you get the picture.