Prepare for the unexpected Galaxies and Fantasies is an eclectic collection of tales from master-storyteller Andy McKell, crossing genres from mythology to cosmology, fairytale to space opera, surrealism to hyper-reality. What they all have in common is a twist, a surprise, a revelation. Leave your pre-conceptions aside when you read these stories, prepare for the unexpected, the extraordinary, the unpredictable. Some are quite succinct and you’ll be immediately wanting more; others are more elaborate, but deftly devised, and you’ll be thinking about them long after you’ve finished reading. These are stories that will stay with you, not in a haunting way, but like a satisfying memory that often returns to encourage, enchant or enrich your life. Cover design: Alison Buck

The title, Existence is Elsewhen, paraphrases the last sentence of André Breton’s 1924 Manifesto of Surrealism, perfectly summing up the intent behind this anthology of stories from a wonderful collection of authors. Different worlds… different times. It’s what Elsewhen Press has been about since we launched our first title in 2011. Here, we present twenty science fiction stories for you to enjoy. We are delighted that headlining this collection is the fantastic John Gribbin, with a worrying vision of medical research in the near future. Future global healthcare is the theme of J A Christy’s story; while the ultimate in spare part surgery is where Dave Weaver takes us. Edwin Hayward’s search for a renewable protein source turns out to be digital; and Tanya Reimer’s story with characters we think we know, gives us pause for thought about another food we take for granted. Evolution is examined too, with Andy McKell’s chilling tale of what states could become if genetics are used to drive policy. Similarly, Robin Moran’s story explores the societal impact of an undesirable evolutionary trend; while Douglas Thompson provides a truly surreal warning of an impending disaster that will reverse evolution, with dire consequences. On a lighter note, we have satire from Steve Harrison discovering who really owns the Earth (and why); and Ira Nayman, who uses the surreal alternative realities of his Transdimensional Authority series as the setting for a detective story mash-up of Agatha Christie and Dashiel Hammett. Pursuing the crime-solving theme, Peter Wolfe explores life, and death, on a space station; while Stefan Jackson follows a police investigation into some bizarre cold-blooded murders in a cyberpunk future. Going into the past, albeit an 1831 set in the alternate Britain of his Royal Sorceress series, Christopher G. Nuttall reports on an investigation into a girl with strange powers. Strange powers in the present-day is the theme for Tej Turner, who tells a poignant tale of how extra-sensory perception makes it easier for a husband to bear his dying wife’s last few days. Difficult decisions are the theme of Chloe Skye’s heart-rending story exploring personal sacrifice. Relationships aren’t always so close, as Susan Oke’s tale demonstrates, when sibling rivalry is taken to the limit. Relationships are the backdrop to Peter R. Ellis’s story where a spectacular mid-winter event on a newly-colonised distant planet involves a Madonna and Child. Coming right back to Earth and in what feels like an almost imminent future, Siobhan McVeigh tells a cautionary tale for anyone thinking of using technology to deflect the blame for their actions. Building on the remarkable setting of Pera from her LiGa series, and developing Pera’s legendary Book of Shadow, Sanem Ozdural spins the creation myth of the first light tree in a lyrical and poetic song. Also exploring language, the master of fantastika and absurdism, Rhys Hughes, extrapolates the way in which language changes over time, with an entertaining result.

Science Fiction Consortium is an anthology of short stories from nine authors, including the creator of the Science Fiction Microstory Contest, Jot Russell. "Temporal Shift" by Jot Russell is a time travel story based around 9/11. "The Watch Spring" by Allen H. Quintana - Where a man waits for no time. "A Shepherd No More" by Andy McKell follows one man's refusal to accept disaster in the depths of space. "Vampirecratic Menace - A Case Study?" by Richard Bunning describes a dark future medical science. "Luna-1" by James Newman is a space drama of human struggle. "The Destroyer of Syn" by Ami Hart paints a synthetic world of youth to maturity. "Cold New Planet" by Joy V. Smith - What mysteries will the colonists--and the consortium backing them--uncover on this slowly thawing planet? "Darklings in the Glow" by Sterren describes birth from the ashes. "Host" by A. L. Scott is a story of internal contact. "Consortium" by Jot Russell - The search for intelligent life has used the method of radio and light. But somewhere within the subatomic, a universal seed has been planted that is slowly working to control us all.

1950s L.A. Down-at-heel private eye back from the war takes a case he doesn't want but can't afford to turn down. The client is lying. The Feds are lying. Even his friends are lying. Along the way, he runs afoul of the mob. Their tame cops are leaning on him. People around him start dying. The only bright light is the librarian he's fallen for whose life he puts at risk. He can handle all that, but now he's seeing a ghost. Or is he...? "Has all the elements of a 1950s private eye yarn." M Ruth Myers "Loved this book, a classic LA Noir, with a twist of the paranormal." M Louisa Locke

Commander Richard Stellar rested the butt of his Magnumlite 77 against his collarbone and sighted the front door of the residence. His orders: eliminate the first person who came out the door...... Rescue Brokers are one of the most notorious professions known in the galaxy, and the most benevolent, for the right price. Of them all, Stelfson has set himself apart. He has transformed himself into human and taken on an advanced raced threatening another with extinction, been hired to free an enslaved civilization no bigger than a micron from their overlords, and journeyed to the other side of the universe to try and stop a world eater with an unquenchable appetite for every planet that comes its way. Sit down and strap yourself in for nine adventures that are sure to grab a hold of you and never let go until the last page.

1950s L.A. A down-at-heel private eye back from the war takes a case he doesn't want but can't afford to turn down. The client is lying. The Feds are lying. Even his friends are lying. Along the way, he runs afoul of the mob. Their tame cops are leaning on him. People around him start dying. The only bright light is the librarian he's fallen for whose life he puts at risk. He can handle all that, but now he's seeing a ghost. Or is he...? "Has all the elements of a 1950s private eye yarn." M. Ruth Myers "Loved this book, a classic LA Noir, with a twist of the paranormal." M. Louisa Locke