Being an officer means balancing many conflicting demands. Making the wrong decision can have serious consequences. It takes a special kind of person to cope with the responsibility. The Officer is an anthology of eleven science fiction short stories by writers from across the globe. It is part of the Newcomer series of scifi anthologies. The stories are:- Duty by Alasdair Shaw Patchworker 2.0 by M Pax Totaled by Benjamin Douglas Lucky Star by A R Knight There Comes a Time by J J Green Red Fortitude by Eddie R Hicks Pithos by Mark Gardner A Step on the Path by Tom Germann Rituals by Rick Partlow First Generation by Adrien Walker The Grape Thieves by Corrie Garrett

Guardians are defenders, carers and guides. Some look after individual people, others whole planets or universes, but all share a strong belief in their responsibility to protect their charges. The Guardian is an anthology of eleven science fiction short stories by writers from across the globe. It is part of the Newcomer series of scifi anthologies. The stories are:- Awakening - Alasdair Shaw The Lattice - Jeff Tanyard Biting Shadow - C Gold Gate of Dreams - Rick Partlow The Following Star - Elizabeth Baxter The Renewal - Zen DiPietro Stowaway - Benjamin Douglas Baptism of Fire - Cora Buhlert Sleeping Giant - Andrew Vaillencourt We Have the Stars - JJ Green Warning Signs - Edward M Grant

Benjamin Douglas Silliman was a successfull lawyer in New York City. A member of the Whig Party, he was elected in 1838 to the New York State Assembly and in 1839 he served as a delegate to the Whig national convention that nominated William Henry Harrison for President of the United States. When the Whigs evolved into the Republican Party, Silliman became a loyal member of that party and in 1865 President Abraham Lincoln appointed him to the office of U.S. District Attorney for the Eastern District of New York State. As such he was involved in several legal issues following the Civil War. Besides politics, Silliman was active in many civic and philanthropical organizations. The collection consists of 80 letters to Benjamin Douglas Silliman and drafts of 10 letters from him. His correspondents include William Henry Seward, Hamilton Fish, Preston King, Peter Cooper, and others involved in New York State politics. In the letters to and from Seward, they discuss the influence of the Irish vote in the 1840 election.