Mark Niemann-Ross

Hey. Guy with the broom. Like, I need a plastic thingy.”

Her noisy appearance at the front counter of Hankins Hardware is only made louder by the smell of chlorine. Doing her part to keep Portland weird, I think, as I put down the broom. She’s wearing a funny sort of jacket, stretch pants, and steel-toed boots. Maybe that’s odd, but what’s really unique is her just standing by the counter.

Regular customers of Hankins Hardware know the store layout. They walk in, briefly… Show more

Hey. Guy with the broom. Like, I need a plastic thingy.”

Her noisy appearance at the front counter of Hankins Hardware is only made louder by the smell of chlorine. Doing her part to keep Portland weird, I think, as I put down the broom. She’s wearing a funny sort of jacket, stretch pants, and steel-toed boots. Maybe that’s odd, but what’s really unique is her just standing by the counter.

Regular customers of Hankins Hardware know the store layout. They walk in, briefly acknowledge our presence, then disappear down the appropriate row. You want paint? Look in aisle one. Bolts? Located across the front of the store. Aisle five has been electrical for the past two centuries.
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We like long canoe trips. Lake Pend Oreille is huge, and offers a great opportunity for canoeists in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, we couldn't find in-depth information about camping and canoeing on the lake - this journal fills in details about wind, campsites and paddling conditions.

Surveys have become my friend, and have provided me with an answer to a very important question: who reads science fiction? Twenty-one percent of the US population answered “Yes.”

By the way - assume your reader is just as likely to be male as female.

Josh called it Mr. Flat Five.

Musica Diablous. A chord with a flatted fifth note. Mi contra fa est diabolus in musica. The Musical Demon.

It killed Josh. Actually, Josh killed himself. But he died on account of Mr. Flat Five. It does that to people. Makes them obsessive. Gives them the illusion they’ve found something world-changing and the end will justify the means.

Stupefying Stories also published the back story:… Show more

Josh called it Mr. Flat Five.

Musica Diablous. A chord with a flatted fifth note. Mi contra fa est diabolus in musica. The Musical Demon.

It killed Josh. Actually, Josh killed himself. But he died on account of Mr. Flat Five. It does that to people. Makes them obsessive. Gives them the illusion they’ve found something world-changing and the end will justify the means.

Stupefying Stories also published the back story: http://www.stupefyingstoriesshowcase.com/0130712/0130712-70.html Show less

Dirt is what you track into the space station. Soil is what you grow things in.
(Appears in the June, 2013 issue of Analog Magazine)

Patches, a talented Border Collie, teams up with his young owner to outwit a cattle rustler in the old west. John is left in charge of his younger sister when his parents are called away on an emergency. When he finds a desperate outlaw in the kitchen, his only defense is a good story - and Patches.

This one opens in 2114. Tiffany Stott is an elderly widow who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. She can go on medication to combat the symptoms but while they were testing, she needed to have an electronic device she calls a sawhorse follow her around to help her out of any trouble. The sawhorse had been developed by her late husband for use by soldiers but she resents its presence. Nonetheless, it proves useful. We get two more stories, going back in time about the device that makes this… Show more

This one opens in 2114. Tiffany Stott is an elderly widow who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. She can go on medication to combat the symptoms but while they were testing, she needed to have an electronic device she calls a sawhorse follow her around to help her out of any trouble. The sawhorse had been developed by her late husband for use by soldiers but she resents its presence. Nonetheless, it proves useful. We get two more stories, going back in time about the device that makes this something truly touching and possessing real heart. Nicely done! (SFRevu) Show less

Jennifer uses her image profile to change how her friends see her. Photographs of her are instantly retouched - no matter who takes them, or where they are uploaded. Jennifer has fixed her hair, makeup, color of her eyes, length of her neck and removed blemishes. When a technical problem erases her profile, her friendships end, along with her self-confidence. Which is the real Jennifer?

Historical fiction about a haunted campsite on the Willamette River

A collection of science fiction stories from the pages of Analog magazine by the award-winning team of Richard A. Lovett and Mark Niemann-Ross, including the 2011 Analytical Laboratory (reader's choice) Award winning novella "Phantom Sense" and the 2006 Analytical Laboratory Award winning novelette "NetPuppets."

Science Fiction about the impact of technology on Special Operatives. Included in our anthology, "Phantom Sense and other stories."

A Science Fiction story exploring the importation of labor. With Richard A. Lovett. Included in our anthology, "Phantom Sense and other stories."

Science Fiction about the results of technology repurposing. Included in our anthology, "Phantom Sense and other stories."

Science Fiction exploring the limits of the internet. Included in our anthology, "Phantom Sense and other stories."