God's Little Red Pen

by Christopher Ell

God’s Little Red Pen is an original short story that wraps a humorous what if? into the grand how & why? by showing us an alternate take on creation where an exasperated God, looking to break his celestial flock out of a collective funk, enlists the help of his angels to work on his newest pet project: a little thing called The Universe.

From matter to mammals to math, every idea is up for the making so long as it passes one simple test; serve a purpose or be X'd from existence by God’s little red pen. (Sorry, Mr. Jackalope.) While not everyone is thrilled about the whole affair (just ask the seraphim in charge of geology), one plucky angel’s creations will either make her a legend…or land her a first class ticket to purgatory.

Often funny, sometimes sad, and maybe a wee bit thought provoking, God’s Little Red Pen is a quick and quirky look at the big bang, where even a deity can be surprised by the imagination of his own creations.

"This story is absolutely hilarious and reads as if Douglas Adams wrote the tale of creation. Droll wit, spot-on satire, and unbelievable charm, Ell's work hits the perfect note. I can't wait to read anything else he writes."

- Holly Jennings

Author of Arena.

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Kit Smither's Last Commute

by Christopher Ell

Heath has been fixing time for what feels like forever. The only problem is, who's going to fix Heath?

In the quirky novella Kit Smithers' Last Commute, Heath Hancock has had just about enough of the whole time-travel gig. Well, not so much the travel part; it's all the time stuck in the employee shuttle simulation with only his A.I. bus driver and the weird guy in seat G4 to keep him company. Hop a century, save a great grandpa, two hours on the virtubus, repeat. Or, at least, that's how it was before a recently minted tech named Cole materialized, looking for her own share of chronological escapades.

With (ironically) no time to waste, Heath makes it his personal mission to dissuade the spunky new recruit from following in his footsteps by enlightening her of the deathly dull truth behind their chosen profession. Unfortunately, that weird guy in G4 doesn't help any when he attempts to hijack the simulation and end all of their commutes early.

Can Heath convince Cole how boring her life will be while simultaneously stopping a madman from turning their brains into yesterday's pudding, or will some of Cole's wide-eyed optimism and lust for adventure rub off on him? Humorous and poignant, Kit Smithers' Last Commute reminds us how even the most boring bits of everyday life can sometimes hold their own little adventures. And that 2079 is going to be a pretty horrible year for fashion. Winkyface.

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