Lanterna Rally

Author: Glen Cadigan

Publisher: Rocketship Press

Published: 2016-11-19

Total Pages: 331

ISBN-13: 0991713680

Seven stories of mystery, suspense, and adventure featuring a coin from the future, a post-apocalyptic nightmare, a soldier surrounded by ghosts, and a rock concert turned séance! Plus a clown war, a scientist who thinks he's found the way to Heaven, and the true meaning of love! Top Of The World – in the wake of a planet wide plague, three mountaineers decide to climb Mt. Everest. Their argument is simple: "Why should dreams die, just because the world did?" But first they must cross the Bering Sea, then continental Asia, before they face the mountain itself. Along the way are the infected, the mockeries of humanity that stand in their way and threaten to contaminate them. And if they do make it to the top of the world, the question remains: what then? What is left for them in a world where everything they've ever known has been lost? The Coin – When Richard Harding’s uncle dies he leaves his nephew his coin collection, complete with a brand new 2012 dime. The problem is the year is 1982, and as the decades fade away, Richard must determine the significance of the coin before 2012 arrives. Stay Off The East Side – For years the east side was home to hobos, hookers, and bums. But now that it’s become gentrified, all the little kiddies want clowns for their birthday parties. The problem? The east side belongs to the local clown union 1344, and the 1802 doesn’t like it. They want a piece, and they’re willing to fight to get it! Houdini – Journey back to the hair metal days of the ‘80s and follow the band Miracle Machine as it goes on tour to promote its self-titled album. They’re a band on the rise, and their top song tells the story of Harry Houdini himself. The best part of their show is when they try to summon him to the stage as part of a séance, and with thousands of eager fans chanting his name, will Houdini answer their call? Valentine’s Day – It’s a story as old as the Earth itself: boy meets girl, boy falls in love, girl doesn’t love boy back. That forces the boy to get his hands on a love potion, but isn’t there a saying about getting what you wish for? Everything Is Everything – Dr. Michael Webber is a physics professor at a small university when his wife and children are killed in a plane crash. He then uses his knowledge of quantum mechanics to try to answer two questions: is Heaven real, and can he find it if it is? Haunted – When Mark Doren returns home from Iraq with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he takes the only job he can find, that of night watchman in a downtown office tower. Then he starts to see ghosts, and as he walks its halls at night, he becomes painfully aware that he is not alone…. These are the stories that await within the pages of Top of the World!