Metaphorosis magazine - beautifully written science fiction and fantasy

What if universities were massive machines, and the only way to gain admittance were to chase them down and catch them…or die trying? Every kid in Hilltown wants to catch Parbrier College when it rumbles towards town, and Kai is no exception. But faced with a tracked behemoth big enough to crush several city blocks, she must reckon with the reality of her dreams, and whether the risk is worth it. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 02 June 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

Oliver the tortoise escapes his cage and stirs the inhabitants of the Rainriver Zoological Gardens into a frenzy of addiction, obsession, and discontent. A growing mob of overeager zoo visitors leaves a wake of damage and detritus behind, and the animals in the zoo are left careening toward disaster. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 26 May 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

A hyperspace accident leaves the survivors stranded, among them a young woman disturbed by strange visions, and a man desperate to return home before his daughter wakes up to the reality they find themselves in. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 19 May 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

Mira knew the shell in her hand held the secret to her storied past. But with her mind slipping away more every day — and her daughter doubting her ability to care for herself and live independently — how could she possibly uncover the truth? Only the conch shell held the answer, and only Mira's rapidly fading memory held the power to unlock it. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 12 May 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

Along with the rest of humanity, Laila is struggling to survive Earth's Nuclear Winter, when her boss hands her an assignment she can't refuse. To help the Angels, and keep the job she desperately needs, she has to swallow her many resentments and grievances and set out on a journey through humanity's writhing underbelly. Along the way she is forced to reassess her views of Earth's overlords, humanity's destiny, and ultimately her own. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 05 May 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

One tortoise is obsessed with finding his lost cage mate. His escape, and his journey to locate Miranda, is fraught with betrayal, deceit, and an increase in stress on every animal in the zoo. When the tension comes to a head, will Oliver find what he seeks, or will he lead them all toward a precipice which can only spell doom for the zoo and its captive inhabitants? Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 28 April 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

The old pop song says it’s in his kiss, but of course that’s nonsense. The only way to know if your man’s love is true is to cut out his heart and eat it—that is, if you have the nerve. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 21 April 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

Born to follow the all-knowing Regulation, Seyra, a crewmember of the generational spaceship Last Train, manages to cast off her shackles and throw into question all they have ever known. Kehvan, one of the ship's pilots, is now forced to find the answers before it is too late for both of them. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 14 April 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

Daniel is a hopeless romantic who uses time travel to find love. Whenever he meets someone new, he jumps to the future to see if their relationship lasts and if it doesn't, he returns to the present to cancel the first date before anyone gets hurt. But when his dating strategy starts ruining the fabric of time, Daniel has to go back and live through every relationship he skipped, discovering what he missed the first time around. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 07 April 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

Oliver the tortoise is on the loose, and the animals of Rainriver Zoological Gardens are all feeling the repercussions of his escape. The zoo is overrun with eager visitors trying to capture the next amazing animal video, and their careless obsession drives the animal inmates to more extreme behavior, to take risks, to lie, and to dream dark, hungry dreams of something they can only vaguely envision: freedom. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 31 March 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

An eleven-year-old must battle the mysterious presence lurking in his grandparents backyard, while coming to terms with the trauma in his family’s past. Narrated by the author. Published in Metaphorosis on 24 March 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

River has spent most of her life in a small suburban town, playing guitar and geeking out with friends… who have no idea she was born thousands of lightyears away. Her only memory of her home planet is of a terrorist attack that killed thousands of her people. Earth is all she has ever known, and as far as she is concerned, she’s just another ordinary teenager. But yesterday, her father informed her they were moving back home. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 17 March 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

His little sister Brigid was special, and not just because of her amazing power to create solid objects out of nothing. As a big brother, he was determined to protect her, and protect her secret, with his life. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 10 March 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

What if you woke up one morning entirely alone in the world? Your apartment is quiet, your roommates aren’t slamming the door, there’s no traffic on the street, no dogs barking, and the only sound is hissing insects. Narrated by the author. Published in Metaphorosis on 03 March 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

When Oliver the tortoise escapes from his enclosure, the animals at Rainriver Zoological Gardens will never be the same. An accidental video of Oliver goes viral, the zoo is overrun with visitors, and every animal living inside it is faced with new challenges, increased stress, and opportunities to triumph or fail in ways they've never imagined possible. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 24 February 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

Beside the River Styx, souls who cannot pay the toll must wait out their days. There, the ferryman contends with an irrepressible human who refuses to submit to tradition. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 17 February 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

When the law changes overnight, a cryostasis technician finds himself legally liable for a man-made disaster - the impending destruction of hundreds of thousands of embryos. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 10 February 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

Lorraine doesn't have much going her way. She still lives in her deceased mother's old condo, and even her sisters look down on her because of her bad eye and inarticulate speech. Now, the one thing she's got—a job at her beloved JCPenney store—is in jeopardy as the chain announces bankruptcy. But Lorraine makes a discovery during the final clearance sale could change her fortunes. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 03 February 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

The animals in the Rainriver Zoological Gardens survive to the best of their abilities, captive and plagued by their individual neurosis. But when the tortoise, Oliver, escapes from his enclosure, it sets in motion a series of events which will affect the life of every animal in the zoo, which will change Rainriver, its animals, and their keepers, forever. Narrated by host Matt Gomez. Published in Metaphorosis on 27 January 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.

Trapped on a desolate world, with their Collective dead and their ship inoperable, a hive alien must survive in the presence of the human who tried to eradicate them. Trapped on a desolate world, with his comms out and his ship busted, a soldier has to finish the job and make it out alive. Enemies to lovers, 7k. Narrated by the author. Published in Metaphorosis on 20 January 2023. Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.