2017: It had been an informative, engrossing, if not intriguing, event. Now the audience were getting restless, pining for their buffet lunch, a clip-on glass of mineral water, a chat with like-minded delegates. The audience: scientists, students, industry experts, sci-fi...

Free at last from the protective womb of her dead mother: its vacuous shell, the husk orbiting the new-born, Carmen began her meticulous descent. Descent, for a space-child, was particularly dangerous, requiring constant adjustments for the elements of risk:...

2030: The signal celebrating her awakening: a single pulse of energy, a starburst erupting from its molten surface, took 6.66 hours to reach Astute, the world’s most advanced orbiting telescope. Entrusted by scientists with autonomous digital deciphering decision-making capabilities, Astute...

She taught me not to fear deathIt’s just part of livingNow every time that I go and visit herMy soul hurts and heart sinksShe’s waiting to cross that bridgeGone are the stories she used to tellAs far back as...