Bus Driver Sci-Fi

Another short story

Apr 12, 2024

I hope everyone enjoyed the eclipse this week. It was cloudy all day were I was, but we ate Sun Chips, Moonpies, Star-bursts\crunches and watched a livestream of it in Mexico.

I’ve got a new story below. I consider this genre Bradburian, some sort of homespun, retro-scifi wonderment. Let me know if you like this sort of tale as much as I do.

Also, if you’ve got a Six Word Story rattling around in your head, you should submit it to Narrative Magazine: https://www.narrativemagazine.com/sixwords

My favorite sci-fi SixWord Story is by Alan Moore: “machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time”

Why I Ride the Bus by George Papadopoulos

for
Mrs. Markinson
10th Grade
English Essay
April 8th, 1978

Most people I know don't ride the bus. Not my parents or their friends or my friends. I don't even need to ride the bus. I just did it once because my bike was stolen and then it started to rain. That's where I met my best friend Mr. Wolfe. {Does your mother know this person? —M}

Mr. Wolfe writes sci-fi. He told me that when he saw me reading the Princess of Mars. I told him I had a huge crush on Dejah Thoris and he told me that he did too! And he's Married! But anyway, he let me read a story once. It was gnarly. It was about a guy who turned into a tree as punishment for something. He was rotting slowly, but his wife cut off his hand and planted it in a transport ship and he grew back healthy, but he was forever stuck in this ship, but they were happy anyway. {Reread this sentence and see if you notice anything. —M}

I told him that I wanted to write sci-fi and he gave me a book and said to study it. I read it and read it. It's about people who burn books and some that save them. I liked it. I'm going to write my next book report on it. {That's wonderful, Georgie! —M}

One time he showed me his communicator. He said that's how he talks to the aliens. I laughed, but he didn't, but he smiled. He said there's a war out there in deep space. The good guys are protecting earth, but the bad want to destroy it. I said I want to join up and he said that we aren't fighting flesh and blood. {You should talk to your mother about Mr. Wolfe. —M}

Mr. Wolfe told me that the good side is always looking out for emissonaries {Emissaries? Missionaries? —M} So I signed up to be one. Next time I rode the bus, he handed me a badge and told me I have to write something that will wake people up. Most people don't understand we're under attack. Stories help people see the war. I am a messenger for the good forces of deep space. {Ask your mother about propaganda and conspiracy theories. —M}

Sometimes I ride the bus when I don't even want to go anywhere. When my mom sends me out. When my dad is tired of me. {These last two sentences are not complete. —M} I can sing to myself. I can read. I can talk to Mr. Wolfe. I can watch all kinds of people in their comings and goings. I can look out the window and enjoy everything passing by. It gives me time to think about the world, about the war, about all that is important. So that's why I like riding the bus. {See me after class so we can discuss my concerns about Mr. Wolfe. —M}

{by H. W. Taylor}

If you like Bradburian short fiction as much as me and want to read more, I recommend my story The Last Song of Mars from my second short story collection Rupture. It also has my only one star rating and BOYHOWDY am I proud of it:

“This is kind of angry sci Fi full of anger and retribution and in light of situations in today's world it was rather disconcerting. It took me much longer than I would have liked or expected.

Don't get me wrong. The writing itself is tight and efficient but the stories are so dark and borderline hopeless it made my stomach hurt. I wish I could recommend it, however, I really cannot”

And if you haven’t read Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles, then you should do that as well.

A friend of mine wrote a rip-roaring little tale titled Leprechaun Wars: the Sunsblood Ring. A cover like that deserves prime placement on the mantle, but the story will keep it hot in the hands of readers. Go pick it up.

If you’re wanting another short little adventure yarn, then check out these two stories about some daring do in the Arctic Ice by H. G. Winters.

I’ve got another couple of things in the works, including a bit longer story that I can’t wait to send out. I might be a bit more regular guest in your mailbox. I might reestablish the first and third Fridays of the month as mine. I might, I might, I might, but until then adieu.