The Cloud by James Savik

[Camy]

The cloud is an immaculately set up well written piece of science fiction that pays off with an ending reminiscent of John Wyndham's 'The Midwich Cuckoos'.

I believe James Savik is an astronomer, which accounts for the fine detail and the willing suspension of disbelief in the story. Although this short stands on its own it could well be a prologue for a novel ... let's hope so!

Read here

[Lugnutz]

It's definatly not a boring story. Sci-fi and the great unknown, usually one in the same. The last bit reminded me of the movie "Children of the Damned".

[Cole Parker]

I love stories with accurate and esoteric detail. This one kept you rapt not only with the plot development but the scientific detail as well. Awfully well done--but we expect that from James.

C

[JamesSavik]

Des helped me out with the Australian English.

I liked the Graves character. If I were a billionaire and free to do anything I wanted, that just might be me.

The Southern hemisphere has many astronomical wonders and not nearly enough really top notch observatories. The Magellanic clouds, Vela, eta carina, Centaurus- you could study it all for centuries and barely get started.

[Camy]

I liked the Graves character. If I were a billionaire and free to do anything I wanted, that just might be me.

Graves was a good character, though I don't think you have to be a billionaire to do good work in astronomy as the recent winners of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2012 show. My favourite: 'Transit of Venus' was taken from Blackheath in London on a cloudy day, and I got the idea for my short story from a photograph, taken by a 15 year old, of the Pleiades.

Well worth checking out!

[DesDownunder]

How marvellous, in these times of worshipping the remnants of superstition, to actually express wonder at a cloudy view of Venus transiting the sun.

Sometimes we forget to wonder at the beauty and grandeur of reality.

[TalonRider]

As I told James, it wasn't the ending that I was expecting.