Lynn Hazzard, a long-time resident of Carbondale, recently survived a serious medical emergency, thanks to her attentive neighbors Cheryl and Bruce Hasselbring. The Hasselbrings were accustomed to seeing Hazzard enjoying her morning coffee outside on her deck, but one morning, Hazzard was nowhere to be seen and her window shades were still closed. Concerned for […]
Tom Mercer
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Works in Progress – May 11, 2023
Drivers Ed By Tom Mercer Alan sat in the driver’s seat of a shiny new car. He uttered a long sigh that carried the unmistakable tone of a man who was close to giving up. His throat was painfully dry from extreme thirst, and he had not eaten for 48 hours. Alan was traumatized, and […]
Posted inFiction, Opinion, Uncategorized
Work in Progres – Jan. 5, 2022
Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com The Resourceful Elf: Part Two By Tom Mercer Former Carbondalian Continued from Dec. 22, 2022 Work in Progress page Snuffles the Elf was at a loss. He was no longer one of Santa’s helpers due to an error he […]
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Work in Progress – Dec. 22, 2022
Hello Darkness By Jampa Carbondale It’s that time of year When darkness drops without dusk And crushes the light. The Resourceful Elf By Tom Mercer Former Carbondalian Snuffles the Elf had mixed feelings about the coming Christmas. Santa had selected Snuffles to oversee the maintenance and upgrading of his sleigh just over 100 years ago, […]
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Work in Progress – Oct. 5, 2022
Dream Time By Tom Mercer Dream Induction Technologies Corporation (DITC) had established an incredible record of success since its creation in 2041. The company was founded by Jay Skillton-Adams, the neuroscientist who initially developed and commercialized the dream induction process. Skillton-Adams introduced his technology to the world touting the slogan, “Why Wait? Live Your Dream […]
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Work in Progress: Sept. 15, 2022
Notes in The Pocket By Tom Mercer Zachary Gene Smithson led a solitary sort of life in a very small town in Central Illinois. Zachary was born there, just as his parents had been, and he knew nearly everybody in town by name. That was no major feat, as the population of Farland was a […]
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Work in Progress – Aug. 18, 2022
The Apple Tree By Isabelle Levine, age 9 It is autumn and my apples are ripening. Soon the whole Lee Family will come to my trunk for a grand party. My leaves are shaking with excitement for that day to come. I love all the happy faces and laughter. In fact, that day is tomorrow! […]
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Work in Progress – July 28, 2022
The Man Next Door, Part Two By Tom Mercer My name is Alex and this is my story. It was the last week in May 2075 when Chrono-Corp transported me back in time to the first part of the 21st century. My geographical target was the city of Arlington Heights, Massachusetts. I was not the […]
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Work in Progress – July 21, 2022
The Man Next Door By Tom Mercer I had lived on a dead end street in the suburbs of Boston for about 10 years when the man moved into the house next to me. We introduced ourselves to each other the day he moved in, but we had spoken only a few words to each […]
Posted inColumns, Opinion, Uncategorized
Local author quenches SciFi thirst with “THING: First Contact”
by
Tom Mercer
This reviewer has been an avid reader of science fiction novels ever since discovering them in a small-town library in Illinois. Those books were “a ticket out of town” and transported the reader to different worlds, thereby broadening imagination and creating a literary thirst for more of the same. “THING First Contact” by author Kendall […]