Mark Francis
Bio
Published translator and original writer of haiku, senryu, lyric, occasional and genre poetry and speculative fiction.
Achievements (1)
Stories (46/0)
- Top Story - April 2024
The Lord of the Rings: The Cinematic Trilogy
A movie is never the same as the book--yet can render its own full world. Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle Earth accomplishes this through enthralling sets, admirable heroes and heroines, terrible villains, and inspired scenes of comradeship, battle, and hard-won peace. Add in homage to imaginary languages and histories.
By Mark Francis8 months ago in Critique
Aziz
The exoplanet Aziz was discovered only by means of the latest multi-valent AI technology. When evidence of its existence was first detected by the giant interstellar telescope Oppenheimer 2, astonishment soon turned to jubilation among the few humans directly involved. The pristine blue and white orb revealed its “Goldilocks” features in perfect order and magnitude: orbit, rotation, temperature, atmosphere, land and water distribution, cloud cover, arability and so on easily matched the near-Earth requirements. Alas, that just as the measurements and telemetry were shifting to observe signs of possible life–or, civilization–the whole planet disappeared from our view abruptly, perhaps forever.
By Mark Francis12 months ago in Fiction
Spring Crossings
The umbrella yawed sharply to one side, then suddenly to the other, making little progress against its thronging siblings caught by the same gusts. Their bearers were all generously sprinkled by the heavenly spray, but one in particular, under the most pliant spring mushroom, seemed hardly shielded at all. Rather it was as though he fought off creatures of the storm. When the soggy crossing was finally to be breached, bobbing along to the general wave he muttered, “‘Walk.' ‘Walk.' As if I might try anything else!” Immediately, like a moist gloved hand, a second umbrella brushed his face.
By Mark Francis12 months ago in Fiction
