CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

This week’s verse moves from  a science fiction poem about future colonists to a science fiction verse about debt collection in the future. It is taken from Another 365 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2019. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporate Take Over The planet fell beneath the rain Of fire from foes and friends. It fell beneath the tramp of boots The gleaming armour trends But they were but the final straw, The last invading curse The planet had fallen long before To the greed of man and worse To his treachery and betrayal As he pursued his fortune own At the expense of all he’d brought With promises of wealth shared and owned The planet fell without a cry To the corporate debt collectors For the people who had followed him Were not the only victims he’d selected But he...

This week’s short story takes us f rom a fantasy setting where dragons rule the air and ancient artefacts are tightly controlled to a science-fiction world where one colonist's plans are derailed by family politics and big corporation enslavement. Welcome to The Sevarine Sidestep. What do you do when your brother betrays you, and you end up on another world, in the employ of a company whose recruiting methods leave a lot to be desired? Well, I guess you keep your head down, while you try to figure out a way to get back home. And I sure miss home, right now. The Sevarine Sidestep (Extract) The dogs were magnificent, with chestnut coats and fine, brushy tails that waved like pennants behind them. They raced ahead of the skimmers, matching the machines for speed, and outdoing them in nimbleness. They were everything a scharfhond should be. I’d have felt better taking the fliss, rather than the skimmers, but Joel said the raptors were out...