notes...
meteor - Fate basically. Like the man says, some things are meant to be and some things aren't. If you find a way of figuring out which is which let me know.
Originally published in Cutting Teeth #14
fade to black - The absurdity and indignity of dying. Forget about the afterlife, just remember to feed the dog...
Originally published in Minted #2 and Nomad #10.
The Queen is Dead - Probably my favourite of all these pieces, this is about a lot of things, but mainly it's about inertia and disappointment and the failure of life to live up to peoples' expectations. Also the second of these stories to feature two characters sitting on a sofa, watching TV and not doing very much, another theme in this is the idea that the only way someone with no money or talent or opportunity can make a name for themself is through some major act of violence. I wrote this a few years ago, before 9/11 and the current unstoppable wave of suicide bombers, all these desperate people out to make martyrs of themselves for their cause, whatever cause it happens to be. The ideas behind the story are the same, but I guess recent events make the whole thing a bit darker. I don't think the guy in the story is really serious about what he says, he's far too lazy and apathetic, but there are a lot of people out there who are...
Originally posted on urban75, one of my favourite webites.
of water - Martha's search for meaning. A few years down the line from The Queen is Dead Martha gets religion for all the wrong reasons.
star - Popularity has nothing to do with fame, wealth or social status. Not at all.
Originally published in Cutting Teeth # 19
the price of fish - A random meeting between two people at a harbour. Sometimes we have more in common with other people than we think.
Originally published in Minted #1
All Stories Copyright Roger Smith 2004
