Just before we say “Once upon a time,” we ask, “What if?” What if a king decides to divide his lands according to which child loves him most? What if an orphan falls in with a gang of thieves? In speculative fiction, the questions take a step or two outside the normal world: What if a girl in search of her father discovers she can fold space and time? What if a troupe of actors travels what’s left of the world after a plague?
My “what ifs” lead to stories of the future, or past, or sideways into some other place. I hope you enjoy going with them for a little while.