Aquasynthesis Again: Splashdown Vol. 2: Volume 2

aqua: a solution, especially in water synthesis: a complex whole formed by combining aquasynthesis: a pool of stories, fed by the depths of creation and imagination; an anthology of short fiction by Splashdown authors. Our past, our future, our fate, our hope-all come to life within a frozen pool at the edge of a vast ocean swirling across the orb of a lost world. Join the authors of Splashdown Books on a journey across space, time, and reality. From Earth to other planets near and far, fantasy lands and Avenir Eclectia. Sixteen stories, one destination: Aquasynthesis. With stories by Robynn Tolbert, Grace Bridges, Kessie Carroll, Mary Brock Jones, Robert McClain, Travis Perry, Frank Creed, Pauline Creeden, Mary Ruth Pursselley, Greg Mitchell, Kat Heckenbach, Mike Lynch, Cindy Koepp, Walt Staples, Diane M. Graham and Fred Warren.

Editor's IntroductionSixteen authors, sixteen stories. Or is it really only one? The tales in this volume are a progression onwards from the collection you encountered between the covers of the original Aquasynthesis--itself still one of my favourite projects, popular with readers and authors alike, and winner of a silver medal in the Indie Book Awards 2012.

There are new faces here among the familiar ones, reflecting the new face of Splashdown Books. We are glad to be welcoming a number of contributors from the Avenir Eclectia project, and some whose novels are currently in the publishing process or under consideration with Splashdown.

My special thanks to Mr. Warren for taking on the enormous task of setting the stories in order and writing the narration around them. And to all the authors who patiently endured my edits.
Last time, Aquasynthesis was mainly made up of reprints--stories that had been published elsewhere first, some going back a number of years. This present work, however, contains a large quantity of brand new writing, unseen by the public in any form.

And so, although we have a new narrator and previously unpublished material, it's still in the spirit of Aquasynthesis, but more. It's Aquasynthesis Again.

Enjoy!
 
Grace Bridges
Auckland, New Zealand
January 2014
Narrator's Introduction  "Gizile shivered as she followed the tall, sour-faced man. Raw winter wind blew across the beach and cut through the cloak she clutched about her."


An old man, a young woman, and a magic pool at ocean's edge.
This is where the narration for the first Aquasynthesis anthology began, and it gathered an assortment of short science fiction and fantasy into a powerful illustration of how stories can transform and heal. It was written by Walt Staples, a dear member of the Splashdown family who departed this world in March, 2012. You'll find one of Walt's stories in this collection.

I never got the chance to meet Walt face-to-face, but I felt a kinship with him from our first acquaintance. We were both military veterans. We had a few e-mail exchanges that confirmed the similarity of our tastes in fiction and the lighter side of life. I'd hoped to co-author a tale or two with him sometime, but I never imagined that opportunity would be lost so soon.

When Grace announced she'd be publishing a second Aquasynthesis collection of stories from Splashdown writers, I knew what I had to do. Walt's tale of Tok and Gizile wasn't finished yet! Picking up where he left off became for me the collaboration with Walt that I always wanted but waited too long to suggest. I hope I've done justice to his story, his characters, and his memory.
 
Fred Warren
Lenexa, Kansas
January 2014