Under the Albedo One Fiction Highlights banner, we aim to bring you compelling fiction that deserves your attention, as part of our commitment to providing excellent, free, online content to our readers.

Albedo One - Fiction Highlight #2 - October 2010
"The Nature of Bees" by Priya Sharma.

"It was getting darker instead of lighter as the morning became midday. Bees had lined the windows, crowding the panes, blocking out the light. The building crawled with them but they would not enter uninvited. They were excited. They wished to witness this rare spectacle. The coronation of the queen."

"The Nature of Bees" by Priya Sharma is a fine horror first published in Albedo One issue 38 and has been Recommended for consideration for a Bram Stoker Award, presented by the Horror Writers Association, which promotes writers and the writing of horror.

Read "The Nature of Bees ".

Albedo One - Fiction Highlight #1 - August 2010
"Black Water" by David Conyers.

"He was a black African, short and thin because of poor health,
and half of him a metal monster because his limbs were the only commodity
he could trade to escape poverty."

"Black Water" by David Conyers kicks off our series of Fiction Highlights. The story was shortlisted for the Aeon Award 2006-2007 and narrowly missed out on a place in the top six of the contest.

"Black Water" was published in Jupiter '#24, edited by Ian Redman (see picture opposite) and has been shortlisted for a Ditmar Award in 2010. The Ditmar Award recognises excellence in written speculative fiction by Australian authors, and was first awarded in 1969.

We're delighted to be able to reprint the story here for your enjoyment.

Read "Black water".