Greetings dear reader!
Welcome once again to confetti.
Warning! This magazine contains artificially, intelligently, and creatively generated material!
Welcome to the special Summer Science Fiction Edition of confetti magazine brought to you by the Somers Library and the Westchester Writers Workshop!
Galactic Giants: The Who’s Who of Sci-Fi Lore
Ever since I was a young lad, and found re-runs of Lost in Space, I’ve been a fan of sci-fi. My dad got me watching the original Star Trek. My mother thought Doctor Who was trash and so, of course, I would sneak to catch the British serial whenever I could. From Vonnegut to Azimov, to Douglas Adams, George Lucas, Robert Heinlein, Philip K Dick, Frank Herbert, and undeniably, H.G. Wells, the extensive list of giants in science fiction lore and literature cannot be ignored.
If you love sci-fi, this edition is just for you. New to science fiction? We hope the stories, poems, and art of our special piques your interest, fires your imagination, and makes of you a fan of the genre.
Poetic Voyages: Gabriel Sebastian’s Cosmic Verse
We feature your humble narrator and editor-in-chief of confetti. In this edition, you’ll get a sampling of Gabriel Sebastian’s work. With poetry often described as surrealistic, for this edition, my offered poems are fantastical, otherworldly, and cosmic in scope. Also featured are two tastes of science fiction prose writing, parts of a collaborative anthology of sci-fi shorts entitled, The Möbius Sequence.
Our foray into science fiction verse also includes another gem by J. Clifford Milligan, “Geo-engineering Prayer.” But that’s not all—we’re thrilled to debut a stunning poem from the impending epic poetry odyssey, Transcendascript: Sense10X Transmissions. Gil Ludare offers “The Hollow Crown: The Invention of Zero” – a compelling convergence of myth, math, and existential value.
Solus Reckoning: A High Schooler’s Epic Quest
Be sure to check out another selection from the Möbius anthology, the entire novelette, Solus Reckoning. This story by S.A. Xylem, written as a high school assignment, was inspiration for The Möbius Sequence. Solus Reckoning plays in the tradition of Ridley Scott’s epic sci-fi movies based on a story by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett and examines humanity’s dangerous quest to explore the universe.
In each story from The Möbius Sequence, the same core characters take center stage, even when penned by different authors. This continuity allows each tale to pay homage to common tropes and classic sci-fi, while also venturing into pure speculative.
If you like these stories, be sure to watch for the upcoming publication of The Möbius Sequence in online stores everywhere.
Artistic Algorithms, Digital Muses
This issue also showcases and offers more artwork sent to us by contributors. Manfred Hauben, whose photo styles last Spring’s edition, and who contributed amazing pieces for this sci-fi special. Many of our offered poems are paired with art and images contributed by artists and the writers themselves, complementing the poetics and proses.
This edition’s cover and back page art comes to us also from Gabriel Sebastian. Our cover, “Mother Muse Universe” is a drug induced hallucination vision brought to digital life. On the back cover, “Through a confetti Dome” shares a backwards-looking perspective of the future through a safety globe of confetti. Both digital renderings were prompted by Sebastian specially for this edition.
Is art’s new medium A.I.?
A.I. Ascendancy: The Monster in the Machine
Speaking of A.I., the topic of the use of Artificial Intelligence has dominated conversations here at confetti and in many of the literary circles and magazines we frequent. Author Axel Martens explores the use of A.I. in his essay, “May (A)I?” and I offer my take on this hot topic in “Who Be the Monster?”
As we continue to bring poetry and prose and now art from our backyard and from around the world, we are keen to share wonderful works and happy news! Our next Fall edition will be the milestone 10th edition of confetti. For the past five years, we’ve had the honor of showcasing the work of more than 200 poets, writers and artists!
From all our selectors and editors, our digital and deft webmaster, and on behalf of Westchester Writers Workshop and the Somers Library, I would like to thank you for your submissions, your readership, and your support.
Be sure to share confetti and keep on looking to the stars!
~Gabriel Sebastian
Editor-in-chief, confetti
August 2025
Westchester Writers Workshop Magazine