Storyfeather Gazette: A haunting in deep space, a weatherman with a whimsical blazer, and a pilot who longs to ride the wild winds through enchanted storms

Published over 1 year ago • 2 min read

June 2025 Issue 2

In this issue: Short stories and podcast episodes from the first half of June and a story excerpt about weather-related high jinks.

Circle format, a three-quarters view of Nila's smiling face from a photo with an oil paint filter applied.

UP TO THE SKY AND BEYOND ✈️

Have you ever been asked the question about which superhuman power you'd want if you could choose just one? My answer? Flight. Maybe that's why I wrote two stories that happen to be about people whose professions lead them up into the sky.

And beyond.

✒️ 🪶 🎙

Greetings! I'm Nila. Every week, I release a new short story and a new podcast episode spanning the genres of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, mythology, fairy tale, fable, and horror.

Whether you're in the mood to read or listen, I've got stories to tell you.

Here we go...

Wonder-June 💭

✒️ A few years back, I indulged myself and bought Wonderbook, a "visual feast" of a book about fiction writing by Jeff VanderMeer. In June, I'm writing stories inspired by exercises from the book. The stories below focus on characters. A repair tech on a spaceship and a fearless fantasy pilot.

🎙 The podcast episodes feature stories about a weatherman who receives a magical gift and magical visitor to an ordinary express mart.

Titles and taglines below. Enjoy!

Short Stories

Digital drawing. At center, a figure floating in space, almost horizontal, in three-quarters view, knees bent, left arm bent to the side, bent right arm raised toward an open panel of a larger structure at top, with hand holding a small tool. The figure wears a space suit with brightly colored accents, like knee pads, and boot bottoms. A red harness tube is latched to the structure at top and loops behind the figure. Two helmet-mounted lights illuminate a part of the panel’s insides. The panel covering floats off to the left, attached by two small cables. A dark shape, ghostly with five protrusions at top and two faded spots where eyes would be on a humanoid floats behind the main figure. That same dark hazy shape is imprinted on the structure at top right. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along the left upper arm. Copyright notice at bottom left reads, “Copyright © 2025 Nila L. Patel.

We're in Year 12, the Year of Praxis. The word essentially means "practice." Through the stories, I'm exploring elements of my writing practice.

Each link below leads directly to the story post.

DARK WATCHER IN SPACE
A repair technician on a deep space vessel is haunted by a shadow that leaves its imprint behind wherever she's been working. 🛠
Genre: Science Fiction

A PILOT OF RAINSFALLING
A pilot who flies a strict route through strange enchanted storms feels a restless curiority about what lies beyond the charted paths. ⛈️
Genre: Fantasy

Podcast Episodes

Digital drawing. A weatherman, from waist up, facing forward and standing slightly left of center before a screen showing a generic weather map. He’s wearing a fancy-looking blazer over shirt and tie. The blazer is patterned with sparkling stars and colorful nebulas. He holds his hands to the blazer’s button. A watch and ring on ring finger is visible on his left hand. His left eyebrow is arched. On the weather display, bottom right, a snow flurry is moving in. Top left, an overlay of temperatures. Top right, a cloud under which raindrops and cats and dogs are falling. The rectangular image is made square with top and bottom borders that display portions of the main image, distorted as if blotted with a paint brush. Watermark of “Storyfeather” outside and along the weatherman’s right upper arm.

We're in season 8, the Year of Revisitation. Each episode is a standalone story, but it's inspired by an earlier story.

The text links below go to the Explore page on Storyfeather, where you can listen to the episode, find the links to the episode(s) that inspired it, and more.

Pressing on the Spotify embed image leads to the episode's Spotify page.

CLIFF'S RAD BLAZER

Weatherman Cliff Blazer is always receiving blazers from his fans. But the latest one he receives really takes the cake.
Genre: Fantasy

A studious, non-mischievous fairy fulfills her forbidden dream of traveling to the human realm...straight into a convenience store.
Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy

Oddnever

Jun 13 · Storyfeather

29:39

🐸

“So far, five people have come in complaining of difficulty breathing, and producing a strange croaking sound. Now, they’re still being treated, and the hospital staff is hesitant to speculate on what could be causing this, but the reason we’re reporting on this is that one of the patients has been discharged and we spoke to them earlier. They didn’t want to be on camera, but…”

Of course they didn’t want to be on camera. What they had to say sounded preposterous.

The patient had puked up a frog.

–From “Cliff's Rad Blazer"

Parting words🪶

What one superhuman power would you choose to have? You can reply to this email, if you feel up to sharing. Likewise, if you've got any questions.

Next time, a little mischief. And ice cream. And a very special drink coaster.

Happy reading and listening! 📚
—Nila

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