R. C. Beckett’s short story “A Study of Humans” was included in First Encounters — A Speculative Fiction Anthology and published by OTI Press on November 20, 2020. It is available on Amazon both in e-book and paperback.
First encounters with the unknown call forth exciting stories full of magic, horror, humor, and suspense. What happens when aliens, fantastical creatures, or strange objects in the sky interrupt ordinary life? This collection offers ten original stories full of mysterious happenings including: an alien attempts to save Earth, a voodoo clarinet grants wishes, time travel for human sperm collection, a love-obsessed scientist creates his own reality, the ghost of Jimmy Hoffa offers sage advice, an alien visits the supermarket, a cruel merchant faces feral vampires, an aspiring writer encounters an invading triangle, dragons capture an ancient couple, and a colony ark crashes on a hostile planet.
Join the journey with these unsuspecting characters and discover if they learn from their encounters or suffer a tragic fate.