"Rewrite-ku"

POETS HAD to retell a science fiction or fantasy story in the form of a Haiku, a Japanese poem where the first line is five syllables, the second line is seven syllables, and the third line is five syllables.

There were too many good ones to include here. Interestingly, S. Hamm noticed that Fredric Brown's "Knock" almost completely fits the Haiku form: "The last man on earth/Sits alone in a room. There's/A knock at the door."

NOTE: Always include your address, with your city, state, postal code, and if outside the United States, your country. No address = no fabulous prizes.

FIRST PRIZE:

"I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison

I learned the hard way
It's not nice to fool AM
But I won't complain.
—N. Diane Simpson
Detroit, MI

SECOND PRIZE:

"The Nine Billion Names of God" by Arthur C. Clarke

FOR I=1
TO N; RUN GOD_NAMES; NEXT I;
[stars going out]; DONE
—Keyan Bowes
San Francisco, CA

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Nova by Samuel R. Delany

We're going to fly
Into a star's dying core.
But first, let's do drugs!
—Saladin Ahmed
Brooklyn NY

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

"The Boy Who Lived" offed
"Him Who is Not to Be Named."
And I'm gay. Adjust.
—Esther M. Friesner
Madison, CT

War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

Intellects vast and cool
Saw the pamphlets, packed too fast,
Forgot their vaccinations.
—Mark Shainblum
Cote St. Luc, Quebec

DISHONORABLE MENTION:

Neanderthal Parallax by Robert J. Sawyer

Neanderthal, Eh?
Canadians will love you—
You're so much like them....
—Patrick J. O'Connor
Chicago, IL

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm

 Crushing on your cuz
Doesn't make the cloning of
Her any more fun.
—Todd Mason
Collingswood, NJ

"A Boy and His Dog" by Harlan Ellison

Post-apocalypse
Dog chow: hundred percent girl
And girl by-products.
—S. Hamm
San Francisco, CA

F&SF COMPETITION #76: CHILDISH THINGS

Before they became the luminaries they are today, many authors tried their hand at writing fiction when they were young. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for us, some examples of their yet-to-bud talents have recently come to light.

Provide an example of an author's childish attempts at fiction. You have a maximum of six entries. Keep each entry under fifty words and make sure you tickle our funny bone. And, please, no crayons.

Example:

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

There was this cool theme park with these great big dinosaurs, and suddenly the dinosaurs got out and ate everybody. Next time I hope they eat my sister.

Rules: Send entries to Competition Editor, F&SF, PO Box 3447, Hoboken, NJ 07030, or email entries to carol [a-t] cybrid [d-o-t] net. Be sure to include your contact information. Entries must be received by May 15, 2008. Judges are the editors of F&SF, and their decision is final. All entries become the property of F&SF.

Prizes: First prize will receive a copy of Lorelei of the Red Mist: Planetary Romances by Leigh Brackett, compliments of Haffner Press. Second prize will receive advance reading copies of three forthcoming novels. Any Honorable Mentions will receive one-year subscriptions to F&SF. Results of Competition #76 will appear in the October 2008 issue.