Challenge 146

Nature and Things

Five contributions in this issue deal with the theme of nature in one way or another. In a few cases, it’s a bit of a stretch, but probably not too much:

Thomas D. Reynolds’ “After Leaving the Planet Exegis” is a story ending: it implies a horror on Exegis to which an explorer prefers dying marooned in space. Might interstellar explorers encounter something similar on Earth?
Jörn Grote’s “Imagine Live Imagine” mediates interstellar first contact through a natural phenomenon, a meteorite. What is the significance of the object’s size, and the fact that it encounters Earth by accident?
Tala Bar’s “Sacrifice” makes extensive use of a natural setting. What is the role of nature in “Sacrifice”?
Eric S. Brown’s “In the Woods” brings nature into combat mode. In what ways does the story run counter to common cultural preconceptions?
Kristin A. Masters’ “Hunter’s Tale” mingles humanity and nature. Does non-human sentience command a higher authority than humankind by virtue of its being non-human? Or do men and faeries have something to gain from each other?

What attitudes toward man and nature do these contributions to this issue reflect?