Future Fiction: Mutant Stag at Horn Creek (ePub)

Before radioactivity caused the closure of the Grand Canyon, the young ranger Sue saw a strange animal to Horn Creek: a bizarre stag with twisted horns and - although she wasn’t sure – long fangs. Now, close to retirement, she’s about to make her last ride, together with her niece Katy in hopes she’ll take her place someday. But the purpose of Katy’s visit is to capture the stag in a video to feed it to internet users.

Written with great care and knowledge of the mechanisms of species adaptation to environmental changes, this story by Sarah K. Castle is a warning for the future, led by two main characters who represent the past and present of our humanity.
Along with the SF story, there’s an author's essay on problems related to environmental changes and the resulting long-term consequences.

The author: Sarah K. Castle lives in Durango, Colorado. A geologist and environmental scientist, she has worked at national forests and landfills, for the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, and most recently in the oil and gas industry. She attended the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers workshop in 2006. Since 2007, she writes Science Fiction and works as an air quality specialist.