Review: By the Author of the "Hal Spacejock" Series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 2, 2013
"Catch of the Day" by Simon Haynes is a short story about two friends about to embark on a fishing excursion in the morning. The first few pages consist of the two friends talking about their trip, a bar they'd apparently been kicked out of, and various other mundane items. Finally Ken and Steve decide they'd better get some sleep.Ken is awakened by a rock thrown through his window. Jumping out of bed, he immediately steps on broken glass, which perhaps helped him exercise a bit more caution. After picking the glass from his feet, he sidles over to the window and peeks out, just in time for the next rock to catch him on the side of his head and knock him to the floor, where he proceeds to roll around in agony, before realizing he's rolling on the broken glass.Thinking this might be related to the incident earlier at the bar, he grabs a kitchen knife and heads outside. However, that wasn't a very good idea.Meanwhile, back at the ranch, an alien spaceship has spent the past 100,000 years with a cryogenically frozen crew, "returning" to check on planet Earth. Surprised to find the apes whom they found inhabiting Earth during their last visit had evolved into intelligent beings, the ship is prepared to return to its home planet. All but Eedo, who was determined to live on Earth, and was not about to undergo cryogenic suspension for another 100,000 years. Eedo steals an escape pod, and heads to a rendezvous with fate.Very short, humorous, highly improbable, but nevertheless entertaining, I have to recommend this to anybody who enjoys just a goofy short story that will make you laugh, and make you smile, and make you shake your head in empathy.