Snaliens Among Us by Lauren McBride

April 2023 | Utopia Science Fiction Magazine

Lucky for them, the snailiens (snail-like

aliens) crash-landed in the rural south.

Unlucky for farmers who found crop circles

eaten in their fields when the sun rose.

Once taught to eat kudzu, the snailiens were no

longer hunted for their large, colorful shells.

After that, they started creating geometric

snail-trails in empty parking lots at night.

Soon people were posting pictures

of each day’s glistening design.

When the snailiens’ rescue ship came,

many were sad to see them go.

Originally published in the April 2023 issue of Utopia Science Fiction Magazine.

Lauren McBride enjoys swimming, gardening, baking, reading, writing, and knitting scarves for our troops. Nominated for the Best of the Net, Rhysling, and Dwarf Stars Awards, her poetry has appeared internationally in speculative and mainstream publications including Asimov’s and Fantasy & Science Fiction.