Kandinsky looked up. 'Do you read science fiction?' he asked matter-of-factly.' Not as a rule,' Ward admitted. When Kandinsky said nothing he went on: 'Perhaps I’m too skeptical, but I can’t take it too seriously.' Kandinski pulled at a blister on his palm. 'No one suggests you should. What you mean is that you take it too seriously.' Accepting the rebuke with a smile at himself, Ward pulled out one of the magazines and sat down at a table next to Kandinsky. On the cover was a placid suburban setting of snugly saved houses, yew trees, and children’s bicycles. Spreading slowly across the rooftops was an enormous pulpy nightmare, blocking out the sun behind it and throwing a weird phosphorescent glow over the roofs and lawns. 'You’re probably right,' Ward said, showing the cover to Kandinsky. 'I’d hate to want to take that seriously.'("The Venus Hunters")