A Stranger Goes Ashore
ShortStory 6,722 words Recommended by 3 award/anthology sources
"There had to be other islands capable of supporting human settlements, Alain told himself. Life should be possible beyond the shores of Heora. That was the article of faith that drove all Exploration. They simply haven't sailed far enough to find a new home. It was their own failure, not the obvious fact that Heora did not want them."
Content warnings 2
body-horrordeath
Quasar links out; the story lives on BCS, where the author gets the click.