Here are the entries in ASCWC 267, together with my thoughts. The winner, however, is not revealed until the end. This way the suspense is maximized.
From Mark Iredell:
Window in Terra's passage? (6)
Hidden word (" 's passage"); def. is the whole clue
Very poetic. M-w.com is not buying Terra for "earth," but I read more science fiction than it does.
Bonus:
Another time of year for Steve to cryptically write about Northerners' primacy (6)
Help, please. Anagram ("cryptically") of WRITE + first letter of Northerners'. The definition is "Another time of year for Steve," since Steve's Australian winter is not when Mark's is.
Sure. In solving this clue it helps to know something about a particular Steve.
From Luciano Ward:
Season went wrong, one assumed, before middle of March (6)
Anagram of WENT with I before R; def. is "season"
Nothing wrong here, though I'm not sure what it means for a season to go wrong. Winter was too hot, maybe?
Decline low-interest houses
Hidden word ("houses"); def. is "decline"
"Low-interest houses" is great. I don't love the definition. To me "winter" in its metaphorical sense connotes lying low, being inactive, whereas decline has that feeling of moving lower.
Guevara's moving out of cathedral city for three months (6)
WINCHESTER minus CHES; def. is "three months"
And why wouldn't he? Guevara can only be one thing, but this is a nice find.
From Steve:
Spend December to February on an island in the Arctic Ocean and write about nuclear explosion (6)
Anagram ("explosion") of WRITE about N; def. is "spend...ocean."
Nice long definition by example which might have benefitted from "for example," since clearly there are other ways to winter. The explanation regarding the bomb helped.
From David A:
Hibernia to the Romans discussing who first to bury? (6)
W ("who first") + INTER; def. is "Hibernia to the Romans"
"Who first to bury" is very good. I can't verify that "Hibernia" is Latin for winter. I can find "hiberno" ("in the winter time," "spend the winter") but I think Hibernia is pretty much just "Ireland."
And the winner is...Mark, for his sci-fi poeme-en-prose. Take it away Mark!