Hard Reset

Well, if he messed up this time, he could always rewind. Again. Just keep thinking that, he reminded himself. You’ve still got a safety net. A couple more rewinds. Just remember what you learned last time so it doesn’t go badly this time. It’s not like the fate of the world rests on this. It’s […]

Dead Worlds

World 0731. She’s still dead. *** World 0732. No newspapers here, and no public records of deaths anywhere I can find. Had to visit the House. Found an urn with her picture on it, with incense burning to it. Apparently we use some sort of ancestor worship here? Doesn’t matter. She’s still dead. *** […]

The World She Left Behind

The planet shuddered as the moon passed too close. Atmosphere dragged from the turbulent blue planet to the rocky satellite. Tidal tsunamis spread across the oceans and onto the continents. Bryan spread his fingers against the observation glass. He squinted down at the planet, sussing out the obscured continents, searching for a large bay […]

Maybe Nonfiction Instead?

My other blog that focuses on my ministry stuffs has reached over 400 posts. That seems like a lot of words to me. I mentioned as much to a friend, who made a suggestion that has blossomed into an idea that I’m considering: Writing nonfiction. OK, sure, I’m already writing nonfiction over at that blog […]

The Book Orchard

Marlene knew she shouldn’t have read the unsterilized book, but sometimes it’s hard to say no. She’d been hired as a booksheller and placed in the “pleasant books” division. She slept through training – who didn’t? – and then was placed out in the orchard, plucking the ripened nuts from the thick, thick branches. She […]

A Good Book is a Mirror

I just finished reading Still Life with Tornado by A. S. King. This is a Good Book. It paints a chillingly accurate picture of spousal abuse from the eyes of a child with a stunningly original speculative twist thrown in: Sarah, sixteen years old at the time of the novel, encounters herself as a ten-year-old, […]

Daddy and Daughter Time

“Come here, pixie!” David laughed as he snatched up his daughter and tickled her. She flailed her arms and legs, giggling. Her eyes glowed with love for her dad. They plunked down on the couch in front of the tv, and the tickles continued for a few moments. Sara snuggled into her dad with a […]

Sad Little Stories

Sometimes I write depressing things. In part, that’s because I have clinical depression. Honestly, if you look at what I post, it probably shouldn’t surprise anyone – after all, I have a lot of “Oh, sad” stories, and then some with a more humorous bent. Which is really a lot like having depression. Most of […]

Under the Sunless Sky

Home. Finally, finally home. I almost see it. I ache, it’s so close. Finally, I’ll leave the sunless sky of the colony ship. Finally, I will know the sky. The real, endless, glorious sky! Home. It’s a word we use so casually. Like it’s meaningless. Just a syllable for a place we inhabit. But that […]

Review: Horizons

Normally I would wait for any reviews until the end of the year for a roundup of “Year of Books” posts. If I read a good book by a small publisher or lesser-known author, though, I’ll probably make an exception. And this is one of them! So, without further ado: Horizons by Peter Prellwitz On […]