My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in May: FREE Sci-fi & Fantasy.

Over 165 stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

A heroic, humorous, and inspirational space opera!

Get your FREE copy of Showdown at Jupiter's Edge: A Maxo Magnaveer Adventure by Daniel P. Douglas.

Space cop Maxo Magnaveer, desperate for a major career boost, takes a wild left turn at Mercury to pursue a greedy pirate, setting himself onto a collision course with destiny!

In the year 2247, Detectant Maxo Magnaveer yearns for an opportunity to prove himself in the Cosmic Law Force so he can be promoted to squad captain. When a greedy privateer, Colonel Zaza D'Rump, brazenly hijacks a shipment of synthetic foods on its way to Mars with plans to starve the colony to death unless he is given control of Earth's shipping lanes, Maxo sees his opportunity to rise above, save the day, and finally move up in rank and prestige.

Fooled by those he thought were allies, Maxo stumbles on the slippery edge of failure more than once as he races to what could be a catastrophic battle above Jupiter near D'Rump's secret base, Porto Blago.

With his career and so many lives at stake, Maxo gains the help of old and new friends, and begins to realize his quest may not be about proving himself to anyone, but about discovering himself and rising to his true purpose in the universe.

First, however, he'll have to survive the showdown at Jupiter's edge...

by Brian Scott Pauls

This article introduces what I hope will be the first of many interviews with those who work in the science fiction field, and perhaps readers as well.

My inaugural guest is Charles Tyra, Publisher at Randolph Literary Press, which currently publishes Cosmic Horror Monthly, and will soon publish a new magazine, Goblins & Galaxies.

Click below to watch the interview, or continue reading for a transcript of our conversation I’ve edited for clarity and readability.

Brian Scott Pauls: You’ve described Cosmic Horror Monthly as a love letter to Weird Tales, one of the original fantastical pulp magazines. How do you define “weird fiction?” Newer readers who aren't steeped in the pulps may not know what that means and how to differentiate other types of science fiction and fantasy from weird fiction.

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Charles Tyra: With CHM, it did kind of start out as trying to pay tribute and homage to a magazine I loved growing up. And when it comes to weird fiction, you could probably ask ten publishers or editors, and they might all have a different answer. But for me, it's kind of like taking one of the sub genres like horror or science fiction or fantasy, and then you have something that's off with the world. And it's specifically unexplained. We just experience this distortion through the mind and the eyes of the main character.

Brian: The triad of weird fiction authors, to me at least, seems to be the “acronyms”: H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard. All three wrote—in addition to fantasy and horror—science fiction. Do you find in weird fiction a blending of genres that tend to be more distinct when they don't carry that label?

Charles: That's a good observation. They can be blended in all different ways as well as standing alone. And those three writers like had their own distinct style with doing that.

Clark Ashton Smith took weird fiction in the direction of fantasy, Lovecraft in the direction of cosmic horror, and Robert E. Howard in the direction of sword and sorcery.

Brian: Clark Ashton Smith has a small segment of his bibliography that is science fiction. But what do you think characterizes Clark Ashton Smith as a science fiction writer compared more modern writers?

Charles: That's a writer that I really enjoy, but I haven't read [all] his works, compared to like Lovecraft. So how he differentiates in terms of science fiction is hard to say.

Brian: Why don't you take the same question with Lovecraft? What makes a Lovecraft science fiction story different from an Isaac Asimov science fiction story?

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Charles: The real difference is the science fiction is not really at the forefront. It's definitely there. You have characters that are scientists and that are trying to discover things. And rather than being enlightened, like a lot of characters in Asimov stories, they find something, and they're horrified, and their lives changed forever in a bad way.

Brian: Do you have a favorite weird fiction science fiction story?

Charles: It's gonna kind of depend on what era we're talking about. One of my favorites that combines weird fiction and science fiction is “The Diamond Lens”, by Fitz-James O'Brien. That's a super old one.

Brian: But it's very good. James Gunn put it in one of his collections in The Road to Science Fiction. He called it a good candidate for the first modern science fiction story. In the 1860s1, I think, pre-Civil War.

Charles: Unfortunately, we didn't get more writing from him because of the Civil War.

Brian: There are a lot of science fiction writers where we could have enjoyed a lot more from them. But life got cut short, or got in the way.

Tell me about Goblins & Galaxies. You already have a successful magazine, Cosmic Horror Monthly. And you decided to start Goblins & Galaxies. It's going to combine three different sub genres.

Charles: It's going back to my my same love. For the older pulp magazines, Weird Tales was foundational for cosmic horror and sword and sorcery (about a hundred years ago.) This is me doing the same thing, applying the same treatment we did with CHM, to this other genre that I really love. But asking to take that pretty niche subgenre in new directions. Hopefully we can see it combined with dark fantasy, and also see sword and sorcery combined with science fiction. There are some rules with sword and sorcery, but I think the setting, while awesome when it's a high fantasy, medieval setting, I don't think that should be a hard rule.

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Brian: The 1970s was a heyday of sword and sorcery, but a lot of writers in the 60s and 70s—I'm thinking here, in particular, of Michael Moorcock—had no compunction about combining science and magic in a sword and sorcery tale. It gives those stories a feel, a vibe, that you don't get from a lot of modern fantasy.

If Cosmic Horror Monthly is reminiscent of Weird Tales, do you see Goblins & Galaxies as something in the same vein as The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction?

Charles: I definitely hope to draw some inspiration there.

Brian: What kind of stories are you hoping to get? Are you already taking submissions?

Charles: The Kickstarter is still going for another week. On May 7th we'll open submissions for the first time.

Brian: On another interview you said--perhaps surprisingly, because this is not always the case with editors--you enjoy reading the slush pile. Do you read everything that gets submitted for one of your magazines?

Charles: Early on I definitely did read everything, but as time wore on and the responsibilities increased, I wasn't able to continue doing that. I still read as much as possible. That's one of the things I haven't grown tired of. Reading new stuff is just so exciting to me. I don't read every manuscript, but I try to read as much as possible—usually like half of the pile.

Brian: What kind of range do you see? Just in terms of writing ability for people that submit a magazine.

Charles: I think that it ebbs and flows with each open call. At this point I'm taking submissions four times a year, and our last couple of open calls the writing was really strong.

Brian: That's awesome. With platforms like Wattpad, for instance, I feel there's a real desire out there for people to write and be able to send it somewhere and get somebody to look at it. [It’s] encouraging that people are sending in to your magazines.

Well known science fiction editor, John W. Campbell, Jr., if he saw a story he wasn't going to accept, but he saw a spark of promise in the writer, he would write them back—sometimes voluminous feedback, “Here's all the things wrong with your story. You should fix these on your next story.” Do you do anything like that?

Charles: We try to respond to every one we can. Unfortunately, we're not able to respond to all the manuscripts that come in. But if we have a story, it’s solid, it's promising, it was enjoy[able] to read, but it's not quite there…We're talking about maybe thirty-five spots out of a slush pile that's got 700 manuscripts in it. So a lot of great stories maybe don't make it. We try to respond to those as well as we can.

Brian: A lot of new writers, in particular, would find it encouraging to know you do some of that. It can be demoralizing when you're sending in your manuscript—even though you no longer have to type it out, put it in an envelope, send it off. But even when you log into the portal and upload it, it's kind of like, “Am I ever gonna hear anything other than, hey—no, thanks.” I'm sure some people will take encouragement from [knowing] there's a better-than-zero chance [you’ll] respond.

You mentioned Kickstarter. Did you learn anything from your launch of Cosmic Horror Monthly that informed what you did with the launch of Goblins & Galaxies?

Charles: Oh, endless lessons. I have been doing Cosmic Horror Monthly for about five years, and I just jumped into that project, not knowing a whole lot about the specific processes and what all goes into it. I've built what I do as I go, and whenever we learn about something that works, now that's the thing that we do. So there's a lot of things I won't have to learn a second time. I'm excited about hitting the ground running with this magazine.

Brian: Does [Cosmic Horror Monthly] run advertising in addition to selling subscriptions?

Charles: I decided early on that the subscription magazine you receive as a paying reader will not have advertisements in it. We offer a free version of the magazine for anyone who wants to just see what it's like. Some issues of that magazine will have ads in it.

Brian: So people that subscribe to a print version of your magazine—there are no ads.

Charles: No ads.

Brian: Wow, and that one is a monthly. Is that right?

Charles: That one is monthly. Goblins & Galaxies is at least gonna start out as a quarterly magazine.

Brian: You've recently hired an editor for CHM, correct?

Charles: Yeah. About a year ago, Jolie Toomajan came on. She knows a lot about weird fiction, and it's been great working with her.

Brian: Has circulation been growing since its launch?

Charles: It's grown pretty steadily. I've kind of just been waiting to see it level off, and it hasn't quite yet.

Brian: Wow! Are some people incredulous when you tell them that in the twenty-first century people will subscribe to a fiction magazine?

Charles: It's an interesting trend that I'm not upset to see happening. You have the last twenty years of the digital revolution, and I think people are starting to want to go back to holding a book in their hands. Social media is not what it was. You see people valuing how little time they have with a screen. I'd rather hold a book rather than read it digitally. But of course there's nothing wrong with reading digital. It's good for the environment.

Brian: I'm a lifelong reader. I will read in any format except Braille, and that's only because I don't know it. Ebooks were a boon to me, because I had moved too many times, and I just got tired of continually moving more and more books. But but recently I've done some print reading because I wanted to become a better reviewer. I decided to get some print books and highlight them. Plus, I wanted books to put on my bookshelf for my TikTok. I wanted a lot of science fiction books back there. But it definitely has an appeal. I like to read myself to sleep. And that is a different experience, with a book and a lamp by the side of your bed, than it is holding a phone.

I still love reading on my phone. It's super convenient. And to be able to carry my whole library there, my phone in one hand. But I don't fault anyone who says I just want to read on paper media, and I commend you for making your magazines available in paper format.

Tell us a little bit about the Kickstarter if people want to get involved. It continues through what date?

Charles: It continues through May 5th.

Brian: Tell us about the tiers, and what people can sign up for if they want to support the project.

Charles: We have several tiers available. It's kind of similar to the Kickstarter I ran for Cosmic Horror Monthly a couple of years back. You can join at a digital tier and just get the upcoming digital releases of the four issues plus a bonus issue. There's also a print tier. That's the same thing, but you'll receive the the magazines by mail. In addition to that, you can get a tier that has those magazines, plus some merchandise, like a shirt and a mug with the Goblins & Galaxies logo. For the serious collectors—and maybe people who didn't know about CHM, because I think it's still a little obscure to some—we offer some packages with the full backlog of Cosmic Horror Monthly.

Brian: That sounds like a deal, especially if you're a collector. So to back you, people go to Kickstarter and pick their tier. Why don't you walk us through that, if there are some folks that have been hesitant to do a Kickstarter? Make it sound [less intimidating] for them.

Charles: Kickstarter is a unique way to support a project. You create a project, and you want to raise so much money to make the project happen. People can contribute, and in exchange for the contribution, they'll get rewards like we were just talking about. The main difference here is that you only get charged and receive the rewards if the campaign meets the goal. I'm glad to say that we've already met the goal. So anyone who decides to contribute in the next week, you're guaranteed to receive the magazine.

Brian: I saw an email today that your new stretch goal the campaign just hit allows you to double your rate to the writers. Are you at [the] level now where you're paying professional rates?

Charles: We've been trying to get to six cents [per word]. I think eight cents is required to be pro rate these days. We'll try to get to that, too. But we've been paying three cents at CHM for a long time. I was really hoping to debut Goblins & Galaxies at six cents. Because there's no magazine without the writers.

Brian: And for people again, who are thinking of writing and submitting and have their eye on the [Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association], their current membership requirements are based on a total amount you have earned. As I read them, they no longer just accept submissions [published] in a professional rate magazine. That makes it a bit easier, especially in this day and age, when there are so many different ways to monetize your writing. Not everything fits in that narrow niche that was so common for so long.

This has been a great interview. Thank you for making my first interview painless. I’d love to have you on again when you have something to share about how Goblins & Galaxies is going. Thank you, Charles, for joining us, and good luck on the rest of your Kickstarter campaign. I look forward to reading Issue Zero when it's ready to go.

Charles: Thanks so much, and I'd be honored to come back anytime.

You can back Goblins & Galaxies on Kickstarter until May 5.

Are you a fan of “weird science fiction?” What do you consider to be “weird fiction?” Who is your favorite weird fiction author? Your favorite weird science fiction story? Please comment below!'

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My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in April: FREE Adventures in Sci-fi & Fantasy.

Over 150 stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

by Brian Scott Pauls

Writing a book, I’m finding, is all about getting the words out.

I’m grateful I continue making headway on Probability Amplitudes, my first collection of science fiction short stories. Since I last reported my progress in February, I’ve edged ahead from 43% in the “New Material Required” category, to 42%. While this represents only about 1600 of my 160,000 word goal for the pre-edited manuscript, they are 1600 words in the right direction. Like the tortoise who keeps moving, I’ll get there sooner or later.

In the meantime, I’m pleased to add the title of a new prospective story to the list I revealed last month.

“Guan Tayen and the Spirit of Quantum Chaos”

As the youngest member of a free trader’s crew, fifteen-year-old Tayen feels like the rest of her family doesn’t take her seriously. Her elder sister and brother treat her like she’s in the way, her dad doesn’t have time for her, and her mom thinks all she can do is take care of her baby brother. If only she had some way to prove she’s a grown-up, just as valuable as anyone else on the ship.

Disaster strikes when a mysterious influence wreaks havoc on the quantum network linking the worlds and vessels of Tayen’s star system. As ships go offline and governments teeter on the edge of collapse, can she succeed where everyone else has failed? Can she draw on the inspiration of her Objibwe and Chinese heritage to confront and defeat the destructive presence threatening to destroy them all?

This feels like it will be a fun story to write. I’m excited to see how it turns out!

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New Material Required: 67,463 words

First Draft: 85,123 words

Final Draft: 7414 words

TOTAL: 160,000

Questions about Probability Amplitudes? Please comment below!

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My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in April: FREE Adventures in Sci-fi & Fantasy.

Over 150 stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

In a timely decision, the Audible Original version of George Orwell’s 1984, adapted by Joe White, has won the Audie Award for Audio Drama.

White possesses multiple stage credits, and previously wrote The Nox, a cli-fi audio drama also published by Audible.

Released last year, White’s adaptation of 1984 features a cast studded with voices listeners will recognize, including Andrew Garfield and Tom Hardy, as well as Emmy, Grammy, and Tony award-winning Cynthia Erivo. It holds the distinction of “…the most downloaded Audible Original of all time.”

The Audio Publishers Association presents the Audie Awards each year to honor “…achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audio drama performance, published in the United States of America.”

Have you listened to Audible’s new dramatic presentation of 1984? Share below!

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My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in March and April: Expect the Unexpected: Fantasy and Science Fiction with Unusual Plot Twists!

Over fifty short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

Maddie is the NPC with attitude!

Buy a copy of Desert Runner by Dawn Chapman!

Plagued by old injuries that won't heal, she's enticed into accepting a deadly escort mission.

Of course, it's to cross the damned desert... and in the middle of Tromoal breeding season, no less. But the lure of enough cash to fix herself up and help out a close friend, too...? That's a siren's song she can't ignore.

Puatera Online is a harsh world, even for the people who have to live there.

Good thing Maddie is tougher than cured leather, because she may have just bitten off more than she can chew.

How is gravity related to the other three fundamental forces?

By Brian Scott Pauls with the help of ChatGPT 4o

The fundamental forces of nature, and how they interact, form the basic subject matter of physics. As a result, many science fiction novels and short stories consider the behavior of one or more of these forces in unusual situations.

The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov (1972)

This novel explores themes of scientific discovery and cross-dimensional physics. The story revolves around the development of a device called the electron pump, which transfers matter between our universe and a parallel one to provide an inexhaustible energy source. However, this transfer destabilizes the strong nuclear force in our universe, threatening to destroy the Sun.

Dragon’s Egg by Robert L. Forward (1980)

Forward’s book imagines a neutron star as the setting for an alien civilization. The novel follows the development of intelligent life called the Cheela, who evolve on the surface of the collapsed star, where the gravity is billions of times stronger than on Earth. Life is possible in this environment due to “nuclei bound by the strong force, rather than…by the electromagnetic force.”

Long Leap by Derek Künsken (2012)

First published in On Spec magazine, this story tackles the idea of a metal planet orbiting within the magnetic fields of a pulsar. “Tetracarbonyl base…life forms” inhabit the planet’s surface, and “everything carries an electric charge, making the magnetic fields function almost like cell membranes.”

The Problem of Gravity

Gravity is one of the four fundamental forces, alongside electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. Yet, despite its pervasive influence on cosmic scales, gravity remains distinct from the other three, which are described by the Standard Model of particle physics. Understanding how gravity relates to these forces has been a longstanding scientific challenge.

The Standard Model and General Relativity

The Standard Model details the three non-gravitational forces in terms of quantum field theory. They are mediated by particles: photons for electromagnetism, W and Z bosons for the weak force, and gluons for the strong force. The forces operate within the framework of quantum mechanics, which governs the behavior of particles at atomic and subatomic scales.

Gravity, on the other hand, is described by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. General relativity views gravity not as a force mediated by particles but as the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy. This classical framework successfully explains gravitational phenomena from planetary orbits to black holes but does not align with the quantum description of the other forces.

While the Standard Model has achieved remarkable success in describing particle interactions, it does not include gravity. Conversely, general relativity does not incorporate quantum mechanics. Bridging this divide requires a theory of quantum gravity, which remains elusive.

String Theory

String theory is one of the most prominent approaches to unifying gravity with the other fundamental forces. It posits that the basic building blocks of the universe are not point-like particles but one-dimensional strings vibrating at different frequencies. These vibrations determine the properties of particles, such as mass and charge.

A key feature of string theory is that it naturally incorporates a massless, spin-2 particle resembling the graviton, the hypothetical quantum mediator of gravity. It therefore offers a framework in which gravity can be described quantum mechanically.

Moreover, string theory is inherently compatible with the other forces described by the Standard Model. It requires additional dimensions of spacetime—typically 10 or 11—to function mathematically, which has led to predictions about hidden dimensions that could even explain dark matter.

However, string theory faces challenges. It has not yet produced testable predictions that distinguish it from other theories, and its reliance on higher dimensions has raised questions about its physical relevance. Despite these issues, it remains a leading candidate for a unified theory.

Loop Quantum Gravity

Loop quantum gravity (LQG) takes a different approach to integrating gravity with quantum mechanics. Instead of introducing new dimensions or particles, LQG applies quantum principles directly to the spacetime fabric described by general relativity. In LQG, spacetime is quantized, consisting of discrete units called "quantum loops."

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These loops form a network, or "spin network," that evolves over time. This quantization avoids cosmological singularities, such as those found in black holes and the Big Bang, and provides a framework for describing gravity at the Planck scale.

LQG has achieved some successes, such as resolving certain black hole singularities and predicting a "big bounce" scenario instead of a Big Bang singularity. However, it does not incorporate the other three forces described by the Standard Model, limiting its scope as a unification theory. Additionally, like string theory, LQG has yet to make definitive testable predictions.

Grand Unified Theories

Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) aim to unify electromagnetism, the weak force, and the strong force within a single framework. These theories propose that at high energy scales, such as those present in the early universe, these forces merge into a single force. Examples include SU(5) and SO(10) models, which describe particles and forces in terms of larger symmetry groups.

While GUTs do not include gravity, they are often considered a stepping stone toward a Theory of Everything that incorporates all four forces. One potential route is to embed GUTs within string theory, leveraging its capacity to include gravity. However, the energy scales at which GUTs operate are far beyond the reach of current experiments, making direct testing difficult.

Supersymmetry and Supergravity

Supersymmetry (SUSY) is a theoretical framework that extends the Standard Model by positing a symmetry between fermions (matter particles) and bosons (force carriers). Each particle has a superpartner with different spin properties. SUSY has been motivated by its ability to solve several theoretical issues, such as stabilizing the Higgs boson's mass.

When combined with gravity, supersymmetry leads to supergravity, a theory that extends general relativity by incorporating quantum fields. Supergravity can be seen as a low-energy limit of string theory and provides a link between quantum mechanics and gravity. However, like string theory, supersymmetry and supergravity have yet to find experimental confirmation.

Emergent Gravity

An alternative perspective suggests that gravity might not be a fundamental force but an emergent phenomenon. In this view, gravity arises from the collective behavior of more fundamental entities, much like temperature emerges from the motion of particles.

One prominent example is Erik Verlinde's entropic gravity, which derives gravity as an emergent force related to changes in entropy. This idea has sparked interest for its novel approach but remains speculative and requires further development to connect with quantum mechanics and the Standard Model.

Challenges and Future Directions

Unifying gravity with the other fundamental forces faces numerous challenges. Experimentally, the energy scales at which quantum gravitational effects become significant—the Planck scale—are far beyond the reach of current technology. This limits our ability to test theories like string theory or LQG.

Theoretically, the mathematical complexity of these frameworks and their reliance on assumptions, such as extra dimensions or supersymmetric particles, present significant hurdles. Moreover, any successful theory must reduce to both general relativity and the Standard Model in their respective domains of validity, a requirement that many proposals struggle to meet.

Recent advances in observational astronomy and experimental physics offer new avenues for testing these theories. For instance, gravitational wave observations, high-precision tests of general relativity, and searches for new particles at the Large Hadron Collider provide potential insights.

The quest to unify gravity with the other fundamental forces remains one of the most profound challenges in physics. Theories such as string theory, loop quantum gravity, and emergent gravity offer promising frameworks but face significant experimental and theoretical obstacles. Advances in technology and a deeper understanding of fundamental physics will be crucial in resolving this puzzle.

While a definitive answer remains elusive, the pursuit of unification has deepened our understanding of the universe, inspiring new ideas and pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. As we continue to explore the nature of reality, the integration of gravity with the other forces will remain a central goal in the quest for a Theory of Everything.

Story Concepts

Our ignorance of how gravity is related to the other three fundamental forces may frustrate scientists, but presents science fiction writers with great opportunities. The lack of answers opens up many possibilities to tell new and exciting stories, such as:

1. “The Fifth Bridge”

   After humanity develops a unified theory linking gravity with electromagnetism, a group of rogue scientists creates "Graviton Bridges," wormhole-like portals powered by the manipulation of gravitational waves and electromagnetic fields. These bridges allow instantaneous travel across vast distances. However, when the bridges begin to destabilize local spacetime, the team discovers that their creations are triggering quantum fluctuations in the fabric of reality, threatening the delicate balance of the Cosmos. The protagonists must uncover the deeper relationship between gravity and the other forces, revealing a hidden "fifth force" that governs universal coherence.

2. “The Strong Gravity Experiment”

   Set in a near-future particle accelerator lab, researchers experimenting with the unification of gravity and the strong nuclear force accidentally create micro black holes that mimic the conditions of the early universe. These black holes emit bursts of particles bound by both gravity and strong interactions, which defy known physical laws. The anomalies lead the team to discover that gravity is a "shadow force," influenced by higher-dimensional particles tied to the strong force. As the team races to harness this connection, they realize they’ve unlocked the key to stellar engineering. And if they go public, they’ll hand the world the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.

3. “Quantum Magnetism and the Gravitic Resonance”

   In a society powered by quantum technologies, researchers discover a way to combine gravity with the weak nuclear force by tuning into "gravitic resonance frequencies" that connect subatomic particles with spacetime itself. This breakthrough creates "quantum magnetic fields" that can manipulate planetary orbits or stabilize collapsing stars. However, the discovery attracts the attention of an alien civilization that uses gravitic resonance as the basis for their advanced technology. They see humanity’s experiments as reckless and demand the immediate cessation of all research—or they’ll demonstrate the catastrophic consequences of misaligning the forces. Humanity must negotiate with the aliens while navigating the moral and existential challenges of wielding such power.

We may discover answers to the questions posed above tomorrow or centuries from now. Either way, speculation about how the fundamental forces might interact provides fertile ground for the human imagination.

Do you have a favorite novel or short story where the relationships between the fundamental physical forces play an important role? Please share below!

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My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in March and April: Expect the Unexpected: Fantasy and Science Fiction with Unusual Plot Twists!

Over fifty short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

Science Fiction Space Opera

Get your FREE copy of Star Rider Emerges by Heidi Skarie!

Will a young woman survive when her village is destroyed by an alien space fleet?

Toemeka lives with her family in an idyllic mountain village on a distant planet. She’s aware of the war raging on her world, but the village elders believe it won’t touch them. They’re wrong.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) will host the 60th Annual Nebula Awards Conference here in Kansas City, June 5-8.

This is the first Nebula Awards I’ve planned to attend. I’m looking forward to the panel discussions and, of course, the awards ceremony.

If you’re planning to be at the Nebulas this year, and want some fun ideas for what to do in KC, SFWA has a lot of good suggestions on their conference page (linked above.) Or just post a comment below and I’ll reach out to you with my own recommendations as someone who’s lived here for nearly thirty years.

Registration opens soon. I hope to see some of you there!

Are you coming to the Nebula Awards this year? Comment below!

Leave a comment

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in March: Up & Comers: Bringing You the Best in Speculative Fiction.

Over fifty short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

Customer service is everything, no matter how abhorrent the customer.

Get your FREE copy of Exchange Policy by Adeena Mignogna!

You can deliver great service by knowing your product, maintaining a positive attitude, and responding quickly.

This is especially important when you're in the business of contributing to other people's families, and regardless of what you think of the customer. Even if that customer is Mrs. Vickers.

You have one month to vote for the best science fiction, fantasy, and horror published last year.

The Locus Awards are the People’s Choice Awards of the speculative fiction community. While members of Worldcon vote for the Hugos, and members of the Science Fiction Writers Association vote for the Nebulas, anyone can vote for the Locus Awards. All you need to do is complete the Locus Awards Poll.

The poll is pre-populated with selections from the current Locus Recommended Reading List, but you aren’t limited to those selections. You can write in your own choices for any category.

But the Locus Awards Poll closes April 15. So sign in and vote if you want the science fiction world to hear your voice!

Thoughts on the Locus Awards or this year’s Recommended Reading List? Comment below!

Leave a comment

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in March: Up & Comers: Bringing You the Best in Speculative Fiction.

Over fifty short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

Wars make unlikely allies.

Get your FREE copy of Shadow Game by Caitlin Demaris McKenna!

When his ship is damaged, retired assassin Gau Shesharrim finds himself stranded on a hostile world. To repair his ship, he will have to sneak into a jungle spaceport crawling with Terrans and their scaly Urd allies.

An impossible task. Until help comes from an unexpected source.

Arkk just wants to evade the Urd hunting him. A chance encounter with Gau offers him temporary refuge, and something more: a way to get justice for his slaughtered paddock. But first they have to get off-planet.

Can Gau and Arkk work together to escape before their enemies catch up to them?

For over two years, I’ve posted occasional updates on the development of Probability Amplitudes, my upcoming collection. Many of these have included my progress in terms of word count, but I’ve never shared a list of stories which might appear.

See below for a summary of what Probability Amplitudes may offer.

”Chthonic Echoes”

Stranded on a harsh world, seeking shelter until help arrives, three castaways wrestle with mysteries that may be critical to their survival.

Originally published on Wattpad in August, 2019

“The Paths of Time”

She walked a world transformed by humanity, ever mindful of the acts and achievements of those who came before.

Originally published on Wattpad in August, 2019

“A Sea Like Glass”

Isna Dahal is ready to kick back and toast a job well done on her first break from the project in five years. When she's called in to investigate an unusual problem, however, she uncovers a danger that could threaten the entire Array. The celebration will have to wait.

Originally published on Wattpad in September, 2019

“Voices of Dominion”

The unexplained broadcast from a remote world was hauntingly beautiful...and stopped as abruptly as it had started. The “House of Wisdom” has traveled light years to find out why.

Originally published on Wattpad in January, 2020

“The Play of Light in the Present Moment”

Cutting-edge medical research offers Perla the possibility of a miracle--but does she want one?

Originally published on Wattpad in January, 2020

“Critical Impact Vulnerabilities”

She's a cop with a job to do--bring in Seattle's most notorious hacker with an offer too good to pass up!

Originally published on Wattpad in February, 2020

“The Trouble Run”

Li Jie Robinson thought it was just another haul through the Belt--but he didn't know how bad his day could get!

Originally published on Wattpad in June, 2021

“An Illicit Mercy”

Infants in the Martian outpost of Basin have been plagued with birth defects for years--until recently. Corporate has dispatched Siwela and her team to find out why. What she learns will have profound implications for her job--and for who she wants to be.

Originally published in “Boundary Shock Quarterly 12: Lawmen and Crimefighters”, Currently available for download with a free subscription to The Cosmic Codex

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“Long Night On the Endless City”

On the vast ring habitat Ouroboros, Jel and her synthetic companion Marcus search for Arja, the third member of their triad. This quest leads them to a cryptic technology cult with questionable motives. When they suffer a vicious attack, Marcus and Jel join forces with one of Ouroboros’ most renowned computer and robotics experts to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Originally published in “Boundary Shock Quarterly 26: Tomorrow’s Crimes.”

“Nasty, Brutish, and Short”

When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world.

Originally published in “Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.”

“Fire From Heaven”

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Originally published in “Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.”

“All One, All Glorious!”

In a world where the embers of war never truly die, the totalitarian might of Tongyige Duniyaan tightens its grip on the last free nations. As brutal enforcers like Captain Xiang Gupta rise through the ranks with ruthless ambition, and rebels like Kahindo Varela fight for survival in a game where compromise is as deadly as defiance, the fate of the world teeters on a knife’s edge. Loyalties are tested, betrayals run deep, and every choice could ignite the final war. Will humanity be united under the iron will of the triumvirs, or will resistance spark a fire that consumes them all?

Currently unpublished

“Be Not Afraid”

A gripping, multi-generational saga spanning the untamed frontier, the void of space, and the wastes of an alien planet. Follow Frank, a hardened marshal navigating a dangerous hostage rescue on the rugged American frontier, Roger, a corporate magnate whose conscience pushes him to defy the might of the entire world, and Julie, a fearless pioneer carving out a future on the harsh surface of Mars. Will they shape their times—or be broken by them?

Currently unpublished

This list is provisional. Probability Amplitudes may include stories not mentioned here. Some which are mentioned may not make the final cut. I intend to modify many stories through rewriting and rigorous editing. Character names may change. New characters may appear. Existing characters may disappear. The goal behind all of this is to make these the best stories I can write at this time. So even if you’ve read some of them before, I’m working to make Probability Amplitudes a new experience for anyone who reads it.

Questions about the collection or the stories it may include? Please comment below!

Leave a comment

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in February: FREE Sci-Fi & Fantasy.

Nearly 200 short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

In this adventure, the Associates are about to meet one of their deadliest foes yet when they receive odd radio messages.

Get your FREE copy of S-36: The Call Girl by Bonsart Bokel!

A comic based on the first short story in the Association of Ishtar series. Meet the villainess that started it all. S-36 chronicles the Association's encounters with an interdimensional assassin who has it out for them. It also includes a separate short story about the French Penal Legion and their Coffin Girls, facing an invasion by outsiders.

The Association of Ishtar takes place inside a Multiverse of Cosmic Horror and Steampunk adventure. Investigate the mysteries and explore strange new worlds.

According to an article posted to the Locus website on Tuesday, Steven Salpeter has organized investors to purchase the celebrated science fiction magazines Analog: Science Fiction and Fact, Asimov’s Science Fiction, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, under the aegis of 1 Paragraph, Inc.

Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Locus describes Salpeter, the former president of Assemble Media, as “a big SF/F fan.” His LinkedIn profile indicates he left Assemble in January, and lists his current position as “‘Stealth’” at “Self-employed.” I guess the cat is out of the bag.

If it’s true Salpeter is a fan, I’m encouraged to see all three magazines under management by someone who enjoys the science fiction and fantasy genres. As soon as I read about this change, I pinged him on LinkedIn to congratulate him and ask if he would consider changing the name of Analog back to Astounding. As I said in my message, when Campbell renamed the magazine, the word "Analog" may have seemed intellectual and evocative, but to new generations, it just means "old.”

I’m looking forward to what new management can bring to these old publications!

Are you a former or current reader of any or all of these magazines? What do you think of this change? Please comment below!

Leave a comment

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

This month, I’m reading Ryka Aoki’s Otherwise Award-winning novel Light from Uncommon Stars. I’m sharing my thoughts on Club Codex, where any Cosmic Codex subscriber can follow along, comment, or ask questions.

From this week’s post:

“This is an exquisite story about the struggles of a trans youth, about music, about love in the face of many obstacles, and about a Faustian bargain. But I'm not sure it needed to be a science fiction story. The sf part of it is, I'm sorry to say. the weakest element.”

Click below to participate:

Discussion Thread

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in February: FREE Sci-Fi & Fantasy.

Nearly 200 short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

When your only option is a man who can't commit, what is Plan B?

Get your FREE copy of Time of Commitment by Kate Kyle!

Greg ignored the doubt tugging at the pit of his stomach. The target was a poor choice, but if he wanted to get Rutger onto that ship, this was their only chance.

So, his plan had to work. It was as perfect as he could make it. Step by step. Memorized. Practiced.

Greg would accomplish his mission, because only success could earn him release from active duties and allow him to finally retire, back to a simpler life. He was getting too old for this. Too tired. Too cynical about the missions that brought more self-importance for the Brotherhood than progress to humanity.

So, doubts aside. Time of commitment. GO.

In July, Critical Mass by Daniel Suarez won the Prometheus Award for the best novel of libertarian science fiction published during the previous year. Critical Mass is the second book in Suarez’s Delta-V series.

A Prometheus Award winner in 2015 as well, Suarez previously worked as a “...senior systems analyst for Fortune 1000 companies.” He’s the author of multiple “…techno-thrillers and science fiction novels on topics ranging from cyber war, autonomous robotic weapons, human agency, genetic editing, and private space exploration.”

Penguin Random House describes Critical Mass as follows:

When unforeseen circumstances during an innovative—and unsanctioned—commercial asteroid-mining mission leave two crew members stranded, those who make it back must engineer a rescue, all while navigating a shifting web of global political alliances and renewed Cold War tensions. With Earth governments consumed by the ravages of climate change and unable to take the risks necessary to make rapid progress in space, the crew must build their own nextgen spacecraft capable of mounting a rescue in time for the asteroid’s next swing by Earth.

In the process they’ll need to establish the first spin-gravity station in deep space, the first orbiting solar power satellite and refinery, and historic infrastructure on the moon’s surface—all of which could alleviate a deepening ecological, political, and economic crisis back on Earth, and prove that space-based industry is not only profitable, but possibly humanity’s best hope for a livable, peaceful future.

Have you read Critical Mass, or the first book in Suarez’s trilogy, Delta-V? Comment with your thoughts below!

Leave a comment

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

This month, I’m reading Ryka Aoki’s Otherwise Award-winning novel Light from Uncommon Stars. I’m sharing my thoughts on Club Codex, where any Cosmic Codex subscriber can follow along, comment, or ask questions.

From this week’s post:

“So far I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm intrigued by the Faustian bargain, but unsure where it's going. There seems to be a skillfully crafted love story in here, but at the moment it's vying with quirky aliens for my attention. The mix of demons with aliens seems a bit awkward.”

Click below to participate:

Discussion Thread

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in February: FREE Sci-Fi & Fantasy.

Nearly 200 short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

She's an Artificial Intelligence Containment operative, monitoring AI for signs of sentience.

Get your FREE copy of The Badge by Sheri Singerling!

Sonja is an Artificial Intelligence Containment (AIC) operative, or a badge in hacker slang. As an operative, Sonja is tasked with finding and evaluating AI that may be sentient. If they are, her mission is simple—shut their system down. The world is already dealing with containing one rogue AI. As the AIC sees it, they can ill afford for others to follow suit. Sonja agrees. It's why she's a willing cog in the corporate machine and has devoted her life to serving the AIC. But nipping sentience in the bud can feel an awful lot like murder. Can Sonja push away the ethical quandaries of her work and do what needs to be done?

Last year was a bit of a roller coaster as I brought Probability Amplitudes, my first collection, closer to completion.

In September, I reported 43% of the required word count remained to be written.

Then, in November, I took a few steps back, editing out more than 17,000 words of my story “Fire From Heaven.” Those words were, to use a technical phrase, “not good.” Striking them increased my outstanding percentage to 54%

Well, I’m back, baby! After writing over 17,000 words of an as-yet unfinished novella, my outstanding percentage is once again 43%.

One-third mark, here I come!

Current status: 57% of the material for Probability Amplitudes is in “First Draft” or “Final Draft” status.

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New Material Required: 68,656 words

First Draft: 83,930 words

Final Draft: 7414 words

TOTAL: 160,000 words

Questions? Please share in the comments!

Leave a comment

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in January and February: Moral Dilemmas in Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Over 40 short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

A marine's duty is to fight. Her curse is to remember.

Get your FREE copy of The Blade Within by Dylan McFadyen

Commander Sorăna Mirra has spent years leading a hand-picked team of marine special operators. Together they've taken the fight to humanity's oldest foe, the vicious Kyrans, defeating them time and again—time and again, knowing they’ll get no credit for their victories.

When an audacious Kyran raid strikes deep into human territory, Mirra and her team are thrust into the heart of hostile space to retaliate. It's business as usual—until a shocking discovery in the enemy compound calls the true purpose of their mission into question, and dredges up painful memories of the Great War.

Now, Mirra must battle not only the enemy, but her own buried regrets as she and her team fight for survival, retribution, and the truth. But in war, truth—like memory—can be a dangerous thing.

After more than seventy years, the Science Fiction Book Club (SFBC) is shutting down.

I first learned of the SFBC through Parade Magazine, delivered to my home each Sunday morning as an insert in the Wichita Eagle-Beacon newspaper. I don’t recall if the Science Fiction Book Club advertisements were full-page spreads or large additional inserts slipped into Parade, but the organization must have spent lavishly on them. Each listed many different sf books, including small cover images and brief descriptions. Before the Internet, this was one way (along with library displays and talking with friends) I stayed abreast of the latest science fiction books.

During my high school years, the father of one of my best friends (and a staff member with the school district) was a member of the SFBC. One day he brought a large box of science fiction books to school and told me he’d already read them. I was welcome to borrow any I wanted to read for myself. That’s how I first encountered C. J. Cherryh’s 1981 Hugo Award-winning novel Downbelow Station, part of her Company Wars series and set in her Alliance-Union universe.

Nelson Doubleday, Inc., an associate entity of Doubleday, created the Science Fiction Book Club in 1953. At the time, the phrase “book club” referred to “…a subscription-based relationship between purchasers – who normally agree to buy a certain number of titles a year – and the organization which publishes or distributes these titles, usually at a very significant discount from the retail price in bookshops.”

According to the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, the SFBC, particularly under Nelson Doubleday, “…was in its day a major force in sf publishing” releasing “…its own editions (including special hardcover editions of paperback originals)” and “…omnibuses of various sorts…especially for its members.”

I own a two volume SFBC omnibus edition of E.E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensman series, and can attest to the quality of their production.

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The SFBC is no longer what it once was. Following the sale of Doubleday to Bertelsmann in 1986, it became “…less active as an original publisher.” When I recently visited the site for the first time in years, I found myself dismayed to discover so many contemporary thrillers and romance novels promoted alongside science fiction. The site struck me as merely an extension of the SFBC’s current parent organization, the Book of the Month Club. Although I didn’t know the SFBC would soon shut down, this seemed like a bad sign. The appeal of science fiction, fantasy, and other speculative fiction is narrow and focused. Anything going by the name of the "'Science Fiction' Book Club" should be focused as well. The original creators of the SFBC understood this. It’s too bad the corporations that acquired the fruits of their labors didn’t.

What memories do you have of the Science Fiction Book Club? Please share in the comments!

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In the second half of January, I’m reading Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Memory, the third book in his Hugo-Award winning Children of Time trilogy. I’m sharing my thoughts on Club Codex, where any Cosmic Codex subscriber can follow along, comment, or ask questions.

From this week’s post:

“There should be a difference between telling the story of characters caught in a loop and forcing the readers to go through that same loop themselves. Regrettably, in "Children of Memory," Tchaikovsky doesn't find this difference. .”

Click below to participate:

Discussion Thread

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in January and February: Moral Dilemmas in Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Over 40 short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.

"When the skies turned red and the stars fell, humanity's fight for survival began."

Get your FREE copy of Defending Earth by C. S. Hawk.

When a horde of slimy extraterrestrial creatures arrives on Earth with an insatiable appetite for destruction, three unlikely heroes step up to defend our planet.

As they navigate the dangerous terrain of a world under siege, they face countless obstacles and setbacks but never lose their sense of humor. After all, when the fate of humanity is on the line, there's nothing like a good joke to keep your spirits up.

Will they succeed in repelling the alien invasion and saving the planet? Only time will tell.

In his review of Algis Budrys’ 1960 Hugo-nominated novel Rogue Moon, James Blish calls its characters “as various a pack of gravely deteriorated psychotics as has ever graced an asylum.”1

Ned Beauman might have writtenVenomous Lumpsucker with this statement pinned to the wall above his monitor. He tells the story of broken, deranged people living in a broken, deranged world. Climate change is breaking their world and driving it mad. The characters’ collective guilt for this existential crime is doing the same to them.

Venomous Lumpsucker would be depressing if Beauman wasn’t so deft with his satire. The fate of the world he’s created makes me want to cry, because it’s the fate of the world we’re creating right now. But the human foibles Beauman throws into sharp relief are so familiar, I ended up wanting to laugh—at myself and everyone else.

The novel tells the story of Mark Halyard, a near-future business executive with a problem. He’s about to get caught short-selling “extinction credits” he doesn’t own.

Extinction credits are financial instruments like carbon credits. Each gives the owner the legal right to drive one species into extinction, and they’re traded on an exchange. Halyard steals his company’s credits and sells them on the exchange. He plans to buy them back when the price drops, so he can replace them before his company realizes they’re gone.

Halyard’s plan revolves around a coming regulatory change that will cause the price of extinction credits to crash. He sees selling short as a can't-lose proposition. But when the unthinkable happens, the value of the credits instead skyrockets. Halyard is left holding the bag for the now exorbitant price of the credits he stole.

He hopes the company won’t need their credits—meaning they won’t cause the extinction of any species—before he can devise some way out of his predicament. But this hope is dashed when Halyard learns automated undersea mining equipment owned by the company has plowed through the last known habitat of an endangered species of fish—the venomous lumpsucker. Now the company will want to redeem their credits to pay for their mistake. Unless Halyard can find a surviving population of lumpsuckers to stave of his own financial and legal Armageddon.

This leads him to Karin Resaint, perhaps the world’s foremost living expert on venomous lumpsuckers. Together, they set off across the globe in search of survivors—she to save them, and he to save himself. Along they way, I learned about what a world facing an “extinction crisis” has done to them both, how it has driven each of them crazy in their own way. And they meet a host of characters who are just as crazy, or crazier. These include a former government minister from a country known as the “Hermit Kingdom” (which isn’t where you may think) and an entrepreneur on a city floating in the ocean who has dedicated a project to churning out clouds of flies and setting them free.

Venomous Lumpsucker is a sad, humorous, and philosophical book about evolution, ecological peril, extinction, animal consciousness, capitalism, and moral culpability. It’s filled with thoughtful observations from flawed characters, such as when Halyard sums up the worldwide destruction of the “biobanks” which were supposed to save the data profiles of extinct species so humanity could someday resurrect them.

“We had pawned those animals intending to buy them back one day when things were a bit less stretched, and now the pawn shop had burned to the ground with all the animals inside.”2

Or Resaint’s cynical take on the same topic.

“‘…I never really gave a shit about the biobanks. I never believed we were going to bring any of those species back, except maybe a few of the cuddly ones. It was always just an empty ritual.’”3

Beauman is at his best when he’s talking about both the brutality and the beauty of evolution.

On the one hand, it’s savage and without pity, “red in tooth and claw,” in Tennyson’s words.

“Evolution was a monstrous maker, a blind headless thing inching along in no particular direction, the whole disaster fueled by spilled blood and wasted effort, Amazon rivers of both.”4

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On the other hand, evolution is an ingenious inventor, devising solutions, through time and chance (and plenty of death), to puzzles science has yet to master.

“…every feature of every animal is a solution to a technical problem. Examining an animal mind is like examining a missile guidance system or weather-predicting computer designed in some old totalitarian state: it’s primitive, janky, hobbled by extraneous constraints, and yet at the same time it is the most resourceful and inventive technology you have ever seen, still more advanced in certain esoteric ways than anything that has come since.”5

The core question with which Beauman and his characters struggle isn’t the fate of humanity (that’s pretty much considered a lost cause, at least to those who give it any thought at all) but whether or not the destruction of non-sentient species is a tragedy in itself, regardless of the effect it may have on humans.

One side of the argument says that if an extinction event doesn’t impact a thinking organism, it can’t be wrong.

Beauman beautifully captures the other side in a thought experiment Resaint uses to challenge Halyard.

“…imagine a planet in some remote galaxy—a lush, seething, glittering planet covered with stratospheric waterfalls, great land-sponges bouncing through the valleys, corals budding in perfect niveous hexagons, humming lichens glued to pink crystals, prismatic jellyfish breaching from the rivers, titanic lilies relying on tornadoes to spread their pollen—a planet full of complex, interconnected life but devoid of consciousness. ‘Are you telling me that, if an asteroid smashed into this planet and reduced every inch of its surface to dust, nothing would be lost? Because nobody in particular would miss it?“6

If Beauman makes a mistake inVenomous Lumpsucker, it’s by going in too many directions at once, trying to tackle too many big themes, introducing too many side characters, each with their own quirks and psychoses. At times, I would have welcomed less breadth and a sharper focus on Resaint and Halyard as they pursue their own off-kilter goals.

But this flaw didn’t keep me from enjoying the novel.Venomous Lumpsucker is a great read for anyone looking for a dark satire of the near future, a melancholy look at the unintended consequences of human nature. It’s the best recent science fiction book I read last year.

Questions or comments? Please share your thoughts!

Leave a comment

In the second half of January, I’m reading Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Memory, the third book in his Hugo-Award winning Children of Time trilogy. I’m sharing my thoughts on Club Codex, where any Cosmic Codex subscriber can follow along, comment, or ask questions.

From this week’s post:

“In this series, Tchaikovsky is establishing himself as a master of the non-linear narrative in science fiction.”

Click below to participate:

Discussion Thread

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in January: Strong Women.

80 short stories and novels, available at no cost.

Get your FREE copy of The Midnight Society - Alien Awakening by Orion Blake!

Abducted. Enhanced. Determined. Get ready for a mind-bending sci-fi thriller that's out of this world!

In a sleepy Montana town, five twenty-something friends—Tyler, Maya, Olivia, Alex, and Connor—have chased paranormal thrills since childhood as The Midnight Society. But one fateful night changes everything.

Under a canopy of strange lights, they stumble upon a mysterious alien craft. Abducted and experimented on by the tyrannical alien overlord Sultah, the friends find themselves imbued with extraordinary powers, revealing untapped potential and igniting a thrilling transformation.

As friendships are tested and loyalties waver under Sultah's ruthless manipulation, the stakes soar to galactic heights. United, they must confront not just a dark force threatening their town, but a sinister plot that could enslave the entire human race.

Will they rise as heroes, or will Sultah's cruel machinations divide and destroy them?

In 1949, science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein wrote an article entitled “Where To?” for Galaxy Magazine. In his essay, Heinlein made predictions in 19 areas for the year 2000, ranging from space travel within the solar system to the survival of the human species.

In his 1980 collection Expanded Universe, Heinlein claims to have updated the article for 1965, although I am unable to find where he published this version. He revised his predictions again in 1979 for Expanded Universe, including the text from both 1949 and 1965 for comparison. This gives us three sets of predictions, each set dated about fifteen years after its immediate predecessor.

Sadly, Heinlein passed away in 1988. I remember hearing the news from Paul Harvey coming out of my dad’s transistor radio as I washed one of our family vehicles in front of the chicken house. Heinlein’s passing deprived the world of theoretical updates which he might have written for 1995, 2010, and this year, 2025.

Given the recent advent of the Large Language Models we erroneously call “artificial intelligence,” with their remarkable ability to synthesize new text based on existing works, I decided to try an experiment. What would an LLM produce if asked to generate 2025 updates based on Heinlein's various versions of “Where to?,” in an authorial style similar to his, using current data?

I put the question to ChatGPT v.4o. You may read the result below.

While these “opinions” are a fair facsimile of something Heinlein might have written were he still alive, in the way he might have stated them, they are subject to all the current failings of LLMs, including hallucinations. No, algae, cultured meat, and insect protein are not yet global food staples, and we don’t now pay for goods in energy credits or carbon offsets. We can’t buy a ticket to get from New York to Tokyo in less than two hours, at any price. But the model’s assessment of the current state of space travel, today’s dangers of military conflict, and the potential fate of our species, seem on-target.

Consider this a work of near future speculative fiction (as Heinlein thought of his own predictions,) written by a machine—itself an extraordinary proposition by the standards of a few years ago.

For the best experience, I recommend first reading the original article, retitled “Pandora’s Box", in Expanded Universe (Volume II, if you get the two volume version.) This will give you the context to understand what the model is doing.

CAUTION: These are not the opinions of Robert A. Heinlein. He is no longer living. They aren’t the opinions of any person. They are the product of a computer algorithm.

To preserve the integrity of the experiment, I’ve not altered the text below, other than to add subject headings (which Heinlein’s original article lacked) and to remove predictions for 2040 and 2065 from one topic where the model strayed outside its given parameters.

No, this isn’t Heinlein. But it’s good to hear an echo of the old man’s voice.

The “Heinlein” Experiment

by ChatGPT v4o, edited by Brian S. Pauls

1. Interplanetary Travel

   The year is 2025, and we are standing at the crossroads of what could either be a renaissance or the slow decline of humanity's ambitions in space. Fifty-five years have passed since we put men on the Moon, yet the promises of lunar colonies, Martian outposts, and solar-powered satellites remain tantalizingly close but frustratingly unrealized. The reasons for this are as depressingly familiar as they are avoidable—bureaucracy, shortsighted leadership, and a societal apathy born from decades of distraction. The United States, once the standard-bearer of space exploration, has become content to play the role of a hesitant investor, leaving the heavy lifting to private companies and foreign nations.
   
   And yet, hope persists. The private sector, led by bold visionaries with deep pockets, has rekindled the fire that government programs have let smolder. Reusable rockets are no longer the stuff of science fiction but the linchpins of a burgeoning new economy. SpaceX has made trips to low-Earth orbit routine, while NASA focuses its constrained budget on Mars—and only Mars. The Artemis program, a bright spot in an otherwise cloudy horizon, has established a small but functional base on the lunar south pole, its primary achievement being the extraction of water ice—a step as vital to space colonization as the first stone ax was to civilization.
   
   Internationally, the picture is more dynamic. China has surpassed expectations, completing a modular space station and laying the groundwork for its own lunar ambitions. India, fueled by its success with cost-effective missions, has joined the ranks of nations targeting Mars and the Moon, while Europe dithers, unsure whether to follow or fade into irrelevance. Japan, ever cautious, focuses on robotic exploration and asteroid mining, both of which hold the promise of vast returns for minimal risk.
   
   But the real wild card has been the emergence of a new, unorthodox player: consortia of multinational corporations. Freed from the constraints of national pride and driven by profit, these coalitions have begun serious work on orbital manufacturing and even the first tentative steps toward a Lagrange-point colony. If wealth is indeed the engine of progress, then these enterprises may succeed where nations have faltered.
   
   Yet the fundamental question remains: have we lost our nerve? The public remains distracted by earthly concerns—climate change, political polarization, and the endless churn of the digital age. The will to invest in something as intangible as "the future" is in short supply. And so, the risk of stagnation looms large, as it did in 1980 and 2000.
   
   But the potential is there, as clear and unyielding as ever. By 2030, we could have cities on the Moon, fusion-powered ships on their way to the outer planets, and an economy that stretches beyond Earth’s orbit. The energy crisis could be solved with solar power satellites, and the ecological strain on Earth eased with off-world manufacturing. The solutions to our greatest problems are waiting out there, among the stars.

   Will we reach for them? That is the question of 2025.
   
   

2. Sex Relations

   The trend continues, though it has morphed into new shapes that even the boldest prophet of 1980 might not have fully anticipated. The technological revolutions of the 21st century—particularly the pervasive reach of digital networks and artificial intelligence—have transformed the way humans organize relationships, families, and the care of children. The extended family, in some form, has indeed re-emerged, though not always through blood ties or proximity. Rather, it thrives as “intentional communities,” “chosen families,” and digitally-mediated “networks of care.” These are now common, legally recognized, and often centered around shared values, interests, or mutual goals.
   
   One key driver of this shift has been the rise of the “social AI assistant,” ubiquitous companions that provide emotional support, mediate conflicts, and coordinate the logistical nightmares of modern life. These digital tools, often embedded in homes, devices, and even our bodies, act as facilitators of human connection. They may remind us of Heinlein’s “waldoes,” in how they extend human capabilities—though here, it’s not physical labor they enhance, but emotional and relational bonds.

   Marriage and parenthood are no longer confined to pairs or to traditional heterosexual unions. Polyamorous households have grown in number, bolstered by a legal framework that recognizes multilateral partnerships. Contracts between multiple adults, detailing the care of children, financial obligations, and inheritance rights, are not merely tolerated—they are increasingly celebrated as viable alternatives to the collapsing 20th-century nuclear family model.
   
   Yet, as predicted, all this change has brought conflict. The “oldsters” (a term that now includes Millennials) lament what they see as the erosion of tradition, while younger generations, augmented by neuroadaptive technologies and cultural fluidity, see nothing remarkable about a world where “family” is defined by intention rather than circumstance.

   There is also backlash from those who feel left behind by the rapid pace of change. The stark inequalities of the early 21st century—exacerbated by climate disruption and economic upheaval—have created a divide between those who can afford to live in supportive, high-tech communities and those who struggle alone in the crumbling remnants of the nuclear family era. This inequality underscores that while the extended family has returned in new forms, it remains unevenly distributed.
   
   One of the most profound implications of these changes is in the realm of child-rearing. The responsibility of parenting has become communal in many cases, with artificial intelligence and human networks acting as “third parents.” These systems provide not just material support, but also education, healthcare, and emotional stability, ensuring that no child is left behind—at least in the more advanced societies. Whether this will lead to a society of more emotionally secure, adaptable individuals or one marked by dependence on technology remains to be seen.
   
   The essential truth remains: the family, as a biological and social construct, is in flux. The yearning for connection, security, and belonging has not vanished—it has adapted to the tools and challenges of the age. Whether the structures we are building now will prove stable enough to endure the next great upheaval is a question for 2050. But for today, the revolution continues.
   
   

3. Military attack from space

   The most important military fact of this century remains that there is no reliable way to repel an attack from outer space. Our technological prowess has grown in leaps and bounds, true—hypersonic missiles, advanced orbital defense platforms, and AI-driven targeting systems make the news daily. Yet, as in 1950, the fundamental truth of the "gravity well" disadvantage remains. Gravity is a ruthless accountant, and the nation—or, increasingly, the corporate entity—that controls the high ground of the Moon controls the Earth.

   The recent proliferation of orbital weapon systems and autonomous drones operating in cislunar space only underscores the old axiom. Yes, we've made impressive strides—directed-energy weapons capable of vaporizing small debris, and kinetic-kill vehicles capable of intercepting incoming threats. However, nothing has changed the fact that a well-placed mass dropped from the Moon would be unstoppable. No amount of orbital lasers or kinetic defenses will negate physics: a Moon-launched projectile will still hit Earth at meteoric speeds, and no shield yet devised can handle such raw kinetic energy.

   China's permanent lunar base, the Artemis corporations’ private mining colonies, and the joint ventures between Europe and India have all hinted at "civilian" operations on the Moon, but I trust my earlier assertion: whoever has the will to weaponize this high ground will wield control over Earth's destiny. The same is true for the asteroid belt, now being eyed for mining operations. A small asteroid nudged Earthward would dwarf any terrestrial weapon ever devised.

   The ultimate irony of 2025 is that humanity now possesses the means to annihilate itself from the stars before we’ve learned to live in peace on our own planet. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress," indeed—but perhaps the greater truth is that it remains an unforgiving overlord to those unable or unwilling to seize its potential.
   
   

4. Pre-Emptive War

   The world of 2025 presents a mixed verdict on the predictions and trends of earlier decades. The long period of uneasy peace predicted in 1950 and reevaluated in 1980 has held remarkably well, albeit fraying at the edges in ways that would be both surprising and unsettling to the generations that survived the Cuban Missile Crisis or the height of the Cold War.

   Preventive or pre-emptive war has not disappeared as a concept; rather, it has evolved. Today's great powers do not march into open fields under banners; they orchestrate conflicts through proxies, economic pressure, and cyber offensives. The modern battleground is as much the server farm as the contested border. While no all-out World War III has occurred, conflicts large and small bubble constantly—intensely localized yet global in their ramifications. No city is under the immediate shadow of hydrogen bombs, but in the ether of networks, invisible weapons are always primed.
   
   NATO, once a bedrock of collective defense, survives—if only in name—its cohesion strained by shifting alliances, economic dependencies, and the fickleness of democratic mandates. Commitments to allies are more tenuous than ever, with the post-Vietnam tendency to prioritize strategic convenience over credibility now institutionalized. Whether in Eastern Europe, the South China Sea, or the shifting sands of the Middle East, allies increasingly hedge their bets, knowing the United States might falter in its guarantees.
   
   Technology, the great equalizer and disruptor, both fuels and tempers the flames of conflict. Artificial intelligence and autonomous systems dominate military planning, introducing both precision and unpredictability. It is now possible to cripple a nation without ever crossing its borders—a scenario unthinkable in 1950 but the reality of 2025. Yet this same technology holds hope. Diplomacy in this era is no longer confined to human actors. Machines that calculate probabilities with cold logic offer mediations that humans often accept, knowing full well their own limitations.
   
   The survival of humanity remains a question of balance. It was once said that it was more dangerous to live in London during the plague years than in a city threatened by H-bombs. Perhaps now it is more accurate to say it is more dangerous to exist in a world where conflicts, so omnipresent yet diffuse, tempt nations to gamble, believing no single throw of the dice will end the game. For now, civilization holds—narrowly, precariously, and perhaps only through luck.
   
   

5. Housing

   I remain sprawled in the mud, and now it’s hardened around me. The housing situation hasn’t improved in any fundamental way, though we’ve added a fresh layer of irony to it: we live in a world where we can print organs in laboratories and fabricate entire rocket engines with 3D printers, but our homes are still slapped together with sticks and drywall like it’s 1950. Even the so-called "innovations"—tiny homes, container conversions, and prefab units—are mere tweaks to the ancient art of making shelters inefficiently, propped up by zoning laws and regulatory tangleweed that protect inefficiency like sacred relics.
   
   Costs, of course, have soared into orbit, keeping pace with inflation and a speculative real estate market that treats homes less like places to live and more like poker chips. Remember that $100,000 house? Adjusted for modern gold prices (or cryptocurrency, if you prefer your despair in a digital format), even a shack will now set you back a sum so obscene that it would’ve once funded a moonshot. Meanwhile, billions of people remain unhoused or barely housed, but the industry churns on, as ossified as ever.
   
   The technology for truly modern housing exists—self-sufficient homes that generate their own power, recycle water, and are built for centuries rather than decades—but deploying it at scale is still a pipe dream. Not because we can’t, but because those who profit from the status quo would rather we didn’t. The "powers that be" have only grown more entrenched, their bureaucracy bolstered by AI-driven algorithms designed to calculate precisely how many hoops an ordinary person must jump through before they give up altogether.
   
   The housing crisis today is less about technological inability and more about political and economic inertia. I underestimated, once again, the ferocity with which humans cling to their inefficiencies. If I were foolish enough to revise this prediction for 2050, I might say we’ll all be living in floating, modular arcologies suspended above the Earth’s surface. But knowing us, we’ll still be stapling together overpriced wooden boxes and congratulating ourselves on having "reinvented" the wheel.
   
   

6. Global Population

   The controlling parameter now appears to be water. Oil remains crucial, but we’ve managed to stumble into renewable energy sources—not by foresight but by necessity. However, water is another matter. Industrial farming, population growth, and climate shifts have stressed the supply beyond what seemed imaginable in 1950. Desalination and water management technologies are improving, but they're running a race against time. Hunger in the United States? Unlikely, barring a collapse of infrastructure or governance. Globally? A different story. Where famine was once a result of logistics or conflict, it’s now a question of whether the water and soil will cooperate at all. One wonders if anyone in Washington—or anywhere—really grasps the stakes.
   
   

7. Art

   The pendulum swings, as it always does, though perhaps not as swiftly as one might wish. “Modern art,” once the exclusive domain of charlatans and the truly deranged, has begun its slow retreat into the shadows of historical oddity, where it can be safely cataloged and forgotten. A few brave souls have revived craftsmanship, skill, and meaning—ideas once derided as quaint. Yet, the majority still flounder in the mire of conceptual nonsense, defended by convoluted explanations no one understands. Commercial art, however, now flourishes as the true heir of human creativity, blending advanced technology with timeless principles of beauty and form. Artists in this field are today’s Michelangelos, though they sculpt in pixels and code rather than marble. The world remains mad, of course, but perhaps there is hope for art yet.
   
   

8. Psychology

   The prediction has largely matured. Freud is now firmly viewed as a historical figure of interest rather than a guide to current practice. Operational psychology has blossomed into a spectrum of highly specialized disciplines, each grounded in robust empirical methods and aided by the computational revolution. Advances in neuroscience and AI have yielded powerful tools to map and simulate brain activity, leading to breakthroughs in understanding memory, learning, and even consciousness.
   

   Yet, the fundamental mystery—how the arrangement of matter leads to self-awareness—remains unresolved, though some tantalizing theories, such as Integrated Information Theory and predictive coding frameworks, offer glimpses of a solution. Whether these theories represent genuine progress or merely the latest fads is still debated. Psychology in 2025 is a precise, data-driven science in many respects, but it is also deeply humbled by the sheer complexity of the human mind.
   
   

9. Medicine

   Cancer treatment has seen remarkable strides with precision medicine, where therapies are tailored to an individual’s genetic profile. Immunotherapy, once an experimental concept, is now a mainstream tool for harnessing the body’s own immune system to combat cancer with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. The "common cold," meanwhile, remains as pesky as ever, though less so thanks to antiviral advancements and improved vaccines targeting specific respiratory viruses like RSV. However, it still thrives on its sheer mutational adaptability—mocking our ingenuity by staying one step ahead.
   
   Tooth decay has largely been relegated to history books in industrialized nations. Advances in bioengineered enamel and self-healing dental materials have made cavities an occasional annoyance rather than a chronic issue. But "regeneration," in the Heinlein sense, is where the truly dazzling breakthroughs are occurring. We now routinely grow replacement organs in vitro from stem cells, sparing patients the trauma of donor waiting lists. Early experimental treatments have enabled partial regeneration of limbs, though true "grow a new leg" technology remains tantalizingly out of reach.
   
   The mapping of the human genome, completed decades ago, has evolved into practical editing via CRISPR-like techniques. The once-distant idea of "tailoring" human beings has moved from science fiction into a cautious scientific reality. Embryonic gene editing for the prevention of heritable diseases is now permissible in some countries under stringent ethical safeguards. Yet the "designer baby"—tailored for intelligence, athleticism, or beauty—remains an ethical minefield. Perhaps this is for the best; as Heinlein once posited, are we yet wise enough to rearchitect humanity? If our current experiments in geopolitics and technology are any measure, the jury remains out.
   
   One lesson seems to endure across the decades: every question we answer spawns a dozen new problems, each more intricate than the last. We’re solving puzzles faster, yes, but the cosmos continues to remind us that we're playing a very long game—and it plays to win.
   
   

10. Space Exploration

    Humanity has made remarkable strides, but reality has forced some adjustments to my earlier predictions. The starship to Alpha Centauri is not under construction—not yet—but the foundations are laid in a way I could not have anticipated. Instead of massive steel hulls and constant-boost drives, we are exploring the solar system with fleets of artificial intelligences, autonomous drones, and other marvels that were purest fantasy a few decades ago. The Artemis program has returned humans to the Moon, and plans to establish a permanent lunar outpost are well underway. Mars, meanwhile, is no longer just a red dot in our night sky but a focal point of human ambition, with colonies and research stations slowly taking root.
    
    Yet, we are still bound by the great limitation of physics: energy. Fusion power, touted for decades as “just around the corner,” still flickers like a candle in the distance, bright enough to chase but elusive as ever. The faster-than-light dream has not materialized, and we remain Earthbound creatures who crawl across the solar system rather than soaring to the stars. My once-optimistic timeline for FTL travel now feels like one of my early scribbled stories—a piece of science fiction rather than science.
    
    That said, let me tell you why I remain cautiously hopeful. The recent advances in constant-boost propulsion have brought us closer to routine interplanetary travel. Small, efficient nuclear-electric thrusters are being tested, and a crewed mission to the asteroid belt is no longer a pipe dream but a scheduled milestone for 2035. A trip to Mars with the kind of constant boost I imagined decades ago might still be out of reach, but we are learning how to refine and miniaturize technology in ways I didn’t foresee. Imagine an ion-powered ship, accelerating at 0.01 gee over weeks or months. It won't get you there in 30 days, but it's progress.
    
    One unexpected twist: humanity’s focus has turned outward in ways I couldn’t have guessed. The James Webb Space Telescope (an instrument of nearly magical precision) has shown us exoplanets that teem with potential. From here, our ambitions have stretched further than Alpha Centauri to Proxima Centauri B and TRAPPIST-1’s planetary siblings. Here lies the frontier—not just exploration, but discovery of worlds that might hold life or, at least, the promise of it.
    
    As for Pluto—bless Clyde Tombaugh—it has been relegated to a “dwarf planet,” yet it fascinates us more than ever. The New Horizons mission, once just a dream, revealed a world of towering ice mountains and a heart-shaped plain of frozen nitrogen. A poetic twist: Pluto, once the lonely outcast at the edge of our system, has become a symbol of exploration itself—a reminder that even the smallest, coldest objects can hold wonders.
    
    In hindsight, my predictions were neither wrong nor right. They were simply a reflection of the time, bold in imagination but blind to the messy, circuitous path that progress takes. The Solar System is not yet humanity’s backyard, but it feels closer every day. As I look to the next fifty years, I’ll hedge my bets with one safe prediction: we’ll go farther, not faster—but we will go. And we will keep going.
    
    

11. Telecommunications

    By now, the telephone—and let’s be honest, calling it a "telephone" feels quaint—has become an all-in-one device, so seamlessly integrated into daily life that it’s hardly thought about. Carried on your wrist, embedded in your glasses, or even woven into your clothing, this communicator is more than a link for sound and vision; it’s a portal to every human knowledge repository, an entertainment hub, and a personal assistant more capable than I dared dream in 1950. Holovision calls are old news, replaced by immersive augmented reality that can conjure up a lifelike projection of your caller standing right in your living room—or, if you prefer, on a pristine Hawaiian beach, without their ever leaving Omaha.
    Arthur C. Clarke’s prophecy of holovision reducing personal contact has proven about half-right. Yes, we’re more connected remotely than ever before, but if anything, the ease of virtual presence has made us hungrier for real-world interaction. Business conferences now feature both augmented and physical gatherings, with AR avatars rubbing elbows with flesh-and-blood attendees. The Saturnalia lives on, turbocharged by technology—but don’t worry, the boss still pays for it.
    
    Yet, these new gadgets come with their costs. They’re so integrated into our lives that they sometimes feel like extensions of ourselves. Privacy? Only if you pay a premium for it—and even then, you’re never quite sure. As with every tool we humans invent, these devices solve problems while creating new ones. But isn’t that just the monkey folk way?
    
    

12. Mars

    As of this writing, the verdict on intelligent life on Mars remains definitive: there isn’t any. At least, not the kind of intelligent life we can converse with—or trade witty insults about the weather. Our robot emissaries—more sophisticated than those clunky 1976 landers—have rolled, dug, and flown over much of Mars’ surface, confirming it’s a barren wasteland. But they’ve also found something extraordinary: tantalizing traces that life might have existed there billions of years ago. Fossilized microbes, maybe. If so, they were neither the stuff of Earthman’s imagination nor the sort to build cities, much less write epic poetry. Still, such evidence supports the notion that life could be ubiquitous, even if intelligent life is rare enough to make us seem cosmically lonely.
    
    What about my old hobbyhorse, Life-as-we-don’t-know-it? Well, if it exists, it’s eluded every trick in our scientific bag so far. But I’m not ready to withdraw my chips from that particular game. You see, we’re still just scratching the surface—literally. Mars’ subsurface, with its potential for geothermal warmth and liquid water, could yet hold surprises. Maybe something akin to Earth’s extremophiles, those hardy microbes that thrive in boiling springs or radioactive waste, is lurking below. I’ll keep my bet on life being persistent, even if it’s not inclined to evolve into Martian princesses or spaceship-building geniuses.
    
    And as for terraforming Mars, that old pipe dream has evolved into hard science. Discussions now revolve around CO₂ importation, artificial magnetospheres, and genetically engineered algae. But let me say this plainly: terraforming remains a Sisyphean task, one best suited to a species that has solved its own planetary problems first. Right now, Earth’s oceans are rising faster than our Martian ambitions.
    
    Still, the land rush I predicted is quietly underway—only it’s not homesteaders in covered wagons; it’s private corporations and consortia of nation-states staking claims for resources, prestige, and footholds on the Red Planet. What no one predicted was how much of this land rush would happen virtually. Space enthusiasts buy Martian “plots” online (a scam, if you ask me), while actual scientists argue over legal frameworks for off-world mineral rights. And yes, if Japan—or SpaceX or China—decides to set up customs at the gates to their Martian colony, you’d better have your visa fees ready. Don’t be surprised if you’re charged a premium for a window seat on the trip back.
    
    In summary, Mars remains a mystery—but not the romantic kind I once dreamed of. It’s not Barsoom; it’s a stubborn, lifeless rock that nonetheless holds our fascination. If intelligent life is there, it’s likely us, slogging across the regolith, still wondering why we came in the first place.
    
    

13. Travel

    A thousand miles an hour is still commonplace, though not exactly at the prices I once imagined. Those suborbital hops that were a gleam in our eyes back in 1950? They've come true—New York to Tokyo in under two hours, if you can afford the fare. But the cost is no longer measured in "cents" of any kind. In 1950, I scaled by the dollar; in 1965, I hinted at the barter hamburger; by 1980, I was using troy ounces of gold. Now? It's all about energy credits, carbon offsets, and digital tokens pegged to who-knows-what. A "cheap" ride will still cost you enough to remind you that luxury has its price.
    
    As for the hundred-dollar hamburger I foresaw? That turned out to be an optimistic estimate. The $1000 hamburger arrived with lab-grown meat and vertical farming, and though it's more common than you'd think, it's not exactly abundant. Still, as long as humanity remains ingenious, there's always something edible at hand—if you're willing to trade your credits, your data, or maybe a bit of your privacy.
    
    Evacuated subways? Ah, they're finally here. Hyperloop-like systems crisscross the continents, though not as universally as one might hope. Financing them took more than stabilized currency; it required reimagining what "money" even means. When economies teetered on the brink, it wasn't governments that saved them—it was distributed networks and self-organizing markets. Trust became the new currency, though we've yet to fully decide what that means.
    
    And inflation? It's not that we've conquered it; we've just learned to live with it, like a chronic condition. You might pay for your ticket in credits backed by solar gigawatts or tokens tied to a rare earth metal you’ve never heard of. And gold? Still valuable, but mostly as a hedge for those who don’t trust the algorithms running the world.
    
    So where are we? Still riding at a thousand miles an hour, still chasing the future, but with price tags that only make sense if you squint—or if you’ve given up entirely on understanding them. The dream of speed is alive, but its cost, as always, is measured in more than dollars or ounces of gold.
    
    

14. Physics

    The major objective of applied physics remains to control gravity, but we are no closer to that goal than we were in 1980. Gravity remains as elusive as ever—understood in principle, as per Einstein, but frustratingly resistant to direct manipulation. Yet, physicists persist, with quantum gravity theories ranging from the credible to the fantastical, including string theory, loop quantum gravity, and others that strain the limits of experimental verification. Somewhere in this tangle, the key to gravity control might lurk. Perhaps it’s waiting for the right combination of human ingenuity and computational power. Or perhaps it’s laughing at us from dimensions we cannot yet perceive.
    
    Physics in 2025 is, if anything, even more anarchic than in 1980. The Standard Model, once the proud pinnacle of particle physics, now seems like an incomplete puzzle with too many mismatched pieces. The Higgs boson was celebrated as the capstone when its existence was confirmed in 2012, but the gaps in our understanding of dark matter, dark energy, and quantum gravity remain gaping. Dark matter—comprising about 27% of the universe—is still maddeningly invisible, and dark energy—around 68%—remains a mathematical placeholder for whatever force is flinging galaxies apart faster than ever. We’re left with just 5% of the universe that we actually understand. Talk about humbling.
    
    Meanwhile, particle physicists are drowning in “excesses.” Every few months, some new anomaly—an unexpected blip in the data from CERN, Fermilab, or elsewhere—promises to shatter the Standard Model. These anomalies spawn theories faster than they can be falsified, creating an intellectual Wild West of speculative physics. Super-symmetry? Dead and buried, according to some. Revived and reinterpreted, according to others. New particles beyond the Standard Model? It depends on whom you ask—and whether the data holds up to scrutiny next year.
    
    Quarks, for all their charm (and spin, and color), remain confined to their “bags,” just as Dr. Kenneth Johnson predicted decades ago. The dream of isolating a single quark has been thoroughly abandoned, but the deeper nature of confinement remains a mystery. Theoretical physicists now speak of "emergence" with reverence, hinting that the phenomena we observe in the quantum world may not have simple building blocks at all. Instead, reality itself may arise from some deeper, stranger principle—one that defies intuition altogether. This is not an age for the faint of heart.
    
    And then there’s quantum computing, the wildcard in this unfolding drama. What was a hypothetical curiosity in 1980 is now a rapidly advancing field, with machines capable of solving problems that would stymie classical computers for millennia. These devices, with their entangled qubits and spooky action at a distance, are already revealing glimpses of quantum dynamics too complex for human minds to fathom. Some physicists whisper that a sufficiently advanced quantum computer might uncover truths about gravity or the fundamental nature of the universe that no experiment ever could. Others fear such machines might simply drown us in data, deepening the confusion.
    
    As for cosmology, the scale of the universe continues to grow—not just in physical size but in conceptual complexity. The multiverse hypothesis, once the domain of speculative fiction, is now taken seriously in certain corners of academia. Inflationary models of the universe suggest that our cosmos might be just one bubble in an infinite, ever-expanding foam of realities. If true, it’s an exhilarating and terrifying thought: the laws of physics as we know them may not be universal but merely local conditions in our particular patch of existence.
    
    So here we are, in the Golden Age of physics—or perhaps its Age of Babel. Theories abound, data pours in, and our models grow ever more intricate. Control of gravity remains a distant hope, tantalizingly out of reach. And the galaxy? It’s still there, waiting, but the odds of reaching it feel no better—or worse—than they did 75 years ago. If the past is any guide, the future will bring breakthroughs that no one today can predict, accompanied by questions we have not yet thought to ask.
    
    For now, I recommend patience—and perhaps a fresh reading of The Hunting of the Snark. Reality may turn out to be even stranger than a boojum.
    
    

15. Global Politics

    We will not achieve a true “World State” within any foreseeable future. However, I stand by my conviction that centralized, collectivist ideologies, whether they call themselves Communist, Marxist, or any other banner, cannot long endure. They collapse under the weight of their own internal contradictions and their inability to reconcile human nature with rigid ideology.
    
    In 1950, I believed Communism would vanish from the planet. By 1965, I reiterated my stance. In 1980, I hedged slightly, observing the vast swaths of the globe painted red—or claiming to be. Yet here we are, in 2025, and the ideological empires that once seemed monolithic have fractured, morphed, and in many cases, outright dissolved.
    
    Marx's utopia does not and will not fit human beings. The state, under any collectivist doctrine, will never “wither away.” Human beings are too messy, too competitive, too curious, too ambitious. Those qualities are both our blessing and our curse—they make us resistant to tyranny but also prone to creating new ones.
    
    Today, the world is no longer carved into two stark ideologies, as it was during the Cold War. Instead, we face a different kind of fragmentation: global corporations behaving like sovereign states; decentralized digital currencies challenging the very concept of centralized economies; and artificial intelligence operating beyond the grasp of any single government. Ironically, the future doesn't look like the monolithic nightmares Orwell or Marx envisioned—it looks chaotic, multipolar, and constantly shifting.
    
    The optimistic part of me sees this chaos as a kind of freedom—perhaps the only freedom humanity can manage. The pessimist in me wonders if this endless fragmentation will doom us to conflict without end. Either way, one thing is clear: humanity is not built for utopia, but we endure. If anything, our stubborn refusal to conform to any singular ideology is proof of that.
    
    So, to borrow my own phrase from decades ago: I stand flatly behind the first sentence of that prediction. The second part, about Communism vanishing, I can finally say was accurate in the broad strokes. But as I look at the endless variety of political, economic, and technological experiments we’ve embraced, I realize that the future will not belong to any single system. It will belong to human nature—flawed, glorious, and endlessly unpredictable.
    
    

16. U.S. Federalism

    The erosion of state lines is now all but complete—not through constitutional amendment, but by the creeping dominion of digital centralization and federal standardization. The United States, in function if not in form, has become a single, homogenized entity with a veneer of local autonomy. State governments remain as historical relics, useful for ceremony or minor administration, but true power resides in the labyrinthine structures of federal agencies and global corporations, which increasingly operate without geographic anchor. Elections are nationwide spectacles, influenced more by algorithms than by geography, and the concept of state-based identity feels as quaint as horse-drawn carriages. A citizen today can live entirely online, their physical location irrelevant, as long as they can connect to the network. It seems that mobility, once feared as a threat to stability, has instead dissolved boundaries altogether.
    
    

17. Air Travel

    The prediction stands, but let me reframe it for our times: the giant radar net has evolved into a sprawling, global network of satellite constellations, AI-driven algorithms, and automated control centers. It's not just continent-wide anymore—it's planetary. And while it may sound like science fiction, it’s real. The skies are managed by systems like NexGen+ and EuroSky, their electronic “brains” capable of choreographing millions of flights annually with remarkable precision. Yet, the human element remains, not as the primary decision-maker but as a vigilant overseer, ready to intervene when the machine hiccups. Murphy's Law remains undefeated.
    
    Of course, this is no utopia. The system works beautifully for commercial aviation, but small, private planes have been nudged into their own digital ghettos—secondary networks and air corridors deemed “safe” but far less convenient. And drones—don’t get me started on drones! They’re everywhere now, swarming like mechanical gnats in low-altitude airspace, complicating life for pilots and controllers alike.
    
    Why has it taken so long to get here? The same reasons I grumbled about decades ago: cost, bureaucracy, and our own stubborn refusal to let go of outdated methods until forced by catastrophe. It took a handful of near-disasters, a couple of tragic collisions, and a sustained lobbying effort by tech giants (not airlines, mind you) to push this system into full implementation.
    
    As for me, I still fly—though with mixed feelings. On one hand, I marvel at the precision of a landing so smooth it feels like a magician’s trick. On the other, I lament the dwindling romance of aviation. It’s all too sanitized now, too predictable. No pilot’s flair, no margin for human creativity. We traded spontaneity for safety. A good deal, yes—but one that leaves an old romantic like me feeling a bit wistful.
    
    If you’re wondering about alternatives, well, commercial flight still beats the pants off riding a Hyperloop (claustrophobia!), autonomous electric buses (ugh—those things corner like a brick on wheels), or trusting your life to a self-driving car on a freeway jammed with vehicles that still, inexplicably, include humans behind the wheel. For longer distances, flying remains king, even if the crown is worn a bit askew.
    
    And to the engineers still fine-tuning this system, I say: good work, but don’t stop. You’ve tamed the skies—for now. But remember, even the most sophisticated machine is just a moment away from reminding us that perfection is unattainable. Stay humble. Stay alert.
    
    

18. Global Food Supply

    Algae, lab-cultured meat, and insect protein have become staples of the global diet, addressing sustainability and resource scarcity. Beef is now a rare indulgence, heavily taxed for its environmental impact, and traditional lamb and mutton farming are nearly extinct. Synthetic proteins, bioengineered to mimic taste and texture, dominate both high-end cuisine and everyday meals. Hunger remains a global issue—less a matter of supply than of distribution and political will.
    
    

19. Civilizational and Human Survival

    Mankind will not destroy itself, nor will “Civilization” meet its end, despite the doomsayers who now wield AI models and climate forecasts instead of pulp fiction. I stand by the principle that humanity's capacity for survival exceeds its knack for self-destruction. There will be crises—economic collapses, resource struggles, cyber wars, and yes, possibly localized use of weapons of mass destruction. But the all-consuming global apocalypse beloved by dystopian storytellers will remain a myth.
    
    Why? Because the strongest powers of our age—the United States, China, and the European Union—alongside influential rising players like India and Brazil, have far too much at stake to risk annihilation. These nations are locked in a tense but symbiotic competition that no one dares upset completely. Despite what the news cycle tells you, the leaders of these powers—however misguided or despotic—are not foolish enough to light the world on fire. They have learned, as their predecessors did, that mutual destruction is bad for business.
    
    And if a rogue state or fringe actor—say North Korea, a breakaway Russian faction, or a militant network—tries to escalate things, they’ll be met with something stronger than bombs: unified global deterrence. In the age of instantaneous surveillance and interconnected systems, a nuclear launch would be tracked, intercepted, and responded to before it left the atmosphere. Even the most unstable governments know this. They might rattle the saber for headlines, but they understand that a single misstep means erasure.
    
    What has changed since 1950? The actors have evolved, and so have the stakes. The split in Communist International has been replaced by fractures between ideological factions within nations. AI, climate disruption, and technological inequality have replaced the Red Menace as existential threats. But the outcome remains the same: those who control the levers of power know that cooperation—however grudging—beats extinction.
    
    Mankind is stubborn, resourceful, and maddeningly reckless. But we are also, for better or worse, addicted to survival. That hasn’t changed, and it won’t—not in 2025 or the decades to come.

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I’’ve completed Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Ruin, the second book in his Hugo-Award winning Children of Time trilogy. I’m sharing my thoughts on Club Codex, where any Cosmic Codex subscriber can follow along, comment, or ask questions.

From this week’s post:

“Even Avrana Kern, a cardboard villain in the first book, becomes a sympathetic character here.

“And the major threat introduced in the second half of the novel goes from being genuinely frightening to being a deep and fascinating study in truly alien intelligence.”

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Discussion Thread

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in January: Strong Women.

80 short stories and novels, available at no cost.

Will humanity come together to save a dying Earth?

Get your FREE copy of A Fading Star by Greg Hickey

Earth is dying. Ravaged by disease, hunger, climate change and world wars. Can humanity unite to avoid extinction?

In 2153, cancer was cured. In 2189, AIDS. It seemed like humanity was headed for the stars.

Global population soared, surpassing 24 billion. Then came the floods, washing over Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Mumbai, Jakarta, Dhaka and New Orleans. Then a fourth world war, with 289 million casualties. Frequent droughts plague Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Melbourne, Mexico City, São Paulo, Stockholm, Vienna and Moscow. Now humanity teeters on the brink of extinction.

A few individuals fight for our survival. A determined physicist. A brilliant oncologist. A team of daring astronauts. A small group of investors funds a desperate search for another habitable planet. But time is running out.

This past July, Martin MacInnes won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for his novel In Ascension.

Hailing from Scotland, MacInnes won the Manchester Fiction Prize for his first short story, “Our Disorder,” in 2014. He received the Somerset Maugham Award in 2017 for his first novel, Infinite Ground. MacInnes is a former Royal Literary Fund fellow.

The website for Grove Atlantic, MacInnes’ U.S. publisher, describes In Ascension as follows:

Leigh grew up in Rotterdam, drawn to the waterfront as an escape from her unhappy home life and volatile father. Enchanted by the undersea world of her childhood, she excels in marine biology, travelling the globe to study ancient organisms. When a trench is discovered in the Atlantic ocean, Leigh joins the exploration team, hoping to find evidence of the earth’s first life forms – what she instead finds calls into question everything we know about our own beginnings.

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Her discovery leads Leigh to the Mojave desert and an ambitious new space agency. Drawn deeper into the agency’s work, she learns that the Atlantic trench is only one of several related phenomena from across the world, each piece linking up to suggest a pattern beyond human understanding. Leigh knows that to continue working with the agency will mean leaving behind her declining mother and her younger sister, and faces an impossible choice: to remain with her family, or to embark on a journey across the breadth of the cosmos.

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This month, I’m reading Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Ruin, the second book in his Hugo-Award winning Children of Time trilogy. I’m sharing my thoughts on Club Codex, where any Cosmic Codex subscriber can follow along, comment, or ask questions.

From this week’s post:

“Octopuses are by far a better choice than spiders. For one, octopuses are legitimately intelligent, and appear to even possess a sentient consciousness. At the same time, they're so different, they are commonly referred to [as] aliens right here on Earth.”

Click below to participate:

Discussion Thread

My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in January: Strong Women.

80 short stories and novels, available at no cost.

When we encounter alien life among the stars, will they have made the same mistakes we have? Worse? Will we even be able to understand them? And what will they understand about us?

My new novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” the sequel to “Nasty, Brutish, and Short," appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.

In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Fire From Heaven”

by Brian Scott Pauls

“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.”

—Genesis 19:24-25

I can’t say exactly what happened. I didn’t have a good view when the trouble started.

Delvalle took point when we went into the mountain, followed by Kuna and de Cries, then Pagnol and Laing with their instrument pack. I came next, while Keahi and Ashishishe brought up the rear—eyes, ears, and nose peeled for threats.

Not that we expected trouble. We all “knew” the desolate half of Janus was unoccupied. The wildly chaotic menagerie of organisms Lieutenant Keahi, Ash, and I had discovered on the other side of the planet gave way to an entire hemisphere devoid of life.

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Of course, by the time you read this, you’ll probably know what we found—or, to be more accurate, what found us. I’m sure our report will make quite a stir when it reaches Earth. The implications of what we encountered still keep me up at night. Of course, it's a lot more recent to me than it will be to you, relatively speaking.

Beacon is an artificial black hole accompanying Janus in geostationary orbit. You’d think it would have evaporated by now, but ice balls arriving from the outer system continually feed it mass. Apparently, the Janusians used it as a power generator before they destroyed themselves—and Beacon played a major role in that.

To function as a generator, the black hole must have once been contained. But that containment is gone. Now it just revolves about Janus, eating ice and belching gamma rays. Nothing unshielded can live on the side of the planet facing it. Even viruses are absent—if not because of the radiation itself, then because there’s nothing to serve as a host.

Meanwhile, an increased mutation rate in organisms living close to the irradiated hemisphere has resulted in a greatly accelerated evolutionary pace.

At least one intelligent species inhabited Janus. Diamond buildings remain in hundreds of cities spread around the world. Some appear to be fully intact, while the ruins of others surround giant blast craters. Whoever lived on Janus had fun tossing fusion bombs around before something wrecked Beacon’s containment, wiping out civilization. The cities in the verdant hemisphere are overgrown with life. Those on the ravaged side are as dead as everything around them.

Abbadon appears to have been the receiving station for power beamed from Beacon. The Janusians scooped off the mountain’s peak, then set the dish of a large microwave antenna into the rock.

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We dropped to the surface in one of the Zheng He's aeros, each of us except Ash strapped into a seat modified to fit the extra bulk of our armored suits. The synth wore the lynx body it had developed especially for Janus, and made do with a cargo net.

The standard Zheng He pressure suits wouldn’t protect against gamma radiation. Our excursion into the dead zone required the Physics and Engineering sections to fabricate tungsten carbide exoskeletons, so heavy they included powered augmentation to allow us to move. Instead of transparent faceplates, the fully enclosed helmets used cameras and other sensors to transmit details of the external environment directly into the sensoriums maintained by our cerebral implants.

Each suit could reduce gamma exposure enough to allow 36 hours on the surface. We estimated twelve hours to get from the Zheng He, in geostationary orbit on the opposite side of the planet, to the surface, and then to the entrance. Getting back to the ship would require an equal amount of time. Technically that left a mere twelve hours in the mountain, but the rock would provide additional shielding against the radiation. We wouldn’t know how much extra time we’d gain until we were inside.

Pagnol and Laing, a xenoarcheologist and a planetologist, had brought along a bulky instrument pack they claimed would help us map Abbadon’s interior. As soon as we hit dirt, Kuna deployed the team while the scientists readied their gear.

Out by the nose of the craft, Delvalle gazed at the mountain while I laid out our backpacks, weapons, and power cells. After the losses we’d incurred in the live zone, when our automatic weapons had proved less than fully effective, Commander Kuna wasn’t taking chances. Having no intention of ending up like Nabih, she’d requisitioned plasma rifles for all security personnel.

Fascinated by the desolate peak, Delvalle kept urging me to take a look.

“Come on! You’ve got to see this.”

“I’ll wait to see it up close.”

Just then de Cries walked up.

“You sure you want to take these?” I held up a bandolier of concussion grenades.

“Why not? I’m certified on them.”

“What do you expect to use them on? The ghosts?”

If you’ve enjoyed this excerpt from “Fire From Heaven”, you can read the entire story in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact, available at Amazon and other online booksellers.

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Beneath the frozen silence, a world awaits discovery.

Get your FREE copy of Under the Ice by Marie-Hélène Lebeault!

Beneath the frozen silence, a world awaits discovery

In a future where the Earth's surface is uninhabitable, humanity survives under the ocean, within a protective Dome. Ryn, a unique individual unable to adapt to aquatic life like the others, faces a dire situation when the Dome's stability is compromised. As their only hope for survival lies beyond the icy barrier above, Ryn embarks on a perilous journey to the unknown.

Science fiction and libertarian political philosophy have a long history together, perhaps “growing out of the 1930s and 1940s when the science-fiction pulp magazines were reaching their peak at the same time as fascism and communism…” resulting in “…speculations about societies (or sub-groups)…in direct opposition to ‘totalitarianism.’”

In 1979, this close association inspired sf author L. Neil Smith to create the Prometheus Award “to honor libertarian science fiction.”

Dave Freer dedicates his 2023 Prometheus Award winning novel, Cloud-Castles, “[t]o the memory of the men and women of the Eureka Rebellion,” a reference I had to look up. The Eureka Rebellion started in 1851 as a series of protests by gold miners in Australia’s Colony of Victoria against its British administrators. Matters escalated over the next three years, ending with the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, in which twenty-seven people (mostly miners) died.

Freer borrows a number of elements from Australia in general and the Eureka Rebellion in particular, transposing them to the gas-dwarf (mini-Neptune) world of Sybil III.

The planet itself is mostly sky, punctuated by the eponymous cloud-castles (Freer never explains the hyphen) islands of “floating vegetation,” and the “trading-plate.”

Freer’s describes the world he’s created in fascinating detail:

Sybil III just had no land. None. Or none that any human could survive on. It was a gas dwarf world, and its solid core lay somewhere many, many miles down below at enormous temperatures and pressures. The lifezone, such as it was, was up in the outer atmosphere. It was a vast lifezone, just resource poor, and short of solid landing platforms.1

Two extraterrestrial, extrasybillian, and formerly imperialistic species inhabit the cloud-castles, which have been around longer than humans have been in space. Unfortunately, the Thrymi and the Zell hate each other. Their respective interstellar empires seem to have destroyed one another long ago, leaving the sybillian populations the only known (to humans, at least) examples of the two species.

Trade represented the one area of common interest between the two alien societies. Before their empires vanished, they built an “anti-gravity trading plate” in the skies of Sybil III to serve as neutral ground, a tradition the local aliens maintained even after their two species annihilated each other elsewhere.

Humans first arrived on Sybil III aboard the failing FTL ship Botany Bay, which managed to crash on the trading plate. The survivors threw together a ramshackle settlement they named the “Big Syd”, made of scrap taken from the wrecked ship and whatever suitable native vegetation they could gather.

By the time of the story, the Big Syd is a dangerous frontier town in which life reflects a Hobbesian state of nature—“poor, nasty, brutish” and often unnaturally short.

Other human planets maintain embassies on the Big Syd. This is mainly due to competition over the hoped-for attentions of the Thrymi and Zell, who never-the-less tend to snub everyone equally.

Enter Augustus StJohn Thistlewood III, youngest son of the wealthy Thistlewood industrial family on the planet Azure. Augustus is an idealistic university graduate. When he found working in his family’s factories as a boy had already taught him more engineering than his professors knew, he added sociology courses to his workload. As a result, he’s come to Sybil III to help “uplift” the local residents of the Big Syd out of poverty and ignorance.

Augustus follows in the literary tradition of the “lucky fool.” While a brilliant, naturally gifted engineer, he has no “street smarts” at all. Time after time, this places him in perilous situations. Yet somehow everything seems to work out. He often remains blissfully ignorant of the chaos going on around him, which he himself has caused.

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Much of Augustus’ good luck is just that—luck. But some of it is manufactured by his local “guide,” Briz, who recognizes his wealth and naivety early and latches on to him as an easy meal ticket:

“She didn’t care what he’d done to be made a remittance man here. It wasn’t something that she needed to know. There were a quite a few men and women that no one wanted back home, going to hell in their own way on the plate here on Sybil. What was important was that he, and the three hundred dollars a month to be delivered via the embassy, was hers. Hers, hers, hers!

She’d found him first!2

A young woman dressed like a Dickensian street urchin, Briz finds herself misidentified by Augustus as a boy and doesn’t bother to correct him.

The first half of the book consists mostly of their hair-raising adventures as Augustus stumbles his way through various well-intentioned but inadvisable attempts to help the Big Syd’s downtrodden.

Then the two find themselves kidnapped by a Thrymi cloud-castle and impressed into a slave gang to process the flying fauna of Sybil III for trading back on the Big Syd. When a daring escape leaves them stranded on an island of drifting plants in the middle of an endless sky, can Augustus’ genius and Briz’s cunning save them? Or will they fall prey to the pioneering “outbackers” who live beyond the confines of the Big Syd in numbers greater than anyone expected?

Cloud-Castles is a humorous romp through a satirical world in which Freer seems to be sending up the attitudes of doctrinaire libertarians even as he skewers the foibles of bureaucracy and academia. For example, he has a lot of fun with the sociology texts Augustus brings with him from Azure:

…from his bedside, he packed up his copies of Melkinthrope’s Suffering the Human Condition, Belcher’s Philanthropy and Uplift, and, of course, his secret vice, and antique copy of On Human Self-Sufficiency. He always tucked it under the other books, as he was rather embarrassed by Kabongo’s rather forthright and unfashionable views. But it did have some fascinating ideas even if he had discovered that many tasks were not quite as simple as the author had made them out to be. Augustus picked up the bag and headed out to help the people of Sybil.3

But I’m pretty sure I also had a big grin on my face when I got to the part where Augustus’ ultra-rich father says “I’m, to be honest, not quite sure what Sociology is, or what they do.”

The best part of the book is how Augustus strides obliviously through one danger after another, intent on his next scheme for social improvement, or his next ingenious invention, like Forrest Gump if he’d been the brilliant Ivy League-graduate son of a billionaire dynasty.

Cloud-Castle’s biggest weakness is its cover. I sympathize with the struggles of self-published authors to secure the rights to original art they can afford. And I believe Mark Baldwin’s illustration might look fantastic in the original. But any charms it may have are lost in reproduction both online and in-print. This is a shame, because I believe many people will pass over this novel who would otherwise greatly enjoy it.

Freer’s book also has the weaknesses of many libertarian novels, or indeed many novels proselytizing for other political, philosophical, or religious systems. The “good guys” (Augustus’ wealthy, self-made family and those on Sybil III who will make it “someday”) are the characters who buy into the favored worldview. Others tend to be either charlatans, saps, or both. As I indicated above, Freer does somewhat better in this regard than more didactic authors. He pokes fun at nearly everyone, including his chosen few. Still, differing perspectives are rarely, if ever, given a fair hearing.

But it’s no great sin for a novel to have a definite point-of-view, and satire is the right vehicle for that sort of story. Freer pulls it off here, and non-libertarians who don’t let ideology spoil their fun will enjoy the ride.

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My latest novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.

When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world. With mind-bending alien biology and gut-wrenching sacrifices, this tale of planetary exploration gone horribly wrong will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Prepare for a journey into the unknown that will challenge everything you thought you knew about life in the cosmos!

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in November: Short Story Smorgasbord.

Nearly 65 short stories, available at no cost.

When aliens arrive in Sol, how does humanity react in the first few hours?

Get your FREE copy of Dark Nebula: Contact by Sean Wilson

After several years of unstable peace throughout Sol, mankind is confronted with the arrival of an unknown alien force. Everyone deals with the unexpected arrivals differently.

Military forces guarding the front lines of a century old conflict struggle to comprehend the alien arrival. Unhealed wounds from past battles stress Inner and Outer Ring soldiers, as a rogue among them takes matters into her own hands.

Hours into the alien arrival, the president endeavors to contain a centuries old subterfuge. She never imagined she’d be the one responsible for guiding mankind in its darkest hour.

A washed up vid-sim sports star turned messiah predicted the alien arrival with uncanny accuracy. How does a world react when his prophesies come true?

New York City hosted the first World Science Fiction Convention, or “Worldcon,” in 1939. Pulp illustrator Frank R. Paul attended as Guest of Honor, along with about 200 writers, fans, and other artists.

Since then, the World Science Fiction Society has sponsored Worldcon every year except the World War II years of 1942-1945.

This year, Glasgow hosted the 82nd Worldcon, with a half-dozen Guests of Honor and a total of more than 8000 attendees, about 7200 in-person and upwards of 600 online.

Worldcons offer a number of activities, including Guest of Honor presentations, panel discussions, author autograph opportunities, multiple parties, the Hugo Awards, board games, card games, role-playing games, a vendor’s room, art shows, and a business meeting to decide the location of future conventions.

Seattle will welcome the 83rd Worldcon from August 13-17, 2025, hosted by authors K. Tempest Bradford and Nisi Shawl. Guests of Honor will include:

• Martha Wells (author)

• Donato Giancola (artist)

• Bridget Landry (fan)

• Alexander James Adams (musician)

“Building Yesterday’s Future–For Everyone” is the theme of next year’s convention, celebrating science fiction’s optimism from a half-century past, expressed in today’s spirit of multiculturalism and inclusion.

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You can register online to attend in person or virtually. Registration includes the right to vote for next year’s Hugos.

I plan to attend. Please respond in the comments if you expect to be there as well. Perhaps we can set up a small Cosmic Codex party to join the fun! :)

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My latest novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.

When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world. With mind-bending alien biology and gut-wrenching sacrifices, this tale of planetary exploration gone horribly wrong will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Prepare for a journey into the unknown that will challenge everything you thought you knew about life in the cosmos!

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in November: Short Story Smorgasbord.

Nearly 65 short stories, available at no cost.

Get your FREE copy of Warmonger by Monique Singleton!

In the near future, France is ruled by an ultra-right minded president. The country is in chaos, the chasm between rich and poor is ever increasing. Unwittingly a beautiful woman becomes the catalyst that starts not only a new French Revolution but also the Third World War.

But what is the role of the strange priest in all this? Who is he? Or more appropriately, what is he?

An intense story full of international intrigue, unexpected twists and a mind-blowing finale.

Download your free copy of Warmonger and emerge yourself in the Primal series. You will not regret it.

Back in September, I reported a status of “First Draft” or “Final Draft” for 56% of the material intended for Probability Amplitudes, my upcoming collection.

I’m finding this journey through my first book to be an exercise in refining my progress tracking. In this case, I’d based my estimates on a completed (or so, at 26,000 words, I thought) first draft of a story entitled “Fire From Heaven,” and my plans for its as-yet unwritten 20,000 word companion story, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”

Those of you who’ve read my article from October 7, or have purchased Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror, may be aware "Nasty, Brutish, and Short" turned out to be nowhere near 20,000 words. It ended up a “mere” 9779 words. And when I’d finished editing “Fire From Heaven,” I discovered it to be a 8722 word novelette hiding inside 26,000 words of a (to quote author Anne Lamott) “shitty first draft.” This sent approximately 7500 words right back into “New Material Required” status.

But I’m happy about it. Because "Fire From Heaven" is better at 9779 words than at 26,000. Much better.

I expect more course corrections like this as I work my way toward publication, but as long as they make the book better, bring them on!

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Current status: 47% of the material for Probability Amplitudes is in “First Draft” or “Final Draft” status.

Questions or comments? Please share your thoughts!

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My latest novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.

When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world. With mind-bending alien biology and gut-wrenching sacrifices, this tale of planetary exploration gone horribly wrong will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Prepare for a journey into the unknown that will challenge everything you thought you knew about life in the cosmos!

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in September: Free Fantasy & SciFi.

Seventy science fiction and fantasy books, available at no cost.

A black hole is coming for Earth, but that is only the beginning of Miranda’s problems.

Get a free sample of Without a World by Kristen Illarmo!

Subscribe to Kristen's newsletter and receive special offers, new release details, and a welcome gift delivered right to your inbox.

20% off for new readers!

She thought life in the Trash Lands was bad, scraping for food and water, wishing she could blend into the sea of ash. But when she learns her mother was right, Earth will get sucked into a black hole, Miranda must trust in skills she never knew she had to get to a place she refused to believe existed. When she finds an idyllic new world, to Miranda’s surprise, she cannot turn her back on the suffering on Earth, but will she risk it all to save a doomed world?

Without A World, the first book in the Kirasu Rising duology, delivers non-stop adventure as we race through space and alternate dimensions alongside a strong female protagonist. Fans of Marie Lu will love this action-packed science-fantasy duology.

Last month, I had the privilege to participate in the Sturgeon Symposium at the University of Kansas.

While we spent most of Thursday and Friday discussing the work of Samuel R. Delany, the highlight was the presentation of the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best science fiction short story published last year.

The jury selected "Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200" by R.S.A. Garcia.

A native of Trinidad, Garcia has also won the Independent Publishers Book Awards Silver Medal for Best Scifi/Fantasy/Horror Ebook. Attendees at the conference had the opportunity to listen to her read her short story. As it takes place in Trinidad, hearing it in her Trinidadian accent was a special treat.

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My latest novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.

When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world. With mind-bending alien biology and gut-wrenching sacrifices, this tale of planetary exploration gone horribly wrong will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Prepare for a journey into the unknown that will challenge everything you thought you knew about life in the cosmos!

My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in September: Free Fantasy & SciFi.

Seventy science fiction and fantasy books, available at no cost.

Indiana Jones meets Air Bud in this short tail of loyalty, responsibility, and adventure set in The Realm of Reason...

Get your FREE copy of Seeker by August Niehaus.

Opie works a boring government job so he can send money back home on Mars to his drug-addicted parents (who don't even remember their son is a cybernetic human-dog hybrid now). He's got a chip-slot in his tongue that allows him to speak any language that can be loaded onto silicon, and a sense of morality more true than any compass — making him the perfect errand boy for people like Section Chief Ferra Cain, head of the Human Authority Tactical Intelligence.

When Cain summons Opie to the backwater planet of Shihar to act as guide for an expedition headed up by the native Shihari people, it seems like a pretty standard mission: don't let the Shihari get greedy. Don't let the mission go off the rails. DON'T let anyone take the payload.

But as the mission wears on, it's the very things that made Opie the perfect spy that plant the seeds of doubt in his mind. As he ponders the right path, Opie will make choices that change the course of the mission — and his life.

As the United States anticipates the possibility of our first black, female president, I want to share Robert A. Heinlein’s vision from nearly 45 years ago.

His essay/short story hybrid “The Happy Days Ahead”/”’Over the rainbow—’,” included in the 1980 collection Expanded Universe, considers an eventuality where a black woman (based on Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols,) is elected vice president. She then unexpectedly comes to power in the wake of concerns over the competency of her predecessor. Both before and after becoming president, she faces the bigotry of racism and sexism, but succeeds by serving the American people as a whole, refusing to cater exclusively to either side of the political divide or to any particular interest group.

In the course of her administration, she faces economic, immigration, and environmental concerns, tackling each with bold initiatives, eventually winning re-election.

One passage, in particular, stands out today. It’s Heinlein’s commentary on the latent power of women in American politics. I’ve never forgotten it, and over the past two years, I’ve started to see it realized. In the words of Heinlein’s Madam President:

‘We women are a majority, by so many millions that in an election it would be called a landslide. And will be a landslide, on anything, any time women really want it to be. So women don’t need favors; they just need to make up their minds what they want—then take it.’

Happy election day, my fellow Americans! No matter your political philosophy or affiliation, please exercise your right to vote today.

Update (11-6-24): And it’s still coming. Maybe we’ll get over the rainbow one day…

Questions or comments? Please share your thoughts!

Leave a comment

My latest novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.

When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world. With mind-bending alien biology and gut-wrenching sacrifices, this tale of planetary exploration gone horribly wrong will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Prepare for a journey into the unknown that will challenge everything you thought you knew about life in the cosmos!