Short stories: a city trader, non-paternity events, dark matter galaxies and a deal to clean up the planet. Plus heroic fantasy... what could go wrong?
Master of the Universe and other stories
Master of the Universe
Genre Fiction
How near have you been to the halls of power? What was it like? Were you seduced? Do you find yourself attracted by a life of affluence, collecting the rare and the unique simply in order to deny others the chance to do the same? What would it take to change your point of view? And if you did, would you look at your collection of pointless plenty the same way?
Master of the Universe tells of a city trader (who else?) with a big secret. He’s done well for himself, yet his life is full of worthless trivia. A twist at the end.
Derelict
Science Fiction
At great expense an exploration and survey vessel is commissioned and is investigating VIRGOHI121. If you’re into astronomy you’ll know that this is a place where the proportion of dark matter to normal matter is abnormally high. Dark matter galaxies can be risky and if you find a space derelict there, you can bet the risk factor goes up. Just to make things interesting UK-WorldGov (the British Empire in all but name) is sponsoring this mission.
Night of Life
Science Fiction / Romance
Humanity are putting a lot of effort into cleaning up the planet. That’s the deal or they won’t get access to star drive technology. You see the earth has just been discovered by aliens – the epheleri. By day Eddy works the Mississippi levees; after dark he hooks into shared dream world – Night of Life. By the way, nobody knows what an epheleri looks like. Take it from there Eddy…
Cuckoo
Science Fiction / Bildungsroman
…is the sequel to Night of Life. Naturally it has aliens in, but it also deals with Gene-Capture – adultery for those who prefer straight talking. An eye-opener on the whole male-female relationship.
Check out http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/axhsk5/nonpaternity.htm
What a can of worms. Will you ever look at your partner the same?
Joe
Science Fiction
The Earth has been overrun by xenophids – giant sized creatures from outer-space. Joe is trying to contact survivors and he’s looking for them in the Appalachians. Humanity is on the brink of extinction, yet not everyone he meets is pulling the same way. First Contact with a vengeance. Shades of Orson Welles!
Flower to Tree
Science Fiction
Flower to Tree is a human colony. Scratch that – was a human colony.
A prequel to Joe with a twist at the end.
City
Fantasy
“The Colera drifted on, an endless flow from mountain… …to Turalam, a jewel in the dusty canvas of the plains.”
City - a darker underside to fantasy.
Orby
Heroic Fantasy
Brant is a knight errant and he’s off to Orby to buy one of the famed Brychon ponies. His work is risk, adventure and doomed quests. Orby is a township in the troubled kingdom of Elinor. It also happens to be the place where Princess Aralie, the rightful heir, is held captive. What could go wrong?
Where Wild Things Play
Mythic Fantasy
Brant is in a bleak mood. He has left Orby and is in Brychon Woods. These woods are supposed to be the haunt of Soul Bleeds and Night Frights, creatures that feed off emotions. Where Brant comes from, such creatures are considered superstitious nonsense. What could go wrong?
Excerpt
excerpt from 'Flower to Tree'
Fszzt. Fszzt.
Aellyn shrugged aside the bitter wind. Her parents were here. They'd been here many days, well over a week. Here in Flower to Tree.
Flower to Tree.
Beware its honour guard of wired fencing tangled into thickets of mesh, held tight by the serrated tears to its fabric. A deadly trap of tangled wire. Razor edged. Not to be approached.
Look at the control tower. Gaping sections made the edifice ragged. Three stories high - topped by a mast that drooped at a doleful angle.
Fszzt. Fszzt.
The sound echoed dully through fresh ruins. The little still standing hadn't had time to fall down.
A recent depredation. No new signs. Yet.
In places partly fallen masonry gave the illusion of shelter. A bitter comfort in these left over shreds of a former settlement.
Flower to Tree was become ruin.
Beyond this ruin, fields already showed signs of returning to their native biology. Alien biology. No longer kept at bay.
And at the edges of those fields, a mile or so distant, were the static forms that constituted life on this planet. Immobile. Twisted strangely. Weirdly shaped.
Fszzt, fszzt.
That sound from before. But what?
Part Three in the Mu Series - Sarah Thompson reluctantly abandons her desperate search for her soul mate on Maui and returns to her Montana hometown. Her brother has had a terrible accident...