Posts filed under ‘PUBLISHED WORKS’
THE GHOST OF E. A. POE
THE GHOST OF E. A. POE
My latest published short story, The Price of Success, was published this month by Yellow Mama. Accompanying the story was a drawing by April Lafleur which capture the essence of the story.
The Price of Success reveals the unexpected results a writer of horror has when collaborating with the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe. Accepting help from the ghost the struggling writer realizes, only too late, the consequences of his decision.
The primary location of this story is Baldwin’s Book Barn one of my favorite bookstores located in West Chester, PA. Home of one of the finest used bookstores in the country.
ANNOTHER STORY ACCEPTED
A break from my The War of the Worlds posts.
I just recently learned that YELLOW MAMA has accepted my short story, The Price of Success, for publication. It will appear in issue #106 on October 15, 2024. This is a first for me for this story has been previously published.
I want to share with writers who follow my blog of some trends I have notice concerning publishers.
More and more publishers are considering and accepting previously published work from writers. If you own the rights. Also, many publishers now accept simultaneous submissions. In the past you would submit a work and sometimes wait nearly a year to be told whether it was accepted or rejected. From some publishers, you would never hear from them. Of course, this means rejection. But in the meantime, you sat on the work waiting for an answer. Now you can submit your work to multiple publishers at the same time which increases the odds of getting published and can serve to reduce the waiting time.
Finally, another recent trend is the existence of podcasts looking for stories.
I hope this discussion helps writers to find a home for their work.
I must mention that the setting for The Price of Success is Baldwin’s Book Barn. This was my second published short story which took place at this location. My next post will discuss this fantastic store of used books.
HAWAIIAN DISASTERS IN PRINT
HAWAIIAN DISASTERS IN PRINT
There is a new novel recently published by Michael Crichton, posthumously entitled, Eruption, involving the threat of a volcanic eruption on The Big Island of the Hawaiian islands. The novel also involves the revelation of a secret of the military. Currently this novel is on the New York Times bestseller list for hardcover fiction.
I mention this for there is another novel, published in the recent past, which also involves the eruption of volcanos along the entire chain of the Hawaiian islands. What follows is a disaster of unbelievable proportions which will change the world forever.
For those interested, contact me and I will give further information about this novel.
MY LATEST PUBLICATION: REVENGE AND REDEMPTION
I’m taking a break today from posting parts of my short story, Doomed By Progress, in order to share a link to my just published short story, Revenge and Redemption. For those familiar with my work, you will see that this is a departure from my usual fare.
WARNING
The website, YELLOW MAMA, is a mature website.
Also, my story contains some rather strong language. But this is necessary to make the character who he is.
I hope you enjoy the story.
DOOMED BY PROGRESS: A SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORY, PART V
DOOMED BY PROGRESS
Due to technical difficulties, I will need to postpone my posting of The Ultimate Experiment. So, for now, I will begin posting my short story, Doomed by Progress. This story was published by Aphelion in May 2010.
It began slowly, then snowballed. It is difficult to use that term for there was little snow or ice left on the planet. Cities, once told of the possibility of flooding, were either flooded or completely underwater. The increase in use of air conditioners throughout newly emerging economies, with the requisite demand for greater amounts of electricity led to stronger economies.
However, none of the countries, with this new wealth, spent any money on infrastructure. The problem being that this new fortune was lining the pockets of politicians and others in power.
As a result, electric grids in these counties with new wealth began to fail. And after a few years, because of the dramatic increase in temperature due to the vast amount of heat from air conditioners, in conjunction with the pollution contributed by the coal burned power plants to produce the demand for electricity, areas once appreciating the benefit of cool air, became too hot for human habitation.
Initially, people living in these areas of ever-growing heat sought out any place providing comfort. Malls, stores and movie theaters were crowded beyond belief. But as electricity became more expensive and unreliable, these “oases slowly disappeared.
It began slowly, then snowballed. It is difficult to use that term for there was little snow or ice left on the planet. Cities, once told of the possibility of flooding, were either flooded or completely underwater. The increase in use of air conditioners throughout newly emerging economies, with the requisite demand for greater amounts of electricity led to stronger economies.
However, none of the countries, with this new wealth, spent any money on infrastructure. The problem being that this new fortune was lining the pockets of politicians and others in power.
As a result, electric grids in these counties with new wealth began to fail. And after a few years, because of the dramatic increase in temperature due to the vast amount of heat from air conditioners, in conjunction with the pollution contributed by the coal burned power plants to produce the demand for electricity, areas once appreciating the benefit of cool air, became too hot for human habitation.
Initially, people living in these areas of ever-growing heat sought out any place providing comfort. Malls, stores and movie theaters were crowded beyond belief. But as electricity became more expensive and unreliable, these “oases slowly disappeared.
DOOMED BY PROGRESS: A SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORY, PART III
DOOMED BY PROGRESS
Due to technical difficulties, I will need to postpone my posting of The Ultimate Experiment. So, for now, I will begin posting my short story, Doomed by progress. This is an unpublished story.
Twenty years later
With sweat on his brow, David said to Lisa, “Isn’t this heat unusual for November?” His brow and the armpits of his shirt added proof to his question.
“I know, David, I know.” She had the air conditioner turned up to full, yet the house was uncomfortably warm. Lisa said, “This is just Iowa weather. You know we’ve had snow earlier than expected too.
Life went on. The acquisition of air conditioners spread to populations in dire need of life-saving cool air to defeat the killing temperatures. There, air conditioners were not considered a luxury but a lifesaver. At the same time enormous amounts of heat, the product of air conditioners, were released into the extreme heat outside their homes every day.
SHORT STORY PROGRESS UPDATE
SHORT STORY PROGRESS UPDATE
First, I was wrong in stating that The Ultimate Experiment was not published. It was published by Aphelion in issue 143 in May 2010.
So much for my record keeping.
I know I posted that I would not continue to post The Ultimate Experiment dure to technical problems. Well, I have managed to rescue a copy of the story. What I intend to do is continue to post Doomed by Progress until the completion of the story. Then I will begin reposting The Ultimate Experiment.
I hope you enjoy both stories.
HARD AND SOFT SCIENCE FICTION; WHAT ARE THEY
HARD AND SOFT SCIENCE FICTION
I’m sure science fiction addicts are well aware of the difference between hard and soft science fiction. But the occasional science fiction reader may not.
For soft science fiction, think Star Trek. The story line is science fiction but the scientific facts driving the story are not true science facts. The author creates the facts, and once created, must be adhered to them.
Hard science fiction is fiction where the story is created around actual science. The currently popular science fiction novel, The Three Body Problem, is a prime example of a hard science fiction story. Science using scientific facts to tell a story.
Soon I will offer a short story, The Ultimate Experiment, which is a hard science fiction story. As you read the story you will find fiction entwined with science fact.
Another story I wrote, The Universe in Balance, a hard science fiction story which, not long ago, I submitted to a publisher, and it was rejected. I did not mention to the publisher that it was a hard science fiction story. The publisher said that the story contained too much physics.
The story centered arounf the Big Bang which I consider the most mysterious subject in science.
To help explain the Big Bang Peter Higgs predicted the existence of the Higgs boson also known as “the God Particle”. Stephen Hawking proposed that “the God Particle” was the source of all the mass in the universe.
The existence of the Higgs boson was confirmed in 2012. Higgs won the Nobel Prize for his work the following year.
I submitted The Universe in Balance to another publisher explaining that it was a hard science fiction story, and it was accepted for publication by the Corner Bar Magazine. To find the story go to the Corner Bar Magazine website and to the Home page, then to Ostarablot, March 21, volume 9 issue 4. Hope you enjoy the story.
So, there you have it, the difference between hard and soft science fiction.
THE HORROR AT LAKE HARMONY: HORROR SHORT STORY, PART IX
HORROR AT LAKE HARMONY: HORROR SHORT STORY, PART THE IX
This story was published by Necrology Shorts in January 2010.
THE HORROR AT LAKE HARMONY
As I sat there waiting, I felt a strange fear creep into my bones as the waves gently caressed the shore. All was quiet; most of the campers were fast asleep. Would anything happen? Of course not, that is the stuff of movies!
The moon illuminated the water’s surface. I was tired, drowsy and falling asleep when I noticed a peculiar glow in the water. “The legend is not a legend!” A glow rose from the murky depths, two red-hot coals just below the water’s surface. Next, the unimaginable. The surface of the water parted and what greeted my eyes was unspeakable. The figure appeared a mockery of the human form. And the eyes, they appeared as two suns. I wanted to look away but couldn’t. Suddenly jets of flame exploded from those orbs of doom and blinded me. Entered my eyes, my brain.
I felt pain; I felt …
* * *
A local newspaper published an article telling of campers killed at Lake Harmony. After four years, the incident was only a vague memory, until …
THE END
THE HORROR AT LAKE HARMONY: HORROR STORY, PART VIII
This story was published by Necrology Shorts in January 2010.
THE HORROR AT LAKE HARMONY
I could not believe that circumstances were putting me in the one place I felt evil that evil might lurk. How could I tell my wife we should not go because of a legend I read in an old book? I admonished myself, “Get a grip. Too much Stephen King.”
We arrived at our campsite. It was a beautiful June day, yet I greeted our arrival with apprehension. We were camping with friends who occupied site 35. The next morning promised to be a day of adventure.
After a breakfast of blueberry pancakes with berries picked from bushes growing on the edge of the lake, we went boating. The afternoon was spent hiking along a trail surrounded by mountain laurel in full bloom. It had been a truly wonderful day. After a campfire, we said good night to our friends as they went to their tent. It was late and time to turn in. I told my wife to take our two girls and get ready for bed, that I would watch the embers of our dying fire.
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