Announcing the Spring Season!
A look at Spring 2024
The theme of the Spring Season will be Science-Fiction.
All of the One Shots and the Novella will be scifi, of different flavours. Let’s jump right in.
Thursday Novella: Hunted
A 10-chapter space opera following our mercenary crew, Padoan, Mae, Trent, Raun, Sasha, Z3, and a mysterious metallic stowaway about the Firethorn as they outrun viscious hunters, accept a contract to involve themselves in a civil war, and end up crashlanding on a jungle moon.
Hunted, surrounded by enemies, and stuck on a moon would be a bad start to any job and it only gets worse.
CHAPTER 1 - MARCH 21st
The Firethorn is a small frigate capable of outrunning even the most persistent law enforcement. A mercenary company focussing on infiltration, unofficial operations, and dirty dealings is welcomed on few planets, moons, or space stations. Fortunately, few people know who they really are.
Our intrepid crew:
Padoan, captain and founder (by virtue of owning the ship), is a former soldier who struggles to pilot his own ship. Oddly calm and thoughtful for being chased across the galaxy by relentless hunters from an unknown enemy.
Mae, the young pilot entrusted with flying the Firethorn. She is an excellent pilot, though has poor spacial awarenress. Not a problem in space, most of the time.
Trent, former military but he won’t say who or where, sometimes claims he “doesn’t have the clearance” to reveal his own background, Padoan doesn’t buy it but he is a crack shot and is capable of solo-missions for big payouts. Can’t handle his drink, can handle any weapon known to man.
Raun, former military. Likes a clean job and hates guesswork.
Sasha, engineer, keeps the Firethorn flying when it should be going into a starport for repairs. Oldest member of the crew and least stable.
Z3, Sasha’s floating toolbox, equipped with torches, lasers, spanners, drills, clamps, and much more all in a ten-inch sphere that beeps and boops.
The Mysterious Metal Stowaway. All will be revealed…
Tuesday One Shots
12 short stories where we will be diving into a range of science-fiction, from horror, to dystopia, to post-apocalypse, to the nature of consciousness.
But first will be a story inspired by the Lunar Awards Sci-Fi Prompt Quest:
Write a science fiction short story that takes place on an off-world colony amidst an alien invasion. Your protagonist embraces the chaos, utilizing reckless tactics in order to escape certain death. The other option is to save the colonists by activating an experimental technology or an artifact. What option will your unpredictable shadow figure choose?
Level Up!
(Optional) The story should be written in first person perspective and your protagonist is fighting the good fight with a missing limb.
In preparation for this first One Shot I recommend reading this, free-to-read, one from my Archive:
The Winter Season of Ixonia will go behind the paywall at the end of March. There it will join 7 Novellas and over 35 One Shots in the Paid Collection, all readable for a very reasonable price.
