The Whalefall in The Colored Lens

22 September, 201425 September, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

My novelette “The Whalefall” has just appeared in the Autumn 2014 issue of The Colored Lens. The story of a woman searching for her father lost at sea, on a distant planet where the sea life comes somewhat larger than here on Earth.

Cool to be sharing the contents page with, among others, David Kernot from across the ditch. David’s also one of the editors for issues of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine – in fact edited the issue that came out a couple of months ago with my story “Alecia in the Mechwurm”.

Yet Another Invader – in Fiction Vortex

8 September, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

My short piece “Yet Another Invader” appeared in the July issue of Fiction Vortex. This is an odd one, less adventure oriented, but still science fiction. Fex is stuck out in the wilds, trying to figure out how to remove an alien invader lodged in a piece of equipment. Somehow I missed the publication on the day it came out, but I got paid today so that jogged my memory. Fiction Vortex published my dieselpunk story “Memory Book” in August last year.

Here’s the opening of “Yet Another Invader”:

Night came quickly out this way. Always did.

It felt like the sun blasted the desert clean all day, as if some spectacular furnace was set on high and aimed right at this one spot before dropping off the side of the world.

I’d been here sixteen years now, at altitude, watching the sun pass overhead each day. When I arrived they called me Mr. Harding, but now I’m just Fex. I guess I can fix your stuff up better than most.

The Helmet – in Black Denim Lit

5 September, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

My story “The Helmet” has just come out in the August issue of Black Denim Lit. There’s been some delay with the issue (BD is still pretty new), but it’s nice to see it out now. “The Helmet” is a hard science fiction story set on a ship in the Kuiper Belt.
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Baz liked it out this way, among the Kuiper belt planets. He imagined the vacuum quieter, the light dimmer, the drift through the cosmos more peaceful. They’d left Chuapa behind a day ago, and were six days out from Sarinne. Lilly’d come to Baz with another offer. Come out with her ice gathering for three months and she’d forgive his debt.

How could he refuse?

Read on at Black Denim Lit.

Alecia in the Mechwurm in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine

3 July, 20143 July, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 4 Comments

Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #59

My short story “Alecia in the Mechwurm” has just come out in the latest issue (#59) of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. ASIM, along with Aurealis, carries the banner for Australian (and NZ, and well, I guess all of Oceania) Science Fiction. This is my second story with them (following “I am Nano” a couple of years ago). This issue is edited by the inestimable David Kernot, and I’m honored to be included in his issue.

“Alecia…” is another story under the Michael Shone penname (probably the last), and is set in the same universe (i.e. Mechwurms) as last year’s “The Flower Garden” which appeared in the Spring 2013 issue of The Colored Lens. If you’ve read that story, “Alecia…” is a slightly different tone – more hard sci-fi compared to “The Flower Garden’s” more literary leaning.

Interesting side-note: also on the contents page is Australian writer Steve Cameron, with whom I’ve shared a previous contents page, just this year in Outposts of Beyond.

“Low Arc” available at Baen Books

17 June, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 4 Comments

My short story “Low Arc” is now available at the Baen Books website. This is the story that won this year’s Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest, run by Baen Books and the National Space Society.
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Colin Bertelli thought that he’d left the dangerous work behind him when he quit his job as an ice miner at the Lunar South Pole and joined NASA. But Bertelli is about to discover that, on the moon, even the most routine work can be perilous and life on the lunar surface demands heroes. The pulse-pounding winner of the Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest.
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Also at the site is Marina J. Lostetter‘s wonderful second place story “Balance”.

My thanks to William Ledbetter, and Jim Minz and Tony Daniel at Baen for all their work with this.

Free Fiction – “Aerobrake” now available online.

27 May, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

My short story “Aerobrake”, originally published in The Colored Lens Winter 2014 issue, is now available free at The Colored Lens website.
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Claire’s got more than a few problems on her hands as she tries to wrestle errant satellites and ships into safe orbits. When she encounters a ship with a surprising occupant she’s going to do everything it takes to put things right.
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The whole issue is available on

Kindle, for $3.60,

or read the story free on their

website.

Thanks to editors Dawn and Daniel – this is one of my personal favourites.

My story “Low Arc” wins a prize.

18 March, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 8 Comments

Though some of you already know, I’m still thrilled to announce that my short story “Low Arc” has won the Grand Prize in the 2014 Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest.

The contest is sponsored by Baen books in conjunction with the National Space Society to celebrate the role science fiction plays in advancing science.

The brief is to write a short story that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. I stuck my guy on the moon, with an orbitting Orion capsule, and a busted up lander. And I got to use the very cool word “pericynthion” (which I learned during reading up and preparing the story).

So my next step is to get myself to L.A. in May to pick up the trophy, and, as part of the prize, attend the 2014 International Space Development Conference. Very excited.

800 – published in Black Denim Lit

10 March, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 1 Comment

My short story “800” is now out in the March 2014 issure of Black Denim Lit. This is free to read online. It’s a 3000 word sci-fi/literary tale about ageing and generation gaps. Nothing too serious. Here’s how it starts:
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Today my daughter is turning 769. July 16th. It might not seem like a milestone–no easily divisible figure like 750 or 777–but it is.

For me, at least.

Mary was born when I was a couple of months shy of my 31st birthday. This coming September I will turn 800.

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Keep reading here: 800

Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest 2014

7 February, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 3 Comments

I’m thrilled to be joining a group of esteemed writers as a finalist in the Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest 2014. Amazing to see my name on that list.

There are a few names I know there, and some dark horses. Some have been finalists in the Writers of the Future contest and others have been place getters in the Jim Baen contest previously (including myself in both of those categories). I do feel humbled being among such luminaries as Brad R. Torgersen (Writers of the Future winner, Hugo, Nebula and Campbell award nominee), Martin L. Shoemaker (stories in Analog and Galaxy’s Edge, and forthcoming in Gardner Dozios’s Year’s Best Science Fiction), Marina J. Lostetter (Writers of the Future winner [in the same quarter when I was a finalist, grrr], stories in Galaxy’s Edge, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show). Sheesh, I need to stop now, after all there are only three podium places.

Best of luck to everyone.

Blood Relation – sci fi story in Outposts of Beyond

5 February, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

My science fiction short story “Blood Relation” has just come out in the January issue of Outposts of Beyond. Sally’s waiting on her brother Bevan to decide whether to donate a kidney. On an asteroid belt-based space station running on limited resources it’s not an easy call for either kid. I’m still waiting on my copy, but it looks like a bunch of interesting stories in there. It’s available in print from the Alban Lake Store for $8.