Lightning Strikes in Perihelion

15 September, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 2 Comments

My hard sci-fi story “Lightning Strikes” has just appeared in the current issue of Perihelion.

David Bron’s on a mission to stop his son from getting killed for the sake of an electrical art piece. Bron’s got a bounty hunter on his tail and an out of whack ship. And the electric art is about to begin.

There are some other top stories in the issue too, and a great editorial from editor Sam Bellotto.

This is my third story in Perihelion, after “Stone 382” last year, and “Quisic Smith and the Russian Puzzle Doll” in January.

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.

“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.

“Mars Bomb Bound for Titan” in James Gunn’s Ad Astra

16 June, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 1 Comment

My science fiction political environmental thriller short “Mars Bomb Bound for Titan” has just come out in issue 3 of James Gunn’s Ad Astra from the Kansas University Center for the Study of Science Fiction.

What if authorities thwarted your plans to seed Mars with algae and higher forms? What if you went to prison for it? When Carmen gets out she’s ready to take a quiet research assistant job and put all that behind her. Except the group who want to see Titan need her expertise. And if they have to they’ll take it at gunpoint.

Ad Astra is an annual publication. K.C. Ball*, had a story in last year’s edition. I seem to follow her around a bit – I had a story in Perihelion not long after one of hers. Hopefully I can tag along to Analog, Lightspeed and Writers of the Future.

*K.C. published one of my stories in her online flash fiction publication 10Flash a few years back, so I remain grateful and admiring.

“Scorched” in Takahe 81

13 June, 201413 June, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

I have a long history with the New Zealand literary magazine Takahe. I first had a story in issue 11 too many years ago to mention. And I’ve had numerous since (seven in total, I think). This year they’re celebrating their 30th year of publishing.

Issue 81 includes my story “Scorched”, a little tale about a new marriage, a petrol station and an underground cable driving machine. Guess from the title how well that goes. It’s just 2800 words: now I need to learn how to write my sci-fi that short (I tend to go on a bit when I’ve got robots and implants and giant alien spaceships).

The issue came out a little while ago, but my copy (it’s only in print, no ebook) got lost in the mail. I’ve only just received the replacement (and cheque, thanks!). Eventually I’ll pop the story into an ebook through Triple V. My last Takahe story, “Back from Vermont” is out in a little collection with a couple of others here for $4.49.

“Ripples from the Weather Aggregator” at Black Denim Lit.

10 June, 2014 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 2 Comments

My story “Ripples from the Weather Aggregator” is in the June issue of Black Denim Lit. BDLit is a fairly new publication, but is going from strength to strength. This is my second story with them. I kind of like the cover highlighting Michael Haynes’s story. My own story is another action-adventure with science fiction tinges to it.
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In the line at Heathrow, Jaclyn kept seeing suspicious characters. Any one of these people could be after her. Once she was in the air, it would be all right. Everything would be fine. All she had to do was get off the ground. She wondered if they could touch her once she was through passport control. Did they have people on the other side?

Read on at Black Denim Lit.

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