Book review: Voids

In the near future, overpopulation is dealt with by a special force of individuals known as Sterilization Agents. Each one is tasked with tracking down deadbeat fathers and ensuring (legally) that these men no longer procreate by zapping them in the groin with a special gun that effectively neuters them.  Danny Seraphine is one such agent who finds particular satisfaction in his job, perhaps due to the fact that his own father left his family when Seraphine was only 9 years old.

Aside from his job, Seraphine leads a somewhat normal life, though not without complications.  Seraphine and his wife, Emily, are having pregnancy issues.  After their first child, Marnie, was stillborn, Seraphine isn't sure if he wants another, despite Emily's eagerness. Also, Seraphine's little brother, Zack, is in prison, known as The Farm, and Seraphine has yet to visit. And then there's the little matter of the ethereal transparent shapes Seraphine keeps seeing wherever he goes, the mysterious, titular voids.

Add to the above mix an introduction to a future society and its various technologies and you've got a recipe for an enjoyable read. Voids, from Omnium Gatherum is also a quick read, and not just because it's a novella. Written by Tim Jeffreys and Martin Greaves, the prose sings as it leaps from the page, urging the reader on to the next. And by the time the reader reaches the end, all of the plot threads have been neatly resolved.  I highly recommend Voids to anyone who reads science fiction or to anyone with any kind of experience (be it firsthand or otherwise) with deadbeat dads.

The Great Exodus Part 3

Part 3 of my novella "The Great Exodus," appears in issue 15 of Plasma Frequency Magazine, out today. It is a fantasy about a warrior, cast out from his society, who is tasked with escorting a young telepath across the wasteland to a city where her mental talents can be better utilized. Look for the rest of the novella in the upcoming four issues. You can find issue 15 of Plasma Frequency Magazine here. If you missed part 1 or 2, you can find them by clicking the Back Issues link at the top of the Plasma Frequency Magazine home page. Other authors in the ToC this issue include Stewart C. Baker, Natalia Theodoridou, Bridget A. Natale, D.A. D'Amico, Justin C. Key, Dennis Mombauer, Rhonda Parrish, Daniel Powell, Gary Emmette Chandler and Brad Baker.

                                
                                     Cover: "Restricted Atmospheric Space" by Milan Jaram

'The Great Exodus' Part 2

Part 2 of my novella "The Great Exodus," appears in issue 14 of Plasma Frequency Magazine. It is a fantasy about a warrior, cast out from his society, who is tasked with escorting a young telepath across the wasteland to a city where her mental talents can be better utilized. Look for the rest of the novella in the upcoming four issues. You can find issue 14 of Plasma Frequency Magazine here. If you missed part 1, you can find it here. Other authors in the ToC include Jes Rausch, Andrew Knighton, DeAnna Knippling, Damien Krsteski, Jamie Lackey, Sylvia Anna Hiven, Nyki Blatchley, Nicole Tanquary, John Zaharick, and Frances Silversmith.

Cover art by Johnathan Orr

"The Great Exodus: Into the Wasteland" available now

Part 1 of my novella "The Great Exodus," appears in issue 13 of Plasma Frequency Magazine. It is a fantasy about a warrior, cast out from his society, who is tasked with escorting a young telepath across the wasteland to a city where her mental talents can be better utilized. Look for the rest of the novella in the upcoming five issues. You can find issue 13 of Plasma Frequency Magazine here.

The Kelpie's Revenge, by Tais Teng

Novella to be published by Plasma Frequency Magazine

"The Great Exodus" has been accepted at Plasma Frequency Magazine and will be published in six parts, beginning this August in issue 13 and continuing through to issue 18. The story contains elements of science fiction and fantasy and was great fun to write. I am proud to have "The Great Exodus" appear in the pages of Plasma Frequency Magazine.

Above, is the cover art for the June/July issue. Artwork by Tais Teng.