On shelves now!

Bards and Sages Quarterly's January issue is out now and it contains my short story "Deja Mu." Start 2017 out with a group of fine stories by a group of wonderful writers who include:

Andrew Knighton
A.J. Flowers
Steve Evans
Taylor Harbin
Eric Lewis
Walter G. Esselman
Sean Garvey
P.J. Keuning
Molly N. Moss
B.C. Nance
Josh Pearce

Here's a cover image to whet your appetite.

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.

Mine Sweeper is live online

My zombies-in-space tale, Mine Sweeper, is one of the featured stories on Gold Shader's website right now, so head on over and give it a read, if you're so inclined. Other featured stories are available on the main page of the site. All of these stories, along with four others, are available in Gold Shader's first anthology, Game Fiction: Vol. 1, which is available in print or digital format.

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Game fiction anthology now available

The Gold Shader Press just released Game Fiction: Volume One, an anthology of stories about, based on and inspired by games and gaming. My short story, "Mine Sweeper" is among the thirteen tales within. The anthology is available both in print and electronic versions and "Mine Sweeper" will later be released as a podcast. Check out Gold Shader at Patreon for more about their game fiction and podcasts.

Aside from myself, the anthology also includes stories from:

Justin McElroy
Morgan Crooks
Halli Lilburn
Robin Dunn
Joanna Koch
Robert J Santa
Michael B Tager
Cathy Smith
Lyn McConchie
Joshua Schwartzkopf
Ellen Denton

"Jacked" podcast

My short story "Jacked" is now a podcast up at Third Flatiron Anthologies with a lovely intro by Juliana Rew and read with extraordinary talent by Keely Rew. "Jacked" originally appeared in Third Flatiron's Only Disconnect anthology. You can listen to the podcast here.

Game Fiction Volume One announces release date

The Gold Shader's Game Fiction Volume 1 anthology in which my short story, "Mine Sweeper" appears, is slated for a Sept. 1 release. Take a gander at the cover below, along with a list of authors below that. If you'd like a preview, head on over to the site.

                                                                 Justin McElroy
                                                                 Morgan Crooks
                                                                 Halli Lilburn
                                                                 Robin Dunn
                                                                 Joanna Koch
                                                                 Robert J. Santa
                                                                 Michael B. Tager
                                                                 Cathy Smith
                                                                 Steve Coate
                                                                 Lyn McConchie
                                                                 Joshua Schwarzkopf
                                                                 Ellen Denton

A Bard's Tale

Pick up your copy of Bards and Sages Quarterly's July edition today and you can read my latest story "Spiritual Reflection." It's neither a story about a bard nor a sage, but I think you'll enjoy it just the same. It's actually a story inspired by an odd call I once took while working as an editorial assistant at the Sun Sentinel.

If that's not enough to whet your appetite, here's a full table of contents:


Spiritual Reflection by Steve Coate
The Flower that Fades and Fa's by Malcolm Laughton
Eulogy for a Hero by Bryan Hulse
Bloom by Sean Turner McLeod
And a Sower Goes Forth by Stephen McQuiggan
A Foregone Conclusion by Connor and Sylvia Wrigley
Snatching the Lute by Gerry Huntman
Son of the Empire by Tyler Bourassa
The Corner of Forty-Sixth and Ninth by Julia Martins

                                                           Cover by Nathan Hyde

Story sale

So it turns out all that time playing computer games has paid off. At least, the time spent playing Minesweeper. My short story, "Mine Sweeper," inspired by the computer game, has just been accepted into an anthology of game fiction from Gold Shader. The anthology should be out sometime this fall. At which time you can read my story that deals with zombies in space.

Yes, that's right. Zombies. In space.

More details as the date approaches.

Anthology available now!

You can get your copy of Only Disconnect from Third Flatiron Anthologies here. The book contains several science fiction, fantasy and horror stories about the pitfalls of distraction and overstimulation. My science fiction tale "Jacked" appears within its pages. "Jacked" is also available as a podcast, which you can soon listen to here.

The proof is in the galley

Just got my galley proof of Bards and Sages Quarterly's July issue, in which my short story "Spiritual Reflection" appears. It's a story that was inspired by a phone call I took while working as an editorial assistant at the Sun Sentinel. Look for the issue, which contains tales by eight other authors as well, in just over a month. In the meantime, you can find out more about Bards and Sages Quarterly by clicking the link. And if that's not enough to keep you occupied, here's a pic of their most recent issue:

"Only Disconnect" lineup announced

Third Flatiron Anthologies have announced the table of contents for their latest anthology, "Only Disconnect," and it includes my short story, "Jacked." The anthology will be available as an e-book and in print on demand. It publishes June 1, but is available for pre-order now. Additionally, I'm happy to report that "Jacked" will also be available as a podcast from Third Flatiron. Below is a look at the cover. You can find the full lineup of authors here.

Short story sale

Third Flatiron Anthologies just picked up my short story "Jacked" for their Only Disconnect anthology slated for publication in June. Watch this space for more information as the date approaches. In the meantime, check out their latest anthology, The Time It Happened.

The Great Exodus Part 4

Part four of "The Great Exodus" is now available in Plasma Frequency Magazine #16. It's available in numerous formats. Read it online at the website, get it in ebook form, or if you like the feel of paper in your hands as you read, get a print copy. Whatever your choice, you can find a link to it at the magazine website, linked above.

                                          Cover: "The Arch of Unimagined Bridges" by Jon Orr

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

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.

Publication news

My time travel short story, "One Last Time," was just picked up by Diabolic Publications LLC for inclusion in their Ether World anthology. Ether World is an anthology of science fiction in which some future technology is necessary to the plot of each tale within its pages.  I'd say "One Last Time" fits the bill.  But why don't you tell me after you've read it? Look for the anthology early next year. And of course, watch this space for updates.

Publication news

I'm pleased to announce that my science fiction story "A Soldier's Son" has been picked up by Ray Gun Revival. "A Soldier's Son" is the story of an army private trapped behind enemy lines on an alien planet, and I had a blast writing it, though it turned out a bit different than what I had in mind when I started the story. I had a definite ending in mind, and against the odds, the good private thwarted me. But to be honest, I think his ending turned out better.

Fiction Friday: Snow Crash

Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash is science fiction at its best.  The tale follows the adventures of teen skateboard courier Y.T. (Yours Truly) and pizza deliveryman Hiro Protagonist, who coincidentally, bills himself as the world's finest swordsman. Working together they discover someone is attempting to loose a deadly computer virus that might bring about the destruction of humankind as we know it.

This one has it all.  Suitcase nukes, a sociopathic killer who specializes in killing with weapons of plate glass, a nuclear submarine, the Mafia, Japanese rappers, Biblical references and a virtual world (very much like Second Life and other mmorpgs) called the Metaverse.

But don't take my word for it.  Check out this nifty book trailer featuring Legos and the voicework of high school English students.

Fiction Friday

John Barnes' Directive 51 (ACE, 2010) is a futuristic apocalyptic novel that explores what might happen to the national government (and the rest of the world for that matter) when a major catastrophe strikes, and the president is no longer capable of continuing in his role as commander in chief.

The titular directive refers to one that actually exists today, providing "that in a case of unprecedented disaster a specific Federal official will become temporary dictator, with nearly unlimited power and a mission to restore Constitutional government as quickly as possible."

Barnes explores this in Directive 51, but does not allow the politics to bog down the rest of the book.  The novel is filled with acts of terror, dramatic tension, survivalism and even romance.  The characters, even those secondary to the plot, experience real change throughout the course of the novel. 

Called "the thinking person's techno-thriller," by S.M. Stirling, I'd recommend this to any reader of science fiction.

Moving and anthologies

So I'm in the midst of moving the Coaterack from another blogging site, here to Blogger.

Please pardon the dust during construction.

In the meantime, here are a few anthologies I'm looking forward to in the near future that you may find interesting as well:

The Spirit of Poe is an anthology of Edgar Allan Poe inspired short stories and poems produced by Literary Landmark Press.  Every cent earned from the sale of the anthology will go to the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, which recently lost $80,000 worth of funding from the city.  The anthology is planned to be released on Halloween of this year.

Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations is what you might expect from the title.  As the editor's site says, the anthology will be filled with "dark tales of horror, speculative fiction, and to a lesser degree science fiction, relating to civilizations that are lost, or have been forgotten, or have been rediscovered, or perhaps merely spoken about in great and fearful whispers. Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations is currently set for Spring 2012 publication.

Mutation Nation from Rainstorm Press is the anthology for the lover of horror, science fiction and all things strange.  This looks to be interesting, with an infinite number of possibilities for stories.  From the publisher's website: "Who are these human oddities? How do these characters and/or the people in their lives deal with the curse-or the blessing-of their mutations? This anthology will contain stories that explain these human mutations-and their consequences." Mutation Nation is set for release Dec. 1.