PRESS RELEASES & NEWSLETTERS (full text below)
Free SF, Fantasy and Horror Fiction Newsletter #50: July 2015; Harper Collins; The Game Crafter; Union of Concerned Scientists; Creepy Campfire Quarterly; SUVUDU; Inkitt Writing Contests
SOCIAL
Dr. Claudia Alexander 1959 – 2015: Planetary Scientist
Think Racism Isn’t Real (or is over and done with)? Check This Out
How An Online Troll Destroyed A Life
The Sea Gonna Rise – Sooner, Higher and Faster Than You Thought
ENTERTAINMENT
Guardians of the Galaxy Animated Series Trailer “Lets Blow Stuff Up!”
Scary Spider Sex (May not be safe for work)
Now With Oculus Rift, You Can See Your Own Hands!
Unsung Space Movies via SF Signal
The Science Behind PIxar via Boskone on Facebook
Star Wars Saga Re-Release Schedule
New Iron Giant Poster via SF Signal
NSFW/NSF All Audiences: Darth Vader Costume Made From Sex Toys
Kim Stanley Robinson Interview on Doing Things Right via Michael Walsh on FB
Are You Ready for a New X-Files Trailer?
6 Foot Water Balloon – With A Man Inside
Post Apocalyptic Novels – Different Approaches Seem Gender-Based (FYI: “as far as I know, no one in the history of the genre ever has her period”. Check out Farnham’s Freehold by R.A. Heinlein….)
INDUSTRY
University of Iowa Starting to Digitize Fanzines via Paul Di Fillippo
Games Industry Hits 880 Million in Sales
Is It Really Hoarding When Its Books?
We’re On the Verge of the Post Capitalist Era (and just when business was really getting a handle on campaign financing)
GRRM-Reminder: Vote for the Hugo Awards!
Non-Fiction About Science Fiction
Salt Lake ComicCon Gets Supplemental Trademark; Battle with SDCC Continues
SCIENCE
First Launch from Canaveral (it was July 1950 and we were doing space)
SETI Gets a Major Financial Boost
Robot Passes Self-Awareness Test
“Bad Strut! Naughty Strut! No Treats For You!” Bad Strut Causes Falcon 9 Inflight Failure
‘Over the Horizon and Through the Van Allen Belts To the ISS We Go’ New Crew Finally Gets to Space Station
Ho-Hum: Kepler Finds Yet Another “Earth 2.0”
PRESS RELEASES & NEWSLETTERS
Free SF, Fantasy and Horror Fiction Newsletter #50
So we’re back with some free fiction. And I’ve included my oft-mentioned After The Fires Went Out: Coyote freebie, as Book Five: Amends is coming out on Wednesday.
Don’t Miss These Links:
- Abyss & Apex #55 – 3rd Quarter 2015
- Beneath Ceaseless Skies #177 – July 09, 2015
- Crossed Genres #31 – July 2015 – “Novelette”
- Heroic Fantasy Quarterly #24
- Kaleidotrope Summer 2015
Written
- Abyss & Apex #55 – 3rd Quarter 2015 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “Degrees of Separation” by Ruth Nestvold
- Flash Fiction:“The Probable Tradesman” by Gareth D. Jones
- Flash Fiction:“The Specialist” by Andrew Kaye
- Flash Fiction:“Via Memories” by Jeremiah Reinmiller
- “Mustard World” by James Victor
- “Prayer” by Mike Buckley
- “The Onmyoji’s Wife” by Kate MacLeod
- @AE – The Canadian Science Fiction Review:
- “A Multiverse Love Story” by Jakob Drud [Science Fiction]
- “Wire Paladin” by Stephen S. Power [Science Fiction]
- @Anotherealm: “First Day, Last Night” by R. M. Willis [Horror]
- Apex Magazine #74 – July 2015 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “All Who Tremble” by A.A. Balaskovits
- “Going Endo” by Rich Larson
- “Never Chose This Way” by Shira Lipkin
- @Aurora Wolf:
- “A Chilling Affair” by Nathan Elwood [Weird]
- “Daycare Isn’t Dull” by Kara Hartz [Science Fiction]
- “The Disease” by Harriet Darling [Fantasy]
- “The Wreck of the CSS Virginia” by Douglas Kolacki [Fantasy]
- @Baen: “We Fly” by K.B. Rylander [Science Fiction]
- Beneath Ceaseless Skies #177 – July 09, 2015 [Fantasy Magazine]
- Audio:“Court Bindings” by Karalynn Lee
- “Seasons Set in Skin” by Caroline M. Yoachim
- “Stone Prayers” by Kate Marshall
- @Chilling Tales for Dark Nights: “Be Careful What You Wish For” by Boris Stravinsky [Horror – also available as YouTube video]
- Clarkesworld Magazine #106 – July 2015 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “Android Whores Can’t Cry” by Natalia Theodoridou [Science Fiction]
- “Further North” by Kay Chronister [Science Fiction – also available in audio]
- “Hair” by Adam Roberts [Science Fiction – from 2009]
- “Hunger Tower” by Pan Haitian [Science Fiction]
- “Snakes” by Yoon Ha Lee [Science Fiction]
- “The Accord” by Keith Brooke [Science Fiction – from 2006]
- “When Your Child Strays From God” by Sam J. Miller [Science Fiction – also available in audio]
- @Cosmos Magazine: “Skins” by Rjurik Davidson [Near-Future Science Fiction]
- Crossed Genres #31 – July 2015 – “Novelette” [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “By the Numbers” by Lynn Kilmore
- “Elegy for the Green Earthrise” by Joanne Rixon
- “Little Men with Knives” by L.S. Johnson
- @Daily Science Fiction:
- “Eve’s Father” by Miriah Hetherington [Science Fiction]
- “This Is the Humming Hour” by Kate Heartfield [Fantasy]
- Electric Spec #10.2 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “Ageless Rock Star” by Malcolm Laughton
- “Cruising in an Event” by George Schaade
- “Details” by Jessica Kelly
- “Mass Exodus” by KC Grifant
- “Sowing Peace” by Jim Breyfogle
- Escape Pod #498 – “Everyone Will Want One” by Kelly Sandoval [Science Fiction – also available in audio]
- Galaxy’s Edge #15 – July 2015 [Science Fiction Magazine]
- “A Mild Case of Death” by David Gerrold
- “Do Not Fear to Touch Flesh” by Leena Likitalo
- Flash Fiction:“Escape Mechanism” by Josh Vogt
- “Form and Void” by Elizabeth Bear [from 2012]
- “Islands in the Sargasso (Sargasso Containment)” by Alex Shvartsman
- “Miss Darcy’s First Intergalactic Ballet Class” by Dantzel Cherry
- “Multiples” by Robert Silverberg [from 1983]
- “Saul’s Diary” by Lawrence Person
- “The Colossal Death Ray” by Ron Collins
- “The Eagle Has Landed” by Robert J. Sawyer [from 2005]
- “Tidal Effects” by Jack McDevitt [from 1985]
- @GigaNotoSaurus: “And The Ends of the Earth for Thy Possession” by Robert B Finegold, M.D. [Science Fiction – also available as eBook]
- Heroic Fantasy Quarterly #24 [Heroic Fantasy Magazine]
- “Melting Gold and Ashes” by Dennis Mombauer
- “The Madness of the Mansa” by Cullen Groves
- “The Reeds of Torin’s Field” by Andrea G. Stewart
- Kaleidotrope Summer 2015 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “Bitter Medicine” by C.A.L.
- “Chinese Poetry” by Robert Pritchard
- “Her Mother’s Child” by Julie Sondra Decker
- “Shuffle” by Jennifer K. Oliver
- “The Posthuman Condition” by Charlotte Ashley
- @Kasma SF: “The Taking of IOSA-2083” by C.J. Paget [Science Fiction]
- @Lightspeed Magazine:
- “Adventures in the Ghost Trade” by Liz Williams [Fantasy]
- “Crazy Rhythm” by Carrie Vaughn [Science Fiction – also available in audio]
- “Life on the Moon” by Tony Daniel [Science Fiction]
- @Mad Scientist Journal:
- “Escapement, or The Contemporary Coppelius” by Judith Field [Science Fiction / Steampunk]
- “The Counterweight” by Damien Krsteski [Science Fiction]
- Mirror Dance Summer 2015 [Fantasy Magazine]
- “The Dancing Bear” by Cordelia Harrison
- “For Those Who Deserve It” by Alexander Léger-Small
- “The Girl Turns West” by Darcie Little Badger
- “The King’s Quarry” by Chandler Groover
- “The Other Minotaur” by Catherine Brooke
- @Mythic Delirium: “The Sound of Blue” by Sara M. Harvey
- @Nightmare Magazine:
- “Replacements” by Lisa Tuttle [Horror]
- “The Cork Won’t Stay” by Nate Southard [Horror – also available in audio]
- “Wolves and Witches and Bears” by Alison Littlewood [Horror – also available in audio]
- Perihelion July 2015 [Science Fiction Magazine]
- “An Island in Your Arms” by James Patrick Riser
- “Deus Ex Machina” by Erin Lale
- Flash Fiction:“Dreamboat” by Robin Wyatt Dunn
- “Food, Glorious Food” by Joey To
- “Froggers” by Siobhan Gallagher
- “It’s, Like, So Boring at the End of the World” by Amy Sisson
- “Ooze Love” by Andrew James Woodyard
- “Rim’s End” by John Walters
- “Running Tangent” by Dale Ivan Smith and K.C. Ball
- “Shepherding” by Dave Creek
- “Technicality” by Holly Schofield
- @Short-Story.me:
- “Happily Ever After” by Eva Christine McClenny [Horror]
- “How to Interview a Goddess” by Samantha Bowsher [Fantasy]
- @Terraform:
- “Killing Taylor Swift: An Apple Music Love Story” by Drew Millard [Science Fiction]
- “Like a Sea Cucumber” by Rudy Rucker [Science Fiction]
- “The Rewilding” by Ben Goldfarb [Science Fiction]
- “The Space Pirates of World War III” by P.W. Singer and August Cole[Science Fiction]
- @The Colored Lens:
- “At Any Cost” by Ashley Rose Nicolato [Post-Apocalyptic]
- “The Mutable Sky” by Jamie Lackey [Speculative Fiction]
- @The WiFiles:
- “King of the Hill” by Kevin Bannigan Jr. [Speculative Fiction]
- “Lullaby for the Dead” by Kitty Sarkozy [Speculative Fiction]
- @Tor:
- “At the End of Babel” by Michael Livingston [Contemporary Fantasy]
- “Islands off the Coast of Capitola, 1978” by David Herter [Contemporary Fantasy]
- “The Deepest Rift” by Ruthanna Emrys [Hard Science Fiction]
- Uncanny Magazine #5 – July/August 2015 [Speculative Fiction Magazine – First Half of Fiction Now Posted]
- “Midnight Hour” by Mary Robinette Kowal
- “The Rainbow Flame” by Shveta Thakrar
- “Woman at Exhibition” by E. Lily Yu
- Unlikely Story #11.5 – April 2015 – The Journal of Unlikely Coulrophobia [Clown-based Speculative Fiction]
- “A Million Tiny Ropes” by Virginia M. Mohlere
- “Break the Face in the Jar by the Door” by Carlie St. George
- “Everyone’s A Clown” by Caroline M. Yoachim
- “Five Things Every Successful Clown Must Do” by Derek Manuel
- “Perfect Mime” by Sara K. McNeilly
- @Weird Fiction Review: “A Hard Truth About Waste Management” by Sumanth Prabhaker [Weird]
Written – Flash
- @365 tomorrows:
- “Along It Came” by Jake Teeny [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Behold Ragnarök” by Jae Miles [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Between This and That” by Timothy Goss [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Commitment” by A. Katherine Black [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Fusion” by Brian Olszewski [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Hard Case” by Bob Newbell [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Mr. Clean” by Rick Tobin [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Post Oblivion” by Clint Wilson [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Research Authorization” by David Atos [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Spanners and Dust” by Jae Miles [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Sucked Dry” by Kevin L [Science Fiction Flash]
- “The Eternity Sim” by Miriyha Davis [Science Fiction Flash]
- “The Ripening of the Blue” by Tom Hadrava [Science Fiction Flash]
- “The Roamer” by Ian Hill [Science Fiction Flash]
- “What We Remember” by Thomas Desrochers [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Will Work For Electricity” by Gray Blix [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Woke Up, Fell Out Of Bed” by Gray Blix [Science Fiction Flash]
- Antipodean SF #204 – July 2015
- “A True Aussie Hero” by Chris McGrane [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Do Not Be Alarmed” by Harris Tobias [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Ebbets Field 1955” by Jeff Lancaster [Science Fiction Flash]
- “FG” by Mark Attwood [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Gene” by Tom Grayhorse [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Genocide” by Marg Essex [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Pulp Circa 1958 (Somewhere)” by Bart Meehan [Science Fiction Flash]
- “The Good Shepherd” by Shaun A. Saunders [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Vulnerable Invulnerable World” by David Scholes [Science Fiction Flash]
- @Daily Science Fiction:
- “500 Seconds” by Brent C. Smith [Apocalyptic Flash]
- “An Amateur’s Guide To Time Travel” by Marian Rosarum [Time Travel Flash]
- “Dear Jezzy: How Can a Devil Make an Angel Say Yes?” by Sarina Dorie[Paranormal Fantasy Flash]
- “Innumerate” by Laurence Raphael Brothers [Fantasy Flash]
- “Stasis” by Roberto Bommarito [Magic Realism Flash]
- “The Alchemist’s Wife” by Melody Marie Sage [Science Fiction Flash]
- “The Alien Came over the Hill” by Karen Heuler [Science Fiction Flash]
- “The Man’s Smile” by J. Robert DeWitt [Time Travel Flash]
- “The Petals” by Mari Ness [Fairy Tale Flash]
- “This is Telepathy” by Megan Neumann [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Yellowed” by Peter Roberts [Science Fiction Flash]
- @Every Day Fiction:
- “A Gathering of Ashes” by Gustavo Bondoni [Fantasy Flash]
- “A Policy for Visitors at Reynold’s Home for Retired Time Travelers” by David Macpherson [Time Travel Flash]
- “Drawing” by Justin DeFerbrache [Surreal Flash]
- “Final Message” by Dustin Adams [Science Fiction Flash]
- “For a Tooth” by Tim Major [Science Fiction Flash]
- “God Curse Us” by Eric Del Carlo [Horror Flash]
- “Happy Dependence Day” by Paul A. Freeman [Surreal Flash]
- “The Knight” by Ty Karnitz [Fantasy Flash]
- @Farther Stars Than These:
- “A Previous Life” by Donal Mahoney [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Bacterium” by Mark Antony Rossi [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Birthlines” by Lela Marie de la Garza [Science Fiction Flash]
- Flash Fiction Online July 2015 [Speculative Flash Fiction Magazine]
- “Pieces of My Body” by Caroline M. Yoachim
- “Portrait of My Wife as a Boat” by Samantha Murray
- “The Disposition Matrix” by Brent Baldwin
- “Your Past Life Interferes With My Very Important Studies” by C. L. Holland
- @Nature:
- “Broken maps of the sea” by Preston Grassmann [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Outpatient” by Dan Stout [Science Fiction Flash]
- “The ravelled sleeve of care” by Anatoly Belilovsky [Science Fiction Flash]
- @Short-Story.me:
- “Beauty and the Bot” by Athul Krishna A [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Death Is Half The Rush” by L. Christopher Hennessy [Horror Flash]
- @The Colored Lens: “First Try” by Derrick Boden [Science Fiction]
Written – Serialized
- @Lightspeed Magazine: Saltwater Railroad by Andrea Hairston – Part 1[Fantasy Serialization – also available in audio]
- @Paizo: Crisis of Faith by Michael J. Martinez: [Shared World Fantasy Serialization]
Audio
- Beam Me Up! Podcast #448 [Science Fiction Podcast]
- Beneath Ceaseless Skies Podcast #154 – “Court Bindings” by Karalynn Lee[Fantasy]
- @Beware the Hairy Mango:
- #284 –“Man Witch” by Matthew Sanborn Smith [Mango-in-a-Can]
- #292 –“Aquafur” by Matthew Sanborn Smith
- Cast of Wonders #168 – “The Tale of the White Tiger” by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt[YA Science Fiction]
- @Clarkesworld Magazine:
- “Further North” by Kay Chronister [Science Fiction]
- “When Your Child Strays From God” by Sam J. Miller [Science Fiction]
- @Drabblecast:
- #363 –“The Totals” by Adam-Troy Castro [Dark Fantasy]
- #364 –“All of Our Past Places” by Kat Howard [Fantasy]
- #365 –“This Secular Technology” by Bogi Takács [Science Fiction]
- Escape Pod #498 – “Everyone Will Want One” by Kelly Sandoval [Science Fiction – also available in audio]
- @Far Fetched Fables:
- @Lightspeed Magazine: “Crazy Rhythm” by Carrie Vaughn [Science Fiction]
- @Nightmare Magazine:
- “The Cork Won’t Stay” by Nate Southard [Horror]
- “Wolves and Witches and Bears” by Alison Littlewood [Horror]
- @PodCastle:
- #370 –“Congratulations On Your Apotheosis” by Michelle Ann King[Fantasy]
- #371 –“The Fairy Ring” by Joe Pitkin [Fantasy]
- #372 –“The Character of the Hound” by Tony Pi [Fantasy]
- @Pseudopod:
- #445 –“Sweetness” by B.C. Edwards [Horror]
- #446 –“Killing Puppies For Aunt Jenny” by Robert Reed [Horror]
- @Tales To Terrify:
- @Welcome to Night Vale: “Bonus Episode 5 – Excerpt from the novel” [Fantasy Serial]
Audio – Radio Dramas
- @Relic Radio:
- Beyond Midnight –“Short Circuit” [Horror / Weird Radio Drama – from 1969]
- Escape –“Leinengen Vs. The Ants” [Weird Radio Drama – from 1948]
- Exploring Tomorrow –“The Happiness Effect” [Science Fiction Radio Drama – from 1957]
- Quiet, Please –“Little Visitor” [Horror Radio Drama – from 1948]
- Suspense –“Devilstone” [Horror Radio Drama – from 1962]
- Theater Five –“The New Order” by RelicRadio [Science Fiction Radio Drama – from 1964]
Audio – Serialized
- @Author’s Site: Alive by Scott Sigler – Episode #1 [YA Science Fiction Adventure Novel Serialization]
- @Author’s Site: Alive by Scott Sigler – Episode #2 [YA Science Fiction Adventure Novel Serialization]
- @Author’s Site: Alive by Scott Sigler – Episode #3 [YA Science Fiction Adventure Novel Serialization]
- @Author’s Site: Alive by Scott Sigler – Episode #4 [YA Science Fiction Adventure Novel Serialization]
- Beam Me Up! Podcast #447 [Science Fiction]
- @Lightspeed Magazine: Saltwater Railroad by Andrea Hairston – Part 1[Fantasy Serialization]
- Welcome to Night Vale Bonus Episode #4 – “Pamela Winchell” [Fantasy Serial]
Free eBooks – Science Fiction
Beyond the Event Horizon: Episode One by Albert SartisonEverything simply follows the laws of objective reality The Earth is visited by incomers from space, but why? A plan on the grandest scale our Galaxy has ever known, as old as mankind itself, finally enters its concluding phase, taking it Beyond the Event Horizon. After first contact, which had not ended as the Earthlings expected, all traces of the visitors were lost in space, seemingly forever. But soon after, scientists noticed a mysterious gravitational anomaly not far from the Solar System as it journeyed around the centre of the Milky Way. To find out more, and perhaps discover the aliens’ secret, a research expedition fitted out with state-of-the-art scientific and military equipment sets out… [Science Fiction Serial – First Episode – Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
Star Wanderers: Outworlder (Part I) by Joe Vasicek He wanders the stars in search of a home. Instead, he got a girl without one. When Jeremiah arrived at Megiddo Station, all he wanted was to make some trades and resupply his starship. He never thought he’d come away with a wife. Before he knows it, he’s back on his ship, alone with his accidental bride. Since neither of them speak the same language, he has no way to tell her that there’s been a terrible mistake. And because of the deadly famine ravaging her home, there’s no going back. She’s entirely at his mercy, and that terrifies him more than anything. Jeremiah isn’t ready to take responsibility for anyone. He’s a star wanderer, roaming the Outworld frontier in search of his fortune. Someday he’ll settle down, but for now, he just wants to drop the girl off at the next port and move on. As he soon finds out, though, she has other plans. [Science Fiction Romance Novella – First of Series – Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
Sullivan’s War (The Sullivan Saga #1) by Michael K. Rose On Earth, a powerful politician has been murdered. When he’s assigned to the case, Agent Frank Allen soon discovers that the man responsible, Rick Sullivan, is not yet finished killing. But Allen will also discover that Rick Sullivan is not the man he appears to be, and the war he’s fighting, a war to rid his home planet of its oppressive government, is not his only battle. As Allen pursues Sullivan across the known galaxy, he begins to question his own beliefs and loyalties. Will Allen be able to stop Rick Sullivan before he kills again? Does he really want to? As their lives become increasingly intertwined, both men realize they must face truths about themselves that neither of them are prepared for. And some of those truths will have consequences that neither of them could have ever imagined.[Science Fiction Adventure Novel – First of Series – Amazon]
The Black Ships by A.G. Claymore Our planet was just one small island in the midst of a vast, empty sea. For millennia, its inhabitants thought they were alone – until they took their first tentative steps out of the cradle. As the nations of Earth struggle to establish a fragile colony on the surface of Mars, they suddenly lose all contact with their settlers. In the days that follow, it becomes abundantly clear that humans are not the only ones intent on exploiting the resources of the solar archipelago. In a desperate bid for freedom, Humanity must undergo social and economic changes on a scale previously unheard of. In the midst of growing turmoil, the struggle to build an effective defense leads the species to a turning point. The smallest of chances may determine the difference between freedom or eternal subjugation. [Science Fiction Novel – Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
We, the People of the Clouds by Simon Kewin For Marlon Smith the afterlife is a beach. The computer-generated world his consciousness inhabits provides for his every need. But then flaws begin to appear in the fabric of reality around him. Flaws that shouldn’t be possible. Flaws only he can see. He has to move quickly, before his actions are spotted and edited out. He starts to uncover the truth of how the afterlife functions. As he does so, he reveals unexpected secrets about his own past, too. And he also finds out about those who are intent on destroying his whole reality… [Hard Science Fiction Novelette – Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
@Concatenation: The Tiger Waiting on the Shore by Paul Currion [Science Fiction – PDF – Concatenation]
@GigaNotoSaurus: And The Ends of the Earth for Thy Possession by Robert B Finegold, M.D. [Science Fiction Novelette – GigaNotoSaurus]
Free eBooks – Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian
Coyote (After The Fires Went Out #1) by Regan Wolfrom First came the comet. Then came the fires. Now we fight to save what’s left. Baptiste, stranded 500 miles from his wife and daughter, at the northern edge of civilization, has made a vow to protect a teenage girl from the chaos that surrounds them. But as food and fuel runs out, and even friends prove they can’t be trusted, Baptiste realizes that this promise won’t be easy to keep. [Post-Apocalyptic Novel – First of Series – Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
Iced (Chronicles of White World #1) by M. Terry Green Though she doesn’t know her real name, Thirteen is sure of two things: survival and finding her sister. Nothing stands in her way—not the great Pacifica Ice Sheet nor the slavers she escaped—until her deadly hunt takes a maddening turn. The first and only clue in her search is held by the survivor of a wrecked ice ship. But he’s not sharing. He has a daughter to rescue, and he needs Thirteen’s help. In the unforgiving subzero, a wary alliance is formed. Although she’d do anything to find her sister and finally know her own name, Thirteen never forgets the first rule of the ice. You only get one mistake—your last. [Post-Apocalyptic / Dystopian Novel – First of Series – Amazon]
The Last Survivors by Bobby Adair and T.W. Piperbrook Three hundred years after the fall of society, the last fragments of civilization are clinging to life, living in the ruins of the ancient cities in nearly-medieval conditions. Technology has been reduced to legend, monsters roam the forests, and fear reigns supreme. But that is just the beginning… The wind-borne spores are spreading, disfiguring men and twisting their minds, turning them into creatures that threaten to destroy the townships. Among the townsfolk, political and the religious, dissension is spreading. Through it all, a mother must protect her son… [Post-Apocalyptic Novel – First of Series – Amazon]
Free eBooks – Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian – Young Adult
Clone Three (The Clone Chronicles #1) by Patti Larsen She must risk everything. She must remember. She must survive. Clone Three wakes in a decaying city she is sure doesn’t match the one she came from. If only she could remember. She has a purpose at least–she must find her fellow clones and the statue whose image is embedded in her mind. But she is lost, surrounded by a dead and crumbling metropolis, fought over by the survivors of an illness that has ravaged humankind. She must risk everything, including the safety of those who try to help her, in order to fulfill her task. But is she this crumbling world’s salvation… or the source of its downfall? [YA Dystopian Novel – First of Series – Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
Free eBooks – Cyberpunk
Life is a Beautiful Thing: Book One by Harmon Cooper 2083. A pollute-addicted therapist named Meme battles his way through his mind and LA at the seat of his pants alongside a beautiful android escort with a surprising secret. With the Federal Corporate Government hunting him, will he make it to safety in time? The hunt is on. [Cyberpunk Novel – First of Series – Amazon | B&N | Kobo]
The Culling (Alien Apocalypse #1) by JC Andrijeski “Humans who ran got culled…” Jet is a 19-year-old skag, one of the humans still living free on Earth following an invasion of creatures called the Nirreth. Squatting in the ruins of Vancouver, Jet and her family eke out an existence underground, hiding from culler ships and fighting off raiding humans. No one knows where the alien ships take the people they steal, but they never return. When a culler finds Jet, she may discover the truth the hard way…and end up living among the very creatures that stole her planet and wiped out most of her race. [Cyperunk / Dystopian Novella – First of Series – Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
Free eBooks – Steampunk
Driftmetal by J.C. Staudt In a shattered world of airships and windborne cities, Captain Muller Jakes’ crew betrays him when his plot to steal a fortune in gravstone goes awry. A lost city, a deadly sabotage, and a series of narrow escapes will force him to choose between his freedom and the lives of thousands. [Steampunk / Cyberpunk Novella – Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
Free eBooks – Fantasy
And Then There Were Giants by Greg Dragon Years of martial arts training never prepared nineteen-year-old Alysia Knight for the battle she has to face. War is raging in the streets of New Jersey, and surviving the apocalypse means staying clear of monsters preying on the citizens. But all this will be the least of her worries when her parents become targets. Death is inevitable, unless Alysia can muster up the courage and hone her abilities to defeat all that stands in her way. If not, she may end up losing more than her parents. [Urban Fantasy Novella/Serial – First Episode – Amazon | B&N | Kobo |Smashwords]
Children of the Shaman: A Journey through Ice and Time (Mir: Shamanworld #1) by Jessica Rydill An ancient power returns. A world is trapped in time and snow. The only hope: a young outcast. In the remote interior of Lefranu someone – or something – has been killing railway workers. Driving a tunnel under the forest, they have started to die, horribly. Yuda Vasilyevich, a shaman, is sent to investigate. Yuda brings with him the teenage children he deserted when they were small: spikey Annat, a shaman like her father, and bookish Malchik, who has not forgotten his father’s mistreatment of their mother. When Malchik is drawn into the underworld, Yuda and Annat set out to find him; so begins a perilous journey into a world of ice, with danger ahead and an implacable enemy behind them. Only they can solve the mystery and defeat the power of the Cold One. [Fantasy Novel – First of Series – Amazon]
The Lie (The Skyy Huntington Series #1) by Holly HudspethTwenty-eight year old Skyy Huntington recently inherited a house and a good sum of money from her deceased grandfather. Soon after she relocates to Marblehead, Massachusetts to move into the new house, her world gets turned upside down when she encounters a mysterious entity in the cemetery while visiting her grandfather’s grave. Skyy’s reality as she knows it ends once she discovers that the supernatural world is real, something she’s always been interested in. She’s afraid to tell anyone, even her lifelong best friend Christian Vane. As she tries to discover more about the entity, she learns about a family lie that’s been kept secret for centuries that all started within Countess Elizabeth Bathory’s castle walls… [Urban Fantasy Novel – First of Series – Amazon]
Free eBooks – Fantasy – Young Adult
Cutlass (Cutlass #1) by Ashley Nixon Notorious pirate Barren Reed has one thing on his mind: Revenge against the man who killed his father. So kidnapping his enemy’s fiancée seems a perfect plan… until he actually does it. Larkin Lee is more than a pretty face and fiancée to a powerful man. Her fierce personality is enough to make any pirate want to push her overboard. But when the King of the Orient comes to Barren with a task — to find the Bloodstone, a powerful gem thought only to exist in legend, Barren sees another opportunity to destroy his enemy. Together, Barren, Larkin and a crew of pirates set off to find the stone, only to discover it caused the death of Barren’s own mother and Larkin’s, too. As his strongest allies turn into his greatest enemies, and the life of the girl he kidnapped becomes more important than he ever dreamed, Barren’s quest for revenge becomes a fight to save the Orient. [YA Fantasy Novel – First of Series – Amazon]
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Crime for £1.99. To view this email in your browser, click here. | ||||||
“A GREAT THRILLER… BREATHLESS ALL THE WAY.” LEE CHILDChris returns from his morning run to find his wife and children missing and a stranger in his kitchen. He’s told to run. If he’s caught and killed, his family go free. If he escapes, they die. The Hunt is on…The best British thriller of 2015 is available now.
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Hello community!
We hope you are having a wonderful summer and playing lots of games. Our team doesn’t have much of a suntan because we’ve been indoors working on some amazing new products and trying to keep orders flying out the door. The summer months are very busy because of the large orders for game conventions. Remember to place your orders as early as possible if you have an important deadline.
We would like to congratulate Chris Leder on an amazing accomplishment! His game, Roll for It, was featured in an episode of TableTop. Roll For It started out as a self-published game in The Game Crafter community but was later picked up by Calliope Games and found its way to the producers of TableTop. Chris is a great example of how passion and hard work can lead an indie game designer to success. If you’d like to learn more about Chris, be sure to watch his designer interview. Congrats Chris!
With so many new things happening, we cannot fit everything into this newsletter. Connect with The Game Crafter on Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, Tumblr, and Google+ to ensure that you are getting all of our exciting updates!
TGC Community Game Night at Gen Con
Our 3rd annual TGC Community Game Night will be held on Friday, July 31st. The last 2 years have been fun and we really enjoy hanging out with the community. This year, we’ve reserved space for 60 people and we’re excited to see all of you and your new games! The event will take place at the Indianapolis Convention Center and the location is ICC : 120–122 : 28–35. If you have trouble finding our location, send us a tweet @thegamecrafter and we’ll be happy to help. The event runs from 8pm to midnight and if people don’t kick us out at midnight then we can keep playing there.
This is an official Gen Con event and you’ll need to buy a $4 ticket to participate. We will collect them at the door. Buy your ticket athttps://www.gencon.com/events/71160. Only 29 tickets are left so be sure to get them before they sell out! Plan on bringing your games so that we can all try them out and give feedback. Or just show up and have fun playing games from other people.
TGC Community Social at Gen Con
We will be hosting the 4th Annual TGC Community Social at 7pm on Saturday, August 1st at O’Reilly’s Irish Bar and Restaurant. They have plenty of food/drink options and we can hang out as a group at our reserved tables. Right now we are planning on roughly 20-25 people. Please RSVP on facebook, google+, or email so we know how many are attending and can let the restaurant know the final numbers to expect.
Across the street is Scotty’s Brewhouse and they have an awesome outdoor patio we’ve enjoyed the last 3 years. We will likely move over there after awhile and enjoy some fresh air on the patio. (if the weather cooperates).
Learn Why Game Designers Need To Attend Crafter Con!
In the latest episode of The Game Crafter Official Podcast, JT Smith and Jeff King talk about all of the amazing content that is taking place at Crafter Con this year.
Crafter Con will be held in Madison, Wisconsin on November 6-8, 2015 within Gamehole Con. Crafter Con is our very own game design convention. The focus is on education to make you a better game designer. It features tracks of sessions, panels, and workshops with industry experts. We’ll have speakers from many disciplines including publishers, reviewers, podcasters, crowd funding experts, successful game designers, artists, writers, and distributors.
That’s it for this month. Look for some fun surprises in August!
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Imagine having to turn over documents from every aspect of your life—cell phone records, receipts, personal emails—all because your work threatens a giant company’s profits.More and more corporations are using a new tool to harass scientists: public records requests designed to bring research to a grinding halt.Imagine an IRS audit on steroids, prompted by a company that wants to mess with you for any reason. Researchers across the country have spent hundreds of hours gathering documents to comply with these requests. Their research suffers, and young scientists get scared away from work that matters. These requests also “chill” the process of peer review amongst scientists, because the fear of having to turn over confidential comments on draft reports can make scientists less candid with one another.This is flat out bullying, it’s unacceptable, and it’s threatening the future of science on important but controversial issues like global warming.Right now, your donation will be MATCHED dollar-for-dollar to help us tighten the rules on public records requests and protect scientists from harassment.UCS is monitoring these attacks, amplifying them in the media to shame companies that bully researchers and the universities they work for, and helping individual scientists fight back.Take the case of an occupational health scientist working in West Virginia, whose work linked coal mining to serious health issues, including cancer, in local communities. The Highland Mining Company went after him, filing requests for emails among scientists, draft research papers, and peer review comments that should remain private. When his university refused to turn over these documents, Highland Mining took them to court, costing thousands in legal fees and taking time away from research.1
Here’s how your MATCHED donation will help protect scientists and their work from efforts to intimidate them:
Transparency is important, and we do believe that scientists should be forthcoming about the data and assumptions to verify the conclusions. It’s a hallmark of everything we hold dear as scientists. But these recent open records requests go far beyond the appropriate scientific inquiry. Open records laws should be used to help the public, not to intimidate scientists from completing important work. We need your support today to keep up this work to stand with scientists in the face of bullying tactics. Until July 31, your gift will go twice as far! Thank you for always standing on the side of science and the hard-working people who make it their life’s work.
1. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/02/freedom-to-bully-ucs-2015_0.pdf (PDF) |
Science for a healthy planet and safer world UCS is a 501(c)(3) organization. All gifts are tax deductible. You can be confident your donations to UCS are spent wisely. |
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If you had told me a year ago that today, I’d be running my own publishing company AND that I’d be launching a quarterly anthology publication, I would have laughed. But that is my dream. Creepy Campfire Quarterly (CCQ) is launching in January, and I want it to succeed. If you love reading horror or science fiction, please take a look at EMP Publishing’s Indiegogo campaign and read it over. If you are a reader or book lover, I hope you’ll consider supporting the campaign.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/creepy-campfire-quarterly-ccq/x/5708858#/story
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Today marks the start of two contests we’ve never done before: historical fiction and supernatural/paranormal!
Historical Fiction contest, “Reclaim Time“: https://inkitt.com/reclaimtime
Paranormal / Supernatural contest, “Shiver“: https://inkitt.com/shiver
We will launch both contests today at 11am PST, and we can’t wait to start reading early submissions. Who will be the first to submit?
Also, if you have friends who love to read or write in these genres, let them know by forwarding this message, or by retweeting these tweets:
Historical Fiction contest: https://twitter.com/Inkitt/status/624604002773176320
Paranormal / Supernatural contest: https://twitter.com/Inkitt/status/624603270300827648
Keep writing, keep reading. We love having you here. 🙂
Best of luck,
Mihaly Borbely
Head of Marketing | Inkitt.com
Sanderstrasse 28 • 12047 Berlin • Germany
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