Down Bubble: Part I Down Bubble: Parts II & III Down Bubble: Parts IV & V “Ready navigation!” I yell. The men of the bridge are silent, watching the rocking of the boat. “What is happening out there?” cries Alain. “Man the torpedo bay,” I tell him. “Flood all remaining tubes!” “What are we shooting […]
Down Bubble: Parts IV & V of VII
Down Bubble Part I Down Bubble Part II & III Anton finishes the strapping on my suit. He fiddles with my helmet. “You disagree with this?” I ask him. He asks me to bend over, short as he is, to inspect the latching on my suit. “If I am to die, better to have the […]
‘The Irrepairable Past’ by Mark Paxson: A book review
The Irreparable Past I stopped reading. Years ago, I collected and read books like they were a drug. I didn’t drink or party. I read. In my basement, I have boxes of books, a few thousand. Fantasy, science fiction, older novels, contemporary literary fiction. So many. But I stopped reading after a while, and I […]
Down Bubble: Parts II & III of VII
Something hits the hull with a clang and bounces off. Silence. A second object hits us, and for a moment I think we are saved, but then it explodes. The submarine lurches. No sooner has the noise receded than does a third and a fourth charge blow near us. The metal of the submarine groans, […]
Down Bubble: Part I of VII
“Fire!” I bark. The bridge tenses, and the vessel shakes as the torpedo slips into the water. “Did you string the line yourself? Did you?” I demand of my Second, Alain. “Yes, Captain!” I put my hand on a pipe and close my eyes. The torpedo is running fast, but my mind turns to the […]
Should You Give Your Writing Away for Free?
Give Your Writing Away for Free I give away my writing for free. I’ve been writing on this blog for years. I post several things, but not nearly everything I write. I’ve written three novels in the last six years, they’re not posted. Some of my longer short stories will never be posted, even though […]
Bugs
The Misty Hills Do you ever wonder why there are fewer bugs on your windshield when you go for a drive these days? There is a reason. I tried to write this morning. Got up at five, long before the rest of the family, but nothing came out. That’s okay. I continued to plot up […]
Writing in the Hills
I know, I said I wasn’t going to post much, but what I meant was, no new fiction for a while. That doesn’t mean I’m not writing. So far this week, I’ve completed the following 3,000 word stories: -the junky kids who decide that the revolution will be streamed -the journalist telling the story of […]
Be Still
Be Still There’s a consequential election coming in the United States, between divergent sides of what seems to be a moral divide. There’s a pandemic nipping at our butts. And I believe in climate change, but that’s funny, because I don’t believe in air travel or microwaves or water treatment – they just are. So […]
Saad Steps Out
Saad fixes televisions. His 12-year-old hands know how to use a screwdriver. In the kitchen, he pours himself apple juice. A gun battle erupts on the screen when he turns it on, but there are noises in the hallway too. “Filot! Filot!” screams Saad’s father, running outside. Voices rise, and doors slam. Saad cannot go beyond the apartment, for there […]