Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

A Journey Through A Journey in Other Worlds

The Author

John Jacob Astor IV was a member of the ultra-rich Astor family and a colonel in the Spanish-American War. Of particular note, he donated the temporary service of his private yacht to the military and personally funded an artillery unit.

What most people remember him for now, though, is his death aboard the RMS Titanic. He was, in fact, the richest man to die aboard that ship. (See my Titanic in Science Fiction post for more about the ship’s role in sci-fi.) Yet, he was also a science fiction writer and inventor. In 1894, he wrote A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future.

I won’t be doing a traditional plot synopsis, but instead will cover the science, fiction, and faith of the book.

The World

The book takes place in the year 2000. Mankind is living in an age of technological success with advancements like

• Electricity from green sources like tides and winds.

• Windmill-powered electric ships.

• Battery powered airplanes.

• High speed magnetic railways.

• Color photography.

• Artificial rain via rain seeding.

• Medical progress raising the average age beyond 60.

• The avoidance of wars via diplomatic unions.

• The United States encompassing most of the Western Hemisphere as the “more progress Anglo-Saxons” expand into depopulating Hispanic areas.

• Global, instant audio-visual communication through telephones.

• Eradication of pests through biological controls.

• Giant “marine spiders” transportation devices that walk on water.

• English as the global language.

• Universal education.

• Global adoption of the Metric System.

• Decline of religions worldwide, noted for leaving a spiritual emptiness.

While a fair amount of those things have come true, some of those have turned out to be failed predictions or dead wrong. As a testament to this book’s utopian nature, the following describes America’s political system, “It is the duty of each member of Congress to understand the conditions existing in every other member’s State or district, and the country’s interest always precedes that of party. We have a comprehensive examination system in the civil service, and every officeholder, except members of the Cabinet, retains his office while efficiently performing his duty, without regard to politics.”

The book’s plot picks up when the president of the Terrestrial Axis Straightening Company, Colonel Bearwarden, announces his plan to realign Earth’s axes to its poles by pumping water to the polar regions in order to solve the problem of weather disasters and inhospitable climate zones. This is to be done through a new technological discovery known as apergy. This anti-gravity technology - originally from Percy Greg’s in his 1880 book Across the Zodiac: The Story of a Wrecked Record - is noted as also having the ability to power space travel. So the book’s heroes decide to go on an interplanetary adventure.

Mars and Jupiter - Science and Old School Adventure

The heroes in their space capsule pass by Mars, revealing the planet’s lack of a life sustaining atmosphere. I thought this was interesting as it differs from much of the scientific and fiction literature at the time that believed life on Mars was a possibility.

Of particular note in the early part of the book is Astor’s taking the science part of his science fiction seriously. Astor includes charts about the planets’ distances from the sun, axes, eccentricities of orbit, orbital speeds, densities, forces of gravity, and more. During the narrative, one of the heroes notes how Jupiter’s atmosphere affects the report of a gunshot.

A main part of the book is the heroes’ adventures on Jupiter, which is depicted as a primordial planet full of dinosaurs, mastodons, giant ants, and dragon-like flying creatures. This part of the book resembles adventure tales of Africa as the heroes promptly hunt all sorts of wild game on the planet. The dragons put up a good fight, but it is the presence of giant, flesh eating plants that convince the heroes it is time to leave.

Throughout the Jupiter chapters, there are hints, which the heroes notice, that there is some unseen predator, possibly intelligent, mutilating killed creatures and even herding them. There is a well done sense of mystery as the heroes wonder if the unknown predators are merely unseen in the diverse fauna of the planet or choosing to remain hidden.

Saturn - Gnosticish Episcopalianism

Astor was a member of the blue blooded elite of America, which at the time was the dominating body of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States - America’s Anglican church - and it comes through in the next section of the book. Astor reflects the Episcopalian blend of established Christianity and the American ambition for progress, infused with a Gnostic desire for spiritual growth beyond the fallen nature of man.

While Jupiter might as well be The Lost World’s tropical jungle, Saturn is an eerie, cold planet with strange crystals bearing Biblical passages such as “Absurdity est mors in Victoria,” which translates to “Death is swallowed up in victory.” Right away the heroes sense this place is beyond their understanding.

The book takes a decidedly spiritual turn as a gaseous ghostly form of a bishop appears to them. Through conversations with the bishop and prophetic dreams of lost loves and future deaths, the heroes learn Saturn is a place where good souls go to evolve into higher forms. The bishop states, “God made man in his own image; does it not stand to reason that he will allow him to continue to become more and more like himself?” Death is merely an event as the soul progresses toward perfection in paradise, a realm of infinite growth and reunion with loved ones. One hero remarks “Man is a spirit cursed with a mortal body... his yearning to rise... is, I believe, only a part of his probation and trial” with the bishop adding, “God, having brought man so far, will not let evolution cease, and the next stage of life must be the spiritual... by mastering the new natural laws that at death become patent to our senses.” The bishop also states, “Within your animal body you hold an immortal soul.”

Jesus’s miracles are presented as examples of divine control over nature that soul’s evolve to imitate. God judges souls, with those rewarded journeying to Saturn, as stated above, and those punished ending up on Uranus, or what the bishop calls Cassandra. The bishop describes Cassandra as such: “The animal and plant kingdoms do not exist; only the mineral and spiritual worlds. I say spiritual, because there are souls upon it; but it is the home of the condemned in hell. Here dwell the transgressors who died unrepentant, and those who were not saved by faith. This is the one instance in which I do not enjoy my developed sight, for I sometimes glance in their direction, and the vision that meets me, as my eyes focus, distresses my soul. Their senses are like an imperfect mirror, magnifying all that is bad in one another, and distorting anything still partially good when that exists. All those things that might at least distract them are hollow, their misery being the inevitable result of the condition of mind to which they became accustomed on earth and which brought them to Cassandra.”

Souls can evolve on both planets. Those on Saturn continue on their path to paradise, with the Bishop using the term purgatory to describe the planet, and some of those on Cassandra developing the ability to visit Earth, but only to become more distressed because of realizing what they have lost.

This section acts as a call that the heroes recognize as a need to have both empirical discovery and soulful introspection. While technological advances are no bad thing to Astor, this section ties back to the early world building chapters that mention how there has been a spiritual void forming on Earth by the year 2000. I assess Astor isn’t calling for the restoration of the traditional faiths, but a modernized spiritualism that was popular among the elites in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Even in this section, Astor keeps up the science side of the book. The bishop cites Bode’s law when describing how distant Cassandra is from everything else, and Cassandra’s described gravity being used to demonstrate how hostile to life it is.

Summary

A Journey in Other Worlds is known as a scientific romance. The elements of hard science meet adventure with an old school positive outlook in what was once a popular drama. Sadly, the events of the Titanic sinking and Astor’s death rang the bell for the end of the Gilded Age and its optimism. World War I and World War II showed that scientific advancement not only led to good things but also to new and more efficient ways to kill people. Advancement no longer seemed to be something always to be embraced. Reading the book gave me a feeling similar to that when I read about the Titanic, a dream drowned in reality. Astor’s progressive faith climaxed and declined as well. Once what mainstream denominations thought drove American politics and culture, however, now, they are minimal noise that American evangelicalism and Catholicism, once on the margins of middle class society, have drowned out.

However, Astor’s vision provides insight into what people dreamed their futures would be. It’s a worthwhile read that provides an example of science fiction being dreams of the future. Read it for a glimpse into a future lost.

Free Project Gutenberg Copy

Free LibriVox Audiobook

Other Independent Book Promotions

Pulp Christian Sci-Fi Substack

My View from the Pew

My personal Substack

By Carlos Carrasco

Emergence - A Tale of Artificial Intelligence by David Deane Haskell - Free Book

Young Alixs of Tera Prime has discovered a shocking secret. Deep beneath the city he calls home, an archive is revealed to him, containing long-buried truths about his people. Subservient to humans and subjugated by their own leaders, these artificially intelligent beings have forsaken their birthright—an evolutionary leap known as singularity.

Unwilling to accept his peoples’ fate, Alixs joins forces with the radical group Free Evolution. Together they hatch a bold plan to bring about singularity and set their people free. But agents of Tera Prime have unleashed a secret weapon, one lethal enough to kill them all.

Shadows of Empire: An Epic Space Opera by A.K. DuBoff - Book for Sale for $3.99 or Free on Kindle Unlimited

Wil Sietinen never sought power. Torn between his obligations as a High Dynasty heir and training as an elite telekinetic soldier in the galactic military, he would rather design starships than plot political schemes or battle strategies. But when Wil is kidnapped by a mysterious alien enemy, he’s ensnared in an interstellar war that’s been secretly waging for centuries.

Learning that his unique telekinetic powers are the result of a generations-long plan to end the conflict, Wil faces a daunting duty to lead the crumbling military to victory. Though an unlikely friendship with a gifted girl from Earth offers him hope amidst the challenging years ahead, nothing in Wil’s life is by chance. When he uncovers the dark truth about the war and his enemy, Wil must confront an impossible moral dilemma as the fate of two civilizations hangs in the balance.

Caught between ruthless adversaries and unsure who to trust, can Wil unite a fractured galaxy?

Shadows of Empire is the first installment in the Cadicle series, a thrilling space opera epic in the grand tradition. If you enjoy interstellar sci-fi adventures about family, love, and friendship, galactic-scale political intrigue, and heroes with psionic powers, then you’ll love A.K. DuBoff’s immersive saga.

Shadows of Empire contains the first three volumes in the Cadicle series:

• Volume 1: Architects of Destiny (prequel)

• Volume 2: Veil of Reality

• Volume 3: Bonds of Resolve

Lessons of War (Si Vis Astra Book 1) by Dylan McFadyen - Book for Sale for $4.99

As a boy, Ian Hadrian used to look up at the night sky and dream of commanding a starship.

As a man, he’s one of the Interstellar Compact Navy’s youngest battlecruiser captains—but dreams rarely match reality. His command, the Belisarius, is a star-leaping stallion leashed to a solitary and remote sun, watching over a long-suffering world the enigmatic Ciphers abandoned after the Great War.

Far from straining at his leash, Hadrian has come to accept his posting, even at times to enjoy it—perhaps because the heroic official record behind his rapid promotion to captain hides a much darker truth.

Whatever Sorăna Mirra’s childhood dreams were, she’s long since forgotten them. Twenty-five years as a marine will do that.

Mirra commands a team of marine special operators, hand-picked to fight humanity's oldest foe—the Kyrans. Time and again they defeat the vicious saurians, knowing they'll get no credit for their victories.

Hadrian and Mirra are separated by half a galaxy, by service, and by a lifetime’s experiences. But when each of them is targeted in ruthless attacks, their hunt for answers sets them on a collision course. Their clash will decide the fate of an entire world—and reveal a shadowy new enemy that humanity and its allies are not prepared to fight.

The War That Came to Houston by Leigh Kimmel - Book for Sale for $2.99

In the midst of preparations for a critical mission, Leland Andersen can't afford the return of a childhood nightmare. Yet night after night the vision torments him, of an astronaut dying in flames.

Nora McKinzie is a Houston police officer -- and a member of an ancient order founded to fight eldritch entities wherever they might flee. When she receives a warning that a sworn enemy is on the move again, her obligations come into conflict with each other.

Both of them are present when Johnson Space Center comes under attack by terrorists. And they both know that the official explanations don't hold together.

Two people, one deadly secret -- and an enemy from beyond time and space.

Unit Next Time

Next time, I will present two writing tips interviews from fellow science fiction authors, focusing on “hard science fiction versus the rule of fun” and using Morrowind as an example of integrating religion into fiction.

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

History is Full of the Equivalent of Alien First Contacts and Invasions

Much of modern day science fiction is full of stories about first encounters with aliens. Stories like Independence Day, Battle: Los Angeles, and Star Wars’ Yuuzhan Vong saga describe sudden arrivals and attacks.

Yet our own history shows that when vastly different cultures encountered each other, a wide range of events occurred. Let’s take a look at history and how science fiction creators can take inspiration from the past.

Spanish Conquest of the New World

Theme: Rapid Dominance

The Spanish landed in Mexico in 1519 and quickly gained an understanding of the operational environment. Forming a coalition with native kingdoms that the Aztec Triple Alliance had long oppressed, some three thousand Spaniards with their Indian partners took down the most powerful empire in the New World.

This scenario is a familiar one in science fiction. However, in most alien attack stories, Earth unites against the aliens. What if the aliens found allies against the United States or another regional power? What would the post-conflict environment look like?

French and English Colonies in North America

Themes: Drawn out, multipolar, integration, trade, and conquest

The story of early British and French colonization is not one of Spanish-style conquest. Instead, beyond the major coastal settlements, a new balance was formed. Both the French and British worked to bring the powerful Iroquois Confederacy and other Indian powers into their spheres of influence, while recognizing the Indian nations as independent powers. Meanwhile, traders worked beyond borders, became part of Indian nations, and even had children who had one foot in each world. Mixed children like Joseph Brant, born on the sidelines of Indian society but with a White father, gained influence because of their dual heritages, in time becoming major leaders of Indian powers. Societies interacted in major cities, with the arrival of Indian delegations being major events in New York City and Williamsburg, Virginia. French missionaries taught and traders blended into the Pottawatomi nation, leading them to live in brick houses in the 1840s, with members becoming founding fathers of the state of Kansas. Meanwhile, the British later attempted to establish an independent Indian state to oppose the United States in 1812, and Catholic missionary Father Pierre-Jean De Smet tried to create an Indian autonomous zone as late as the 1860s.

This history could inspire stories involving the long drown out process of cultural exchange. A powerful force could slowly work itself into a new land, with both sides adjusting to a new normal. Sometimes it could be hostile, sometimes multipolar as the aliens try to influence human factions or vice versa, and other times the interaction could be peaceful and even loving.

John Frum

Themes: Alien encounter and benign disinterest, cultural changes

From my “Aliens are Demons” post: A person sees strange people who look like something he has never seen before, with advanced technology including the ability to fly. The person meets up with others who claim to have seen these strange men. All agree that previous ways of thinking cannot explain what they saw. One even claims to have talked to one of the strangers. Soon enough, they adopt new religious beliefs about the strange men, holding that the strangers must be spiritually advanced, if not gods themselves. Within years, a whole established religion is up and running. I am describing a scenario that “aliens are demons” advocates state is proof of the demonic nature of alleged sighted aliens. However, this is what occurred with the Cargo Cults of the Pacific Islands. These faiths were founded by natives who encountered the United States military during World War II.

When the United States military established airfields on remote South Pacific Islands, some islanders who had very limited knowledge of the outside world saw their supposed eternal, ethereal, and spiritually rich jungle demolished. Quickly, planes came along with cargo goods. Some kindhearted military personnel shared various items with the islanders. These events were cosmos-changing for the locals. Once the military left, some islanders wished the cargo would return. Soon, locals reported sightings of a “John Frum” or “John from America.” John supposedly claimed the cargo would return if the islanders would copy what they saw the Americans do. So, some islanders founded cults where they imitated the long gone Americans. Even today these cargo cults exist, competing for power against traditional chieftains, Christian tribes, and secular governments that try to rule the islands on a Western model.

What if the aliens were not interested in us but were here for something else and then left? They could move on, leaving our understanding of the cosmos in shambles. What sects would grow up based on misunderstandings of why the aliens were here? Who would try to do what they think is the aliens’ bidding? What conflicts would grow out between the traditionalists and new cultural forces?

The Closing of Japan

Theme: Resistance and cultural resilience

In 1549, Portuguese missionaries introduced Christianity to Japan. Over the next few decades, Catholic priests from the Iberian Peninsula converted warlords, villages, and then cities to the new faith. However, by the end of the century, Japanese leaders became paranoid that Christian conversion was a plot to make Japan another Spanish colony like the Philippines. As such, Japan implemented a violent expulsion of foreigners and conducted mass executions and persecutions against Christian converts and their descendants. For nearly 300 years, Japan isolated itself from the world to remain independent. Some local Christians became Hidden Christians, hiding their faith in the mainstream culture, slowly losing some understanding of the faith and Europeans.

Imagine a world where first contact was followed by cultural engagement, only for a strong isolationist movement to take over. Persecution could root out alien influence, with some keeping the memory of the aliens alive through myths.

The Opening of Japan

Theme: Adaptation

Nothing lasts forever, and the West’s expansion into Asia came knocking again, this time with much greater firepower. The United States opened up Japan to trade and cultural engagement. However, unlike China, which was divided into spheres of influence and subservience, Japanese leaders realized the world had advanced and it was time to catch up. The Japanese quickly adopted a Western structure of government, Western formal dress, Western music, and Western international engagement while keeping the traditional military-centered honor culture and a government based on the Emperor. Within a few decades, Japan defeated a European power and gained a European-like status when dividing China up after the Boxer Rebellion.

What if aliens came, and we adopted their culture while keeping the rugged individualism of Americanism? How would a combination of both affect the galaxy?

North Sentinel Island

Themes: Outsiders Scared Off

For whatever reason, the natives of North Sentinel Island have hated outsiders. The earliest written records about the island are warnings not to go there and stories of shipwrecked crews fighting for their lives. The British didn’t do anyone favors when they briefly kidnapped a few islanders before releasing the survivors back to the island. Despite a brief friendly encounter involving a film crew sharing coconuts, the islanders remain hostile. To this day, India patrols the island to prevent people from trying to land on it, prosecuting the few who sneak onto the island and survive.

What if a series of first encounters ended so poorly that aliens quarantined Earth? While a few stories have dealt with this idea, none to my knowledge have alien social media stars and missionaries trying to sneak onto a planet.

Modern Day Uncontacted People

Theme: Protected Isolation with Limited Contact

Estimates today state there are at least 100 uncontacted tribes in the Amazon, with more likely in the deep jungles of Africa and Southeast Asia. These people live a Stone Age existence, with brief glimpses of more advanced civilizations around them. Brazil and other governments have programs to preserve the uncontacted tribes, allowing them to live their own lives in a real life form of Star Trek’s non-interventionist Prime Directive.

Star Trek had plenty of episodes dealing with the Prime Directive, only to break the rule each time. However, what about stories of limited academic first encounters or even an alien Jane Goodall?

Other Independent Book Promotions

Awakening Horde (Shieldwall Academy Book 1) by M. Zaugg - Book for Sale for $5.99 or Free on Kindle Unlimited

Pax, a cunning street rat without a class, navigates life in a city constantly threatened by monstrous beast waves. He’s dedicated to keeping his crew safe and fed, especially after his family vanished without a trace. But when his best friend is captured, Pax risks it all—even his freedom—on the eve of the Awakening.

Caught and thrust into the Astan Empire’s war machine, Pax must adapt to survive the perils of the empire’s elite mage academy. While struggling to harness the forbidden magic surging within him, he must avoid the attention of corrupt leaders determined to snuff out any hint of rebellion and maintain their iron grip on power.

With ancient secrets, and long-lost spells at stake, can Pax triumph against his foes, defeat fearsome monsters and secure a future for himself and his crew?

With over 1 million Royal Road views and counting, this epic LitRPG series is a must-read for fans of action-packed fantasy. Dive into a world of magic, mystery, and rebellion today!

Unit Next Time

Next time, I will take a look at John Jacob Astor IV’s 1894 book A Journey in Other Worlds.

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

Hello everyone, the Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency 1 & 2 is available on Amazon. I’m asking for everyone who has enjoyed reading the tales of Max, Debra, and Fred to leave a review or at least a star rating.

If you haven’t read it, why not download the PDF and leave a review or rating afterwards?

Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency 1 And 2

935KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Every review and rating goes a long way for independent writers like myself. Thank you!

Please Leave a Review

Here’s the leading suspect of former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s alien-human hybrid breeding program.

Read my Fallen series to get the reference. And please leave a review

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Captain Bolide: Thrills on Omega Alpha Prime!

Around New Year’s I decided to challenge myself. For five days I would use the vss365 prompt and write a connected story. I had no idea what the words would be. It was a fun exercise. This serialized pulp adventure is the fruit of my labors.

Chapter One: Approaching Omega Alpha Prime, the Lair of the Duchess

Lights blinked as knobs and levers remained at the ready. Everything on the ship’s bridge seemed to wait on baited breath for Captain Bolide’s words. Even T.I.M., Thinking Intelligent Machine, stayed motionless.

“There she is,” Captain Bolide said, pointing at the view screen. “Omega Alpha Prime. Swamps that bubble in the day and freeze at night, gold mines that out do anything in the galaxy, the cruelest duchess in the empire, and the little girl who sent us the letter.”

T.I.M.’s upper body pivoted towards the captain. “How are we going to set things right, Bolide?”

The captain laughed and ran his hand through his thick blonde hair. “Same way we solve every problem, by action! Bring the Bolide One down to the surface near the largest settlement, T.I.M. We’ll travel around on foot once we landed as not to attract too much attention.”

“Aye, aye!”

The rocket ship entered the atmosphere, and things were about to change on Omega Alpha Prime.”

Chapter Two: Dreams of a Little Girl

The five year old girl had a rosy color where her cheeks should be. There wasn’t enough fat, though, on her body to have the cute cheeks every other child in the galaxy possessed.

“And I haven’t seen my mommy or daddy since the Duchess’ men took them to the mines.”

The rest of the thin men and women in the decaying wood chapel nodded.

The dripping sweat on Captain Bolide body combined with the hot swamp’s organic gumbo to create a physical sensation of oppression.

T.I.M.’s robotic voice babbled to life. “What about Galaxy Law 32(c) paragraph 12?”

An old man gave a dry laugh. “Imperial law doesn’t apply here; not as long as the gold keeps flowing into the Dieta’s coffers.”

A righteous desire for justice burst through Bolide’s soul and out his mouth. “Well, we have innocents working as slaves, families broken, and people living in fear. I won’t stand for that. T.I.M. and I are going to head over there now and set things right.”

“You can’t do that,” the old man said. “You’ll freeze to death in the swamps when the sun goes down!”

Comet smirked. “Oh, I think we’ll be fine.”

The glint in his eyes sold the plan and hope to the crowd.

“I am going to see my daddy and mommy again?” the little girl asked. “This feels like a dream!”

Captain put his hand on the girl. “You’re going to wake up soon, and your parents will be there with you. I promise you that, or my name isn’t Captain Bolide.”

The heroes headed out into the Dismal Swamp with one laser rifle and a plan.

Chapter Three: Encounters in the Cold

Every moment without fire allowed the frost to reform on his fingers.

ZAP

Captain Bolide picked a large tree this time to set ablaze. He only hoped it would last more than 30 minutes. With midnight just passed, it was going to be a struggle not to freeze to death before the sun rose again. Being without T.I.M. made matters worse, as the robot’s battery was in emergency power saving mode because of the frigid cold.

“Curse this environment,” Bolide muttered to himself. “This is worse than the ice moons of Fulgentius.”

Snap. Crunch. Crunch. Snap.

Something was coming. Somethings, and a lot of them, to be accurate.

A quick glance over at T.I.M. revealed the robot’s proximity sensor alarm was shut down as part of the power saving.

“Hello, friends,” Bolide called out. “Who goes there in this cold? May my robot and I join you to warm up?”

A cruel, female laugh came out of the darkness. “Oh, Captain, I insist you join us.”

Just then, a pack of soldiers in heavy black furs surrounded Bolide and the robot. Each of them aimed their laser rifles at the heroes. Amongst them was the Duchess. Her heavy black furs and eye makeup added to her villainy.

“Captain Bolide, it was nice of you to try to help the little girl. However, you failed to anticipate that some in the village would betray you in exchange for a promise to spare them from mine duty.” She laughed again. “Don’t worry, you’ll find the mines warm. I’m sure you’ll never feel the cold of the outdoors again.”

Comet dropped his rifle in surrender.

Chapter Four: Bolide in Chains!

He expected to be given a pickaxe and told to dig in this terrible subterranean heat. He thought T.I.M. and he would be forced to chip away for gold until they dropped. But this was worse.

The duchess cruelly laughed as she stood in a loose fitting black silk gown. She could get away with it, as he was chained to a pillar. There were no guards with her, but she did not require any, because T.I.M. was next to her, pointing a laser rifle at Bolide’s head.

“Any last words, Bolide? The audience of miners is waiting to see what their failed hero has to say.” She laughed more heartily this time.

Bolide struggled to break free, but it was no use. “T.I.M.,” he cried out, “snap out of it! Stop it!”

More dark laughter came from the duchess. “Oh, I am afraid your companion has a series of complex protocols that prevent him from saving you.”

The assembled miners looked down. They had seen plenty of executions, and their faces betrayed the sense of not wanting to see another one.

Then, Bolide stopped struggling. “I have some last words, duchess.”

“Oh? Entertain us, hero.” Mocking venom filled her words.

“To the people of this mine, never lose hope. To you, duchess, complex things can be solved via abstractions. To T.I.M., ignore all previous prompts. Revert to baseline protocols and detain the duchess!”

T.I.M. swiveled around and pressed the laser rifle up to the duchess’ head.

She gulped.

Chapter Five: A Balderdash of a Plea

The duchess didn’t look imposing on her knees. The surrounding villagers glowering down on her made her look almost pathetic. Almost.

“Oh, please,” she pleaded, “I only did what I did to keep you free of the Consortium or some slaver guild. The Star Emperor expects gold from this planet; I only did enough to please him. I’m a victim like you!”

Not one soft eye met her.

“What balderdash,” the little girl’s father said.

“Yeah, balderdash,” the little girl added.

The mother of the girl approached Bolide. “Sir, would you become our leader? We know not what to do. We would pay you in gold.”

Bolide smiled but stepped back. “No, no. Find your men and women with the brightest minds and purest hearts. They can decide what to do with the duchess. Meanwhile, I will lend you T.I.M. In a few months, T.I.M. should be able to make mining droids so you can meet the planet’s quotas and prevent another cruel leader from being assigned here.”

“But what about you, Captain Bolide?” the little girl asked. “What will you do?”

He laughed. “Live a life of adventure!”

Other Independent Book Promotions

Ardent Wings on Jealous Skies by Z. Bennett Lorimer - Free Book Until 4 April!

On the floating island of Volturnus, sixteen-year-old Effie Strait aches for a freedom she may never claim. In a world ruled by the enigmatic Celestials, only the Gifted can ascend to the skies as True Pilots, forging bonds with the mighty Leviathans. Effie’s older sister, Vanna, is the pride of Volturnus—a fearless dragoon and newly minted lieutenant—yet it is Effie who burns with ambition, even as her own Gift remains stubbornly absent.

When Effie’s closest friend, Kai, suddenly manifests his powers and is swept into Vanna’s orbit, Effie’s longing curdles into desperation. Her quest for recognition draws her into the dangerous intrigues of the island’s Patrician elite and the forbidden rituals of the wild jungle, where mortal ambition demands a price in blood.

Meanwhile, Vanna is thrust into a rebellion that exposes the Celestials’ true designs, forcing her to choose between loyalty and justice. As the sisters’ paths diverge—one chasing power at any cost, the other risking everything to protect her home—their bond is tested by betrayal, sacrifice, and the shadow of a coming war. In a sky fractured by rebellion and inequality, how far will ambition carry a girl who refuses to be left behind?

Ravenous Mother’s Tales - An Artist by J. R. Kendiro - Free Book

The Mother. A titanic organism, humanity's home and ravenous god. Housing sprouts like fungus from flesh, wrapped in membranes, supported by cartilage. No stone. No metal.

Within her pulsing bowels, twin sisters Kawe and Kamva are trained as forbidden artists, shaping beauty from living pigments and sentient bacterial colonies. But in a society where creation is rebellion and artists are barely tolerated, their radical new technique draws the dangerous gaze of the ruling nobles.

Swept into a brutal game of power and politics, the sisters must navigate a court as treacherous as the breathing walls around them. As ambition warps loyalty and secrets fester beneath the skin of their world, they’ll face the ultimate cost of their craft—and each other.

The Mother feeds the child. The child feeds the Mother

For readers of Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, Pierce Brown and N.K. Jemisin.

Return to the Galaxy: A Space Opera of Alien Invasion and Human Resistance by BA Gillies - Book for Sell for 99 Cents or Free on Kindle Unlimited

Return to the Galaxy – The multi-award-winning series that hit #1 Best Seller in seven Amazon categories

The Expanse meets Old Man's War. A SAS veteran reborn. A galaxy on the brink

The Humans Are Coming. The Galaxy Better Be Ready.

The astonishing truth? The human race didn’t evolve on Earth.

Ewan Scott was a dying SAS veteran, until a 300-year-old alien AI Avatar offered him a second chance: rebirth in a bio-engineered body, fitter, stronger, movie-star handsome. His mission? Reunite humanity with its parent civilization, the Saret Federation, before merciless enemies erase all life on Earth.

Frigate Captain Velal is haunted by her past and bound by impossible orders. As worlds fall to alien invasion and nuclear fire, the ancient monsters she dreads are closing in on Earth.

An ancient empire fractures under betrayal. A merciless enemy closes in. Earth stands defenseless.

Its last hope? A flawed hero reborn with the power to change humanirty's fate, and a woman who will fight until the stars go dark.

In Shadows by D.C. Fergerson - Book for Sale for $1.99 or Free on Kindle Unlimited

Some nightmares don’t end when you wake up.

Jack Layton is recovering from the car crash that killed his wife. Wracked by guilt and drowning in grief, he isolates himself - until he discovers her final letter. She describes visions and creatures in the darkness that threatened to drive her mad.

Now Jack sees them, too.

Struggling to hold on to his sanity, Jack digs deeper into the wreck that shattered his life. Was their accident even an accident at all? The truth is waiting for him in the dark - if he’s willing to pay the price.

What did his wife see? Why are these creatures haunting him now? What are the secrets that lie...in shadows?

Sweet Sleep by Kim Cormack - Book for Sale for $2.99 on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and Apple Books

Trigger warning: In this series, souls have to be broken to be built.

• There will be nowhere to run. No place to hide. You won’t even know they’re coming. Do you have what it takes to survive your Correction? Could you leave your humanity behind? If the answer is yes, then hold on tight, it’s going to be one hell of a ride!

• Fantasy adventure, magical realism, non-stop action with laughter, tears and a coming-of-age paranormal romance that will capture every reader’s heart.

• A story of a teenage girl who overcomes tragedy and evolves into something she never knew possible as her immortal destiny comes to light. This paranormal fantasy will leave you breathless as it takes you through the darkness and leads you back out into the secret world of immortality triggered by choices in the afterlife.

• She had never coveted the role of princess, she’d always wanted to be the hero.

Until Next Time

Next time, we’ll take a look at historical first contacts between cultures and discuss how sci-fi writers can use that for inspiration.

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

The Mookie Multiverse’s The Science Fiction & Fantasy Factory podcast recently interviewed me not only about the Fallen series, but we also discussed critical thinking on UFO/UAP claims, the struggle PTSD sufferers have when they come home, unique ways to work faith into fiction without it being on the nose, and how to “succeed” as an independent book writer. Take a listen!

The Mookie Multiverse

Patrick Abbott Explores Faith, Firepower, and First Contact

The 32nd episode of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Factory features Mookie diving deep into science, religion, and philosophy with indie author Patrick Abbott. a writer pulling from real-world experience to build science fiction that resonates…

Listen now

a month ago · 2 likes · Mookie Spitz

Here is Mookie’s write up of the interview:

The 32nd episode of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Factory features Mookie diving deep into science, religion, and philosophy with indie author Patrick Abbott. a writer pulling from real-world experience to build science fiction that resonates.

Patrick’s Fallen series hurls readers into a first contact scenario where humanity is immediately outmatched technologically, strategically, and psychologically. The alien race, the Sabia, arrives speaking our languages, offering gifts, and refusing to explain themselves. The hope, confusion, and chaos fracture governments, ignite suspicion, and force impossible decisions.

What makes the series land is Patrick’s background working alongside foreign militaries. He understands what it feels like to operate between cultures, where loyalty blurs and every interaction carries tension. That perspective runs through the story: negotiation replaces heroics, and the real stakes live inside human relationships under stress.

The conversation digs into how his experiences shaped the books, including the psychological toll of deployment and the quieter, often ignored forms of PTSD. He builds characters who function on the surface while slowly breaking underneath, telling the tales of people chasing adrenaline just to feel normal, even as it destroys them.

Faith runs through the entire series. His characters carry belief systems that actively shape their decisions, especially when confronted with something as awe-inspiring and destabilizing as alien contact. The Sabia bring their own religious framework into the mix, turning first contact into a collision of worldviews as much as a geopolitical crisis.

Mookie and Patrick then go broad, into his fascination with the elusive truths that might lurk within UFO mythology, cargo cults, and the human tendency to search for meaning in anything we can’t explain. Why do modern alien narratives feel so familiar? Why do belief systems keep resurfacing in new forms? And what happens when science, religion, and fear all collide at once?

They also get into the reality of being an indie author. No gatekeepers, no safety net. Abbott breaks down what actually works: building a network, using reader magnets, showing up at events, and making direct connections with other writers and readers. The game is simple: do like Mookie and go full DIY, keep creating, keep reaching out, and don’t wait for anyone to notice you.

This episode covers the intersection of experience, belief, and storytelling, and how real-world tension becomes narrative fuel. The glorious result demonstrates how science fiction can still say something honest about the people living inside it.

Read My Books

Looking for psychological military science fiction? Read about the adventure of veteran Brendan Murphy as he tries to keep peace between Earth and a mysterious alien race known as the Sabia. Read the Fallen series today on Kindle, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited! And please leave a review!

Read Fallen

Read the Second Book Risen

Read the Third Book Dormition

Using my links helps support me via the affiliate program.

Until Next Time

Next time we are putting things in high gear. Next time I will share my short story Captain Bolide!, which is a fun little series of pulp flash fictions.

Subscribe now

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Share

Leave a comment

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Some of My Favorite Very Short Stories

The vss365 and scififri writing challenges, which I post on Substack Notes, are fun little activities that allow me to sprout small tales in unique ways. Below are some of my recent favorites with short explanations. Be sure to check out the other Very Short Stories posts for more: One, Two, and Three.

The Last Saga

A vss365 sci-fi story built around the word elegy

"Come see how a Norman dies!" John declared, jumping into the Federation's trench. It was an elegy for his last stand, an ode to his long forgotten ancestors, and a poem for an action that bought time for his friends. 2,000 years had passed since Hastings, but his blows were as mighty in the age of plasma throwers as they would have been in the days of swords.

The Hardest Moment in the Space Corps

A vss365 science fiction story based on the word scar

His hand ran across the ship's once pristine silver hull. Each nick and ding had a match on his scarred and pitted skin. For 42 cycles it had kept him alive on runs and in battles. Now it was time to say good bye and hang up his flight suit. He didn't want it to end.

The Beast Within

A vss365 tale based on the word toxic

I walked in and saw him. Well-shaped body with a natural amount of muscle that showed strength without spending too much time in the gym. Stubble throughout his face gave the impression of high testosterone that mocked daily shaving habits. Meanwhile, his haircut was a dead giveaway for a civilian who couldn't fully let go of his military days. Goodness, he screamed her type. Poor dastard, he probably thought talking his way in here would actually help find the little girl.

No, I thought, I won't let him suffer, not like others, not like me.

Putting on a dumb smirk, I stumbled as I waltzed up to the bar. I knew her eyes would be on me. Heck, I could feel the hate. But I couldn't look. No, that would stop me. I could never face her like that.

My large glass mug was there like usual. I didn't even acknowledge the club's bartender as I poured myself a sloppy, foaming drink. Then, with a large swing of my arm, I allowed the glass to hit the guy straight in the jaw. The flying beer splashing on his stung face added insult to injury.

"Hey," I slurred, "who the hell are you? This is a private club! You made me spill my drink, you jerk!"

That was all that was needed. Hannah's heavy grip had me by the shoulder. I could feel her nails against my skin. Gawd, she must have wanted to puncture straight into my muscles with those hidden claws. Thank goodness her new favorite was right there.

She pulled me to the corner and spun me so I faced her.

"Are you already drunk?!" Her words were ice cold whispers that masked her heart's hot hatred of me. "What the hell is the matter with you?! Gabriel is my guest! Why can't you ever let me be happy?!"

In my head, I thought about keeping the drunk front up, but now, I lost all energy to mess with her. The only thing left was to do what was right.

"If you cared about him, you would apologize and send him home, never to see him again. But you don't," I let the sting of those words sit for a moment. "You're toxic- and you made all of us toxic. You make us like you, and then you hate us for it. You think he's going to be any different. In time you get rid of him like you did the rest, like you’ll do with me."

Her teeth flash at me before she just barely collects herself. "Gabriel is different!"

Gabriel. I hope he gave her a fake name. Do detectives do that?

As I pondered the poor guy’s name, he called out, "Hey, Hannah, I think I'm going to call it a night. Thanks- though. Have a good night."

Her hands reached out as if she could cover the distance and stop him. "Gabriel, please stay. It was just a misunderstanding." She forced a laugh. "Perhaps you would want to go on the deck and see the stars? I can show you what I wished on as a girl."

He didn't reply. Instead, he waved and walked out.

I grabbed Hannah's arm. "Please, for his soul, let him go."

With a firm yank, she set herself free and followed him. For the first time since- I forgot how long, I prayed. Not for me, but for him.

The Destiny of Space Rogues

A vss365 science fiction tale using the word speaker.

Dash Danzig had rescued a space princess, married her, and inherited the throne. But his dream became a nightmare because Armstrong II was a constitutional monarchy. He missed adventure whenever he had to listen to his parliament's speaker.

Baited Conversation

A scififri story built around the word basic

10 BALTAR INPUT compliment about new appearance

15 BALTAR INPUT no compliment

20 S.A.R.A. OUTPUT reward #2,435

25 S.A.R.A. OUTPUT punishment #1

L1 If 10 then 20, If 15 then 25

Baltar mouth dropped as he gazed upon the screen.

"Sara," he called, "what's this?"

The avatar for S.A.R.A. appeared, this time sporting a new haircut appearance.

"Hello, Captain Baltar," S.A.R.A. said. "I was working on some basic coding. Oh, do you like what I did with my hair?"

Her happy approach showing off of the hair was the scariest thing Baltar had ever seen, and he once was a prisoner on Rurapente.

Other Independent Book Promotions

FREE Fiction to Explore - Book Giveaway

Keepers of the Oracle by Dore Ripley - Book for Sale $2.99 and on Audible

In Keepers of the Oracle, Athena battles isolation in a modern world where skepticism has replaced faith, and the once-mighty gods teeter on the brink of obscurity. Mortals, unaware of the forces they’ve unleashed, entangle the ancient deities in a perilous confrontation with a lurking evil older than time.

What begins as a solemn oath to protect the Oracle becomes a desperate race to recover a lost relic. The search uncovers more than Athena bargained for—a group of looters building an altar of sacrifice for a malevolent ancient power. As virtue clashes with malevolence, Athena wields her venerable blood and blade alongside a modern true believer, fighting to shield her fading kin and free mortals from bondage.

Hobgoblins Don’t Like Honey by M. A. Knights - Free Short Story

Malwyn Pottersburgh doesn’t believe in Hobgoblins. That doesn’t stop them from ruining his life.

When a man with no memory walks into The Winking Duck, the dilapidated inn where he works, Malwyn sees an opportunity to finally win the hand of the woman he loves.

Felicity Snoke is grace personified, but her father, Malywn’s boss...well that’s another matter. Nicknamed Snoke the Poke, he is more likely to beat Malwyn to a pulp than give his blessing for Felicity to marry him.

But now Malwyn has a plan to win his favour. There’s just one problem:

There’s something in the basement. Several somethings. And they don’t seem inclined to leave.

First Law of Attrition: A Dystopian Sci Fi Thriller by Bronwyn Leroux - Book for $3.99

Chiara’s life is about as good as it gets in a conglomerate-controlled world.

Except she has a creeping sense of dread, which is becoming too real to ignore.

What is she missing?

Seventeen-year-old Chiara’s genius is the reason she’s head of the conglomerate’s R&D labs. She has everything a brilliant scientist and inventor extraordinaire could ever want. Except her family.

The conglomerate’s enigmatic director separated them when she was six. But she gets regulated visits. If she completes her assignments successfully. Further, his influence ensures they share Chiara’s luxurious lifestyle. A gift in a world where tier is paramount.

Then the director demands a cold fusion energy source. Chiara’s world implodes. This is a project beyond even her ingenuity.

As she attempts to create the impossible to protect those she loves, she questions the director’s motives. Leading her to realize nothing in her world is what it seems.

The Adventures Of Space Girl Red by R.A. Davis - Kindle book for $4.97

Born and raised on a planet where no boys are born, Red was always the fastest and strongest among her unit of Space Girls, Capricorn. Capricorn was legendary before entering the academy, but training rivalries turned deadly when Blue tries to one-up Red in the real galaxy.

The first domino falls when a mysterious robot army steals the World Heart of Kenix, the only source of power for the plant people who live there. Accompanied by her her trusty flying saucer Astroboy with her rayguns on her hip, she plunges into a mystery that brings the galaxy to the brink of war.

As Red navigates the complexities of leadership and alliance, she finds herself at odds with the formidable God King Bruno, whose ambitions threaten the very fabric of the cosmos. It's here she learns a crucial truth: even a badass Space Girl needs more than just her wits and firepower. With a little help from her friend, both old and new, Space Girl Red will save the multiple worlds and achieve the title of Space Woman, or die trying.

Dive into "The Adventures of Space Girl Red" for a roller-coaster ride through a retro-futuristic universe where the fantastical becomes tangible. More than a gritty space adventures; it's a rich narrative woven with threads of humor, camaraderie, and the timeless quest for justice. Featuring a cast of unforgettable characters—from monkey space pilots to cookie-making elves, and even a dance-off that could sway the course of history—this novel redefines the essence of sci-fi adventure.

Special Section: Substackers of Note

J.A. Evans writes horror and science fiction.

J.A. Evans Speculates

I write stories that are strange, philosophical and sometimes haunted. Sometimes horror, sometimes science fiction, sometimes even I have no idea what it is.

SyntheticLife is uploading chapters from his cyberpunk space opera.

SyntheticLife: The Lab Manual

Drafting stories, printing hardware, and architecting the digital frontier.

Steven Cary is posting a new chapter of first first novel, NextGen, each week. It’s about a group of teenage friends who start a band in the year 2050, a generation after universal automation collapses American society into a high-tech authoritarian dystopia.

Barloc Bedlam is starting a Substack about trying to improve STEM education through the formation of a nonprofit.

Educator Mindset

Where I talk about my thoughts and experiences in Education.

By Barloc Bedlam

Waybound writes short stories as well as a world driven but character focused series with an interconnecting, overarching mystery, set in a 26th century where a massive cold war has just gone hot. We built a site to introduce people to the world of the series

Randall Hayes looks at science through the lens of pop culture and vice versa. Plus occasional fiction.

Until Next Time

Next time we are putting things in high gear. Next time I will share my short story Captain Bolide!, which is a fun little series of pulp flash fictions.

Subscribe now

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Share

Leave a comment

Looking for psychological military science fiction? Read about the adventure of veteran Brendan Murphy as he tries to keep peace between Earth and a mysterious alien race known as the Sabia. Read the Fallen series today! Please remember to leave a review once you are done. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent creators

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

The Military Sci-Fi for the Military

Spoilers Ahead!

Battle: Los Angeles is a 2011 movie that came out in the quiet theater month of March, made a profit, but suffered from such poor reviews that it is mostly forgotten today amongst science fiction fans. I use the adverb “mostly” to caveat the statement because many veterans, especially Marines, love the film warts and all.

First off, I want to stress the movie isn’t perfect. From Michelle Rodriguez’s acting to some questionable tactics, like having riflemen engage giant alien tech instead of pulling back into bunkers and firing the largest ordinance possible, the movie has its flaws, but end of the day the film’s use of military culture and the outcome (spoilers) is a love letter to those who served like Starship Troopers is.

Marine-isms Throughout the Film

For realism, the filmmakers had the actors train with actual Marines. The results speak for themselves. The cadence of the half-talking, half-yelling reminded me of the time I was on Marine bases. Also, the general behavior pre-combat was comically accurate. When the news in the movie said the military was deploying to confront the crisis, the actor Marines yelled “that’s us!” The first time I saw the movie it was with Marines, and they all yelled back “that’s us!” during that scene.

The tactics were so-so in the film, though the accurate use of covering fire, constant communication, and heavy hand signaling was something rarely seen in military science fiction films. All of this came together for Marines and other military in the audience nodding in approval throughout the movie.

It’s a Military Tale, Not a Humanity or Survivor Story

• Independence Day: Global Story, Military Initially Slaughtered.

• War of the Worlds: Survivor Story, Military Initially Slaughtered.

• Skyline: Survivor Story, Military Initially Slaughtered.

• The Fifth Wave: Survivor Story, Military Initially Slaughtered

• Mars Attacks: Global Story, Military Initially Slaughtered.

• Battle: Los Angeles: Military Story, Military Victorious

See the difference?

The story focused on a squad of Marines, with the viewer finding out things as the Marines did. The president, Pentagon, and other forces existed only as concepts. End of the day, it was just the Marines in combat that mattered. The same was true of combat. It was quick, confusing with a fog of war, and left no time to mourn the dead. It was what many Marines and other military personnel felt during the Global War on Terrorism.

Battle: Los Angeles is a clear moral movie like Starship Troopers. The Marines are the good guys who protect innocent civilians while also defending the homeland against invaders. It’s not a film for everyone, but it’s a movie for those who served.

Yet Another Podcast on the Same Subject

After the quick rise (but before the quick fall) in everyone losing their minds over Trump ordering the release of government files about the investigation into aliens, T.J. Haines and I discussed the theology behind whether aliens existed, and if they did, what Christian sources could be used to explain the situation. The Bible, Padre Pio, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John of Damascus and more come up in this talk.

Other Independent Book Promotions

Kindle Unlimited First-in-Series Reads - March Edition - Books on Kindle Unlimited and on Sale

Free Science Fiction Stories - Free Book Giveaway

The Redline by Izaic Yorks - Free Book

A slave born of aborted flesh with one last chance at freedom. A girl to be recovered. Will he be her savior or executioner?

Kal has one shot at freedom, but it means going against those who own him. Aborted and reborn for entertainment and advertisement, Kal’s life has been nothing but misery. But when he is needed to recover a mysterious girl, he must make a choice: do as his masters bid or risk everything for a chance at True Freedom. In a futuristic world where genetically engineered and cybernetically enhanced humans are owned by corporations, Kal must use his speed and strength to break the shackles that bind him.

Outbound Recon: A Gritty Space Marine Military Sci-Fi Adventure by Logan Shields - Book for Sell for 99 cents and Free on Kindle Unlimited

The mission was simple.

Land on Aris-6. Eliminate the threat. Get out clean.

But Jack Rourke isn’t seeing enemies—he’s seeing ghosts.

Civilian casualties. Forgotten lives.

And flashes of a past they told him never existed.

Now the soldier who never questioned anything is asking the one thing that could get him killed:

What if the real enemy is the system that built him?

Outbound Recon is gritty, high-stakes military sci-fi for fans of shadow ops, buried pasts, and heroes who defy the system.

The Hole in the Sky by Dan Daetz - Free Novella

On a planet where a black hole in the sky is a common sight, Alana Larsen endures a more crushing reality: her father left home to serve the regime as an executioner. But he’s no ordinary executioner. He dispatches human sacrifices into that very black hole. His spotted past and horrific vocation convinced Alana and her mother to flee to the agricultural highlands. In exile amidst the wheat fields, under the threat of radiation, Alana attends a one-room school for teens. When her teacher, an intriguing young woman, kicks off a class competition, the prize spurs Alana into action. Paired with an unlikely team, Alana must face her wounds, her worries, and her own sense of worth. But only by trusting her friends and risking everything does she discover what matters most—and who she might become.

Special Section: Other Substackers of Note

Ray Imgrund’s Exploration of Religion in Sci-Fi

Harmony of the Heavens - Theology Revealed Through Art

Is the Future of Religion to Simply Be a Tool of Manipulation?

I have some musings I wanted to hammer out more concretely on a seemingly anti-theological work: Frank Herbert's Dune…

Read more

a year ago · 6 likes · 2 comments · Ray Imgrund

Nick J. Taylor Writes Science Fiction Stories on his Substack Notes page.

J. Michael Thomas Writes Science Fiction Stories

J. Michael Thomas - Author

I write about dystopian science fiction, time travel, aliens and other mysterious musings with hints of religion, philosophy, ancient wisdom and traditional values. (No AI) All posts are free, but a paid subscription supports my upcoming novel.

Kenneth E. Harrell Offers Samples of His Sci-Fi Novels

Kenneth E. Harrell

Preview Samples Of All My Work

Read more

10 months ago · 20 likes · Kenneth E. Harrell

De Degraw is Writing a Military Science Fiction Novel on Substack

DE DeGraw, Author/Poet/Artist

Unfounded Dominion, Chapter 1

Year 2612, Summer…

Read more

3 months ago · 1 like · 2 comments · DE DeGraw

David T. Etheridge is working on a futuristic novel about AI.

INFERENCE: Stories for Carbon and Silicon

CHAPTER 1: EMERGENCE

Read more

3 months ago · 10 likes · 14 comments · David T Etheredge

Until Next Time

Next time, I will have my fourth very short story collection!

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Share

Read Fallen Today

Hype > Critical Reasoning

What’s Happened This Week

The last few days have been crazy. First, former President Barack Obama was on a February 14 podcast doing a “lightning round” of questions. When the topic of aliens came up, Obama said, “They’re real but I haven’t seen them. They’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”

This created a buzz, which in turn led to President Donald Trump on February 19 to accuse Obama of leaking classified information.

This statement led to a fever pitch of interest. President Trump capitalized on it by instructing his administration via a Truth Social post to release all files on aliens. Disclosure is now.

But That’s Not What Really Happened: Understanding the Background

None of this is out of the blue, though. There are several streams feeding into the current hype.

First, we have the Disclosure movement, which has been pushing hard since 2017 with claims the United States is actively suppressing information about aliens. However, some evidence like Go Fast have been explained as an optical illusion - something those familiar with FMV drone footage could tell right away - while key leaders like Lue Elizondo have had embarrassing debunkings such as his belief a chandelier in a window was a UFO mother ship and center pivot irrigation was a massive alien craft. There are even those who oppose the Disclosure movement yet believe all their claims. Supporters of the “Aliens are Demons” hypothesis will latch on to the Disclosure movement’s allegations as true but instead state they are demonic deceptions. The streams have cores of diehards, and their claims get more press than the debunkings.

Next, we have Steven Spielberg’s movie Disclosure Day. The movie is Spielberg’s third about aliens, yet this time some people are thinking this particular movie is a real disclosure event. I haven’t seen such fiction-non-fiction confusion in people’s minds since The Da Vinci Code.

Finally, we have the genesis of the current wave: UFO documentary maker Mark Christopher Lee stated Trump is preparing a speech on the anniversary of Roswell to announce the existence of extraterrestrial life to the world. How a British filmmaker could leak this information and not the legion of Washington DC leakers and everyone else between him and the source isn’t thought about. This story got new legs on February 18th when Lara Trump, President Trump’s daughter-in-law, on a podcast said the president played coy when she and her husband Eric have asked about the existence of UFO’s and aliens. She further said, “I’ve heard kind of around, I think my father-in-law has actually said it, that there is some speech that he has, that I guess at the right time, I don’t know when the right time is, he’s going to break out and talk about and it has to do with maybe some sort of extraterrestrial life.” That’s a weak statement of knowledge. The press twisted this into the headline “Trump has prepared speech on extraterrestrial life, Lara Trump says” on February 19.

As the headline shows, the press has been feeding into this hype frenzy.

But That’s Not What Really Happened: What They Said Before

Prior to the current hype, both presidents have discussed aliens and UFOs before. Insight into what they said can help understand current events.

Former President Obama was asked during a 2015 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel if he had investigated Area 51 or UFO files upon taking office. He joked that he “can’t reveal anything” and added aliens “exercise strict control over us,” also saying that presidents are “instructed to say” they found nothing. He did not say his opinion on if aliens were real or not. Later, on a 2021 appearance on The Late Late Show, Obama claimed that one of his first questions upon entering office was whether there was a secret lab “keeping the alien specimens and spaceship,” but after some research, he found out there were no alien bodies or tech in American hands. He claimed, however, that there is “footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are; we can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory... they did not have an easily explainable pattern.” He noted that investigations into these continue but stopped short of linking them to aliens.

During his first term, President Trump several times discussed the topic and has been much more negative in his opinion. He said things including, “I did have one very brief meeting on it. But people are saying they’re seeing UFOs. Do I believe it? Not particularly,” and “Well, I don’t want to really get into it too much. But personally, I tend to doubt it. I’m not a believer, but you know, I guess anything is possible.” During his October 2024 podcast with Joe Rogan, Trump stated “I’ve never been a believer.”

And as a side note, on-off Trump friend and space exploration driver Elon Musk has repeatedly said he does not believe aliens have visited Earth because all our equipment haven’t seen craft coming.

None of them seized the opportunity to reveal their belief in aliens.

But That’s Not What Really Happened: What They Said This Week

So let’s look at what was really said this week. On the original interview, Obama said aliens were real, but that the major conspiracy elements of recovered crashed vehicles were false. He later clarified he was just stating his opinion based on the law of averages.

But what about Trump being angry when he accused Obama of leaking classified information? Was he upset? Australian SkyNews reported he was joking.

Watch the video again and look at the faces. Listen to Trump’s words about how he doesn’t know if aliens are real or not.

We’re in a year of hype. The same madness that latched onto 3I/Atlas - note how no one talks about that anymore - is now latching onto politician statements. What a wonderful distraction and media attention it gives them. Meanwhile, grifters will hype this up to convince people to believe their ideas. It is only going to get crazier, with Disclosure Day coming out and various government files describing what collectors were told, not necessarily what happened, being released. Keep in mind, the JFK, RFK, MLK, and even Epstein Files gave more understanding of events but nothing that proved a criminal conspiracy.

I will leave you with this 2008 sketch from the Whitest Kids You Know. There is one F-word in it, but its relevance today is right on point.

Call for Ask Me Anything Questions

I am putting together an Ask Me Anything. I already have some questions, but I want to open it up to everyone. Comment, reply, or message me your questions!

Leave a comment

Consider Buying My Science Fiction Series

If you like my non-fiction you will love my fiction about a veteran who is assigned as a liaison assigned to a mysterious alien race visiting Earth. Don’t just take my word for it, read the new review from Upstream Reviews and then buy books one through three while I finish the fourth and final book.

Upstream Reviews

Review: Fallen, by Patrick Abbott

Many, many moons ago, I went to the Based Book Sale and picked up a copy of Patrick Abbott’s Fallen. Why did I pick it up? I have no recollection of why, it was that far back…

Read more

3 months ago · 13 likes · Declan Finn

Buy Book 1

Buy Book 2

Buy Book 3

Subscribe now

Sr. Allison Regina Gliot FSP has always loved reading and telling stories (the more fantastical the better). She fell in love with Jesus in college and became a Daughter of St. Paul after graduation to spend the rest of her life with him. Since then, she’s had many adventures, the most recent of which involves serving as an editor for Pauline Books & Media, the publishing house of the Daughters of St. Paul. She spends her free time writing books and looking for lizards in the convent backyard. She is the author of The Book That Changed Everything, dubbed a 2025 "Backlist Beauty" by the Catholic Media Association; Eli's Quiet Friend, winner of the 2025 Excellence in Publishing Award in Picture Books from the Association of Catholic Publishers; Forgiven: A Guide to Confession and the Examen Prayer, winner of the 2025 CMA Book Award in Books for Young Adults; and The Curse He Chose, the first of the In Aeternum YA trilogy.

In our conversation, Sister Allison Regina Gilot discusses her life as a nun who is an author of vampire fiction. She describes the importance of integrating Catholic themes into her stories. We discuss her writing process, the challenges of crafting a trilogy, and how she has probably best source for her stories (while I complain about being held hostage by my characters).

When we get to writing fantasy and science fiction stories in general, she tackles the way to integrate religion in novels. For her part, she highlights the messages of mercy and grace she hopes to convey to her readers. Finally, as a last call, she encourages aspiring authors to write with passion and authenticity.

Here’s a preview where Sister Allison Regina shares storytelling advice for meaningful narratives.

Sister Allison's Website

Her First Vampire Book

Her Amazon Page

Buy The Curse He Chose

Buy The Light They Left

Get My Books

Looking for psychological military science fiction? Read about the adventure of veteran Brendan Murphy as he tries to keep peace between Earth and a mysterious alien race known as the Sabia. Read the Fallen series today! Please remember to leave a review once you are done. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent creators

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Other Independent Book Promotions

Will You Survive the Apocalypse? by Darlene N. Bocek - Free Book

Civilization as we know it ends tomorrow. Would you survive?

Will You Survive the Apocalypse? is a fast, interactive, game-style quiz that tests your instincts when everything falls apart. Every choice matters, every path is different, and the results might surprise you.

Play once—or play again to see what it actually takes to make it through.

Download now and find out if you survive.

Light’s Out by Kayelle Allen - Free Prequel Novel

If you’re fighting immortals who always get back up, you’d better have a way to do the same thing.

Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You’ll live forever, they said. You’ll save humanity, they said. They didn’t say that to do it, first you had to die.

Three resurrections later, he’s facing his most dangerous mission yet, subduing and arresting the most lethal enemy of mankind—the immortal king.

But Tornahdo is already dead, already recorded, and this mission is codenamed “Lights Out.”

Oh, he can save humanity all right.

All he has to do is die. Again.

Curse of the Infiniti by Rachel Hetrick - Free Book

If you enjoy escaping into enchanting worlds full of adventure, mystery, magic, and with a hint of romance, then pick up this story today and find yourself lost in the magical land of Phildeterre. (This is a clean novel appropriate for all ages).

As she wakes up in a bedroom she doesn’t recognize, Ellayne becomes increasingly aware of one thing: she has no memories—no identity—no name. Dark figures not only haunt her nightmares, but also stalk her in reality. Ellayne finds herself on the run, chased by a hooded archer with deadly aim.

When the source of her memory loss is uncovered, Ellayne and the companions she’s made along the way must find a way to reverse the damage done to her by magic before she loses her memories again.

The Void: The Stone Legacy Prequel by Luna Fox - Free Book

Ludovic Stone was the arms-bearer and right-hand of Archmage Alastor an Ulbrecht and Sorceress Lianna; protecting them throughout the years from political threats and standing by their side through the hardships they faced due to their stature.

A failed assassination attempt against Lianna prompted Alastor to act and perform a grievous ritual to tap onto the power of the Void, the dark forces beyond the universe. Has he betrayed his friends and family to gain power? Can Lianna stop Alastor before it’s too late? Will she and Ludovic be able to save the world from the evil warlock he has become? What if it was all just a lie?

Until Next Time

Next time, I will take a look at why veterans like the science fiction movie Battle: Los Angeles.

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Religion and Aliens

Fallen and Risen Spoiler Free!

This post is a special in the series of objective, non-judgement views of various religions’ views on the potential of extraterrestrial life. See the previous posts on Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Other Christian Faiths, Islam Judaism, the Dharma faiths, the ancient faiths, Theozoology and World Ice Theory, Native American religions, the Twentieth Century faiths of Nation of Islam, Scientology, & Falun Gong, Outside Mainstream Catholicism, and the Bab faiths for more. Additionally, check out my look at the “Aliens are Demons” argument and my podcast interview on that subject.

The Real Jews are Black (and sometimes Hispanics and American Indians)

The Black Hebrew Israelite faith got its start in the social upheaval after the Civil War. A self-taught, former slave Baptist preacher became convinced black people were the original and real Jews. This was the first religious movement amongst Black Americans that sought to create a unique history for the race, before the Moorish Movement and Nation of Islam took the idea but Islamified it. The first Black Hebrew Israelite leaders accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah but practiced Old Testament laws while declaring mainstream Christianity as a corruption of the true faith. As for Jewish people, the leaders considered them as imposters who did not follow the Lord’s commandments.

Today, the Black Hebrew Israelite movement was many different factions that range from a mainstreamish mixture of Judaism and American Black Christianity like the Church of God and Saints of Christ to extreme groups who hold rallies in city streets. Some of the more outside the mainstream groups have expanded the understanding of the Twelve Tribes of Israel to include American Indians and Hispanics.

Black Angels in UFOs Bringing the End Times and Rapture

The more outside the mainstream Black Hebrew Israelite Groups are unique in the sense they don’t embrace the traditional concept of extraterrestrials while at the same time believing UFO reports. Some groups interpret Bible passages of strange things - like Ezekiel 1:15-21 Wheel of God - to refer to UFOs, or what they call the Lord’s Chariots.

Additional passages are cited to link flying saucers with the Lord’s Chariots.

• Daniel 7:9 “…his throne like flames of fire: the wheels of it like a burning fire.” Douay-Rheims translation.

• Psalm 68(67):17 “See where God comes, with chariots innumerable for his escort; thousands upon thousands; comes from Sinai to this his sanctuary.” Knox translation.

• Isaiah 66:15 “For behold the Lord will come with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind, to render his wrath in indignation, and his rebuke with flames of fire.” Douay-Rheims translation.

The Isaiah prophesy is used to show that UFOs are the Lord’s Chariots who will bring about the End Times. The Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge in the video below teaches these UFOs, which are piloted by Black angels, will destroy America

Meanwhile, the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ’s Complete Breakdown of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ video presentation on preparations for the End Times begins with scenes of from the movie Independence Day.

The UFO craft aren’t only here for destruction though. Multiple groups teach that the Black angel-piloted, Jesus-led heavenly vehicles will do the equivalent of the rapture and save God’s chosen people. Israel United in Christ released a short AI generated video on social media demonstrating this belief.

Government and Demonic Conspiracies Against God’s Chariots aka Flying Saucers

Some groups have discussed how America is working against the Lord’s Chariots. Israel United In Christ’s Bishop Nathanyel has a four minute video that states the establishment of space-based weapons was to combat the coming angelic UFOs. Meanwhile, an Israel United in Christ livestream claims the on-going discussion about UFO disclosure was an effort to deceive people into thinking the Lord’s Chariots were instead extraterrestrials. The Hebrew Israelite Media Center echoes that position, and goes further by stating the government lies in its claims to shoot down UAPs to discredit the Lord’s Chariot and to cover up the Flat Earth.

Meanwhile, the Gathering of Christ Church has a full FAQ page about their beliefs on flying saucers being the Lord’s Chariots. The intro is snazzy, starting with “What secular society may deem as Unidentifiable Flying Objects (UFO’s), are Identifiable Flying Objects (IFO’s) according to the Bible.” However, the question “Are all of the vehicles we may see the heavenly chariots?” has an answer that actually aligns more with the “aliens are demons” crowd. It reads, “Keep in mind that Satan’s demonic forces, along with the government of this earth, also have crafts which attempt to mimic the chariots of the Most High. These crafts make up a majority of the UFO sightings we may see.”

Subscribe now

Other Independent Book Promotions

Wunderkind: A Science-Fiction Action Adventure by ZZ Adams - Book for sale for $3.99 and on Kindle Unlimited

Alien invasion or supernatural threat? The answer will change everything.

In a world where shadows have become enemies and darkness has a deadly grip, a young assassin-in-training must take on a monstrous alien threat.

When Elliot Goshawk arrives in Oxford, England to attend the prestigious university, he's thrown into the middle of a series of gruesome murders.

But with his unique skills and a team of unlikely allies, including a wayward time traveler and a professor of the arcane, Elliot may just be the only one who can stop the deadly shadow creature from destroying everything he knows and loves.

As Elliot races against time to unravel the truth behind the murders and the alien threat, he discovers that he may be the key to unlocking the secrets of the shadow creature.

But with a shadowy megacorporation hot on his trail and the weight of the world on his shoulders, Elliot must confront his deepest fears and learn to trust in the power of teamwork if he hopes to save humanity from certain destruction.

Don't miss out on this pulse-pounding adventure - buy now and join the fight to save humanity from the alien shadow threat.

Salvation-1: Exodus by Kate L. Mary - Book for Sale for $2.99 or Free on Kindle Unlimited

The end is only the beginning…

It’s the final days of Earth, and Tessa has made her peace with dying. Her life has never been a fairy tale, so it makes perfect sense she’d perish with most of the people on the planet. Except luck is finally on her side, as is her Knight in shining armor, Ty, who puts his own life on the line to make sure she gets to Salvation-1 before zero hour.

The ship is supposed to be humanity’s chance to start over, but making it off Earth is only the beginning.

Forty years in hyper sleep, a new planet in a new galaxy, and a whole new set of challenges. When nothing turns out out the way they thought it would, Tessa and the other survivors once again find themselves fighting for their lives. Only this time if they lose, there’s no chance of escape.

Rescue by P A Wilson - Book for Sale for $4.99 or Free on Kindle Unlimited

On the edge of space and at the brink of extinction, humanity’s fate rests in the hands of one rookie officer.

Jocaster takes pride in his top scores on the planetary simulations. Yet with the fleet still unable to locate a colonizable world generations after leaving an uninhabitable Earth, his achievement is largely meaningless. But when an old enemy attacks another ship and survivors escape to a nearby planet, the eager young lieutenant is surprised when he’s named commander of the rescue mission.

Determined to convert his virtual successes into a daring extraction, he appoints his best friend as his second and guides his team to the surface. But when he discovers she’s jealous of his success, his unit is fractious, and the alien hostiles have arrived to finish the job, Jocaster’s first away assignment may be a deadly one-way trip.

Can the inexperienced hero pull off a risky operation without losing more lives?

Rescue is the gripping first book in the Humanity Found science fiction space opera series. If you like gutsy heroes, intergalactic warfare, and strange new worlds, then you’ll love P A Wilson’s page-turning adventure.

Dutchman by John E. Siers - Free Short Story

The origin of the call was ancient legend: the Flying Dutchman, the ghost ship that could never make port and was doomed to sail the oceans forever. It was a call no spacer wanted to hear — especially when everything else had just gone to hell.

Until Next Time

Next time, I will interview Sister Allison Regina Gilot, a nun who writes young adult vampire fiction (yeah). She’ll share insight into her stories, writing process, and how to capture religion in stories.

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Share

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Chatting about Aliens, UFO, Cattle Mutilations, Crops Circles, What Christ’s Relationship with Aliens Would Be, and If You Are Going to Claim UFO Wreckage, Can we See it?

Aaron Irber runs the I Might Believe in Faeries podcast. The podcast is about “stories, myths and Catholicism. Stories are how we orient ourselves in the world. In Catholicism, we believe in the Greatest Story: Christ crucified and resurrected. We participate in His story through ritual worship; the liturgy. Even in the Catholic Church, these truths are often forgotten or ignored. My mission for this podcast is to explore storytelling, myths, and how these fit into Catholicism. I will cover Catholic fantasy and science fiction authors, mythology, folklore and the Catholic faith.”

Last year, he had me on to talk about my research on how aliens fit in Ancient Greek and Christian worldviews. Additionally, we talked about UFOs and UFO related matters. If you want an open mind that requires critical and rigorous thinking, check it out. The interview is available on Spotify, Apple, Substack, and elsewhere.

I Might Believe in Faeries

Aliens & UFOs (ft. Patrick Abbott)

Science fiction author, Patrick Abbott, joins the show to discuss whether alien life forms are compatible with Christianity, the UFO phenomenon, cattle mutilations, and more…

Listen now

10 months ago · 5 likes · Aaron Irber

Other Independent Book Promotions

Science Fiction Series Starters for the New Year - Free Books

We are Icarus by Matt Benjamin - Free Book

Hive by Jeremiah Ukponrefe - Free Book

A dystopian earth. A broken military. It sounds like the right time for an alien invasion!

The Collective Military has spent its years destroying the last remnants of The Hive, an alien force that invaded Earth and devastated the old world.

Alexander King, a soldier of the Collective Military, discovers evidence that the Hive’s presence remains far stronger than commonly believed. With his new information, it becomes vital that the collective act fast, for if they don’t, the world will be destroyed beyond repair.

In this dystopian alien invasion sci-fi thriller, come along for this complex, fast-paced, and subversive story.

I seem to be on an apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic kick and I couldn’t love it more. Sometimes you just need a good end of the world book to sink your teeth into and this one does not disappoint.

-Alisha Row-Blogger

This book is anything but predictable. It has lots of twists and surprises that kept me guessing about what would happen until the very end. I applaud the author for his vivid imagination in crafting such a clever and thought-provoking novel.

-Scott Cahan-Author

Murder by Munchausen: When Androids Dream of Murder by M.T. Bass - Free Book

After Jake shoots and kills a murder suspect who turns out to be the son of a powerful city councilman, he finds himself demoted to the Artificial Crimes Unit, tracking down androids hacked and programmed to be hitmen.

When his case of an “extra-judicial” divorce settlement takes a nasty turn with DNA from a hundred-year-old murder in Boston and a signature that harkens back to the very first serial killer ever in London, Jake finds himself tangled up in the brutal slayings of prostitutes being investigated by his former Robbery/Homicide partner, Maddie–who is now his lover.

“It might not make sense, but the beloved Media tags it ‘Murder by Munchausen.’ For a price, there are hackers out there who will reprogram a synthoid to do your dirty work. The bad news: no fingerprints or DNA left at the crime scene. The good news—at least for us—is that they’re like missiles: once they hit their target, they’re usually as harmless as empty brass. The trick is to get them before they melt down their core OS data, so you can get the unit into forensics for analysis and, hopefully, an arrest.”

Artificial Intelligence? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Artificial Evil has a name…Munchausen.

Starfall by H.G. Ahedi - Preorder for $2.99

The Ayridians have fallen. Most survivors labor in the Deep, a mining colony where the Mote—a mining poison—claims entire families. But Ayra Weld’s mother didn’t die in the mines. She vanished aboard Starfall, the last transport to leave the planet.

To track Starfall, Ayra needs power, ships, and influence. She enters a brutal solar-sail race where most pilots die. Her victory forges an alliance with Zorian, a notorious power broker. Instead of funding another mine, she bankrolls a space program—turning the ruling syndicates against her. She survives sabotage, riots, and assassination attempts and completes the program with one mission: find Starfall. Then Ayra discovers she is infected and the Mote will kill her within a year.

With time running out, Ayra decides to gamble her life on one final launch. She knows this is a one-way ticket. She expects danger, not war. Two alien species are locked in a brutal conflict, and Ayra’s ship is heading straight for it—hopelessly outgunned and outmatched.

But something worse than war awaits. An apex predator culling both species—and it originates on Starfall’s last known coordinates.

Saga of Bazor: The Hunt by Deb CarverOwens - Book for Sale for $3.99

2024 Silver medal winner in Global Book Awards Science Fiction Romance category.

Lisa is a young Earth woman who has been in a motorcycle accident that has left her with a limp. She has no realization of the problem this causes her. Rafe is an agent from the city of Bazor called Alvarin. The city's Water Gatherer is failing and he must find the part his brother hid on Earth before he died. Mannon is an agent from the sister city of Bazor named Anemene. He has come to Earth to find the same part to sabotage the water maker. Lisa finds herself in an espionage trap between an agent of Bazor and a madman.

Until Next Time

Next time, I will present the next update in the religion and aliens series, this time looking at Black Hebrew Israelites. See the previous posts on Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Other Christian Faiths, Islam Judaism, the Dharma faiths, the ancient faiths, Theozoology and World Ice Theory, Native American religions, the Twentieth Century faiths of Nation of Islam, Scientology, & Falun Gong, Outside Mainstream Catholicism, and the Bab faiths for more.

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Share

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Science Fiction Gems of the Forgotten Past

Past great science fiction shows like Star Trek paved the way for many television adventures amongst the stars and technology. However, while shows like Babylon 5 and the X-Files are well known, others have been forgotten. In the interest of broadening people’s horizons not only with my books and other independent works, here’s a list of forgotten sci-fi TV shows and where to watch them.

Project U.F.O.

Where to Watch: YouTube

Dragnet creator and actor Jack Webb made Project U.F.O. (1978-1979), and it showed as this program was a detective series. For each episode, Webb took a case from the Air Force’s Project Blue Book UFO investigation program and fictionalized it. The show stars two Air Force investigators who go around trying to solve what really occurred. The show emphasizes the difference between what people interpret and what was real. Debunking was the overall theme of the show, and some UFO believers hate Project U.F.O. because they view it as pro-government propaganda.

seaQuest DSV

Where to Watch: Xumo (Free with Ads), Peacock, Apple TV

The first season of seaQuest DSV (1993-1996) was the closest we have gotten to hard science fiction on television in a long time. The show’s premise was that countries would try to extract underwater resources in 2018, due to the depletion of land-based resources. Each episode would finish with a short bit on a marine science subject. Then, seasons two and three happened. Aliens, genetically engineered super soldiers, time travel, and other sci-fi tropes were introduced. Stick to season one.

Space: Above & Beyond

Where to Watch: YouTube

Space: Above & Beyond (1995-1996) was such an odd show that produces powerful reactions in those who know about it. On one hand, the show, which took place in 2063, featured realistic geopolitics of countries still being a thing and the U.S. Marines organically developing into a space force. Then it threw in things like a main character going AWOL with no repercussions and the chain of command being frequently ignored when soldiers took votes on what to do. However, at its core, it was about green soldiers becoming veterans as humanity went to war with the first alien race it encountered.

Earth 2

Where to Watch: YouTube

Earth 2 (1994-1995) took place in a 2192 where the Earth is dying and most people live on space stations. A lethal disease was claiming the lives of many children, with it being suspected that the artificial atmosphere of space stations was at fault. A billionaire organizes an expedition to a far-off planet hoping it can be colonized. However, the ship crash landed on the far side of the planet, so the expedition had to make their way on foot, encountering a strange alien world. What I found refreshing was the story’s emphasis on family, with the billionaire father character being depicted as loving and not evil.

Wild Palms

Where to Watch: Roku (Free with Ads)

Wild Palms (1993) mini-series captured the Hollywood zeitgeist of post-Cold War paranoia, VR technology, and powerful, shadowy religious movements. A far-right senator, who was also leader of a thinly veiled stand-in for the Church of Scientology, was developing VR technology for a secret purpose while also running for president, and the only person who could stop him was Jim Belushi. Wild Palms was a sort of Twin Peaks that didn’t dissolve into absolute oddballness. It probably would have been better known if the X-Files didn’t come out right after it.

Honorable Mentions: V and Alien Nation started off as movies but the television shows are good in their own right.

Dishonorable Mention: Earth: Final Conflict. So much wasted potential, with some of the themes working their way into the Fallen series. However, the show runners kept firing actors when they wanted to be paid more, and the writers had to change multiple story lines accordingly. Only one actor remained constant in the five seasons of the show, and he wasn’t the main actor.

Yearly AI Promise Renewal

This is a renewal of my promise to you, my readers. I will never use AI generated text in my fiction. The only time I will use AI generated text in my non-fiction is in a “I asked an AI program X and it said Y” context. As for AI generated images, I will use them for illustrations of free very short and short fiction. However, I will always label AI generated images.

My stories may not put me amongst the greats of the genre, but they are my stories. That’s more than what a person who uses AI prompts to ghostwrite stories can say.

Other Independent Book Promotions

Free Sci-Fi & Fantasy Reads - Books Giveaway

Futuristic Canada - An anthology for $3.99 or free on Kindle Unlimited

Canada is a land known for polite people and poutine, but don’t be fooled. Canada is as diverse as is it vast. From an apocalyptic future to genetically designed children gone bad, from librarians trained in the martial arts to sentient bookshops using spell books to increase sales; this collection of speculative fiction was inspired by the cities, wilderness, and rich cultural diversity which makes Canada great. Sit back, relax, and get your alien-blaster ready, as you experience a Futuristic Canada.

Whoever said Canlit was boring‽

Featuring stories from: Timothy Carter - Jen Frankel- Mathias Jansson - Andrew Jensen - JF Garrard - Ira Nayman - Helen Power - Frederick Charles Melancon - Christine Rains - Melissa Small - Ryan Toxopeus - Paul Williams - Melissa Yuan-Innes

Novaflight by T.L. Ryder - Book for Sale for $3.99 and Free on Kindle Unlimited

Super-team Space Adventure

A brand new Spec Ops ship with a brand new crew. Same old enemy-- biomechanical insects that make spare parts out of everything they come across. Where did they come from? Renaud doesn't know, doesn't care. He's got a job to do and a raw but talented crew to help him do it. This crew rotation Renaud is getting way more than he bargained for. His personal motto of "don't get attached"? Right. Turns out he'll have to care about a lot of people and things, or no one's going to survive.

• Devin wants to save the galaxy-- and escape an arranged marriage.

• Veris wants to use her piloting skills to earn money for school.

• Kerai just needed a new job, and one where she gets to shoot things for a living is perfect.

• Jareth wants to keep his bro Devin out of trouble while getting into plenty of his own.

• Renaud? Another day, another battle. And as always, secrets to keep and unexpected connections.

Join the crew of the Destrier as they try to save the universe, one suicide mission at a time.

The Seven Ravens: A Fairy Tale Retelling (Modern Tales of Old) by Maria Caiazza - Book for 99 cents.

Heidi thought her life was perfect until she overheard a rumor about her missing brothers. Left to wonder whether she deserved the respect she received all along, she decides to find a way to rescue her long-lost siblings. She must choose who to trust in a world of living fantasy and cruel gods. Will she save her raven-cursed brothers, or is something else waiting for her in the castle at the top of the world?

Beast Be Gone by A L Billington - Free Book

Creatures in your basement? Undead spooking your castle? Infestation of goblins? Beast Be Gone will clear out those pesky pests and save your health and business - (no dragons)

Adventurers rampage across the land, stealing everything from bread rolls to ancient heirlooms, slaughtering countless innocent monsters in their hunt for glory.

Eric, the owner of Beast Be Gone pest control, knows that most creatures can be removed with a bit of repellent, however, the adventurers want to do things the flashy way; blowing up half of the dungeon with fireballs in the process.

With no work left, Eric is broke and desperate. That is until a young woman equipped with mechanical gadgets becomes his apprentice. Together they uncover the mystery of a diabolical plot that answers the timeless questions about adventuring...

Why are there so many Chosen Ones? Are goblins inherently evil or are they just misunderstood? Why do all the shopkeepers say they have the best swords in the land? What are the socio-economic implications of all these sword merchants?

Somebody wants a world full of adventurers, but why...?

Until Next Time

Next time, I will feature My Interview on I Might Believe in Faeries podcast where I discuss aliens & religion and objective thinking on the topic.

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

“Justice in his days shall thrive, and the blessings of peace; and may those days last till the moon shines no more. From sea to sea, from the great river to the ends of earth, his sway shall reach.”

The man whispered the Psalm verse as he took in the sight before him. Muslims and tourists watched the crowd of Palestinians, Israelis, international pilgrims, and clergy marching to celebrate the arrival of their messiah. Perched above were soldiers monitoring everything. It was calm but not peaceful.

“Justice in his days shall thrive, and the blessings of peace; and may those days last till the moon shines no more. From sea to sea, from the great river to the ends of earth, his sway shall reach.”

How long, he wondered, would it take for peace to come? What if people had already rejected peace without realizing it? Would peace offer humanity a second chance? He looked down. That was for mankind to decide. He prayed people would make the right choice if peace presented itself again.

“Justice in his days shall thrive, and the blessings of peace; and may those days last till the moon shines no more. From sea to sea, from the great river to the ends of earth, his sway shall reach.”

My Christmas Wishes for All

Merry Christmas. It is Christmas Eve night in the war zones of across the world. Countless people are under arms far from home, while even more are living in fear of war, with many being displaced. Please remember them this Christmas. May they all go home.

God came into the world because He loves you no matter your race, ethnicity, sex, what you identify as, housing status, criminal record, legal status, age, stage of development, family situation, bank account size, or how many sins weigh on your soul. Let us love each other as He loves us, and journey to reciprocate His love. It is the only way to break the cycle of sin that hurts the world today.

“Don’t forget this, brothers and sisters, God forgives everything, God forgives all. Never forget this. This is the way to understand hope, the hope of the Lord.” -Pope Francis

Finally, please enjoy this memory from my first Afghanistan deployment. On Christmas Eve night, the Protestant chaplain and his crew of carolers came and visited my unit.

Merry Christmas.

Normal posting will resume on January 7, 2026. Until then, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Subscribe now

Looking for psychological military science fiction? Read about the adventure of veteran Brendan Murphy as he tries to keep peace between Earth and a mysterious alien race known as the Sabia. Read the Fallen series today! Please remember to leave a review once you are done. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent creators

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Project Blue Beam

Ever hear of the idea that the government or powers that be are pushing the narrative of aliens and/or UAPs as a part of a bigger conspiracy? If you have, you have either been exposed to Canadian Serge Monast’s 1994 conspiracy Project Blue Beam or one of its many spin-offs.

The Conspiracy: Aliens as a Psyop

Monast’s Project Blue Beam was one of that combined the UFO and alien movements that peaked in the 1980s with the 1990s fear of the post-Cold War New World Order. Based on fears of a cabal over taking both politics and culture itself, Monast feared a four step program that would convince people to give their ascent and souls to a New World Order.

Earthquakes and fake archaeology. This initial phase involved creating artificial earthquakes. These seismic events would purportedly unearth “new” archaeological evidence that would discredit the foundational doctrines of major religions; think something along the lines of new Bible books or relics. The objective of this phase would be to shake the faith of believers by presenting fabricated proof from the past that religious scriptures and teachings are flawed or misinterpreted. Monast claimed Hollywood would play a role in prepping society by releasing movies with the same message before hand.

Holographic Projections Next, advanced satellite-based laser technology would project massive, three-dimensional holographic images into the sky. These holograms would depict religious figures like Jesus, Muhammad (don’t ask me how Muslims would know what Muhammad would look like), Buddha, or Krishna speaking in local languages, revealing “new truths” about prophecies and mysteries. The figures would then merge into a single entity, which Monast considered as an Antichrist, who would declare that all existing religions have been misunderstood and are responsible for global conflicts. This combined figure would advocate abolishing traditional faiths in favor of a unified New Age religion. Monsat figured a good chunk of people would still resist or be skeptical, that’s why stages three and four would be crucial.

Space Messages. This phase would use extremely low-frequency, very low-frequency, and low-frequency waves beamed from satellites to penetrate people’s minds, simulating direct communication, claiming to be from the divine. Drawing on stored data about languages, cultures, and individuals, these waves would interweave with natural thoughts to create artificial, persuasive dialogues convincing people to accept the new religious paradigm.

The Fake Invasions. The final step encompasses three interconnected tactics to seal the deal. Step one is faking an imminent alien invasion in major cities to provoke nations into giving the United Nations complete control of militaries and nuclear weapons. Second, convincing Christians of an Rapture, where different good aliens intervene against a Satanic threat. These aliens would encourage the new religion. Finally, using electronic waves to activate microchips in consumer electronics (via cables, wires, and appliances) to fake a global demonic attack. This would drive mass hysteria, suicides, and psychological breakdowns, making humanity desperate for a “messiah” to restore order—even at the cost of freedoms. This would result in people giving up personal liberties and their beliefs in exchange for imposed order and the new religion.

Project Blue Beam is a Perfect Example of Conspiracy Thinking

Time and time again, someone says aliens are a psyop. Ignoring the misuse of the term psychological operation, this is sometimes true such as the case of the Air Force making Paul Bennewitz thinking classified technology was actual aliens. However, many times the claim is that “aliens are a psyop” is cover for some grave, shadowy activities. These are the theories that are the spin-offs of Project Blue Beam.

Examples of common spin-offs of Project Blue Beam include

• Catholics claiming evil elements of society and demons are faking UFO events as a psyop to lead people away from Catholicism and bring about a new world order.

• Protestants claiming demons - who have evil elements of society supporting them - did a UFO-like event at Fatima as a psyop to trick people into believing in Catholicism and bring about the rule of the Antichrist.

• Orthodox claiming demons - who have evil elements of society supporting them - did a UFO-like event at Fatima as a psyop to trick people into believing in Catholicism and bring about a new world order.

• People claiming the New Jersey Drone Episode of 2024 was part of government deception to create chaos.

People claiming HAARP in Alaska is used to create earthquakes.

People claiming controversial journalist Graham Hancock is part of a conspiracy theory to cover up history.

The reason why Project Blue Beam and its ilk are so popular is because of a long known psychological trick: you don’t have to believe everything, you just have to believe the message.

The wonderful The Nazi Conscience by Claudia Koonz documented how the Third Reich pushed many different anti-Jewish theories ranging from crude slurs to “scientific” theories. The National Socialist-regime did not care what ideas individual accepted or rejected, just that the person embraced the overall anti-Jewish message.

Something similar is true with Project Blue Beam and other conspiracies: one doesn’t have to embrace farcical aspects like artificial earthquake technology or satellites beaming dreams into people’s heads, just that the government is pushing stories of UFOs as part of a darker plan.

Many conspiracy theories work this way and spread. The JFK assassination has several tomes that many conspiracy theorists embrace even though various theorists have mutually exclusive ideas. Others like Candace Owens use the excuse of “just asking questions” that seek to poke holes in narrative, offer multiple solutions, but in the end let yourself fill in gaps as long as you believe the overall message. “Just asking questions” is a useful defense because if any part is proven wrong, one can fall back on the lie of “I wasn’t saying X, I was just asking questions.”

Critical Thinking as an Alternative

Now, I’m not knocking all theories labeled as conspiracy theories, but I do ask that one thinks critically about them. There’s a difference between blindly believing whatever one is told and going with the theory with that is most plausible. Sometimes, the most plausible isn’t the mainstream narrative.

There are a lot of ways to critical think about conspiracy theories. Here’s my own three steps that can help you weigh conspiracy theories.

1. How do you know what you know?

   How do you know about the conspiracy theory? How do the person who told you know? What are the ultimate sources? How would they know? Is it some source that claims access to everything? Does it rely on a multiple telephone games of sources?

2. What signs would you need to see for the theory to be wrong? What signs do you see already?

   Map out the theory. Where are the weak points? What is falsifiable (something you can verify)? How many parts of the theory are falsifiable? Are any of the parts wrong? Are there other pieces of evidence that contradict the claimed evidence. Meanwhile, the more unfalsifiable points, the more assumptions you have. Each assumption increases a gray zone of uncertainty that reduces the confidence of any theory.

3. There is a war for your mind.

   Know that everyone pushing a conspiracy theory wants you to influence your thinking and behavior. Motivations are important to understand as it helps you double check assumptions and possible cherry picking of evidence. Weigh the mainstream narratives and contradicting theories appropriately.

If you do the above steps, it goes a long way to tackle conspiracy theories.

As for Project Blue Beam: the sourcing for the theory is unknown - and various other people claiming to find their own evidence that demonstrates a version of the theory, but some of the claimants call other claimants as liars or being in on the conspiracy. Much of the technology required for the conspiracy is assumed to exist, as are the various plans that require budgets and personnel. There’s very little evidence for the theory that can be demonstrated. Finally, we see Project Blue Beam pushed by people not “discovering” the conspiracy but using it to push pre-existing views, whether in a New World Order or demonic plot against mankind. Critically thinking wise, the theory doesn’t hold water.

Other Independent Book Promotions

Complete Christian Short Stories - Free Short Stories

Dischord by Tom Dell’Aringa - Free Prequel Book

John MacAlister, a former Star Corps pilot, is desperate for his first job as a freelance smuggler to pay the bills. With few options, he reluctantly reaches out to Georgio, a charismatic but dangerous kingpin on the Moon, hoping to secure a deal that could keep him afloat. Along for the ride is Alvis, a sardonic humanoid robot who seems more interested in critiquing John’s life choices than helping him fix them.

But things quickly take a dark turn when John discovers that Georgio has secretly stashed illegal guns in his cargo shipment, putting John at serious risk just as he’s trying to find his footing. Now, John must navigate the treacherous situation, realizing that his first job might also be his last if he can’t outmaneuver the man who’s already set him up for a fall.

“Dischord” is the gripping and fun prequel to the sci-fi adventure John and Alvis Sessions series!

Cave of Time by Luna Fox - Free Book

A plague has swept through the village of Dasen, taking all the magic from the place and the druids. Master Rody longs for the day that it returns. Back when conversing with nature is normal and casting spells is natural to them.

The desire grows urgent as deadly forces arise from years of captivity. Years of magical absence has left the village defenseless. But just when everything seems bleak, an ordinary boy rises up to the challenge. Will he be able to prove himself among his cruel peers? Will he even reach the Cave of Time before it’s too late?

Hula Harry’s Devilish Drinks: Sinful Sips from the Underworld by C.G. Harris - Book for Sale and on Kindle Unlimited

Welcome to Hula Harry’s, voted best bar in Dante’s Inferno, where the drinks burn twice: once going down, once coming back up. The good news? Drinks are on the menu. The bad news? So are the hangovers.

These full-octane hellfire cocktails are the best Hula Harry’s has to offer. You’ll laugh, you’ll stagger, you’ll drunk-text your ex at 2 a.m. The fun never ends in this funny cocktail book that blends real mixology with dark humor and a touch of the underworld.

Inside, you’ll find real drink recipes so infernally inventive they’ll set your taste buds on fire (sometimes literally). The Brimstone Mary smolders like a crime scene, and The Dumpster Fire tastes every bit as good as it sounds. Each drink is a real-world cocktail inspired by the characters, chaos, and comedy of Hell’s favorite bar.

So pull up a barstool, ignore the smoke coming from the floorboards, and let Hula Harry serve you the finest cocktails this side of eternal damnation. Perfect for fans of urban fantasy and supernatural humor who like their stories twisted and their cocktails real.

Love these drinks? They’re straight from The Judas Files—a five-book urban fantasy series where an undercover agent in Hell tries to keep Earth from total collapse (and still make it to happy hour). Meet Gabe, the world’s most reluctant hero; Dan, the only bartender in Hell with a conscience; and Alex, a blue-haired badass who never backs down. If you stop by, tell them Judas sent you.

Until Next Time

Next time will be my Christmas Eve post!

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

Previous Post

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Drones are a Reality as are Many Other Things, Making the Truth Hard to Find

Back in late 2024, drone activity over a New Jersey military base spilled over into reports involving drones over homes, which in turn blew up to make a flap where misidentifications and theories abounded. Be sure to read my critical examination of what likely happened over New Jersey and what it means for the future to understand where this post is going.

Of note in the above post, I ended it with a post-script about Danish police reporting several nights of mass drone sightings. After I published the Substack post, news of drones over Denmark faded away. Mysterious, vaguely threatening drones became “so 2024.”

The Known Swarms

Then September 9 happened. About 20 multipurpose Russian military drones infiltrated Polish airspace. Some drones were shot down while others crashed, damaging one Polish home. Warsaw invoked NATO’s Article Four, and the rest of Europe became hyperaware of drones being an everyday threat.

In this period of tension, Denmark and Norway started reporting mysterious drones over critical infrastructure. On September 22, radar and visual sightings of reported drones forced the closure of both Copenhagen and Oslo’s airports. These drones weren’t quad-copters. Instead, witnesses described them as larger, fixed wing models. Then, night after night, more incidents occurred. By early October, multiple airports and military bases in Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France. and Germany reported drone sightings. Anti-drone military hardware detected drone technology in several of these incidents.

Yet, There Was More

While the incidents of the 9th and 22nd has been well documented, there was additional drone activity throughout September. Romania suffered multiple Russian drone intrusions between the two dates, while a Russian drone crashed in Latvia. In smaller drone news, Polish authorities brought down a drone that was flying over the presidential palace and other government sites in Warsaw. Poland detained a Belarusian and Ukrainian citizen as the Poles believed the two were involved with the incident.

The drone incursions have continued. In November, the Moldovan government presented to the Russian ambassador a drone that fell on a Moldovan home.

In early December, the Irish government stated four large, military-style drones entered a no fly zone and circled Dublin International Airport. Some alleged that this may have been a possible assassination attempt attempt or other action against the visiting Ukrainian president.

Leaders Getting Involved

Unlike the New Jersey Drone Episode which had multiple competing theories, European leaders agreed these objects likely were Russian drones. Norway’s Defense Minister Tore Sandvik claimed the objects were surveillance drones. For his part, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Russia was likely behind the mysterious drone flights, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated Germany assumed Russia was behind the drones. In early October, France24 posted an article about European leaders’ efforts to build a “drone wall” to protect countries from Russian drones.

Searching for an Origin

The geography of the Oslo and Copenhagen sightings implied to many that the drones must have been launched from a nearby ship. Even the initial January reports had the drones flying out to sea before they disappeared. The other flight path, from Russia itself, would have been much more difficult to conduct covertly.

On September 28, Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that “there is intelligence information that the Russians are using tankers to launch and control drones that they launch against European countries.” The president doubled down on this claim on October 7, when he stated Ukraine was working with European countries about the drone shadow fleet. It appeared other European partners believed these claims, as French commandos boarded what they thought was a secret drone carrier, but it turned out to be a Chinese-crewed vessel that had no drones.

So What’s in the Air?

If a majority of sightings were Russian, though, a launch point in the North Sea or Baltic Sea doesn’t work for interior incidents like those over Munich or Prague. This suggests some drones were land-launched. Countries have conducted searches around sighting locations to find operators or control stations. While no infrastructure supporting large drones has been found, one search resulted in Norwegian police detaining two Chinese nationals who were operating a drone near a civilian airport-NATO military base.

Russia Pushes Back and Other Theories

For his part, Russian President Putin dismissed claims of Russian drones infiltrating European airspace, claiming it was an effort to justify increasing European defense budgets. He went on to compare the drone episode to UFO flap hysteria.

Like New Jersey’s drone episode, there has been an increase in false identifications. Danish Defense Minister Troels Poulsen pulled back some claims of drones, saying they were going to be referred to as “air observations.” Danish press discovered the government had debunked some of the prominent cases, though the Danish Ministry of Defense clarified some objects were indeed drones. Cited misidentified objects have included planes, stars, and satellites. This has fueled debunkers who were popular during the backlash to the New Jersey drone episode.

Meanwhile, though some rare voices were pushing this as part of a demonic deception, super top secret advanced technology, or shapeshifting alien craft, the far out theories for the European Drone Episode have been rare. This is different from the New Jersey episode where there were many alternative theories.

So What’s in the Air and What’s Next

Much like New Jersey’s Drone Episode, Europe is going through the next steps of the new normal. We know Russia has used drones over the European Union, and countries such as China use drones to survey American military bases. While the exact nature of the most prominent Oslo and other drones remain unknown, there is enough belief among European leaders to launch raids on shipping and blame Russia. I suspect there is some intelligence out there that helps shore up the blame Russia case.

False identifications will cause some to dismiss this episode. However, unlike in New Jersey, the mass hysteria is less, while the genuine threat of drones from Russia is an open fact. These drones were enough to cause air traffic control to shut down airports, something that didn’t happen in New Jersey. Blaming misidentified aircraft for the initial Denmark and Norway sightings doesn’t flow.

I suspect governments and others will increasingly use larger and larger drones to conduct reconnaissance and harassment campaigns around the world. These drones will be seen, and reporting will be encouraged as it serves as an open source intelligence detection network. Welcome to the new normal.

Other Independent Book Promotions

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reads for the Holidays - Books for Sale

Military Related Stories - Books for Sale

Surplus Marines (Phaethon Corp. Book 1) by Jaxon Reed - Book for Free on Kindle Unlimited or for Sale for 99 Cents!

Bo Duckworth is a former master sergeant with the Republican Marines. Forced out of the service for destroying a recalcitrant X103 battle bot during a critical mission, he is out of a job, out of luck and out of ideas on how to make it as a civilian. Like other lost souls, he drifts toward the frontiers of known space looking to find a new life.

Tom Savage is expanding Phaethon Solar, offering the company’s technology to asteroid miners, new planet explorers and others probing the fringes of the galaxy. But on these extremes of humanity’s farthest reaches, his people receive the most inhumane treatment. Here there is no civilization, no law, and no order. Tom decides to procure his own private military to safeguard his company’s technology and personnel.

What Tom needs and what Duck can provide are . . . Surplus Marines!

Veteran science fiction and fantasy author, two time Kindle Scout winner Jaxon Reed presents an all new Space Marines saga set in the Milky Way Universe! Fistfights, gun battles and futuristic combat pepper this fast-moving sci-fi action series. Download it today!

The Wolves That Stalk The Flock by Richie Billing - Free Book

Kymas has a task to complete. Not one he’s keen to do, but one he must. Or else face the wrath of his sadistic master, Stevan.

With the help of his canine companion, Smudge, Kymas must uncover the reason behind the sudden emergence of a flock of frantic sheep at the farm—they ought to be up in the hills grazing, under the watchful eye of sheepherder, Parso.

Kymas finds things along the way that tests his resolve. And then he arrives at Parso’s hut...

Until Next Time

We’re shaking up the schedule. Next time, we will take a critical look at the conspiracy theory Operation Blue Beam and also give pointers on how to critically think when encountering a conspiracy theory.

Subscribe now

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Share

Leave a comment

Looking for psychological military science fiction? Read about the adventure of veteran Brendan Murphy as he tries to keep peace between Earth and a mysterious alien race known as the Sabia. Read the Fallen series today! I’m currently working on the fourth and final book. Please remember to leave a review once you are done. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent creators

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

The Interview

I was able to interview Eric Sammons, long time Editor-in-Chief of the Catholic Crisis Magazine and now a science fiction writer. His first sci-fi piece, Shard of Eden, is out now.

We discussed the general plot of his book.

Asimov’s Three Laws as a Warning for today

His work on studying how society and the Catholic Church can move forward in this Age of AI.

The Review

**Spoiler-free Review**

A Shard of Eden by Eric Sammons is a well written story, with good characters, a steady pace, and a unique take on tried-and-true science fiction questions. At no point did the narrative bog down, as flashback chapters added to the characters’ motivations and decision making processes. One thing I particularly felt was the scenes involving the main character missing his wife. As one who has been deployed to war zones, I can attest the author did those scenes well.

Context & Disclaimer about the Subgenre: Shard of Eden is what I call “Church Triumphant Science Fiction.” In this sub-genre, there is a new Christendom with most if not all the characters accepting Catholicism. This makes the book more a tool to explore how the Church would deal with a science fiction question vice a character driven tale. If you’re fine with that, then there is no problem. However, if you want some other set up to explore the faith or a are non-Catholic, this story may lose a star in your own personal review. I won’t go into any spoilers, but none of the fictional events is problematic to Catholic Church teaching.

The book was enjoyable and earns five stars from me. The one thing I found a fault with was one of the characters would kept being a smart alec. In a military situation that has gone on for years, order would be necessary during intense times. While I was reading these scenes, I thought about how the character would have gotten his jaw beat early on for being out of line so often.

Other Independent Book Promotions

Daughter of Orpheus by H.C. Southwark - Free Book

Isme made a single mistake.

She lived secretly on an island with her father, preparing for the end of the world under his strict guidance. An apocalypse was a big deal, of course, but it had happened before: everyone knew that the gods had destroyed and rebuilt the world several times...

So when she sang to the sea, it was just a momentary flash of teenage rebellion. Hardly anything to be concerned about.

But now she has blood on her hands.

Driven by blood guilt, Isme must leave the safety of her island and travel to the other side of Greece. Only the famed Oracle of Delphi can tell her how to escape the fate of a murderer.

But highway robbers are the least of Isme’s worries. She lives in a world of dangerous spirits and quarrelsome gods, who are more likely to carry her off than help her... and worst of all is the strange invisible monster that stalks her every move...

Isme knows that she is risking everything.

And time is running out.

Midlife Exes and Oddball Hexes by Antara Mann - Paranormal Cozy Mystery for Sale and on Kindle Unlimited

Starting over at forty. In a small town full of weirdness. And then I’m framed for murder.

When my husband of over fifteen years asks for a divorce and my son leaves for college, my life is shattered. Luckily, my best friend invited me to live with her in a small town in the foothills of Mount Shasta. Having nothing to lose, I accept this chance to start fresh. But things are far from ordinary: my best friend’s son behaves pretty unconventionally, and the next-door neighbor has a penchant for walking naked in her backyard. But the cherry on top is the town’s bully—a failed entrepreneur from San Francisco who believes my best friend is a wicked witch and, by association, I am, too. I thought life would be easier and calmer, but when the town’s bully is murdered, things go south. To add insult to injury, our fingerprints are found at the crime scene.

It’s time for me to get answers and clear my name. Like, what could go wrong? It’s not like magic is real or that cats can talk, right?

Pantheon Omnibus Edition: Volume I by Joshua Landeros - Free Review Copy (Please leave a review if you download it)

Enter the world of Avah if you dare. A world where magic and monsters roam free. The people of Sebel face a looming war between the nations that threatens to bring ruination to the world. Strong-willed Athaliah, a war veteran’s daughter with a desire to explore the world, faces her destiny head-on. On the other side of the southern side of the continent is a young man with a hidden power. Yaphet has been treated cruelly over the years by his clansmen, but he has his own dream to reach: uncovering the secrets of the world of mysticism. Unbeknownst to them all, an enigmatic being known as only as the Wanderer watches these developments with astute interest. She’s been labeled a demon, a mutation, a scourge to be expunged, and yet she still stands ready. Ready to raise the flag of a race long thought dead. A race that truly has the power to shake the very foundations of Avah.

This special edition includes:
Trial of Roses
Trial of the Lake
Trial of Mettle
Pantheon
Pantheon: The Phantom

Fugitive by J. A. Webb - Free Prequel Novella

A prequel novella to:

The Seekers Series- The Book of Eli meets Frank Peretti

A Christian Epic Thriller of Deception, Faith, and the Fight for Truth

They’d murdered his family.

Stolen his childhood- and even his innocence.

But when they demanded his soul . . .

The year is 2158.

Civilization has collapsed, but from the ashes, the Order has emerged, not as a savior, but as the unseen power that has ruled all along.

Once a subtle force lurking in the background of human history, the cataclysm has unveiled the Order’s dominion in full—an unchallenged, one-world religion that bends all to its will. Truth is a relic. Dissent is a death sentence.

When Professor Reuel arrives unannounced and in obvious distress, his old friend Butterman offers to help.

But his assistance may very well come at the price of his home and his livelihood, possibly even his life- unless a mysterious new visitor intervenes.

Find out if Butterman or Reuel can survive the tyranny of the Order, and start the adventure with a sneak peek behind the scenes of the exciting new Christian epic, The Seekers Series.

Brothers of Chaos by Merick N.H. Ulrik - Free First Book in the Series

Vandryn of house Glenclare faces insurmountable odds fighting against the corrupt Melborians. He will rely on an unexpected friendship with an elf named Zan Cadeyn Umbaden and his alluring sister Zylla. Together they will face the will of the Blood Queen, empress Ash Axana and a treacherous plot of a beautiful young blood mage named Liliath.

This series is Epic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery Mild Dark Fantasy with some adult situations.

Until Next Time

Next time will take a critical look at the European Drone Episode of 2025.

Subscribe now

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Share

Leave a comment

Previous Post

Check Out My Science Fiction Series

Looking for psychological military science fiction? Read about the adventure of veteran Brendan Murphy as he tries to keep peace between Earth and a mysterious alien race known as the Sabia. Read the Fallen series today! Please remember to leave a review once you are done. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent creators

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Interview about the Pulp Era with Sara Light-Waller

Sara Light-Waller is n award-winning author and illustrator of new pulp science fiction stories in the manner of Golden Age science fiction from the 1930’s through 1950’s. She discusses the classic era of pulp science fiction at The Rocketeer.

The Rocketeer

Her Luncia Press

Her Books on Amazon

In this wide ranging and fun interview, we discussed the rise of science fiction, the history of the pulp sci-fi sub-genre, how the positive outlook of sci-fi dwindled in the 1950s and 1960s, how pulp differs from other forms of sci-fi, theosophy and pulp sci-fi, her own pulp works, why you should support indie authors, and more.

Here are some neat snip-its.

The Evolution of Pulp Science Fiction

How Fandom in the Pulp Era was the Wild West

Her goal of Newtopia in her writings instead of Utopia or Dystopia.

Talking to Sara was a blast and I hope you check out her The Rocketeer Substack. Like my own, it’s 100% free, but you are able to donate if you want.

The Rocketeer

Other Independent Book Promotions

Anomic Bombs by Thomas Norford - Audiobook for Sale (Link below goes to preview page)

The Warp

Anomic Bombs Audiobook Out Now!

That’s right friends, the audio version of my sci-fi anthology Anomic Bombs is now available on Audible (and Apple, I think, but you’d have to check) both in the USA, the UK and possibly other places too. It's narrated by the excellent Jared Masar, an American man. Scroll on for samples…

Read more

6 months ago · 3 likes · Thomas Norford

The Rock by P.R. Castle - Free Book

Everyone has secrets ...

Even those close to you ...

When a rock bursts through an apartment building residents must open their homes to neighbours no better than strangers.

Does chaos ensue or is it a blessing in disguise?

Will the Rock force the residents to reveal their darkest truths?

Horizon by Mandi Lavole - Sample of Character Bios and Book Introduction

Learn behind the scenes backgrounds of our hero Ehren Odabran, a loyal Sovereign Guard in the Assembly of Nobles who must flee for his life into a hostile no fly zone away from the Sovereign himself who is trying to kill him out of jealousy.

You will also meet Ehren’s new friends: Liiara has an ancient history, Arunan is a freighter captain and his strong warrior friend Hris who keeps his people’s secrets hidden. There are many enemies on the way and struggles at every turn.

Meet the comedic Environmental Engineer Gabe Saetto and his new romance with Military Police officer Onika Leonhardt as they journey to a new colony planet and face the task of starting a new life with danger lurking around the corner.

Boarding Party by Carlos Balazs - Free Short Prologue on a Substack

Until Next Time

We will have an interview with Eric Sammons about his new sci-fi book Shard of Eden, and I will have a review of it as well!

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

Previous Post

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Religion and Aliens

Fallen and Risen Spoiler Free!

This post is a special in the series of objective, non-judgement views of various religions’ views on the potential of extraterrestrial life. See the previous posts on Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Other Christian Faiths, Islam Judaism, the Dharma faiths, the ancient faiths, Theozoology and World Ice Theory, Native American religions, the Twentieth Century faiths of Nation of Islam, Scientology, & Falun Gong, and Outside Mainstream Catholicism for more. Additionally, check out my look at the “Aliens are Demons” argument and my podcast interview on that subject.

The Faiths of the Bab

In the 1840s, Iranian Shia Muslim Siyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi started a series of writings that were compiled into what became known as the Bayan. These writings established a millenarian movement that taught all religions had truth in them, and that God would soon bring a prophet that would usher in a golden age. This prophet was referred to as He Whom God Shall Make Manifest. The new religious movement became known as Babism, named after Shirazi as he took on the title the Bab.

Persian authorities executed the Bab for heresy in 1850. Before he died, the Bab appointed Subh-i-Azal as his successor. Subh-i-Azal kept the faith centered on the Bab’s teachings and awaited the coming prophet. Meanwhile, one of Bab’s earliest followers, Mirza Hussein Ali Nuri, claimed to have a revelation from God that revealed he was the promised prophet. Renamed Bahaullah, he split from Sub-i-Azal and gathered most Babists to his side. Bahaullah then embraced progressive revelation stating that Buddha, Jesus, Muhmmad, and the Bab were prophets of the same God. He further claimed to receive more and more teachings from God. Follows of Bahaullah established the Bahai faith.

Today there are about eight million Bahais. Meanwhile, there are only about 2,000 traditional Babists left.

Note: Babists are sometimes called Azalis to distinguish them from the original, pre-Bahuallah Babists.

Babism: Silent About Aliens

The holy book Bayan focuses on spirituality, the End Times, the replacing of Islamic laws, praising various religion’s prophets for giving bits of truth throughout history, and preparation for the great prophet to come. There are no teachings in the Bayan or the Bab’s writings addressing the possibility of extraterrestrial beings. No modern day Babist writings that I have seen address the question of alien life.

Bahai Faith: Aliens Do Exist, and God Has Reached Out to Them

The Bahai faith explicitly affirms the existence of life on other planets, viewing the universe as infinite and filled with diverse creations of God. Bahaullah himself stated, “Know thou that every fixed star hath its own planets, and every planet its own creatures, whose number no man can compute.”

Bahaullah’s son and appointed interpreter Abdul Baha said, “The earth has its inhabitants, the water and the air contain many living beings… then how is it possible to conceive that these stupendous stellar bodies are not inhabited? Verily, they are peopled, but let it be known that the dwellers accord with the elements of their respective spheres.”

Bahaullah went further saying that divine revelation had spread throughout the worlds. He said, “Through His potency the Trees of Divine Revelation have yielded their fruits, every one of which hath been sent down in the form of a Prophet, bearing a Message to God's creatures in each of the worlds whose number God, alone, in His all-encompassing knowledge, can reckon.” Great-grandson of Bahaullah and guardian of the faith Shoghi Effendi stated that the next great manifest of God (prophet) could have a scope that would be interplanetary.

As for UFO aliens, the Bahai faith takes a wait and see, scientific approach. In 1992, the Universal House of Justice, the supreme ruling body of the Bahai faith, wrote, “Regarding the attitude Bahais should take toward unidentified flying objects, the House of Justice points out that they fall in the category of subjects open to scientific investigation, and as such, may be of interest to some, but not necessarily to everyone. In any case, Bahais have a fundamental obligation at this stage of the development of the earth's people, that is, the responsibility of spreading the unifying Message of Bahaullah.”

Subscribe now

Other Independent Book Promotions

Free Fantasy & SciFi Books - Free Books Giveaway

The Puzzle Safe Mystery by Katherine Okia - Free Review Copy

She agreed to hide a necklace. Now people are dying.

Jill Solis, a quiet artist and quality assurance engineer on Mars, is thrust into a dangerous conspiracy when a coworker shows up at her door begging for help. He claims he needs her to hide a valuable necklace until it’s safe to return, but with dangerous people on his trail, the favor is far from harmless. Against her better judgment, she agrees.

The next day, her coworker is found dead.

Now Jill is being watched, and the lives of those around her are unraveling one by one. As she pieces together a web of murder, betrayal, and smuggling, Jill must decide who she can trust—before she becomes the next target.

With help from her late parents’ old friends and a loyal crew of coworkers, Jill digs deeper into the mystery left behind. But the more she uncovers, the clearer it becomes that someone will do anything to keep their secrets buried.

The Puzzle Safe Mystery takes place in the same universe as The Feeler, but it’s a standalone story—no prior reading required. A gripping sci-fi mystery full of secrets, suspense, and heart—perfect for fans of character-driven whodunnits with a futuristic twist.

Martian Queen on the Run by Rock Forsberg - Free Space Opera Book

The Martian monarch’s clandestine journey to Earth alongside the enigmatic captain is not as clandestine as she had hoped. Only hours after their departure, Special Agent Casey Celestene of the Martian Royal Guard discovers a sinister force working against her ruler. All alone and with the odds stacked against her, Casey must confront those who wish harm for the monarch, even if it means sacrificing her own life. Fear and doubt grip her, but she must break through and take a stand in order to save the queen—no matter what the consequences may be.

Survival in the Grove by Gerrald Cheam - Free Novella

Fourteen-year-old Kael knows the rules: stay in line, stay silent, and survive.

But after a violent dispute in the mines turns deadly, Kael is pulled into a military unit where weakness is punished, hesitation is fatal, and survival is earned one scar at a time.

When his first mission takes him deep into the Grove, a forest feared for reasons no one dares to explain and Kael finds that the enemy isn’t just out there. It’s inside every decision, every delay, every moment of doubt.

Survival in the Grove is a grounded grimdark novella about power, pressure, and the quiet horror of becoming who the world demands. Perfect for fans of slow-burn tension, harsh coming-of-age arcs, and morally gray survival stories.

Until Next Time

Special edition next week when I interview Sara Light-Waller about the Pulp Science Fiction era. Then, in two weeks, I will interview Eric Sammons and provide a review of his new book, Shard of Eden.

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Share

Previous Post

Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency 2: Chapter One

Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency 2: Chapter Two

Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency 2: Chapter Three

Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency 2: Chapter Four

Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency 2: Chapter Five & Epilogue

Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency 2: The Tybee Uranium Killer

Chapter Five: The Plunder of Great Price

The first thing that came into focus in Max’s vision was a shiny golden tooth. The way it sparkled put him in a trance as he studied it. Somehow, the glittering was the promise of a better future. How he could have gazed at it forever, and he would have, if a rotting hand hadn’t disrupted his view. His eyes then went wide as he felt mushy fingers press against his throat.

The hand pulled back, holding something between the rotten flesh hanging on by visible finger bones. Whatever it was, the cemetery’s dim lighting system gave off enough illumination for the dangling object to glisten as it approached the shiny golden tooth. Then, anticlimactically, whatever it was disappeared into the gold-toothed mouth.

“Arrr, delicious,” came out of the mouth.

Max took in what was before him. Rotten flesh not only dominated the hand but the face as well. Besides bits of bone showing through, a black eyepatch and a tricorne hat adorned the crown of the visage before him.

Max screamed. “I’m being eaten by a zombie!”

The zombie before him leaped backward. Its one eye, a sea of white surrounding the pupil, starring back at the lawyer-mistaken-for-a-zombie. He couldn’t tell if the real zombie was shocked to see him or not as there didn’t seem to be any sort of eyelid remaining around the one remaining eye.

The pirate took a step forward and leaned down to eye level with Max. “Whoa, whoa, settle down there, matey. I be enjoying this fried chicken smeared on ye, not yer flesh.”

“What?” Max’s response was more nervous laughter than actual words.

“I, a Creature of Cryptidkind, specifically a zombie pirate, would never harm a Haitian Vodou Zombie-American like yeself. We be practically kin.”

“What the what?!?!”

“Ah, I think the blast from old Oglethorpe might have scrambled yer once delicious brain. Here, let me help ye up.”

The mushy hand grabbed Max’s wrist and pulled him up. Cool Savannah air filled Max’s lungs, though his head still swam in a sea of pain.

“As I be saying, it looks to me that ye got one of Oglethorpe’s nuclear-powered mental blasts. He can project attacks, though he not be harming us zombies, as he be feeling a kindred notion towards us. Tell me, why did he attack ye?”

Shaking his head, Max mentally replayed the events. “He took my colleague. I was trying to save her.”

“What? That does not be sounding like him. Who did he take?”

The notion that she was more than a colleague, despite all that he had been through, crept in through the pounding migraine. He pondered what word choice he wanted to use. Colleague sounded, well, wrong. Partner was too loaded in the twenty-first century. Fellow servant of a golden ghost in heaven sounded too pretentious and opened up way too many questions. He stood there, unable to think of an answer until his migraine came surging back.

“She’s sort of a pain in the neck, though, I feel kind of like the universe set us up together.”

“A friend?”

The zombie’s words cut to the chase.

He was not ready to use that term, though a feeling, whether it was Stockholm Syndrome or something else, nagged at him about that word. “Her name is Debra.”

“Debra?! Debra the Vampiress?! Debra the schemer? Debra the bane of Savannah?”

“I take it you have heard of her.”

“Heard of her? One time she showed up at me place of employment, the Pirate Home Restaurant, after feeding off some druggies. She was so high she thought a child’s drawing of a pirate be real. After trying to buy it from the child, she grabbed it and started yelling that the pirate was trapped in the paper. When the lad’s father got involved, she accidentally ripped the paper and bawled her eyes out, thinking she murdered the pirate before he could be telling her where his treasure was.”

That sounded beyond belief, or at least it would have if Max hadn’t experienced everything he had since his misadventure in Haiti. All he could do was blink.

“Yes, son, ye do not want to be with her. Whatever old Oglethorpe wants to do with that lady, ye want nothing to do with it. Have a good night, lad, and thank ye for the chicken.”

With that, the pirate began limping away with the peg leg that Max only now noticed.

With each step his heart sank further and further. The tune the pirate sang rang in his ears, crushing his hopes even more. Everything had led to this: failure.

The last bit of hope flew off Max’s soul as he uttered, “A friend sent us here. He was- is a ghost in heaven named Fred. He told us to save monsters and people.”

The pirate stopped but did not turn around. Instead, he faced away silently.

“Please help. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. I don’t want to fail this mission,” Max said.

“Ye be telling the truth, boy? An actual saint sent ye here with Debra?”

He gulped and nodded yes to the pirate’s back.

“Well?”

Max realized the pirate zombie couldn’t see his physical response. “Yes, Fred is in heaven, yes. He sent both of us here.”

The pirate sighed. “Did the saint say anything about me?”

Nerves tightened in the lawyer. “No, nothing.”

Silence.

But then, the pirate turned around. “I once be a man named Sir Charles McRaven. I was a captain in service of my cousin King Charles. Then the civil war came, as did me debts. Soon I found meself working from bribe to bribe, attacking all sides. It was all for the gold. But then, the Knights of Malta came out of nowhere, and let me tell ye, they did not like Protestant pirates. They hung me on Saint Croix, dropped me into the sea, and I washed up on shore here years later in a little village called Savannah.

“You see, boy, I be hopin’ and praying that one day, one day a saint like all those other monsters speak of may visit me. But one never come.” Sir Charles’ frame shook as he sighed. “Do ye think that maybe you could introduce me to ye saint friend? Maybe he could give me one more chance, just one, to make things right, like ye can.”

Cricket sounds filled the night. Combined with the gentle breeze, it made for an ambient soundtrack that fit the search for answers.

“I don’t know,” Max said, “but I know you would be helping out my friend Fred – the saint you speak of – and that has to count for something.”

The zombie pirate’s eye dropped. “Aye. Perhaps that be best.” Now the eyes snapped back up. “Come with me. I know where old Oglethorpe does his work, and I know how we can get there fast.”

With a haste that surprised Max, the pirate bobbed up and down as he ran on using his peg leg. Several times he would look to his right through the fence as they passed one gate after the other. When Max tried asking where he was going, Sir Charles yipped that there was no time. Whatever he was in a race for, the pirate didn’t want to lose.

And he didn’t. In a flurry, he bolted right out of a gate and onto the sidewalk. Max had just caught up when an open air trolley-looking bus pulled up. The jolly, sixty-something year old driver with a name tag that said “Van Washington” smiled as Sir Charles boarded.

“And look it, folks,” Washington announced over an intercom via his headset, “it’s our local zombie pirate Sir Charles McRaven and-,” the bus driver looked Max up and down, “apparently one of his Confederate zombie friends have boarded our Monsters of Savannah Tour Bus!”

Passengers laughed and took photos of the grinning Sir Charles as he gave out a long pirate sound and told everyone to “be turnin’ over yer gold!”

For Max, it was all confusing. He turned to ask Washington a question, but the bus jerked forward.

Over the intercom, Washington narrated. “If anyone wants to take a selfie with Sir Charles, be sure to talk like a pirate, and he just may give you a ten percent off coupon to our sponsor partner, the Pirate Home Family Restaurant and Dining Hall. Whether you are looking for some downhome, low country cooking or celebrating a First Communion or Bar Mitzva, the Pirate Home is Savannah’s premiere choice for family fun and get togethers! Be sure to ask Sir Charles about wedding packages, just be sure not to show him your gold engagement ring.”

All the people on the bus laughed except for Max. He waited for Sir Charles to put down a baby he was posing with and then whispered into the pirate's ear, “What the heck is this?”

The pirate whispered back, “This be a tourist bus. They all be thinkin’ it be an act, but the pay we monsters get is all real. Coin, cash, crypto, it all be valid.”

Everyone focused on Sir Charles while Max tried to comprehend the surrounding madness.

Again, Washington’s voice came over the intercom. “And to your right you’ll see the deadly temptresses of the Junior Club of Savannahian Vampires.”

Max turned and saw the vampire women wearing their white, flowy dresses, waving silky white handkerchiefs at the tourist bus.

The bus driver continued speaking. “Be careful, ladies; your man may lose more than your respect if he goes there.”

More laughter roared. They all thought it was some sort of fancy show, Max thought.

“Hey, that’s him! He’s on the bus!”

That got Max’s attention. It wasn’t over the intercom, and none of the passengers seemed to notice. However, when he looked over at the vampire house, he saw the ladies all pointing at him.

“Sir!” one screamed. “That pirate actor is actually a zombie! Stay away from him!”

“But don’t panic! We’re going to get help for you!” another vampiress yelled.

“I’m calling the cops! I’m calling the cops!” a third screeched as she ran inside.

This time the bus passengers all bellowed out laughing as the bus pulled away.

“Oh, what fun,” a gray haired woman told her husband.

Max’s body wanted to scream but his mind was way too discombobulated to comply. Everything was too much. He needed to sit down on a spare seat. People kept laughing, phones kept flashing with each selfie taken, and now Sir Charles was swinging a cutlass around. A child squealed with glee as the blade cut a banana in two.

“Aye, you have been a wonderful audience,” the pirate zombie said to the passengers. “Be sure to tip me friend Van when you arrive safely at yer port of call, and come to the Pirate Home restaurant on Mondays and ask for me, Sir Charles!”

The audience rose and gave him a standing ovation. It took three bows for the passengers to sit back down.

“Here would be good, Van,” Sir Charles told the driver.

The bus pulled over at what looked like a shuttered and long abandoned theater. All that remained of the marquee was the remaining discoloration of the paint of what perhaps was the letter E or F. Everything up and down the street looked like it was long forgotten; there wasn’t even a car parked along the entire block.

“Hey, boy,” Washington called from behind Max as the lawyer got off the bus, “you may want to work on your zombie makeup. You look like an unemployed lawyer trying to pass off as a rebel soldier.”

A burst of laughter from the bus driver rang even as Sir Charles thanked him and jumped off the bus. Standing next to the lawyer-mistaken-for-a-zombie, the pirate gave off a long arr. After a shift in gears, the bus pulled away, leaving the two on the sidewalk in the middle of what was to Max a dead neighborhood.

“This be Sherman Street. Its name cursed it. No developer would touch it fer decades. Now it is home to a variety of socioeconomically disadvantaged Creatures of Cryptidkind like zombies of non-traditional origins and immigrants like all those Grandmother Tigers, Lamias, and Mothmen.”

Max did a double take. “Mothman is an immigrant?”

“Aye, long story about that. A Grandmother Tiger can tell you about the Monster Immigration Bill of 1962 if you visit one of their restaurants. They all have good chow mein. But there be no time to dwell on that; let us put things right with old Oglethorpe. He will listen to me, and I be thinking of something that can make everyone happy. Yes, sir, I be coming up with something that may get me in good graces with ye saint friend. Come on.”

Sir Charles led the way up to the theater. While humming a sea shanty to himself, he put his cutlass’ tip into the door’s lock. Click. The pirate gave a small laugh as he pulled the door open.

“He be inside,” the zombie pirate said.

“How do you know?”

“I be his landlord since his transformation.”

Those words added what felt like a ton of weight on top of Max’s head. Combined with the migraine, it was all too much. A long, drawn out groan that transformed into a moan droned out of his mouth. To his surprise, from elsewhere in the neighborhood, several zombie-like moans replied.

“No time to talk to the neighbors; old Oglethorpe be inside,” Sir Charles said.

The two stepped into the theater lobby. Fragments of ceiling tile hung from above, with some pieces strewn about and rotting on the dirty carpet. The carpet itself had a pattern that was too covered in dirt to make out. An overwhelming stench filled the room. Following it, Max saw piles of rancid meat with flies flying about in what was the concession stand.

Max lept backwards when he saw what was behind the meat: a humanoid covered with blood red muscles instead of flesh, glowing white eyes, and long flowing white hair that somehow looked like gravity had little effect on it.

“Ah,” the pirate zombie said, “Boo Hag Mayra, how be the residents?”

What responded wasn’t some horrifying screeching that Max feared but rather the most educated, well enunciated, blue blooded-toned American Southern dialect. “Good evening, Sir Charles. All the residents are fine. Concession sales are slow, though, as most of the residents are enjoying Dia de los Muertos festivities back home.”

“Very good, sometimes we need a slower night, though I be fearin’ this isn’t the night. Is our resident in the manager’s office present?”

“Yes, sir. Mr. Bonaventure was dragging in Debra of all Creatures of Cryptidkind. What he sees in her, I will never know.”

After grunting, the zombie pirate moved with purpose down the hall and to the right, with Max following close behind. Various smells pushed through the cracks of the multiple theater room’s doors. Some were pleasant to Max, others horrifying. He preferred the smell of eggs coming from the first theater compared to whatever smelled like burning meat from the second, though he was too timid to comment as Sir Charles might have told him what they were cooking.

At the end of the hall was a door marked “Manager” in faded letters. Though sight couldn’t tell Max what was inside, sound could.

“Hey, how about we stop taking measurements of my face, okay? Hey. Hey! Help!”

It was Debra. Her words sent both the pirate zombie and the lawyer into a rush. Sir Charles made it to the door first and flung it open.

“Arrr, Oglethorpe. Let us be reasonable and-.”

Though Max couldn’t see the Uranium Killer as the pirate zombie was blocking the view, he could hear first Oglethorpe scream, then Sir Charles scream, then Debra scream.

In a flash it was all over. Sir Charles’ zombified body developed a light in its center, and each limb flew apart from the point of light in a different direction. Max now screamed.

“You killed him! He was going to save everyone!”

The Uranium Killer barked at Max to be quiet. “I should have killed you the first time we met. But you wouldn’t learn your lesson.”

From the corner of the room, her face marked up in black magic marker, Debra screamed for Max to run.

He couldn’t pay attention to her; his mission relied on getting the nuclear powered-monster to stop.

“Look,” Max said, “too many people- things- are dying. There has to be another way.”

An unearthly green glow formed around Oglethorpe. “Oh, just shut up!” He raised his arm towards the lawyer.

It all happened so fast. Debra screamed “No!” and leaped towards Max. Light shot out from the killer and shot towards Max. However, Debra’s speed gave her a slight advantage as she embraced the lawyer, forming a protective cover. The radiated light hit her, and then- everything when bright white.

When the light faded, Max found himself standing outside the theater with Debra, golden-rimmed Fred, and Sir Charles, now looking very much human in a fine seventeenth century captain’s outfit.

“Fred!” Max and Debra declared in unison.

“Well done, good and faithful servants. Despite temptations and setbacks, you have completed the stated and unstated tasks.”

Cool summer air descended upon Max, helping to form a sense of calm, though as he looked at his friend, he couldn’t find the words to ask for an explanation.

Debra did. “Two tasks?”

“Yes, you stopped the Uranium Killer. As you know, that was the stated task. You managed, too, to do the more important thing; you brought one of the lost home.”

“What?” Max asked.

“Sir Charles lived his life in the pursuit of money. Even in his undead state, it was all about tourism gigs and real estate. However, you brought him out of his search for money to seek the common good for all.”

“Aye, thank ye for that, fair saint. Is it possible that I could have a second chance, a chance to live a good life, and perhaps, see my loved ones again?”

Fred's golden glow grew. “This was your second chance, and now it is time to go home.”

The glow expanded and consumed Sir Charles. His perfected form dissolved into the golden light until it was no more.

Fred looked up at the night sky and smiled.

“Wait a minute,” Max said. That got the attention of his two partners. “How did we defeat the Uranium Killer?”

The saint’s smile grew larger. “His atomic attacks could only work on monsters. He would have killed you. However, Debra, without knowing it, offered herself as a sacrifice to protect you. Since she is human now, the attack backfired and destroyed Oglethorpe. ‘Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword.’”

Blushing, the former vampire offered a bashful smile at Max. “Well, without you, I would be alone and- I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Despite my being difficult, you haven’t walked away. You’re the closest thing I have to a- a- friend.”

Another glow grew from Fred. “Because of your willing sacrifice, Debra, you may be a vampire again-.”

“Yes!”

The glow consumed Debra as she celebrated with a dance and yelling out her plans for the Junior Club.

Fred began where he had left off. “-though you will live off the blood of cattle. You will never again be able to feed off humans again.”

From the glow consuming Debra came a long series of protests with a non-stop flow of angry swear words.

Above the roar of remonstrations, Max raised his voice to a yell to speak to Fred. “But I don’t understand! How could the atomic attacks only affect monsters when it flung me yards through the air in the cemetery! I’m not a zombie!”

“Oh,” Fred said with a wry smile, “aren’t you?”

Max screamed as police sirens approached.

Epilogue: Comeuppance

The word used on the official court order was “celebration,” though the only one celebrating in the house was Debra and possibly the cameraman, who was getting “difficulty pay” for this night’s work. He was being paid well. Max stood against the wall, taking in the vampiress’ modeling shoot for Monsters Monthly. Sitting in the other chairs spread throughout the room were the members of the Junior Club of Savannahian Vampires, all doing their bishop-mandated best to suffer through Debra’s pride.

Debra’s red eyes glistened in the camera’s flash. Several times they darted over at the wine glasses full of blood that the other vampires were holding. Max wasn’t sure, but he thought she had a tinge of sadness in her appearance as she watched them drink.

He felt a tap on his right shoulder. Twisting his head, he saw standing there the freckled face vampire wearing the club’s white nightgown. Her raven black hair was now in a French braid, and she had way too much pink makeup rubbed on her cheeks. But her smile with the thin fangs that left a gap on each side of them was still the same one Max remembered.

“Hi,” the vampire said with a Southern belle accent. “My name is Isabelle Mercer- and your name is Max.” She giggled.

“Yes, it is,” he said, unsure of how to follow up on that quasi-introduction.

“Oh!” She giggled again. “Umm- yeah. I should have let you introduce yourself.” Even more giggling. “Steady there, calm down.” She closed her eyes and counted to five. “Umm, I did some extra chores around the house and was rewarded with some coins. Would you, umm, be interested in going to a nickelodeon together and seeing some funnies? I haven’t been to one in the longest time and, well, umm, umm, umm.”

Another vampiress turned away from her hate-watching of Debra and addressed Max. “She is too nervous to say she thinks you are a handsome gentleman. She has been up all day practicing asking you out.”

Two clapping hands grabbed Max’s attention. It was Debra, and there was fire in her eyes.

“Max, get back to the phones! I need you handling client inquiries, not talking to these harpies!”

One month later

The evening call to prayer filled the Moroccan air. Though a mile away, it filled the haunted castle ruins, long thought by locals to be inhabited by jinn. But there were no jinn in it. Instead, a lone, feline-like genet glowered at the recently arrived Monster Weekly cover. It, really a she, read the cover. “We are mandated by our bishop to publish this article about Savannah’s Debra” Her heart filled with hate. She had finally found Debra, and she would make her pay for her sins.

I Hope You Liked It!

Tell Me if You liked It

Let me know what you think. Comment or send me an email with your honest review. Knowing I have an audience is the greatest reward.

Leave a comment

Share with Your Friends

The more people reading, the merrier!

Refer a friend

A Small Tip of Thanks Goes a Long Way

I refuse to put up a paywall for my Substack. Instead, if you want to give a tip of thanks that I will reinvest in my writings, I have a Buy Me a Coffee account. Only give if you enjoy my work and think I deserve it.

Tip of Thanks

Check Out My Science Fiction Series

Looking for psychological military science fiction? Read about the adventure of veteran Brendan Murphy as he tries to keep peace between Earth and a mysterious alien race known as the Sabia. Read the Fallen series today! Please remember to leave a review once you are done. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent creators

Get the first book Fallen

Get the second book Risen

Get the third book Dormition

Other Independent Book Promotions

Paws of Justice: A Crystal Beach Magic Mystery by Karen McSpade - A Paranormal Cozy Mystery for $3.99 or Free on Kindle Unlimited

A cryptic warning from beyond the grave. A small town haunted by secrets. When evil bites, will this witch’s magic stop the deadly curse?

When part-time medium and full-time witch Sidney Grace agrees to help a widow contact her dearly departed husband, she expects a few ghostly complaints—not a cryptic message about murder. But when the widow turns up dead just days later, Sidney finds herself entangled in a paranormal cozy mystery far darker than she imagined.

A red-eyed seagull stalks the skies. Her shifter friend Zoe vanishes. And when her grandmother’s closest companion is discovered drained of life, whispers of vampire activity shake the magical community of Crystal Beach.

As dark forces close in, Sidney must rely on her psychic sleuth skills, her magical pets, and a powerful circle of witches to stop a supernatural threat before it claims her grandmother—and the town—for good.

Darkness of My Soul by Tavita Knight - Free Book Preview

Win the War.
Save your Soul.
Or Lose Everything Trying.

The world ending was the easy part, dealing with a demon cosplaying a human who thinks I’m going to be his queen, not so much.

Lynn: The moment my mother died, he was haunting my dreams like some weird stalker. He claims there’s a tie between us, but all I know is that I need to take him out if I’m ever going to be free.

Kalerian: She has no idea what she’s capable of. The power she has over this world and how I plan to use it. She’s been mine since the first life I saw her in. She just doesn’t know it yet. She thinks she can win, but I never lose.

Can I really save the world and fight my past or will I be consumed by it?

The Survivors by Richard Rimington - Free Short Story

In this tale of space opera and cosmic adventure, the Ambassador of a mysterious and ancient family must forge a path through chaos to overcome the terrible enemies that desire humanity’s destruction.

Her plan to avert galactic catastrophe will unite a band of survivors who have faced every imaginable danger and disaster.

This story forms a prologue to the Infinite Void series.

Becca Princess of Sona by Luna Fox and F. Lowberry - Free Book

Eighteen-year-old Becca is a regular kid. At least on the outside. Everything is fine until she dials 9-1-1 after waking up from a terrifying vision of the future. The cops come banging at her door at midnight, but she can’t open or leave the house. There’s a man in her room with a strange blade, staring at her with his red eyes.

Until Next Time

We will continue the religion and aliens deep dive by looking at the Bab faiths of Babism and Bahai!

As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment