Free Science Fiction, Steampunk Audio, and Paranormal Romance Audio

Some very good Fiction on a dreary Tuesday (hopefully you are all having better weather). We have Science Fiction from Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lightspeed Magazine, and Daily Science Fiction. Serial fiction at Strange Horizons, audio fiction from The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences (Steampunk) and Wily Writers Podcast (Fantasy/Paranormal Romance). And more of the classic radio Superman serial.

Classic SF and Gaming will appear either tonight or tomorrow.

Today's illustration is for the two "The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences" stories in the audio fiction.







@Lightspeed Magazine: "Frost Painting" by Carolyn Ives Gilman. Science Fiction.

“It’s easy for you East‑Coasters to be tolerant,” the man said. “You don’t have to live near them. I’ll tell you this: If those weirdos ever decide to come out of the mountains, we’re going to be ready for them. That is, if you liberals haven’t taken away our guns by then, too.”

@Author's Site: "Elites" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Science Fiction.

"Rowena runs the House, a place for homeless Sky veterans. The House, open only to the women who compose the Elite Squad, has only a few rules: No names, no details, no weapons. The problem? Anything can become a weapon—even a toilet bowl scrubber. Even a word. Especially a word. A word that could destroy both Rowena and her House."

@Daily Science Fiction: "Dharma Dog and Dogma" by Steven Paul Mathes.

"The door crashes open, shattered by a kicking black boot. The police have cloaking devices, noise cancellation, robots, battering rams, and computerized lock picks--technology. The big black jackboots? Awkward, but what a retro statement."

Serial Fiction
@Strange Horizons: "The All-Night Truck Stop Polka Band (part 1 of 2)" by Shaenon K. Garrity. Speculative Fiction.

"Meanwhile, the band members were busy. They were saving the world. They mentioned this pretty often, although all they seemed to do was drink beer, smoke Marlboros, watch TV, and raid the kitchen. They all loved TV. They'd missed thirteen years of it, and everything fascinated them."

@The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences: "Hanuman’s Gift" written and narrated by Helen E. H. Madden. Steampunk. [via Parsec Awards]

"Deep in the Archives, Augustus Whitby toils through his duties in the Archives, dreaming up romantic stories far more plausible than the supposed “investigations” of the field agents. A story from Agent Harrison Thorne and an unassuming artifact from his recent case, however, proves much to Whitby’s chagrin that there are some truths that are far stranger than fiction."

@The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences: "A Ruby in Rain" written and narrated by Grant Stone. Steampunk. [via Parsec Awards]

"From the farthest edge of the Empire, New Zealand agents Lachlan King and Barry Ferguson are called to interview a recent arrival to Auckland’s prisons. An infamous gambler, according to the constable’s account, has turned himself into their custody, not for the safety of society but for his own. The Ministry steps in to uncover a man’s story of impressive luck, and more incredible vision."

@Wily Writers Podcast: "Catch and Release" by Cassandra D’Angelo. Fantasy, Paranormal Romance. Text version also available. [via Parsec Awards]

"The story of a young man’s deep desire to be known by someone else. What he doesn’t know is that the only person who can truly appreciate him is a merwoman, destined to live her life just out of his reach"

@Wily Writers Podcast: "Fear of Darkness" by Christine Danse. Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal Romance. Text version also available. [via Parsec Awards]

"Alena Swift, hunter of creatures that stalk the night, is terrified of the dark–and in love with a shadow. When a terrible demon is unleashed upon San Francisco, it is up to her and her mysterious hunting partner to stop it."

Classic Serial Audio
@Triplanetary: The Adventures of Superman "Looking for Kryptonite parts 6-10"
"Helped by his friends, Batman and Robin, Superman pursues the mysterious gang whose symbol is a crescent and star. It's interesting to note that unlike today's Batman, who often uses the threat of torture to get criminals to talk, this Golden Age Batman instead gets info using a clever ruse. Odd, but clever. "

A Brief Review of Kevin Anderson's The Saga of Seven Suns

"One of the more entertaining SF series that I've read in years."

Summary: In the distant future, humanity accidentally sets off a war with an ancient, and technologically superior, alien race that dwells within gas giants. Over the course of these seven books, three human governments and six alien races (seven if you count robots) come into conflict and form alliances in an ever-shifting struggle for survival and for dominion.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

Good: A very entertaining epic sf story. Good characters, heroes and villains.

Bad: Little especially new. Stretched a bit.

Overall: Definitely worth reading.

This is an epic, space opera tour-de-force that will keep readers up late into the night as they try to put it down after "just one more chapter." Anderson manage to keep multiple storylines equal engrossing by shifting characters at just the right time often at a cliffhanger moment (either a character is in trouble or they have just discovered something potentially important.)

The series has far too much happen to effectively summarize in a short review. Humanity faces internal dangers (wars between interstellar human governments, the growing megalomania of the most powerful human leader, and a civil war of sorts) and external dangers (the aforementioned war with the hydrogues, uncertain allies, and enemies that appear later). The other central race, the Ildarans face a similar set of problems. To avoid spoilers, I won't add anything more about the plot. That information is available at wikipedia.

There are two minor flaws in the series that some critics have noted, and generally overblown. First the series is stretched a bit to make it seven books long (It probably should been condensed into six or perhaps even five books). This does lead to sections that are less interesting than the rest, but overall the books do hold the reader's attention. The second, and even more minor flaw, is that there is no exceptionally original idea that sticks with you after the series is over. True, but of course this can be said about virtually every other book written in our lifetimes.

If you want an entertaining plot-driven story this series is probably for you. This series rocked.