The Billows of Sarto in The Year’s Best Aotearoa New Zealand Science Fiction.

1 July, 2019 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

Marie Hodgkinson of Paper Road Press produces some wonderful books. Coming in November this year is the anthology The Year’s Best Aotearoa New Zealand Science Fiction & Fantasy. I’m fortunate enough to have a story included.

There are some amazing writers in the book. This is the full table of contents:

“We Feed the Bears of Fire and Ice”, by Octavia Cade (originally published in Strange Horizons)

“A Most Elegant Solution”, by M. Darusha Wehm (originally published in Terraform)

“Girls Who Do Not Drown”, by Andi Buchanan (originally published in Apex Magazine)

“Logistics”, by A.J. Fitzwater (originally published in Clarkesworld)

“The Billows of Sarto”, by Sean Monaghan (originally published in Asimov’s Science Fiction)

“A Brighter Future”, by Grant Stone (originally published in Cthulhu: Land of the Long White Cloud (IFWG))

“The People Between the Silences”, by Dave Moore (originally published in Landfall)

“Common Denominator”, by Melanie Harding-Shaw (originally published in Wild Musette Journal)

“Te Ika”, by J.C. Hart (originally published in Cthulhu: Land of the Long White Cloud (IFWG))

“Trees”, by Toni Wi (originally published in Breach)

“The Garden”, by Isabelle McNeur (originally published in Wizards in Space)

“Mirror Mirror”, by Mark English (originally published in Abyss & Apex)

“The Glassblower’s Peace”, by James Rowland (originally published in Aurealis Magazine)

Cover art by Emma Weakley

I’m privileged to be among such company. I’m also thrilled in that this is my first “Year’s Best” selection. I’ve had friends appear in them before, and had my stories listed in the “Recommended Reading” or “Honorable Mentions” pages. Yes, it’s a regional publication the advantage of that is that I think I’ve met about half the writers in person. I’m still pretty stoked.

The anthology is available for preorder now from Paper Road Press

Beyond the Stars: Unimagined Realms: a space opera anthology

28 August, 2018 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

My deep space adventure story “The Old Fighting Goose” appears in the latest of the Beyond The Stars series, subtitled Unimagined Realms.

I’m stoked to be sharing the contents page with some wonderful writers. Plenty of bestsellers among them, so you know you’re in for some good reads.

The book is on special for the next few days at .99c (until the end of the month), so grab a copy quick. $2.99 from then on.

The other authors are:

David Bruns

T.R. Cameron

Marion Deeds

Patrice Fitzgerald (also the editor)

G.S. Jennson

Joseph Robert Lewis

J.E. Mac

Craig Martelle

Chelsea Pagan

R.A. Rock

Mark Sarney

G. S. Jennsen made a nice universal Amazon link for the book here

Here are other links:

Also a shout out to Ellen Campbell for her awesome editing.

Te Kōrero Ahi Kā – To Speak of the Home Fires Burning

12 February, 201812 February, 2018 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

I have a story the new New Zealand speculative fiction anthology Te Kōrero Ahi Kā – To Speak of the Home Fires Burning. Edited by Grace Bridges, Lee Murray and Aaron Compton.

This is a wonderful collection, and I’m thrilled to be included. There are familiar names, and some new names, which is always good.

The publisher, SpecFicNZ, exists to promote and support speculative writers in New Zealand.

I haven’t read all the stories yet, but I do like Mark English’s story especially. Despite having been writing for, well, many years now, this is the first time I’ve been in an anthology with so many people I actually know and have met in person, and consider friends.

My own story, “Dance, Tiny Particles, Dance” had an interesting genesis, dating back a couple of years when I went to enter the Gernsback Amazing Stories contest. I wrote the story, then went back to the contest guidelines and realized that, happy as I was with the story, I’d strayed significantly. (I wrote another story, which actually co-won the contest – it’s available to read for free here: “Penny of Tharsis Montes” at the Amazing Stories site).

I’m pleased that the story has found a home, especially pleased that it’s here in New Zealand too. That’s kind of cool.

Te Kōrero Ahi Kā is available directly from Amazon, and other online retailers, and should show up in local bookshops pretty soon.

3rd and Starlight – new anthology coming, with a Kickstarter

5 December, 2017 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

Following two anthologies from the Future Finalists collective – 1st and Starlight (edited by Sky McKinnon), and 2nd and Starlight (edited by Dustin Adams), the esteemed Dr. Robert Finegold has rounded up a gaggle of us Future Finalists to produce a third volume.

“THE STARLIGHT ANTHOLOGIES seek to provide readers edgy new voices in science fiction and fantasy. Stories to amaze, delight, and touch the heart.

In 3rd and Starlight you’ll find stories by Hugo and Campbell award nominee Kary English, Aurealis award winner Nick T. Chan, and Jim Baen Short Story award winner Sean Monaghan, and more. All our authors are also winners, finalists, or semifinalists in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest – the tourney field where most of our bards and storytellers first met…”

There’s a kickstarter campaign to promote the anthology, with rewards that include some of my ebook novels – Arlchip Burnout, Athena Setting and Asteroid Jumpers.

There’s also a mini interview with me on the kickstarter page where I spout probably little more than nonsense. Still, thanks for the interview Dr Finegold.

The Future Finalists group is a bunch of us who’ve made headway in the Writers of the Future contest – a mix of finalists and semi-finalists. Some have been in the Writers of the Future anthology as published finalist, and some (myself included) are no longer eligible for the contest having “pro-ed out”, by selling several stories to professional publishers.

The Jim Baen Memorial Award: The First Decade

14 November, 2017 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

jbmtfd Since 2007, Baen Books and The National Space Society have sponsored The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award, to honor the legacy of Jim Baen and to promote the ideals of forward-thinking, positive science fiction.

Back in 2013, thanks to Martin Shoemaker, I discovered this contest. My little story placed third. And then, miracle, in 2014 my next story won. I was stunned and honored with the win. And I’m as honored now to have that story in this First Decade anthology. Among some remarkable company too (the estimable Martin Shoemaker among them).

Here gathered together for the first time are the best of the best of the first decade of the Jim Baen Memorial Award. Stories that dare imagine a bright future in which humankind has shaken off the shackles of gravity and moved into that limitless realm known as “outer space.”

Edited by Nebula Award winner William Ledbetter the book collects a variety of stories.

Set in plausible, near-future settings, these stories display variations as limitless as the imaginations of the array of authors represented. Stories that ask, “What if?” Stories that dare to say, “Why not?” Stories that continue the grand science fiction tradition, looking to the future with a positive outlook on humanity’s place in the universe. (Borrowed and paraphrased from the blurb).

The Jim Baen Memorial Award: The First Decade, is available at Amazon, and other retailers.

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As a side note, my third placed story, from 2013, “Improvising at Branson Six” is available as a standalone ebook. Available from Amazon and Smashwords, and other ebook retailers. Coming soon in print.

Cover © by Abidal | Dreamstime.

Low Arc to appear in The Jim Baen Memorial Award: The First Decade

7 March, 20177 March, 2017 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

My story “Low Arc”, which won the 2014 Jim Baen Memorial Award, will appear among other winning and place-getting stories in a new volume due this autumn.

The Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest is an annual award, run as an association between the National Space Society, and Baen Books. Winners attend the International Space Development Conference, including an awards dinner for the presentation.

The contest is administrated by Nebula Award Nominee William Ledbetter. He’s edited this volume. Thanks Bill.

The contest asks contestants to “write a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration”. My own story is an adventure piece, set on the moon in the near future. One of the times where I’ve gone for hard sci-fi.

This is my first pro anthology appearance, and I’m honoured to be among such company.

“A Better Sense of Direction” by Mjke Wood
“Letting Go” by David Walton
“Cathedral” by Mike Barretta
“Space Hero” by Patrick Lundrigan
“That Undiscovered Country” by Nancy Fulda
“Taking the High Road” by R.P.L. Johnson
“The Lamplighter Legacy” by Patrick O’Sullivan
“Low Arc” by Sean Monaghan
“We Fly” by K.B. Rylander
“Dear Ammi” by Aimee Ogden
“Citizen-Astronaut” by David D. Levine
“Gemini XVII” by Brad R. Torgersen
“Scramble” by Martin L. Shoemaker
“Balance” by Marina J. Lostetter
“To Lose the Stars” by Jennifer Brozek
“Cylinders” by Ronald D Ferguson

The cover is by the esteemed Bob Eggleton. Bob published a thumbnail of the cover minus the text on facebook, which is kind of cool.

First equal in the Gernsback Writing Contest

2 October, 2015 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 3 Comments

I’m thrilled that my story “Penny of Tharsis Montes” is one of the three winners of the innaugural Amazing Stories Gernsback Writing Contest.

The contest asked writers to visualize how the solar system would look in 250 years time. Mine ended up set on a somewhat terraformed Mars (hence Tharsis Montes).

The story will be published in the first issue of the Amazing Stories Bi-annual anthology early next year. Can’t wait.

Two more anthologies available – Dieselpunk and A Butterfly in China

27 March, 2013 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

Two anthologies I edited for Static Movement have gone to press and are available now.

Dieselpunk – a rollicking bunch of full-on alternative histories, where big-bore piston engines rule. $14.99

Cover illustration by Ensuper – dreamstime.com

Also available here from Createspace.
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A Butterfly in China , tales of the butterfly effect – a more circumspect group of stories where small beginnings lead to big problems. $12.99.

Cover illustration by Manabu Fukuhara – dreamstime.com

Also available here from Createspace.

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Hospital anthology now available

11 April, 2012 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ 1 Comment

One of the Static Movement anthologies I’ve been editing is now complete and available from Amazon. This is a collection of (mostly) horror stories from a group of talented writers – some new and some familiar to readers of Static Movement anthologies. From danger in space, to crazed physicians, to abandoned wards and standup comedians, the anthology covers a lot of territory. Hospitals seem to provide a fertile ground for writers – after all these institutions are where were often at our most vulnerable and also have to be at our most trusting. There was a little space at the end there, so I managed to sneak one of my one stories in – “Finding Keys” is a flash fiction story originally published in MicroHorror in 2010 – click on the link if you want a little taste of the anthology.

Buy the anthology from Amazon! It’s $14.99, plus shipping (it seems there are some “used” copies already available for $48.00 plus shipping, which seems pretty odd to me… it’s a P.O.D., just released: how could there possibly be any time for it to become used? And why buy it for $48.00? The world just gets stranger).

I still have two anthologies open for submissions at Static Movement: Dieselpunk, and A Butterfly in China – self-explanatory titles, I hope. If you’ve got a story that might fit in those, send it along (guidelines are at the links. These are for-the-love anthologies).

Two stories in Jake’s Monthly…

17 October, 201117 October, 2011 ~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

Static Movement regular Jake Johnson has put together the first edition of a serial online anthology – Jake’s Monthly: Science Fiction. It’s got two of my stories in – “Where There’s Water”, and a story under the byline Michael Shone – “Katie Stumbled” (previously published in the Static Movement Anthology Bounty Hunter).

Quite a roster of stories in the anthology – , Congregation by Dorothy Davies, Nova by Joe Jablonski, Anomaly by Jay Faulkner, Reality TV by T. Fox Dunham, The Memorial by Ron Koppelberger, Firstfather by Tom Wells, Hylo by Tom Wells, Lemon Pi by John H. Dromey, The Third Crime’s a Charm by John H. Dromey, The Last Singularity by Ran Cartwright, THE POLY UNSATURATED, QUICK DISSOLVING, FAST ACTING, PLEASANT TASTING GREEN AND PURPLE ADVENTURES OF WOMYNGRRL AND boyman by David Perlmutter, The David Effect by Mike Jansen, Eye of the Beholder by Danica Green. Hmm, lots of Static Movement regulars in there. I think that’s around 200 pages? Well, 60,000 odd words. It’s a .99c eBook at Smashwords. That’s gotta be good value – I’d buy a single short story for .99c there.