THE ILLUSION EXOTIC
  • Enter the Illusion
  • Abandoned Wiregrass
  • Galleries & Portfolios
  • Epic Fantasy
  • Blog
  • Rule One Book Reviews
  • News

the blog exotic

"ITS LIKE A PODCAST, EXCEPT YOU READ IT."

THE ILLUSION, DAY 1

4/13/2016

 
Picture
Welcome to SIX DAYS OF ILLUSION, the countdown to the release of  the illusion exotic, my first short story collection. 

Let's kick things off with the first story in the collection. 

"SPACESHIP NAME" SYNOPSIS

The end of the world is bad enough, but its worse when you’re a kid. For little Anant, hope comes in the most unlikely of forms, the voice of Captain James T. Kirk. However, in Spaceship Name, hope does not come without a price.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The open road and coffee are excellent catalysts for a writer. Like lots of my ideas, Spaceship Name came to me while driving on a long trip.  I don't know why, perhaps its the way the highway can put you in a trance.  This was one of those projects that bloomed almost fully formed in my mind and developed quickly.   

I  wrote Spaceship Name while hammering out Tears of the Dead, my second Chronicles of Fu Xi novel.  I wanted to include it in the DeadPixel Publications collection Terrible Cherubs, but the themes didn't quite mesh. Instead, I shopped it to a few magazines, got some nicely written personal rejection letters, and ultimately decided to use it as my lead-off story in the illusion exotic. 

One of the themes of Spaceship Name is artificial intelligence (AI). Lately, lots of people like writing how  AI will be mankind's undoing.  I'd like to imagine a future where technology, especially AI, will not only save our species, but help salvage our humanity.

Hey, call me an optimist.

​ Here's a sample from Spaceship Name.  Enjoy. 

"SPACESHIP NAME" SAMPLE

A policeman stepped into view and peered into the back seat window. He looked a little like one of his Rescue Warriors Action Figures. Anant wondered if he had big boots. Rescue Action Figures always wore big boots, so Anant wanted big boots, too. But Mommy said they wouldn’t fit under his braces. Except this policeman also reminded him of a Star Wars storm trooper, the black ones who fly TIE fighters, not the white ones marching around with guns. He had something covering his face like Darth Vader. If the policeman didn’t make Mommy cry, and Daddy so quiet, Anant would ask to touch the big, shiny gun slung over his shoulder. 

But the policeman glared at Anant behind that scary mask, and that made his stomach knot up even more. 

I bet this policeman doesn’t have big boots. Only good guys have big boots.  

Then he pointed his big, black scary gun at Mommy. “Turn this vehicle around, now.”

“Please, we must get my son to safety. They are expecting us at the Embarkation Point. Call them, they will tell you,” Daddy’s voice cracked.

“Drive,” Mommy whispered urgently into Daddy’s ear. “He won’t shoot.”

“Sit back and shut up,” Daddy hissed. 

He’d never heard Mommy and Daddy talk that way to each other, even when she got historical. The knot in Anant’s tummy turned to queasiness, queasiness to nausea. He wanted a drink of water, but fear kept him from asking.

“Turn around now. Last warning.” With a metallic click, the policeman pulled something back on the big black gun. 

 “Mommy?” he whispered, but she didn’t hear him. The bad feeling in his stomach started to creep into his throat. He’d had already peed himself. If he threw up, Mommy would be even more cross.  

A horrible smell wafted in from the open window, one Anant instantly recognized - The Look Away Smell, the most horrible smell in the whole wide world.

He smelled it before, in the backyard during the height of last summer, not long after the Bad Moon first appeared in the sky and everyone started whispering and acting different. The hot, gagging reek drifted from beyond the chain link fence in the neighbor’s back yard. It invaded Anant’s mouth and nostrils, making it hard to breathe. Daddy repeatedly told him to “look away” and go back inside, but Anant couldn’t push his wheelchair fast enough over the soft grass. The smell made him throw up and chased him all the way in the house. Mommy cried and made him some Kool-Aid, while Daddy made a lot of phone calls. After that, Mommy and Daddy seldom took Anant outside.
​

And now the Look Away Smell filled the car.  Anant slid lower below the blanket, covering his nose and breathing through his mouth. 

​

If you liked what you read, you can click here to pre-order the illusion exotic  for only .99 cents. After 22 April the price goes up, so buy early and buy often. Please tell your friends by a like, share and tweet! 

Check back to tomorrow for day 2 of SIX DAYS OF ILLUSION and  another story from the illusion exotic. 

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    February 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    December 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    Abandoned
    Action
    Adam And Eve
    Amelia Island
    Ancient Civilizations
    Ancient Enthusiast
    Ancient Origins
    Art
    Art Show
    Atheism
    Atlantis
    Audio Books
    Aviation
    Awards
    Bible
    Bible Study
    Black Sea Gods
    Book Festival
    Book Giveaways
    Book Reviews
    Book Signing
    Camera
    Cameras
    Canon
    Censorship
    Chronicles Of Fu Xi
    Collaboration
    Comedy
    Consequences
    Contest
    Controversial Fiction
    Cover Reveal
    Culture
    Discounts
    Disinformation
    DSLR
    Ebooks
    Electric Cars
    Elon Musk
    Energy
    Environmentalism
    Essay
    Facebook
    Facts
    Faith
    Fantasy
    Freebies
    Free Books
    Genesis 1
    Giveaway
    Global Economy
    Halloween
    Horror
    How To
    Humor
    Indie Books
    Indie Publishing
    Library
    Literary Fiction
    Literature
    Live Appearance
    Live Performance
    Live Performance Photography
    Marketing
    Mirrorless
    Motorcycle
    Music
    Music Photography
    Nikon
    Opinion
    Philosophy
    Photography
    Photoshop
    Poetry
    Politics
    Publishing
    Real Life
    Real-life
    Religion
    Review
    Rock And Roll
    Rule Of Thirds
    Sample
    Science Fiction
    Senior Photography
    Serial
    Short Stories
    Socialmedia
    Society
    Speaking Engagements
    Spooky
    Television
    Tesla
    The Cave
    The Golden Princess
    The Illusion Exotic
    Three Notch Road
    Truth
    Tutorial
    Underground Book Reviews
    Universe
    Updates
    Website
    Western
    Writer's Life
    Ya
    Younger-dryas
    Youtube-stuff

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Enter the Illusion
  • Abandoned Wiregrass
  • Galleries & Portfolios
  • Epic Fantasy
  • Blog
  • Rule One Book Reviews
  • News