Was that some tumbleweed I saw drifting across this page? I’m currently working on a draft urban fantasy novel as well as various short stories.
There is also some information on my accepted and published work.
The Regersek Zone (a story)
Created October 22, 2018. Last modified October 27, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
The Devil Wears Shapeless Ugly Garments Covered in Dog Hair (a story)
Created August 27, 2017. Last modified July 9, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
A colleague and friend once said to me (in a moment of rare frustration) “You know Mark, you should write a story called ‘The Devil Wears Shapeless Ugly Garments Covered in Dog Hair’”. I really liked the title, so I decided to oblige.
In the Service of the Public (a story)
Created April 9, 2017. Last modified July 9, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
To be honest, this story occurred to me as I sat in a prestigious program for promising public servants listening to a self important lecturer drone on about his own greatness. When I realised there was still an hour to go in the lecture I started to wish the world would end. So in some ways this story was semi-autobiographical. Sans the black hole of course.
Striking Twice (a story)
Created February 26, 2017. Last modified July 9, 2018. 2 comments. Top.
Time travel stories have always bugged me a bit. Especially the part where essentially the same people wander around changed timelines except with nothing altered except slightly different personalities. I mean come on – wait five seconds to have sex and you’ll end up with a completely different child. If someone did go back in time and start to change things you most likely would end up with completely different people populating the planet. Worrying about this really takes me out of a time travel story. Striking Twice was the result of trying to work through that frustration on the page.
Make Mine a Macchiato (a story)
Created November 27, 2016. Last modified July 9, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
I wanted to try something a little away from science fiction as well as something a little silly. ‘Make Mine a Macchiato’ was the result. It was also the first time I showed a story in progress to a non-writer friend. While I didn’t agree with all the feedback, I did gain an appreciation for the benefit of better understanding what your potential audience might like. In this instance, my friend wasn’t a big fan of the ambiguity at the end of the story. I liked it so in the end I kept it, but it was a good reminder that you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
The Gloriously Cunning Plan (a story)
Created October 23, 2016. Last modified July 9, 2018. 2 comments. Top.
In my day job I deal with bureaucracy a lot. “The Gloriously Cunning Plan” stemmed from this concern – what would happen if one of those last minute heroic plans I always see on TV came face to face with the kind of red tape I see in real government work?
Shipwrecked (a story)
Created October 9, 2016. Last modified July 9, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
This was the first story I had published in Antipodean SF, in issue 163 (January 2012). I originally wrote Shipwrecked for an 800 word writing competition in mid 2011, but didn’t finish it by the deadline. When I first decided to submit to Antipodean SF, I polished and cut it back to 500 words then sent it in. I still remember the excitement of getting the acceptance from Nuke and the interesting experience of working through editorial notes on my work.
Showdown (Part 5 of 5)
Created September 25, 2016. Last modified July 9, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
Previously, on Showdown
Showdown (Part 4 of 5)
Created September 11, 2016. Last modified July 9, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
Previously, on Showdown
Showdown (Part 3 of 5)
Created August 28, 2016. Last modified July 9, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
Previously, on Showdown
Showdown (Part 2 of 5)
Created August 17, 2016. Last modified July 9, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
Previously, on Showdown
Showdown (Part 1 of 5)
Created July 31, 2016. Last modified July 9, 2018. 0 comments. Top.
Showdown (Part 1 of 5)