Afterburn SF News
1/4/2009 3:51:13 PM
Due to the descent of the Afterburn forums into an abyss of SPAM registrants it has become necessary to employ a new tactic. I have registered a new group on Facebook for Afterburn. This will have two added benefits. It will allow me to better manage discussions and prevent SPAM registrants and it will give me an additional promotional vehicle for the site.
I hope you all will tune in and help broaden the discussion at our new Facebook site.
1/2/2009 9:18:09 AM
Mindless zombies, now if that's not stereotyping I don't know what is. Today's story posits what if a zombie wasn't quite so mindless? What would existence after death be like then?
We are pleased to bring you
By Tim McDaniel
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
12/19/2008 8:12:35 AM
Father's love their daughters and want the best for them. Sometimes that love is overprotective and a father cannot see that they are keeping their daughters from their true passions. Today's story is about a daughter overcoming her father's predetermined course for her life.
On a personal note, I am again experiencing the joy of being the father of a beautiful baby girl. Yesterday at 4:29 PM my wife and I welcomed our third daughter into the world. As with my other two daughters this birth has unsurfaced in me a wealth of love that I did not know possible.
This story closes the book on the 2008 Afterburn publication schedule. Over the past year our audience has grown significantly and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, our readers, for the support you have given us. I am looking forward to 2009. We have issues lined up that I am sure will satisfy your cravings for action based speculative fiction. We will be re-opening to submissions in February and I am looking forward to continuing to publish great fiction. I wish all of you and yours a Merry Christmas and a happy conclusion to 2008. Onward to 2009!
We are pleased to bring you
By Joanne Hall
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
12/5/2008 10:04:34 AM
Tradition and celebration. What lengths will we go to preserve them? What price are we willing to pay to keep our ceremony and status quo?
We are pleased to bring you
By Yvonne Eve Walus
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
11/25/2008 11:49:47 AM
I am please to announce that I am launching a new publishing venture. Amazon.com has created an entirely new market for authors with their Kindle Wireless Reading Device
. I will be publishing short fiction for this market through my company Obsidian River. If this venture is successful I look forward to developing many more titles for this market.
My first short story sampling
is now available at Amazon.
I am excited to be bringing you great fiction content via new mediums.
11/21/2008 8:58:41 AM
In today's world of rolloer coaster oil prices and constant discussion of alternative energy sources it is hard not to speculate on what the future holds for our planet. Today's story takes that speculation into the next century and beyond. An intruiging look at the state of humanity a century hence.
We are pleased to bring you
By Lee Gimenez
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
11/7/2008 1:07:44 PM
We are pleased to bring you
By Mark Lawrence
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
10/31/2008 5:53:50 AM
A special Halloween treat for our readers. We are pleased to present Washington Irving's classic short horror story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
10/24/2008 1:51:50 PM
Are you a motivated self-starter with sales experience? If so you may be just the person we are looking for. Afterburn SF is in need of someone to sell our online advertising space. If you are interested please email publisher[at]afterburnsf.com (you will have to edit the address) with your contact information and a brief, 500 words or less, essay on your qualifications and why you would be the best choice for Afterburn SF.
I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Nat Thompson
Publisher, AfterburnSF.com
10/24/2008 8:34:00 AM
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who watches the watchers? Today's story asks that question and reminds us that our sense of security and right may be a matter of perspective.
We are pleased to bring you
By Mike Rimar
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
10/10/2008 6:13:24 AM
Exotic, emotional and transformative are the main ways to describe today's story. What hope is there for a society built on the castoffs of another? There is the hope of their children. Each generation has the capacity to be greater and more compassionate than the previous. Today's story shows us how that may be acheived.
We are pleased to bring you
By Z. S. Adani
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
9/26/2008 6:07:34 AM
A tale well told is a lesson learned for the ages.
We are pleased to bring you
By Paul Lucas
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
9/20/2008 8:47:22 PM
McL at the Spectecdis blog had some thought provoking commentary generated by Cathy A. Chance's short SciFi story "Call Signs" published here on Afterburn SF. I'm glad to see works presented here sparking discussion in the world at large.
9/12/2008 9:29:03 AM
The last few days of summer are spiraling past us. Soon we will drift into fall and then the cold of winter will be upon us. Today's story offers us a glimpse of winter in all its harsh glory.
We are pleased to bring you
By Julie Frost
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
8/30/2008 10:40:33 PM
Even in Hell the Golden Rule reigns supreme.
We are pleased to bring you
By Ross E. Pattermann
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
8/15/2008 11:42:10 AM
Tired of the daily grind? Looking for a fresh start? Boy do we have a volunteer program for you!
Today's story is one of the most powerful I've had the pleasure to publish since taking the reigns here at Afterburn. A timely story of military, past regrets and destinies yet to be written; today's story is something to truly savor.
We are pleased to bring you
By David R. Bridgette
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
8/8/2008 10:12:01 AM
A review by Nat Thompson
In reading this book I found myself reminded of chicken soup; hearty and fulfilling as a meal but at the same time predictable and not very risky. This book is technically very well done. The mechanics are precise. The story arcs establish each character, provide a conflict for those characters and in the end the characters come away changed.
The subject matter is well researched. It is obvious that the author has paid special attention to learning and understanding the intricacies of the subjects she is depicting. She is true to the subject be it voodoo rituals, lycanthropy, or even modern day necromancy. Suspension of disbelief is achieved readily through the competent and knowledgeable handling of the occult and arcane.
As I’ve said all the proper mechanics of literature are in place; a la Chicken Soup. The plots are interesting and have potential to truly engross the reader in their originality. However, something seems missing. A spice or flair, if you will, that would transform this book from Chicken Soup to Gumbo.
The dialog at times feels a little staged and the characters do not surprise the reader. They seem to be following a recipe and so their actions and even thoughts follow a predictable progression. I would have liked a few more twists along the road throughout the book. If some of the characters had been more surprising or unpredictable I would have certainly found the subject matter hard to put down.
As it happens I found the book to be a pleasantly typical read. It is a comfortable book that the reader can curl up with and be assured of what is to come.
8/1/2008 9:55:31 AM
Honesty is the best policy. Lies only lead to more and more complicated deception. Eventually these precarious constructs of falsehood collapse as our heroine today learns.
We are pleased to bring you
By James S. Dorr
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would please consider a donation to help support the site.
7/25/2008 8:44:27 AM
Oh happy day! The Afterburn SF Forums have returned from the dead. After a technical snafu a couple of months ago the forums went offline. I had almost resigned myself to their permanent demise. Then yesterday afternoon I was mysteriously able to resolve the issue! I hope you will all take advantage of this great community platform to express yourselves about SciFi, Fantasy, Horror and Afterburn SF.
Long live the the living dead!
7/18/2008 11:49:29 AM
Have you ever just wanted to get away? Go somewhere in the middle of nowhere where no one could find you? Somewhere where all your troubles seemed to disappear? Be careful what you wish for.
We are pleased to present
By Lisa von Biela
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would consider a donation to help support the site.
7/5/2008 8:05:27 AM
What could be better than friends spending a relaxing time together at a peaceful retreat in the wilderness? What could go wrong? A few bug bites? A little sunburn? Some unwelcome critters? Well, that depends on the type of critter now doesn't it?
We are pleased to bring you
By A. M. Pearce
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would consider a donation to help support the site.
6/30/2008 2:38:31 PM
James A. Trimarco's SciFi Short Story, "How Lonesome a Life Without Nerve Gas" was converted to Podcast form for the January 25th, 2007 episode of Escape Pod.
Congratualtions James!
If you are an author with a reprint of a story published in Afterburn SF please let us know. We would love to link to it to help publicize it for you!
6/24/2008 9:08:29 AM
We are pleased to report that Ben Burgis' short horror story, "Three Perspectives on the Role of the Anarchists in the Zombie Apocalypse", has been reprinted at TalesOfWorldWarz.com.
Congratualations Ben!
If you are a previously published author on Afterburn and your story has been reprinted elsewhere please let us know. We would love to link to it for you and help publicize it.
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would consider a donation to help support the site.
6/20/2008 10:48:41 AM
Saving the world from Vampires, Werewolves, and Alien Invaders are all in a day's work for our hero today. So is cleaning his room, ditching his pesky little brother and dealing with high school tribulations.
We are pleased to bring you
By Tim McDaniel
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would consider a donation to help support the site.
6/17/2008 6:47:59 AM
I thought I would share some of the great links to other speculative fiction on the web.
Short SciFi Stories
Short Fantasy Stories
Short Horror Stories
Enjoy!
6/6/2008 6:12:23 AM
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Coined from Robert Burns poem "To a Mouse", this saying still applies. As our protagonist today learns all too well.
We are pleased to bring you
By Ryan McFadden
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would consider a donation to help support the site.
6/4/2008 9:08:28 AM
I am pleased to announce that our Editor, Karen Newman, will be featured in the Help Anthology. This anthology is to aid Preditors and Editors. Preditors and Editors is a site devoted to assisting authors in gaurding against predatory publishers and other unsavory schemes.
Karen's story, "The Reunion", was originally featured in the April 2006 Edition of Afterburn. This story now joins other great short horror stories in the anthology. The anthology is currently available at lulu.com and will soon be available at Amazon.com
.
I hope you will consider supporting this worthy cause and join me in congratulating Karen in her selection for inclusion in the Anthology.
5/23/2008 6:05:45 AM
A career in keeping the gears of the world turning. Even in the future it falls to those with the common sense and gumption to get it done.
We are pleased to bring you
By Josh Skinner
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would consider a donation to help support the site.
5/9/2008 6:11:48 AM
It would seem that some things predated even the Native people of North America, some very frightening things.
We are pleased to bring you
By Jeremiah Donaldson
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would consider a donation to help support the site.
4/25/2008 5:43:21 AM
In honor of the protaganist a Haiku to set the stage.
"Poet with a task
Difficult undertaking
Triumph or doom wait"
By Ursula Warnecke
Discuss "Ink Stained"
If you enjoy this story we hope you would consider a donation to Afterburn SF.
4/11/2008 7:25:15 AM
Time Travel and all its infinite possibilities.
We are pleased to bring you
By Matthew Johnson
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would consider a donation to help support the site.
3/29/2008 9:29:23 AM
Currently Closed!
Our publication schedule is currently full through early 2009. At this time
we are closed to submissions. Please watch this space for announcements regarding
when we will reopen.
All submissions received before 3/29/2008 will receive consideration for publication
per our guidelines below
3/28/2008 9:32:17 AM
This week's story is a tale of workplace romance. Is it ever a good idea? Decide for yourself when you read
By Mark Fewell
Discuss "Hansel and Grethel, and the Wicked Witch from the East"
If you enjoy this story we hope you would consider a donation to Afterburn SF.
3/14/2008 9:29:59 AM
Job stress, parenthood and killer alien predators! This weeks story has all of that and more. We are happy to bring you
By Larry Ivkovich
Discuss "Refugee"
If you enjoy this story we hope you would consider a donation to Afterburn SF.
2/29/2008 10:50:31 AM
February 29th. Leap day!
A day so terrifying we only allow it to happen once every four years. To celebrate we bring you a terryifying tale in its own right; a tale of loss, betrayal and death.
We are pleased to bring you
By Scott Harper
If you enjoy Afterburn SF we hope that you would consider a donation to help support the site.
2/19/2008 12:07:58 PM
Afterburn SF is happy to announce the results of the 2007 "Preditors and Editors" poll. We had several good placements in the poll and wanted to share the great news with you, our readers.
Congratulations to everyone for a great showing and sincere thanks to all that voted. We look forward to making this year even better.
If you enjoy Afterburn SF and would like to support the site we hope you would consider making a contribution.
2/15/2008 12:15:58 PM
This week's issue brings you an action filled tale of Druids, Dragons and Death. We are pleased to once again present one of Billy Wong's works, "Strength Eternal", for your enjoyment. Billy has previously appeared in Afterburn SF with "The Darkmount Trilogy".
We hope you enjoy this weeks issue. If you do we hope that you would consider making a donation to Afterburn SF to help support the site. And now on with the show!
By : Billy Wong
2/1/2008 9:18:48 AM
Welcome to the first edition of Afterburn SF on our new Bi-Weekly publication schedule. From now on we will be bringing you new fiction every other Friday. We look forward to seeing you here more often! We hope you enjoy today's story:
By: Cathy A. Chance
1/28/2008 8:54:46 AM
We are happy to announce that beginning Friday February first 2008 we will begin publication on a bi-weekly schedule. This means more frequent installments of fiction for your reading pleasure. As always we are happy to bring you the very best in speculative fiction, now on a more frequent basis!
12/18/2007 9:18:36 AM
A bonus end of the year issue for all of Afterburn's loyal followers. I am happy to bring you this full length issue to finish off my first year as publisher of Afterburn SF. We've published a lot of great fiction in 2007 and I am looking forward to even more great fiction in 2008. I would like to offer special thanks to Karen Newman, Afterburn's ufailing editor, who has worked tirelessly to produce this year's issues. Without Karen I don't know how we could have succeeded so well.
I would also like to thank our authors who have entrusted us with the fruits of their labor. Without them there would be no Afterburn.
And now on with the show!
Fantasy
Sci Fi
Horror
9/17/2007 11:34:07 AM
The September 2007 issue of Afterburn SF has survived it's epic battle with crashed e-mail servers and is live! We had hoped to publish on Friday but technical difficulties made that impossible. Thank you all for your patience while we worked everything out. I think you will find this issue was worth the wait. Our next issue will be out in December, a special "Bonus" issue for the end of the year.
As always we're excited to bring you the very best in speculative fiction!
Fantasy
Battle Brothers
Heirloom
Plague Chalice
The White Devils
Sci-Fi
Eee
Forever Underfoot
Joyriders
These Arms, And Her
Twenty-One
Horror
Belvedere's House
7/14/2007 2:16:29 PM
The July 2007 Issue of Afterburn SF has arrived! This summer edition is packed with first rate Fantasy and Science Fiction stories. I am pleased to be able to continue to bring you the "Very Best in Speculative Fiction".
July 2007 Science Fiction
Taming Kitty
Firestorm
Of Kate, and Love, and the Faraway Door
Zaftig The Magnificent
Three Perspectives on the Role of the Anarchists in the Zombie Apocalypse
July 2007 Fantasy
Hiss of Death
Throne of Skulls
The Dragon Chain
5/3/2007 1:21:04 PM
Just found out that Stephen Patrick's story "Amnesty" was selected as yesterday's Science Fiction Story of the day at ScienceFictional.com. Congratulations Stephen!
Nat
5/1/2007 1:43:53 PM
I am pleased to announce the promotion of Karen Newman from Associate Editor of Horror to Editor of Afterburn SF. Karen has been the absolute glue holding the site together through its recent transition. She has worked extremely hard to make sure that the site is on a path to success.
Karen's new responsibilities begin immediately and she will be busy working to make sure July's issue is the best yet. I am excited to have Karen taking the reigns and hope you will all join in congratulating her on her new position with Afterburn.
Congratulations Karen!
Nat
4/28/2007 7:31:10 AM
The April 2007 Issue of Afterburn SF has arrived! This is my first edition as the new editor and I am excited and proud to be bringing you these stories. If you have feedback or comments I hope you will email me at editor@afterburnsf.com. And now the moment you've all been waiting for!
April 2007 Science Fiction
Amnesty
Red For Revenge
April 2007 Fantasy
The Darkmount Trilogy
April 3007 Horror
Grave