All of the stories that I had originally published as an eBook called Stardust and Ash are now available to read for free on Letterpile. I have revised and edited these stories and moved them online where they can be read for free.
Stardust and Ash is a collection of seven science fiction short stories and eight poems, each tied together by a theme of tragedy, loss, and accepting our own mortality. Each story shows the darker side of the human condition. Whether planted firmly on Earth or residing in the far-flung corners of our galaxy, whether living in the present day or in the distant future, the human experience remains much the same. Though we can experience much joy in life, we also must experience much sorrow and pain. The stories in this collection illustrate the latter. Don’t expect a happily ever after from the stories collected in Stardust and Ash.
An eccentric millionaire has his body cryonically frozen when he dies, in hopes that he can be revived at some point in the future. He wakes up in the future with his consciousness transferred into the body of an android.
In the midst of an alien attack, one crew member manages to escape in an emergency escape pod, leaving behind the rest of the crew. No one comes for help, and she is stuck alone drifting through space in the escape pod for months.
In the future, Earth begins disposing of its waste via a black hole. The unthinkable happens to one garbage man while on duty.
The “Satellite” is the first manned spacecraft to be sent to Mars. Commander Martin Stone describes what he is seeing above the Cydonia region of Mars.
A man named Blake is selected to become one of the first people to colonize Mars. Though his ex-girlfriend begs him to stay, he can’t wait to leave behind a planet that has nothing to offer him.
After losing control of their craft, one of the members of a surveillance mission wakes up on an alien operating table, surrounded by strange beings. She is helpless to escape.
Two lovers spend their final moments on Earth together as they await a nuclear explosion.
A selection of poetry exploring the theme of outer space, with a flare of science fiction.
