Joe Vasicek

To wake a lost girl from the ice, two brothers must face an empire. Deep in the Far Outworlds, a derelict space station holds the bones of a long-dead people—and a beautiful young woman locked in cryofreeze. When the star-wandering brothers Isaac and Aaron Deltana find the sleeping girl, they soon realize that they are her only hope for rescue. If they don't take her, then slavers certainly will. With no way to revive her, they set a course for the New Pleiades in hopes of finding someone who can help. But a storm is brewing over that region of space. After a series of brutal civil wars, the Gaian Empire has turned its sights outward. A frontier war is on the verge of breaking out, and the brothers are about to be caught in the middle of it. They both harbor a secret, though. Somewhere else in the Outworlds is another derelict station—one that they used to call home. That secret will either bind them together or draw them apart in SONS OF THE STARFARERS BOOK I: BROTHERS IN EXILE

Brothers in Exile

He wanders the stars in search of a home. Instead, he got a girl without one. When Jeremiah arrived at Megiddo Station, all he wanted was to make some trades and resupply his starship. He never thought he'd come away with a wife. Before he knows it, he's back on his ship, alone with his accidental bride. Since neither of them speak the same language, he has no way to tell her that there's been a terrible mistake. And because of the deadly famine ravaging her home, there's no going back. She's entirely at his mercy, and that terrifies him more than anything. Jeremiah isn't ready to take responsibility for anyone. He's a star wanderer, roaming the Outworld frontier in search of his fortune. Someday he'll settle down, but for now, he just wants to drop the girl off at the next port and move on. As he soon finds out though, she has other plans.

A Star Wanderers Novelette

Outworlder

War brought them together, but only hope can unite them. War has come to the Outworlds. An Imperial expeditionary force has taken the frontier systems and threatens to strike at the heart of the New Pleiades. The only thing standing in their way is a ragtag flotilla of starfarers and merchanters, their motives as varied as the stars from which they hail. Aaron Deltana can barely speak the same language as his Outworld comrades, but he isn't about to let that stop him. Though he has no military training or combat experience, he's determined to prove his valor. Besides, the Imperials have taken something very dear to him—something that he has sworn to take back. He isn't the only one with a score to settle. Mara Soladze, the only other Deltan in the Flotilla, has vowed revenge on the Imperials for killing her father. Where Aaron hopes to prove himself, though, Mara fully expects to die—and her fate is tied to his. Aaron isn't prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, but when the war turns against them, it looks as if he may not have a choice. Only one hope stands between him and death in SONS OF THE STARFARERS BOOK II: COMRADES IN HOPE

Comrades in Hope

The ultimate voyage of discovery ends with the truth about yourself. Michael Anderson never thought he would set foot on an Earthlike world. Born on the farthest edge of the solar system, he studies planets from afar. But when his parents open a wormhole and discover signs of intelligent life on the other side, Michael is the only planetologist young enough to voyage to the alien star. He is not alone, but Terra, his sole mission partner, is no more of an adult than he is. Soon after their arrival, she begins keeping secrets from him. But she doesn't realize that her darkest secret is one that he already knows. Twenty light-years away from humanity, what they discover on the alien world forces them to question their deepest beliefs about the universe—and about what it means to be human.

Genesis Earth

This double novel bundle contains the complete and unabridged Bringing Stella Home and Heart of the Nebula. BRINGING STELLA HOME James McCoy, the youngest son of a starfaring merchanter family, never thought he would face an invasion. But when a barbarian war fleet from the edge of known space carries off his brother and sister, nothing will stop him from getting them back. HEART OF THE NEBULA To save his people from a brutal occupation, James McCoy must lead them on an exodus across the stars. But it will take a strong leader to get them to their new home, and the temptation to trade freedom for security has never been greater.

Bringing Stella Home and Heart of the Nebula

Only those who rise to their calling discover why they were chosen. A thousand years ago, an order of twelve magic swords kept the world at peace. Each sword had a personality, a mind, and a memory. Through the bonds they shared with their bearers, the wisdom and skill of generations was preserved. But the swords became corrupted. They turned on each other, shattering the order and plunging the world into war. The twelfth sword went into hiding until the day of prophecy, when the last sword bearer would free the world of men. That day has come, and the sword bearer of prophecy is a mere tavern girl. Tamuna Leladze never sought for this honor. Raised by her aunt Sopiko, her only knowledge of foreign lands came from the travelers who passed through her aunt's tavern. She always dreamed of adventure, but never thought she would answer its call. But when a wandering knight arrives at the end of the harvest season, all that begins to change. The old knight is the keeper of the sword Imeris, who has chosen her in the eleventh hour. For far to the north, a terrible empire has unleashed a reign of blood, fire, and steel. Led by an evil brotherhood more ancient than the sword itself, their darkness will soon sweep the land. As events carry Tamuna far from her village home, she cannot help but wonder if the sword has made a mistake.

The Sword Keeper

In a world bound by algorithms and AI, the greatest liability is the human spirit. Welcome to the Algorithmocracy, a fully networked and automated society where all of your preferences are perfectly predicted, all of your choices are fully anticipated, and all of your needs and desires are met—except when they suddenly aren't.

Sex, Life, and Love under the Algorithms

J.M Wight

Ten brutally honest and politically incorrect stories for times such as these! This is the second volume of the collected short stories of Joe Vasicek. It contains: The Paradox of Choice If post-birth abortions are legal, when does life actually begin? Payday A near future sci-fi thriller about the perils of a universal basic income. Utahraptors at Dawn When the meme wars are fought on the digital field of honor, no weapon is too ridiculous to be awesome. Sex, Life, and Love Under the Algorithms In a world bound by algorithms and AI, the greatest liability is the human spirit. Welcome to Condescension The graying of fandom was never this much fun. (Space Squid, August 2018) A Less Than Perfect Game Sometimes the only way to win is first to make a mistake. Take Up Your Sword A kingdom is lost… and a legend is born. The Numismatist Even for time travelers, some hobbies are truly timeless. (Never before published!) Elusive Eden (by J.M. Wight) When a time traveler's quest for the Garden of Eden goes sideways, will his faith go sideways too? (Never before published!) Worlds Without Number (by J.M. Wight) An age of peace, an artifact of war, and a visit three men will never forget.

In Times Such As These

Hard times bring out the greatness in men, and those who give all are changed forever.When James got stuck with dockyard duty while Ben and Stella get to go planetside without him, he never thought he might never see his older brother and sister again. But shortly after they leave, a Hameji battle fleet invades the star system, turning it into a deadly war zone.As James flees with his father on the family starship, he can only look on powerlessly as the Hameji reduce their homeworld to molten slag. But Ben and Stella are not dead. When James learns that they've been captured and enslaved, he vows to rescue them, no matter the cost.James isn't a warrior. He's never killed a man before, and doesn't know if he could. But if that's what it takes to save his brother and sister, he'll become whatever he needs to be-even if there's no going back.

Bringing Stella Home

Randy Lindsay

Dan Wells

Wendy Nikel

Edward Ahern

Gustavo Bondoni

D. J. Butler

Vonnie Winslow Crist

Emily Martha Sorensen

Liam Hogan

Stephen McQuiggan

J. D. Robinson

Jenean McBrearty

Rachel Lewis

Kelly A. Harmon

Jude Reid

Victoria Lisowski

Bob Rehak

David J. West

Donna J. W. Munro

Michelle Ann King

Steve DuBois

Ralph Benton

Bill Housley

Scott R. Parkin

Kirk Eckstine

Mike Munsil

Jeanna Mason Stay

S. B. Houghton

Nate Givens

Kary English

Twilight Tales

The ultimate voyage of discovery ends with the truth about yourself. The ultimate truth requires you to sacrifice your innocence. The ultimate redemption can only be gained after you confront the past. This omnibus edition contains: Genesis Earth Edenfall The Stars of Redemption

The Complete Genesis Earth Trilogy

The revolutions passed, and the stars spun silently underfoot. Starchild's father was a star wanderer, and that was what set her above her peers. It gave her the freedom to choose her own mate, no small thing on an isolated space colony. In her innocence, though, she failed to see her place in the cycle of Outworld life—or how she was doomed to repeat it. This story appeared in the July 2019 issue of Bards and Sages Quarterly.

A Star Wanderers Short Story

Starchild

Nothing in this world should live forever—not even civilization itself.

A Short Story

A Fatal Rebirth

They wander the stars in search of a home. Finding it will change them forever. The Outworlds: an endless frontier of uncharted systems and unexplored planets. A vast, unsettled stretch of space where generations can pass without outside contact. Torn from their homes by failure and famine, drawn to the stars by fortune and faith, a band of unlikely friends must navigate a universe of pirates, empires, and pioneers as they strive to build a future on the Outworld frontier. Star Wanderers is the first book in the Outworld Trilogy, an epic far-future space opera. If you love authors like Ursula K. Le Guin, C.J. Cherryh, and Orson Scott Card, you won't soon forget this uplifting tale of the human spirit. Buy this book and rediscover your love of science fiction today!

Star Wanderers

A tale from an interstellar empire that has forgotten its holiest legend: the story of Earth. He was the sole heir to the Najmi camp, a young man raised by tribesmen after falling to the desert from his home among the stars. She was the sheikh's most beautiful daughter, promised his hand in marriage—if she can convince him to stay. Together, they must travel to a land where glass covers the sky and men traverse the stars as easily as tribesmen cross the desert. Here, at the ancient temple dedicated to the memory of Earth, they hope to find the answers that will show them the way home. But when love and honor clash, how can they face their destiny when it threatens to tear them apart?

Desert Stars

A chilling glimpse of an all-too possible future. “In cases where there may be severe deformities… I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.” This story is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0)

The Paradox of Choice

For the promise of paradise, the last civilization will surrender to the apocalypse. Elysium was a world without without pain or suffering, hunger or disease, poverty or crime. So naturally, it was a world that was already dead. Gehenna was a dead world, poisoned by the Great Catastrophe that had driven their ancestors into the underground vault. Few knew or cared what lay beyond the ancient airlocks. The bleak and windowless tunnels of Gehenna held nothing to the shared simulation of Elysium. Gehenna still had a Watchman who searched diligently for the promised land. But would the people of Elysium give up their truth in order to have a future? Or is cultural suicide a price worth paying for paradisiacal bliss?

The End of Elysium

This double novel bundle contains the complete and unabridged Genesis Earth and Desert Stars. GENESIS EARTH Michael and Terra never thought that they would be the first human beings to set foot on an alien world. What they discover forces them to re-examine their deepest, most unquestioned beliefs about the universe—and about what it means to be human. DESERT STARS On the fringes of a desert world at the heart of an interstellar empire, a young man embarks on a holy pilgrimage to the ancient temple of Earth. But love and honor clash as the daughter of the sheikh seeks to win his heart.

Genesis Earth and Desert Stars

Where were you on the day that the Earth disappeared? So there I was, on an awkward first date with my secret crush, when the colonies went into revolt. They nuked the moon and hijacked half of Earthfleet—and that was just the opening salvo. Then I learned that my date was one of the terrorists (or patriots, depending on your politics), and I had to make a choice: join her, or spend the next few days stuffed in an EVA suit locker. I chose the former, and that's the only reason I'm still here. The name's Rex Carter. On the day the Earth disappeared, the civil war had just broken out, and I didn't know which side I was on. All I knew was that my homeworld had been swallowed by an alien anomaly, and I had to get to Jane and Sam, my gunslinging sister and brother-in-law. Unfortunately, the Kletchkas are no longer with us. But that's part of my story, too.

Joe Vasicek

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