Reader's Choice Poll: Serial Edition!
Vote for the next serialized story I'll publish here at Strange New Worlds
I started Strange New Worlds in 2021 as a vehicle for offering original short stories, poems, and articles to fans of my novels. To that end, I want to offer something fun, exciting, and new for paid subscribers of this newsletter.
I plan to write and post serialized stories on a regular basis starting later this year. This will not be the first time I’ve serialized a story. Early readers of Strange New Worlds will recall how I originally posted Hiding From Shadows in four parts in this newsletter back in October 2021. I later published that ghost tale as an eBook and a paperback in January 2023.
My busy schedule as a sports journalist means an official launch date for my next serialized story is not finalized. My tentative plan is to publish the first episode this summer and release other episodes in subsequent weekly or bi-weekly installments. I have tons of ideas for stories I’d like to serialize, but I enjoy finding out from my readers what they want to read.
With that in mind, I present a new reader’s choice poll. This is your chance to vote on which serialized story you’re most interested in reading later this summer.
Here’s a few details on your poll choices:
Fire at Will: A science fiction adventure following the adventures of Will, a wide-eyed cadet assigned to serve aboard the Newton — an Earth spaceship. This is no ordinary sci-fi tale. Fire at Will is an Earth TV show existing within the Alien People Chronicles universe. (In other words, Fire at Will portrays one fictional universe existing inside of another separate fictional universe.) The Fire at Will TV show is a satirical blend of popular real-world sci-fi franchises such as Star Trek and Stargate SG-1. I plan to serialize 10-episode “seasons” and present each episode in weekly installments whenever I complete a full season.
The Ghost Diaries: I’m a huge fan of classic “Treehouse of Horror” episodes of The Simpsons and this story firmly embraces that same spirit of comedic horror. The Ghost Diaries will chronicle a ghost whose afterlife is turned upside down when an obnoxious redneck family moves into his haunted house. Each serialized section will consist of one or multiple diary entries from the narrator ghost and will detail his persistent efforts to scare the obnoxious family away from his residence. This story will be a limited series for now but has potential to be expanded.
Snow Dragon: Who wants additional horror stories set in Deer Falls? If you raised your hand, Snow Dragon is right up your alley. This small-town horror tale involves a subterranean monster being awakened from a slumber inside a deep cavern. The monster works up an appetite for humans living in Deer Falls and begins to terrorize the small Colorado town. Casey referenced this ordeal during the opening chapter of Pandora Reborn when he first meets Ron in detention. A few familiar characters from that horror novel are guaranteed to pop up in this prequel tale. This story will be a limited series.
Tales from Lathos: If you’ve been dying to learn more about Lathos and the aliens who call the planet home, this anthology set within the Alien People Chronicles universe will scratch your itch. Tales from Lathos will operate as a sci-fi anthology (similar to The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits in nature) with standalone stories all connected to the homeworld of Calandra Menankar and Xttra Oogan. These stories will vary from serious and dark to light and comedic in tone depending on characters and settings. My plan is to present Tales from Lathos in volumes consisting of multiple stories. A single volume will feature monthly or bi-weekly stories published over the course of one calendar year.
Which stories excite your imagination? Which one do you want to read first? Cast your vote and share your thoughts in the comments.
Love the idea of letting your readers choose. Looks like you'll have a couple bubbling to the top. Which are you most excited to write?
This is what's so cool about writing fiction on Substack. Writers can give readers what they want!