Buy individual short stories for as low as $0.99

I haven't got a huge backlog of short stories, but I've been lucky enough to have many of my best collected in the book The Engine of Recall, which is still available. Not all my good stuff made it into that collection, however--mostly because my editor, Robert J. Sawyer, wanted to focus on my strictly science fictional output. That naturally excluded "The Toy Mill" for instance--but it also left other fantasy I've written, as well as works I consider SF, but Rob did not. 

I've started transforming some of these works (previously published, but not collected) into individual bite-sized ebooks. Initially, you can find them on Amazon.com, but I'll be making epub versions as well; it's just a matter of finding the time for that, as it's a little more hands-on than the Amazon conversion.

As of now, you can find three of my stories on Amazon.com:

• "The Hero" - A Virga short story. In fact, this story is an integral part of the Virga series, and contains revelations that fill in major gaps in the overall story. It recounts certain key events that occur between Pirate Sun and The Sunless Countries, but it can also stand on its own--in fact, it makes an excellent introduction to the Virga universe for anybody who's considering taking the plunge.
• "Dawn" - My only vampire story to date. I call this my 'anti-Anne Rice' story; perhaps it's just the sort of vampire story that a writer with a pacifist Mennonite background would write. What's coolest (for me) is that this story came to me in one of the most cinematically visual dreams I've ever had. I can still picture it... so I had to write it.
• "Book, Theatre, and Wheel" - Is this SF at all? Slipstream, maybe. Set during the Inquisition, this is a meditation on memory systems, isolation and the self-invention of new mythologies...  

I hope to make other stories available soon. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy these three.

Where to Start With the Virga Series

With Ashes of Candesce coming out in the next week or so, my crazy far-future steampunk Virga saga comes to an end. But assuming you're interested in these books, where should you start? Of course you can begin at the beginning, with Sun of Suns. But, here's the thing: I wrote these books to stand alone as much as possible. More importantly, although they do constitute one gigantic narrative, there are two parts to that story. The first three books can be read as one story; The Sunless Countries and Ashes of Candesce make up a second.

Add in the fact that Sun of Suns and Queen of Candesce have been combined in a Trade omnibus edition entitled Cities of the Air, and you have the following buying strategy, which will give you maximum story with minimum threads left dangling:

Cities of the Air and Pirate Sun make up a complete trilogy, since Cities contains both Sun of Suns and Queen of Candesce. Buy 'em both and you get a complete and rollicking far-future adventure.

The Sunless Countries and Ashes of Candesce make up a second full story arc, but also resolve the minor plot threads left unfinished in the first trilogy--and, yes, answer the major question of just what Artificial Nature is and why it threatens Virga.

So: two arcs, two books each. And, of course, you can also buy the audiobook editions, and upcoming, read the Sun of Suns graphic novel online!

Ashes of Candesce

Ashes of Candesce will hit the shelves on February 14, but meanwhile, Tor.com has an excerpt you can read online! I hope you like it.

About the Book

Nearly five years have passed since the  mysterious force known only as Artificial Nature first tried to breach the walls of Virga.  Its incursion has set off wars, revolution, and brought together an unlikely group of men and women united only in their opposition to it.  They are the famous sun lighter, Hayden Griffin; mad, irrepressible princess Venera Fanning and her husband, Admiral Chaison Fanning; winter wraith and former Home Guard soldier Antaea Argyre; and, most unlikely of all, former history tutor and now spokeswoman for an alien civilization, Leal Hieronyma Maspeth.

Their courage has kept Virga secure--until now.  Because Artificial Nature has decided upon a new strategy.  If it can't force its way into Virga, it will cultivate new allies within the vast bubble-world. 

If it can't batter the gates down, it will talk them open.  And with Leal and Hayden missing, Antaea cast out of the Guard and shunned by all, and the Fannings preoccupied by the collapse of Slipstream's brief empire, no one is there to stop it.  Unless rogue and former despot Jacoby Sarto can exploit the situation and save Virga. . . and perhaps, seize it himself.