Tag: science fiction

Open Anthology call for EDGAR ALLEN POE-TIME TRAVELER!

by Ernest Russell, posted in Adventure, historical fiction, pulp

WEEK OF WRITERS CALL! ONE STORY NEEDED FOR ‘EDGAR ALLEN POE-TIME TRAVELER’ ANTHOLOGY!

As part of its week of calls to fill open anthologies, Pro Se Productions announces that a minimum of one story is needed for a collection focusing on a wild alternative take on of the world’s best known and mysterious authors-EDGAR ALLEN POE-TIME TRAVELER!

 A concept that takes Poe to a whole new level comes from the creative brain of author and anthology editor Ernest Russell. The concept for this anthology comes from an old theory that makes a note of rather curious and seemingly prophetic events in Poe’s writings.

 Stories in the anthology should work from the premise Poe was a frequent time traveler. While examples represent only a few adventures/information he incorporated into his stories, this anthology shall feature the stories of his experiences that he did not report.

 • Stories can only travel to Poe’s future. No grandfather paradox.

 o Travel to a period can involve a historical event or occurrence but is not necessary.

 o These adventures do not have to relate to Poe’s published work.

 o Allies/Companions in the story will be considered. Still, many have been done using H.G. Wells and Nikola Tesla stories; using them will not be allowed.

 • Stories are not to be set within Poe’s lifetime.

 o One exception – because of the mysterious circumstance surrounding his death- stories involving the week before his death will be allowed, though limited in number.

 • Any method of time travel is available – Portal, Mental/astral projection, Magic, a mechanical device, etc.

 • Stories can be in any genre. Poe had an influence upon-Detective, Horror, and Science Fiction.

 All interested authors should request the anthology bible and submit proposals for a single 7-8,000 word story to submissions@prose-press.com. The story will be due within 60 days of acceptance if the proposal is accepted. Once the story is completed, the entire anthology will move into the publication queue. Payment will be royalty based.

 If you have any questions, email editorinchief@prose-press.com. Follow Pro Se Productions on Facebook for all of the latest new and releases.

Thank you for reading

Ernest  

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CyPhaCon!! My Panel schedule…but wait! There is more….

by Ernest Russell, posted in Uncategorized

One week from today CyPhaCon Returns to Lake Charles!

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Really excited as I prepare for CyPhaCon next weekend. Have my panel schedule and these are all going to be fun.

Friday

7 pm – Writing Science Fiction with Real Science
8 pm – Genres: Do They Still Matter?

Saturday

3 p.m. – Creating Memorable Characters
8 pm – Vampires, Zombies, Elder Gods, and things that go bump in the night

In a first for CyPhaCon and Pro Se Productions, Pro Se will have a table at CyPhaCon.

Come see us and discover new worlds within our pages!

For complete information on CyPhaCon please visit our website!

Visit the official CyPhaCon Events Page for more details of the great panels, guests and activities.

CyPhaCon returns April 12th-14th, 2019 to the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles Louisiana.
Pre Reg Tickets still on sale at Paper Heroes until Monday, April 8th. Tickets also available on Ticket Master and Civic Center Box Office up to and during the entire weekend of CyPhaCon.
Stop by and say Hi!
Thank you for reading
Ernest Russell

CoastCon 42 was Great!

by Ernest Russell, posted in Uncategorized

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If you missed CoastCon 42, you missed a great convention!

On behalf of Pro Se Productions I would like to thank the staff and volunteers of CoastCon for hosting an outstanding convention. It was an honor to be a guest for this milestone event and I was delighted to be invited back next year. The staff and organization of this convention was outstanding. I cannot sing your praises enough as an admirably professional organization.
This was Pro Se’s first event with CoastCon and we would especially like to thank the following individuals for making Coastcon 42 a remarkable experience, Frank Schiavo Pauline Blacker Grigsby, Timothy Broome, Kayla Fisher, Paula Fisher, Robert Ashmore, Chip Lechner, and Cami Brown.

A special thank you to Karen Lewis, Cathy Chandler, and Unity Rains for your efforts as guest liaison, Dealer room and scheduling. As the ones who dealt with me the most, your efforts to make sure this event was a success for me as guest and a vendor were over the moon.

Coast Con 43 is already a highly anticipated event for next years calendar.

Thank you for reading,

Ernest Russell

Nominated for Best Pulp Anthology

by Ernest Russell, posted in Uncategorized

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I am delighted to have been an editor for this really fun anthology now nominated for Best Pulp Anthology at this years WINDY CITY PULP & PAPER CONVENTION.

Tales of the Interstellar Bartenders Guild is available on Amazon and Pro Se Productions.
To find out what else from Pro Se Productions has been nominated for awards check out our Facebook page.

Thanks for reading,

Ernest Russell

‘TALES OF THE INTERSTELLAR BARTENDERS GUILD’

by Ernest Russell, posted in Uncategorized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BELLY UP TO THE BAR FOR SCIENCE FICTION THRILLS-‘TALES OF THE INTERSTELLAR BARTENDERS GUILD’ DEBUTS

Sometimes you run into people who change your life for the best even while at their worst, regardless of what star you are circling. Those people are called Bartenders and Pro Se Productions proudly presents an out of this world universe spanning collection featuring stories of the men, women, and beings that man the taverns and pubs on every backwater world and upscale utopia in outer space and beyond. TALES OF THE INTERSTELLAR BARTENDERS GUILD is now available in print and digital formats.

The Future. Humanity has spread through the galaxy, along with innumerable other races and creatures. In the thousands of solar systems that men have reached you’ll find monarchies, dictatorships, anarchies, utopia, dystopia, and utter chaos. But one slightly stumbling thread weaves through every world, every society– The Interstellar Bartenders Guild. As man took the leap out it seems that bartenders had something to do with it. These are stories of how they provided the shove for said leap. There are fistfights, love and lust, exotic bars, drunks, and a Guild Master with a mystery. Most of all you’ll find people- good, bad, lost, found, and somewhere in the middle. Mankind has grasped the stars but the problems that have been around since a thousand year ago are still with them a thousand years from now. Good thing they have the Bartenders of the Guild to help them solve their problems.

Featuring a terrific cover by Antonino Lo Iacono and print formatting and logo design by Lo Iacono and Marzia Marina, TALES OF THE INTERSTELLAR BARTENDERS GUILD is available in print at Amazon and on Pro Se’s own store at Pro Se Store for $17.99.

This exciting adventure into mixed drinks and science fiction is also available as an eBook formatted by Antonino Lo Iacono and Marzia Marina for the Kindle at Amazon for only $3.99. The book is also available to Kindle Unlimited members for free.

For more information on this title, interviews with the author, or digital copies for review, contact Kristi Morgan, Pro Se’s Director of Corporate Operations, at directorofcorporateoperations@prose-press.com.

To learn more about Pro Se Productions, go to www.prose-press.com. Like Pro Se on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProSeProductions.

So? You want to visit Ourangdun!

by Ernest Russell, posted in Uncategorized

So? You want to visit Ourangdun!
Nothing says adventure quite like our Ourangdun. The open spaces which seem to stretch on forever tell the story of exploration and development. Our wide brown lands reflect Ourangdun’s pioneering spirit and unique identity. You can find a little bit of adventure in every part of Ourangdun, and while many regions are remote, they are patrolled and perfectly safe from outlaws.
So instead of worrying about an ambush, you can be enthralled by the rugged gorges, epic waterways and incandescent ocean of Ourangdun. Enjoy a triple-sunset chobo ride in Bwunda, then aquacar along the Poqntin River to the Jomilur Valley, home to the Oodic Cluster and near the beehive-striped Bingle Bangles of the Oyebykyky Butte. Bwunda is also the gateway to the remote, beautiful Spnouwe Peninsula.
Do I need a visa to enter Ourangdun?

Unless you are citizens of the planets Pyarpkupb or Neolwpkpbs, you will need a valid Ourangdun visa to land on the planet. Intrasolar visitors can apply for a visa upon arrival planetside. There is a slight quarantine period while awaiting approval. All other Intergalactic visitors must apply for a visa before leaving your homeworld. You can apply for a range of visas, including tourist visas and working holiday visas, at your nearest Ourangdun Oligarch Corporate Mining Conglomerate.

Which part of Ourangdun should I visit?
That depends on what you want to do!
• Want to go bounty hunting? Then try the northwestern hemisphere of the planet. The lucky traveler still occasionally stumbles over a nest of outlaws. You will be provided an introduction to bounty hunting and assigned to one our Corporate Raiders as interim Bounty Hunter. Would you like to know more? Please see our full list of visas, available at any Ourangdun Oligarch Corporate Mining Conglomerate.
• If you like to build sandcastles, then explore the Eastern hemisphere. Near Oyebykyky Buttes you will find a stand over a hundred meters tall and hundreds of kilometers long. This is a protected area. Would you like to know more? Please see our full list of visas, available at any Ourangdun Oligarch Corporate Mining Conglomerate.
• If you have an interest in wildlife, you should visit the Southern Hemisphere Nature Reserve. Here you can find a host of indigenous Ourangdun animals: the rare Przwenlsli, the world’s last wild dragon; the Bombus bear; the golden Vombatus; bactrachian two-humped Rhincodon. Even sabre-toothed Tragelodontus venture from their mountaintop homes in winter. Hunting is allowed by special visa during peak populations. Would you like to know more? Please see our full list of visas, available at any Ourangdun Oligarch Corporate Mining Conglomerate.

 

Before you go . . .
• Indigenous natives are nomadic. Every nomad family you meet will offer to serve you with a salty tea. Fermented milk from the domestic Rhincodon and, if you’re lucky, Rhincodon intestines! There is no vegetarian fare as even the vegetables contain meat. They call it “vegetable” because the plants are green.
• Just in case you can’t stomach the local fare, I recommend taking . . .
• Emergency rations from your ship.
• And anything else you can’t live without!
• And unless you fancy dealing with explosive diarrhea in the middle of a Ourangdun sandstorm—bring some antidiarrheals meant for your physiology! (You wouldn’t like the local concoction.)
• Other standard items to take include sunglasses, sun cream (we recommend SPF 300 because of the three suns), and small gifts for the nomads you meet on your travels (so they do not serve you with the above-mentioned a salty tea).
• Oh yes, one more thing … avoid the Orellian Death Worm at all costs!

Good luck and Happy Trails!
Remember the Number One Rule:
HAVE FUN!

Thank you for reading,

Ernest

Rumblings from Faphniria!

by Ernest Russell, posted in Uncategorized

The Faphnirains are a type of Saurian. These incredible beings boast two magnificent, enormous wings; strong, clawed legs; and an elegant, serpentine tail. Their two vertically-slit eyes, burrowed delicately in deep-seated sockets, carry an unfathomable air of wisdom and mystery. The gold or green flakes in their iris often whirl, making them appear to be excited. They have superb eyesight. Their hearing is also quite good, though their ears are small and stubby. Faphnirian skin is smooth and thin, covered in small, wide scales in shades of gold, light orange and orange. Their scales tend to become darker as they age.
Faphnirains are an old space-faring race. Rumor and legend say that the crew of a stranded Faphnirian ship may have given rise to the legend of dragons on old Earth.
Their faces appear to be trustworthy, but looks can be deceiving. When angered, their teeth and fangs are capable of biting through durallium alloy. Faphniria is an aristocratic society where the keeping of trophies is normal and expected. Trophies are valued for intelligence, wit, and beauty. The application and interview process to become a Faphnirian Trophy can take years and is an extremely rigorous undertaking.
Geography
The planet Faphniria was named by its discoverer after an ancient legend of old Earth. It is an iron planet in a small solar system with six other planets. Faphniria is about 1.35 times bigger than Earth and its gravity is about 1.90 times that of Earth.
A single day lasts 45.79 hours and a year lasts 462 days. Seven continents make up 58% of the planet’s landmass. Five moons orbit the planet and Faphniria itself orbits a blue sun in a fairly circular orbit.
Intergalactic Visitors
Faphnirains generally discourage visitors as they tend to distract from their pursuits in the arts and sciences. If you wish to inquire about becoming a Faphnirian Trophy, please send a copy of your transcripts showing a Ph.D. in at least three different disciplines, along with some of your peer-reviewed work. Artistic and athletic achievements should be noted as well. All forms of art are appreciated. Music, literature, sculpture, painting, etc. in any style should be submitted with a Galactic copyright attached. Virginity among applicants is preferred.
Seasonal Events and Attractions
Every 13 months, the Festival of Ballet is celebrated with great delight. The Festival features ballet from a dozen different species across the galaxy. Athletic competitions, especially gymnastic, are open by invitation only to the best in the Galaxy. To be invited to perform, or even to attend one of the performances, is a rare honor. The Festival is officially celebrated for eight days, but decorations are often seen weeks before the actual celebrations.
Every four years, the Festival of Dragons is celebrated with excited hearts. It’s a holiday with mythical roots, but today the celebration revolves around watching a beloved natural phenomenon – blowing smoke rings and amazing pyrotechnic displays. It is officially celebrated for eleven days, but the final celebrations often last deep into the night and even into the next day. Only Trophies have ever beheld its wonders.

Thank you for reading,

Ernest

History Now!: Apollo 11

by Ernest Russell, posted in Uncategorized

History

 

History NOW!: Apollo 11
Author: D. Alan Lewis
Narrated by: John Dunleavy

Historical documentaries are a favorite of mine. History Now! is a nice twist on them. How do the documentarians in this story know what really happened? A trusted few are granted access to time –ships. These Chrono-journalists carefully record and document the events they witness. At least the ones they witness in that particular time stream, for slightest change could send ripples through time changing the very event witnessed.
This story tells the tale of mankind’s first landing on the moon. Did you ever wonder what may have sparked the tale of aliens on the moon? Jace Vern, Chrono-journalist, might be have an answer. Most consequences can be predicted but as Jace says, “It’s always something you don’t think about that bites you in the ass.” Or in this case, it bites us all.
As we learn in the end, even as we try to remember our past and learn from it, the past always has a way of returning. For those who chronicle history are doomed to stand by helplessly while everyone else repeats it. We can only be glad the DaVinci accords of 2218 are in effect preventing everyone from re-writing history in their image.
John Dunleavy provides the perfect voice for a documentary. His enunciations are clear, though a little gravelly, which for the nature of this story provided a bit of gravitas. You can clearly distinguish which character is speaking. There were no background noises to distract from the story.

History Now!: Apollo 11
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

Thank you for reading,

Ernest