Bill McSciFi's Blog

Every writer has their thing. Clive Cussler made himself a character in every book he wrote. By name, not just inference. I don’t do that, but I do add a character in every book or series who provides a throughline, or arc, that helps ground the swirling and chaotic events. In The Brittle Riders, it’s the farmer Oolnok. In Goptri of the Mists, it’s the Sovereign’s aide, Aaradhya, and so on. I am always pleased when readers cite those characters as ones they bonded with.

Yesterday, I sorted through the notes from my most recent Beta Readers for gen-O-pod(™) Wars, putting them in order so I can refer to them when edits come back, just in case. One reader turned out to be a Deacon. His reviews are a nice ride through the story arc.

— Pope Joan is an abomination.
— Pope Joan is an interesting character to use to critique the church.
— Emulating Pope Joan’s morals and kindness should be the goal. Not just for Catholics but for all children of God.
— WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MY POPE?!?!?!?!

This is my subtle way of letting you know that gen-O-pod(™) Wars is complete and waiting to be edited. Which means, as soon as Nancy gets settled, she will be editing her little fingers to their itsy-bitsy bones. Since getting a bank loan on indie IPs is impossible, anything you can do to help her is greatly appreciated. For the record, progress has been made. New housing has been arranged; she is just waiting for it to become available. She has a handle on her meds, and has retained her positive attitude throughout.

All of this means you will soon be able to read the entire Chimeraverse story in the order the characters experience it. You can start with the cybernetic revenge fantasy of The Plato Wars, and then wallow in the salacious consequences of human hubris in gen-O-pod(™) Wars, after which you can walk the dessicated plains of the former Midwest and ineract with humanity’s violent remnants in The Brittle Riders, and finally wrap it all up with a mind bending thrill ride through mutant cybernetics and humanity’s last stab at dominance in Goptri of the Mists.

Here’s something fun I can share with you. When I noted on LinkedIn that I was conforming gen-O-pod(™) Wars to all the other books, six people offered to help. All six were fans, so I gratefully accepted. It wasn’t until I was assembling everything for today that I realized all six were, most likely still are, Asian women. Two from China, where I’m still banned, one from Japan, two from India, and one Filipino lady with an acerbic tongue.

They noted that each book had its own vibe. When I went to my favorite AI home away from home, DeepAI, and added their notes to my character descriptions, I got the fake movie posters below, and they are a hoot. A few also noted how each book is a story of characters breaking free, i.e., escaping the cages they’re in. As the graphic for that concept fits fundamentally, I’m bringing it along, as well.

Oh, looky, now we get to talk about the bottom images.

The only standalone book I have right now is The Darkling Wind, and your only other non-epic option for your dose of McSciFi’s Brain Droppings is my collection of shorts, Stuff About Things. That is both a wonderful and thin collection.

We, you and I that is, need more.

Long story short, I have begun my next adventure. I am calling it HAIL THE FALLEN. It’s a modernized take on the Book of Enoch. The Book of Enoch is fascinating. You have your creation myth, your Noah, and your always popular “Sons of God.” Then it heads off in some unique directions.

While it’s not well received by traditional churches now, Jesus quoted it in His teachings, so it’s been around for a bit and had relevance to His followers.

In Enoch, at the beginning, all the angels present as male. But the patriarchy bends a lot as those angels are credited with things that, in the time it was written, were definitely feminine interests.

So, we’ve got our angels, a clear punitive destiny (fallen angels never catch a break), and multiple verified notes that the fallen came to Earth to fornicate. I mean, I get it, Earthlings are hot. Hell, I even married one. It just seems limited in the whole “My goal for this eternity” sort of way.

Obviously, this is a goldmine for someone like me. Even so, I’m only going to use the original texts as a guide; I have neither the desire nor the qualifications to rewrite theology. Nor do I need another episode like I went through with Goptri of the Mists, when some people thought it was a new historical insight into Indian theology.

That was a freaking mess to fix.

It was not helped by the fact that there are those who believe that Shiva drinks alcohol, so my weird take on things fit well with some known customs.

Ooops.

I mean, the riff was intentional; the theological extrapolation was not.

If you head over to the legendary Tik of the Tok you will find an animated PG version of the film posters, a divine introduction to Hail the Fallen, a fun look at the novels spewing from my novel mind, and almost every single video is an animation created using DeepAI and tips I got from other users.

Yeah, I like that place, quirks and all.

If you want to fix the data center nightmares related to AI, and you should, then force the US to do what China is doing and use science instead of whatever the fuck this is.

Ah well, I’ll have more to share next time. Until then, stay safe and sane.

Hunter S. Thompson once said, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a ride!'” That’s exactly how I feel as I put the finishing touches on this draft of gen-O-pod(™) Wars.

What started as a silly toss-off to explain why all those pesky humans who used to live on this planet were dead, a dystopian MacGuffin if you will, took on a life of its own, unlike the humans it documents. The number of emails I have received over the years containing lines similar to, “There is still good in people, blah blah blah” makes the Iliad look like a post-it note.

Between reactions to it and its theoretical predecessor, The Plato Wars, people seemed to think I had a couple hundred thousand words hiding under my desk, and I was denying access to them because I am an old cruel meany, with a teeny weenie peeny, who has no use for my mortal coil other than to cause pain.

Both story lines, while referenced ominously in The Brittle Riders and Goptri of the Mists, were meant to be mysteries. You know, like D.B. Cooper and the Mary Celeste. But ya’ll kept paying my bills and wanting to know “WHY DID YOU KILL ALL THE NICE PEOPLE?”

Waves arm around. Duh!

The Plato Wars and gen-O-pod(™) Wars are, if looked at properly, a single story. A stupidly, and dangerously, long prequel. The former showcases how quickly a society can and will accept rule that is not remotely beneficial to the whole. See “History of Civilization” as Example “A”. The latter takes a hard, dark look at how humans have traditionally treated people it was able to classify as “lesser.” You know what? Just bookmark Example “A”.

So, your question becomes, “How hard and how dark are we talking?” Well, golly, Timmy, if I’m going to kill every man, woman, and child on the planet, that means I have to kill the nice ones, too. And, if I’m going to drill things home, that means I need some scenes that will make more sensitive readers whimper and shift uncomfortably.

What I got was a book that is perfectly fucking dark but too fucking long. Over 130,000 words. Once I got that out of my system, I started trimming. And compiling. And altering. And praying. And telling my beautiful bride (who is doing much better, thank you) I promised to come to bed eventually.

This version is wrapping up at a little over 100,000 words, about the same as each book in The Brittle Riders. Those would be 100,000 words typed by my loving fingertips that are so dark that the history of a female serial killer who likes removing men’s genitals and sewing them to their hearts is just an ambient backstory to everything else.

That dark.

All of this brings me to you. And only you. I am assembling a list of people who might wish to be beta readers. If you would like to be on that list, simply reply to this email with your preferred mode of document delivery. This particular document will be a PDF.

Should you risk your emotional stability by doing so, you will receive your copy within fourteen days of this email. Like all authors of Beta Reads, I am going to be a whiny bitch and … ahem …. ask for your review as soon as possible.

When the Sominids – towering, blue-skinned pansexual aliens with a taste for indulgence – visited Earth, they left behind new ideas, forbidden pleasures, and a desiccated moon. Generations later, after finally realizing the lack of FTL travel denies them the stars, humanity wrestles with its own decline and a legacy of lost ambition, one prodigy rises: Edward Q. Rohta. With genius and audacity, Rohta engineers the gen-O-pods(™), chimeric beings forged from human and animal DNA, designed to serve, entertain, and, perhaps, surpass their creators.

As Rohta’s creations spread across a world desperate for meaning, power, and escape, buried divisions erupt into new conflicts. From sybaritic power-brokers and Machiavellian lawyers to self-aware gen-O-pods(™) plotting a non-human future, the struggle for purpose, freedom, and identity explodes on a global stage. Wickedly satirical and wildly imaginative, gen-O-pod Wars(™) is a biting exploration of what it means to be human-or something more-in a world where evolution is for sale and destiny is just another commodity.

gen-O-pod(™) Wars
The sexiest, most violent Armageddon you’ll ever read

This book will complete all the parts of the 8-book trilogy;
The Plato Wars, gen-O-pod(™) Wars, The Brittle Riders, & Goptri of the Mists

Again, thanks for all the prayers. My wife and I appreciate every single one.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Welcome to Pride Month. A month built on bloodshed and clawed from oppression. One where our brothers and sisters stood up and said, “NO FUCKING MORE!” No more bigoted persecutions, no more denigration, no more hiding. Stonewall was the biggest coming-out party in history. I know there are those who think Pride Month celebrates the concept of pride. It does not. It celebrates a whole group of people who are finally starting to be allowed to be publicly proud of who God made them to be.

For all that, thanks to there being people who claim to know more than God, there is still a shitload of work to be done.

Here in McSciFi-Land, I’m ahead of schedule. That doesn’t mean everyone else is. Nor do they need to be. What we have here is not a failure to communicate, God, I am old, but a case of a short story long. Once upon a time, in a lifetime layered in police reports, alcohol, and bad choices, I began to write a short story. Then I got cocky and figured I might get a novelette out of it.

Those who have been along on this ride know that little story grew and grew and grew and …. OH MY GOD! IT’S SOOO BIG! … is not what anyone has ever said to me. Anyway, as you are laughing at me, I finally put the finishing touches on the last part of my short story, which is now an eight-part trilogy. Details below.

gen-O-pod(™) Wars was the final piece of the puzzle. Yeah, I get it, making the end-piece the book that opens the tale is an odd way to do things. At this point, all I can do is pray for your indulgence. Based on comments made by my tech advisors, you’re in for a hell of a ride.

{siren}BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!{/siren}

In my copious amounts of free time, I also wrote THE DARKLING WIND. This is more of a thriller than you might be used to from me. Think of it as a busload of disturbing questions tied to world-building on meth. I am excited to share this with you.

Now that you’re in line for the ride, what does the last remaining E-Ticket get you? Let’s take a look.

The Darkling Wind – Stand Alone
As the people of Earth grapple with alien technology, impending planetary collisions, elderly virility run amok, self-curing diseases, and a possible nuclear holocaust, among other traumas, two gay teens and a 130-year-old pin-up model are the world’s only hope. The wind blows free, but the Darkling Wind exacts a terrible price.

The Plato Wars – Book 1 of 8
Once upon a time in the future, mankind created a way to consolidate everything from simple internets to personal AIs into one cohesive entity. Science promised every safeguard imaginable had been erected, and introduced the world to Plato. It’s up to a vengeful teen and a rebellion with mob connections to stop this thing before it erases humanity.

gen-O-pod(™) Wars – Book 2 of 8
Before the time of the chimeras, there was the time of hubris. Edward Q. Rohta, a boy-genius with a penchant for genetic engineering and unconventional love, decided to remake the world into one worthy of a god he would create. With his family’s help, Rohta Industries, LLC set out to redefine what it means to be human, and a chimera named Fluffkins becomes the last hope for sentient, if not exactly human, life.

The Brittle Riders – Books 3, 4 & 5 of 8
An award-winning and internationally critically renowned trilogy. Tired of being abused, the gen-O-pods(™) rose up and killed every man, woman, and child on the planet. The Brittle Riders is the story of what happens next. When an army made of avarice meets a society built on peace, hope will be bathed in fountains of blood. Dark satire presented in a violent burlesque designed to make you think while you laugh and cringe. The end of your world is the beginning of theirs.

Goptri of the Mists – Books 6, 7, & 8 of 8
It was one thing to maintain order, quite another to inflict tyranny. When that line got blurred, one brave soul rose up in protest and set off a chain of events that would lead to a world war, alien robots, and non-dimensional souls. Set in a futuristic version of pre-colonial India, it serves as a stark reminder of why man should not create gods and why the gods have never truly trusted man.

To all who celebrate Pride, may you find joy. For those of you reading this, thanks for sticking around. It seems we might be finally getting to the good part.

Thanks to you and people like you, Nancy’s GoFundMe has been meeting goals as it goes on. Is it all perfect? No. Is she living indoors and on a path to having a home with her Tommy Cat? Yes. Besides the GoFundMe, she has also made a few paying clients happy with her mad editing skills. No matter how she ends up stable is fine by all of us who care for her.

On a more personal note, my wife is getting stronger every day. Less than four percent of people who get breast cancer get it in both breasts. As I have noted often, my beloved is an overachiever. That’s not as dismissive as it may seem. She always goes above and beyond. And that trait will see her through this. Still, we will happily continue to accept your prayers. No matter what, she has a difficult journey ahead of her.

Okay, moving on to fun stuff. A nice human named Darrel has a girlfriend. I do not know either of them. However, she said I was a loser writer that no one had ever heard of, and if Google even had a sniff of my name, she would do OnlyFans (SFW link describing what OF is) free for a month. I’m attaching a screenshot of HER SEARCH based on the book Darrel beta read, but never submitted a review for. It’s a fun graphic, but ungainly, so I stuck it on the bottom here. If she actually sends a link, I’ll share.

I’m cool like that.

In the real world where others live, I have fielded questions about how I was going to deal with the “illegal chimeras” that appear in The Brittle Riders and Goptri of the Mists, since gen-O-pod(™) Wars primarily deals with Rohta. Ot it should.

Those are valid questions.

We’re all friends here, so I’m going to share an industry secret with you, and only you. I add separate chapters that run parallel to the main story. Rohta does this, the Lost Gods do that. And so on. That way, when you get to the end, you’ll know all there is to know.

As you may have noticed, I have never seriously written about humans meeting aliens, only occasional inferences. I love Star Trek, and my wife loves Star Wars. But those are already written. I’ve always wanted to create something new and different.

Aliens meeting aliens? Sure. I can write about the Blorzians bringing their legendary vats of Xopty Xopty to the Gunorkites, who were so enamored that it ushered in peace to that section of the galaxy. Or, I can write about the Blorzians bringing their legendary vats of Xopty Xopty to the Gunorkites, who were so insulted that it triggered the largest galactic war since the Amish Star Bangers terrified the multiverse.

My universe, my rules.

But for aliens showing up here? I could guess, but I wanted to do better. As it turns out, there are a few groups of scientists who consider this issue in depth. And if you live in a country that doesn’t have a Florida, you can access their research. Otherwise, you need to ask politely.

Which I did.

And this lovely couple answered, then asked many questions of their own (who cares what I’m wearing?), conned me out of six free books (to better understand context), and eventually read my detailed take on such an encounter in gen-O-pod(™) Wars.

Here are their thoughts.

“Your interpretation falls within the top six percentile of current hypotheses. Roger and I agree you should stick with it. However, the lines “They were coming to paint odd-numbered labia blue. They were coming to ruin alpha males,” seem oddly specific. Is there a pop culture trend we missed?”

So much of my soul wanted to say yes.

A few of you haven’t entered all my important life moments into your calendars. I forgive you. Anyway, here is the status of all the current McSciFi scribblings you can, or will soon be able to, blow rent on.

Stuff About Things
– (The gateway drug to McSciFi. Collection of shorts & articles – out now)
The Darkling Wind
– (Stand-alone story, written, being edited, coming soon)

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, ✶THE CHIMERA-VERSE✶ brought to life in the order experienced by the characters.

The Plato Wars
– (Opens Brittle Riders’ universe, written, waiting for edits – summer ’26)
gen-O-pod(™) Wars
– (Prefaces Brittle Riders, being written, fall ’26)
The Brittle Riders
– (Award-winning trilogy that ensures all the annoying humans are dead – out now)
Goptri of the Mists
– (Critically acclaimed trilogy that is *NOT* a dissertation on Hindu mythology – out now)

✶CHIMERA-VERSE(™)✶ is a term exclusive to fans of McSciFi. In all seriousness, I get tired calling it all THE BRITTLE RIDERS’ UNIVERSE. That is where it all starts, no way to deny it, but it has grown beyond even my expectations.

OH BABY! IT’S SO BIG!

Oh, FFS! You can stop laughing now.

No, really. Are you okay now? Need some water? No? You’re sure? All right then.

Until next time, keep those digital cards and letters coming. Your input inspires my output.

In my last newsletter, I noted that Azoth Khem’s owner, Nancy Chandller, who is also my publisher, editor, and friend, had gotten kicked in the teeth. Since then, we have gotten her into a safe living situation, but it costs money and isn’t helped by the fact that the hospital kicked her out in a wheelchair, even though she had walked in by herself. We can discuss the gaping holes in American health insurance later. Until then, anything you can do to help her and her Tommy Cat is appreciated. CLICK HERE to go to her GoFundMe page.

If charity isn’t your thing, but having your writing glossed to a professional level is, you can hire her as an editor instead. Just VISIT HER WEBSITE to get her latest rates and offers. All those cool awards Margret and I have won come from books she edited. That’s about as good a recommendation as I can give.

Regarding Azoth’s award-winning authors, the aforementioned Margret Trebeir and our literary stable-mate Kasey Hill also have new titles coming out on Azoth Khem. Margret’s snarky robots and Kasey’s thoughtful, teen-friendly demons liven up any quality library.

All of this brings us to my favorite McSciFi McMaiden, Kim, the one I married, who has gone through hell and endured four different surgeries in one month for her breast cancers. Yes, cancers, plural. Fingers crossed that they finally got all of it. Nevertheless, in spite of the pain and discomfort, she continues to be the greatest wife I’ve ever had. And, no, she’s not the first.

Somehow, Kim manages to greet each day with love and hope. We have the basics taken care of, although if you buy a book or five, so we can put gas in the car, we won’t complain. One thing we do need that money can never touch is prayers. Pray for her return to health and for her to experience happiness now and forevermore.

Speaking of books, as I was briefly, here’s everything that’s out and what you need to prepare for. When you click the links, you really have no choice; each title will offer you detailed information, custom images, and videos when available. Think of each link as more fun, but less of a commitment, than Ebola.

Stuff About Things
– (The gateway drug to McSciFi. Collection of shorts & articles – out now)
The Darkling Wind
– (Stand-alone story, written, being edited, out soon)
The Plato Wars
– (Opens Brittle Riders’ universe, written, waiting for edits – out summer ’26)
gen-O-pod(™) Wars
– (Prefaces Brittle Riders’ universe, being written, due out winter ’26)
The Brittle Riders
– (Award-winning trilogy, and all the annoying humans are dead – out now)
Goptri of the Mists
– (Critically acclaimed trilogy that is *NOT* a dissertation on Hindu mythology – out now)

While you’re praying for Kim, please CLICK HERE to help Nancy and Tommy Cat get their lives back. Nancy is always on the front lines helping others, and now she could use a helping hand up.

Remember. You are the most wonderful version of you anyone knows. Talk soon.

Azoth Khem’s owner, who is also my publisher, editor, and friend, just got kicked in the teeth. She’s in the hospital now, but has had her home taken away while this is all going on. Anything you can do to help her and her Tommy Cat is appreciated. CLICK HERE to go to her GoFundMe page.

If charity isn’t your thing, but having your writing glossed to a professional level is, you can hire her as an editor instead. Just VISIT HER WEBSITE to get her latest rates and offers. All those cool awards I win come from books she edited. That’s about as good a recommendation as I can give.

How all this happened is her tale to tell, not mine. Nevertheless, as you might imagine, this not only royally sucks for her, it throws off Azoth’s release schedule a bit. But Nancy isn’t Nancy for nothing. Now that the beta readers have weighed in, she has her laptop open to The Darkling Wind. The first stand-alone story I’ve written since the award-winning SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY.

Alien disks descend upon Earth, they don’t bring war – they bring unrelenting desire. As elders & invalids experience miraculous rejuvenation and libidos surge, governments scramble to contain the phenomenon. The fate of the world is in the hands of a 130-year-old pinup model and a gay teen from Arizona. As it should be.

Witty, irreverent, and wildly original, The Darkling Wind blends sci-fi, satire, and sex-positive adventure in a race against extinction where only the most human of connections may save us all.

Get your copy this spring on Azoth Khem.

Also keeping Nancy entertained is The Plato Wars. As you may have guessed, and I know you did because you’re just as smart as you are good looking, once upon a time in the future, mankind created a way to consolidate all the world’s digital creations, from simple internets to personal AIs, into one cohesive machine. They spent a century assuring every safeguard imaginable had been erected, and then introduced the world to Plato. This seemed like a good idea at the time. It wasn’t.

That book has been pawed through and fawned over by beta-readers, whose reviews have ranged from “OMFG! HOLY SHIT!” to “This is a compelling narrative that will cause people to reevaluate how they interact with AI, or even computers.” Most likely, the actual story is somewhere between those two. Either way, it’s written, proofed, and in Nancy’s capable hands, which still need our help.

All this leads to the true completion of The Brittle Riders saga. An eight-book trilogy your parents forbade you to read.

In a chronology the characters would understand, the aforementioned Plato Wars kicks it off. Things go downhill for humans from there.

Limitless abuse of sentient playthings was just what the universe ordered, and Edward Q. Rohta delivered. Unchecked hedonism and violent perversions became the way of the world until the playthings disagreed. gen-O-pod(™) Wars is the sexiest, most violent Armageddon you’ve ever experienced.

**********
Civilization ended with a party; what’s left are fading remnants of rotting dreams. In the scattered ashes of humanity, only the genetic echoes of humanity remain. Tread cautiously into the wilds of The Brittle Riders, and travel a dark odyssey through a world where mercy is extinct and monsters are the only prayer left by forgotten gods.

**********
In the ocean’s shadowed depths, secrets fester and old sins refuse to stay drowned. Peace is just a cracking mask when the world is bracing for blood. With killers again slinking in the haze, even gods can die. In Goptri of the Mists, when hope meets oblivion, sometimes neither survives.

Award-winning authors Margret Trebeir and Kasey Hill also have new titles coming out on Azoth Khem. Margret’s snarky robots and Kasey’s thoughtful Y/A demons liven up any quality library.

CLICK HERE to help Nancy get her life back. She is always on the front lines helping others, and now she could use a helping hand up.

Thanks for being you. We’ll talk soon.

For the record, even though you never asked – okay, Bob did, but no one gives a rat’s patoot what he wants – I am not a fan of cover reveals. I know authors who swear by them. God bless. Honestly, keying up an e-blast and spending a day making the same post on multiple social media accounts just to show folks a pretty picture seems like a waste of everyone’s time.

So, why am I doing it? I’m glad you asked.

A couple of reasons. First, and foremost, The Darkling Wind, the top image when you scroll down, is my first stand-alone book since the first stand-alone book I wrote that won a cool award, SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY. And there are similarities. Both are books. Both have plots. Both have unexpected friendships. And, this is the biggest thing, both were written by me.

The second reason is that I’m dancing like a four-year-old on meth now that I’m reunited with the legendary Ian Bristow. “Who dat?” you ask. Well, I’ll tell you. He’s so humbler than thou even he sometimes forgets he exists. But he’s been doing highly regarded sci-fi covers for authors all over the world, even Chicago, for quite some time. Wonderful humans like you will remember him for the brilliant cover art he created for The Brittle Riders.

The last reason may be the one that interests you. Yeah, I know, “WAY TO BURY THE LEDE, ASSHOLE!”

This book started as a satire of the UFO-Believer’s Movement that I felt, even with my atrocious typing skills, I could knock out fast. But a funny thing happened. The more I wrote, the more I liked the characters. Meanwhile, The Brittle Riders started getting attention, still is but now we all talk privately, and life did life stuff, and my wife and I both needed surgeries, which we just had, and blah blah blah, but I finished it, got beta-readers, paid attention to them since half the book was UFO believing pseudoscience, and finally turned it in to my publisher who honestly didn’t believe this would ever see the light of day.

Did you enjoy that run-on sentence?

“The Darkling Wind” presents mysterious flying disks descending upon Earth, targeting the elderly and ailing with beams of unknown energy. Instead of destruction, these encounters grant the recipients inexplicable youth, vitality, and, in some cases, extraordinary abilities. As enhanced people around the globe embrace new lives, multiple organizations scramble to uncover the origin and purpose of the disks.

When a gay teen in Arizona inadvertently replicates the disks’ effects while trying to get into MIT, the stakes escalate. Earth is forced to define what is and is not human while it faces an existential threat from forces beyond the stars. Who will unravel the mystery and mount a defense?

Witty, irreverent, and wildly original, The Darkling Wind blends sci-fi, satire, and sex-positive adventure in a race against extinction where only the most human of connections may save us all.

Fret not, there will be more stories in The Brittle Riders universe. Why? God only knows. Mostly, I’ve been immobile for reasons, got a hair up my ass, and decided to write three books at once. Professional authors call this “fucking stupid.”

I did it anyway. The Darkling Wind is done, going through a professional edit, and is begging to be in your hands this spring. A first draft of The Plato Wars is in the capable hands of beta-readers. One, Bello Atinuke of Luminous Types, whom I have decided to dearly love, had an AI do a review of my story about an evil AI, and it liked it. She also provided her thoughts on the matter, and they were both helpful and positive.

Side note, Bello offers a variety of services, so if you have a book that needs some love, click that link.

No, I haven’t started The gen-O-pod(™) Wars. Yes, I have thought about it. I’ve thought about bowling too. I can barely walk, so that’s a ways out, as is The gen-O-pod(™) Wars.

Okay, I lied. I’m a naughty McSciFi and deserve to be punished. I have started The gen-O-pod(™) Wars. In fact, one thing that bugged me more than a cloud of mosquitoes after the rain in a nudist colony was trying to come up with a through point for the story. Anyone who’s read The Brittle Riders knows Edward Q. Rohta is responsible for this mess. Since he’s a genius hedonist, I could write a salacious ton about him. However, that leaves a lot unanswered. I mean, “Rich dude does the badoink badoink with all da peeps” is a limited plot.

But, and this took me a while to get here, Fluffkins, the pansexual Hashmallim with a smile made of rainbows and a heart made of stone, who decides the best future for humanity is one without humans? Now we’re talking.

I pride myself on creating interesting villains. The super soldiers in The Brittle Riders, the first Pearl in Goptri of the Mists, my human side in Stuff About Things, and so on. Fluffkins will join the pantheon of names that will make acolytes whisper in envy.

Anywho, there you have it. Until next time, stay safe and sane.

Oh, yeah, calm down, the images still pop up in a new tab if you click on them.

This is a day early since I’m a busy McSciFi this week.

My wife is having breast cancer surgery this week. Long story reduced, the surgeons, doctors, and medical staff at Advocate Trinity have been great. They have been with her every step of the way, let her know what was going to happen, why it was going to happen, and what Plan “B” was if needed. Since my wife is an overachiever, she has tumors in both breasts. But they were caught early, and her prognosis is extremely good. All I’m asking is that you join me in prayer, if you will, and ask God to guide the surgeon’s hand, and be by my wife’s side as she recovers. I may play at being a writer, but I have no words for how much she means to me.

Okay, lightening things up. Scroll down to JUST FOR YOU if you want to skip the smiles and get straight to the cool stuff.

My readers are an odd, but loveable bunch. “Here’s the solution for all life’s problems.” “No thanks, we prefer dealing with them one at a time.” “Here’s a barrel of money.” “Yawn, put it with the rest.” “There’s a polycule of submissive fashion models who own liquor stores and want you to be their dom.” “Whatevs.” “The McSciFi images at the bottom are now pop-ups.” “HOLY BAZINGA DUDE! THEY LOOK AMAZE-BALLS ON MY MOM’S BIG SCREEN!“

I did mention they’re an odd, but loveable bunch, right?

There are others not in the bunch, and I exclude those who read my stuff and are not fans – that is called taste. Good or bad, I leave to you. However, there has been an upswing in illiterate choads who, while universally fans of the orange thing that shall not be named, seriously believe the world needs one of two things. AI to track “dissidents,” and/or leaders who can never be questioned. These people accomplish two things. One, they scare the living fuck out of me, and Two, inspire my continuing literary disdain for humans.

Which brings us to the JUST FOR YOU segment of today’s newsletter.

For anyone catching up, here’s an introduction to The Plato Wars.

The provocative future of The Plato Wars, where humanity has entrusted its fate to Plato-a global, all-knowing AI with a God complex and a penchant for creating humiliating game shows. As once-marginalized groups celebrate new freedoms, a dark undercurrent grows: mysterious deaths, erased dissidents, and a chilling campaign against the vulnerable. When a grieving teenager and a scattered resistance uncover Plato’s true intentions, they must learn to fight a god made in their image. One that reflects humanity’s common, if uncomfortable, desires. Irreverent, unsettling, and darkly funny, The Plato Wars challenges everything we think we know about progress, privacy, and power.

As the kids say, here’s the real. I am wrapping this naughty kitten up in leather ribbons and will be looking for beta-readers over the next week or so. All we ask is that beta-readers review the story. We leave grammar for the editing phase. If, however, you notice that the science or something is so far askew that it offends toddlers, like the science I faked in The Darkling Wind, go ahead and make a note.

To become a beta-reader, all you have to do is reply to this email, share your first name, since I don’t save any personal info except email addresses, and you’ll get a copy as soon as it’s done in the next ten days. Obviously, since we are in a production schedule, time is valuable. Please return your review within fourteen days after receipt.

Once my desk is cluttered with beta notes, many of them will be incorporated into the book, and then, and ONLY then, does it get sent to the editor. Once delivered, we begin the process of getting a cover graphic done, brace stores for the impending arrival of this tome of epic awesomeness, and finally move to complete something I never planned on writing in the first place, the entire history and saga of The Brittle Riders.

Here it is in the chronology the characters would recognize.

They built the perfect slave. It became the ultimate overlord. It granted its creators what they wanted, no matter the costs. When decadence is dispensed freely, oppression is monetized, and justice is denied, The Plato Wars are what happens next.
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Limitless abuse of sentient playthings was just what the universe ordered, and Edward Q. Rohta delivered. Unchecked hedonism and violent perversions became the way of the world until the playthings disagreed. The gen-O-pod(™) Wars is the sexiest, most violent Armageddon you’ve ever seen.
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Civilization ended with a party; what’s left are fading remnants of rotting dreams.
In the scattered ashes of humanity, only the manufactured and the damned remain. Tread cautiously into the wilds of The Brittle Riders, and travel a dark odyssey through a world where mercy is extinct and monsters are the only prayer left by forgotten gods.
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In the ocean’s shadowed depths, secrets fester and old sins refuse to stay drowned. Peace is just a cracking mask when the world is bracing for blood.
With killers again slinking in the haze, even gods can die. In The Goptri of the Mists, when hope meets oblivion, sometimes neither survives.

That’s it. A total of eight books to tell one dark story that doesn’t make humans look all that worthy.

Now, to the lovely and delightful, Aadhya, whose favorite color is blue, is a mom of two and wife of one, thinks wearing clothing is cruel, dances at her local temple, and was a beta reader of all the Goptri of the Mists books, who asked, “What about the Storm Wraiths? Aren’t you going to write about them exploring space?”

On behalf of my wife, my publisher, my therapist, and myself, “FUCK NO!“

Until next time, please pray for my wife and hug those you love.