‘Mars & More’, my debut collection of flash science fiction stories, has now been published – fifty tales in all, including seven not previously published anywhere.

By turns comic, tragic, uplifting and disturbing, it will immerse you in worlds of the possible future, where much has changed but much remains the same. From explorers and pioneers to scientists and manual labourers, from an augmented assassin to a femme fatale in a non-stop nightspot, the characters and stories here are sure to pique your imagination.

Are you ready to explore Mars and more?

Available now in paperback and ebook from your favourite stockist.
Find it at https://books2read.com/MarsMore

Ever wonder who you are? You’re not the only one. My new flash science fiction story ‘One Body Problem’ is up today at 365tomorrows, courtesy of editor Stephen Smith. Enjoy!

This fun little piece appeared at Paragraph Planet on May 26th, 2024.

”Don’t worry, it won’t rain if you take the umbrella,” a prediction that always proved true.

So I carried it always, enjoying the sunshine, until drought shriveled crops and withered dreams. Then I stopped, staying indoors to watch TV instead.

One day, I switched on the news: ”Floods kill 32. When will the deluge end?”

Your skin tastes different;
somehow, I hadn’t expected that.

Sunlight shafts through the window
as the market beneath gets underway;
the warmth of it woke me to your warmth,
its caress as soft as yours.
Spicy air floats up from the crowding stalls
and I strain to hear your breathing
above the raucous cries, the rising chatter,
the all-embracing life-bustle below.
The scent was in your hair last night,
beguiling, thrilling, intoxicating;
up here, the pace is slower,
these fading, flaking walls our palace,
backdrop to our explorations,
gentle laughter and soft sighs…

Your skin tastes different;
somehow, I hadn’t expected that.

Lying here in the early morning,
watching the dust motes spinning,
I experience a moment
of sublime uncertainty,
not knowing if I’m awake or dreaming,
simply sensing, feeling, being.
Half a world away from where I was born
your duskiness calls me home,
the contentedness you bring me
setting you apart from the pale waifs of my past,
the easy conquests and meaningless couplings
of a life so far from here in so many ways.
As you start to stir, I move your hair aside
and run kisses down your naked back…

Your skin tastes different;
somehow, I hadn’t expected that.