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Terraformer

Member

From: The Fortunate Isles

Registered: 2007-08-27

Posts: 3,906

Website

My Microfiction Tumblr

For the last several weeks, I've been putting up very short (1-300 word) stories on tumblr at https://aetherictree.tumblr.com/

Including one where I'm trying to do some worldbuilding, set in an early stage Lunar colony - https://aetherictree.tumblr.com/tagged/lunar-city.

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Use what is abundant and build to last

Terraformer

Member

From: The Fortunate Isles

Registered: 2007-08-27

Posts: 3,906

Website

Re: My Microfiction Tumblr

Another Anna on the Moon story up!

https://aetherictree.tumblr.com/post/63 … ap-for-her

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Use what is abundant and build to last

Terraformer

Member

From: The Fortunate Isles

Registered: 2007-08-27

Posts: 3,906

Website

Re: My Microfiction Tumblr

It's a little staccatto, these stories are lightly edited before I put them up. Decided for now it's called Life and Love and Luna.

One Misstep For A Woman, One Giant Leap For Her Partner

Anna spotted two men approaching their table. Even before noticing their dress uniforms, she could tell they were in the guard by the way they moved. She nudged her friend and looked them over. Both clean shaven and short haired, as required by the orbital guard. One blond, the other dark haired, both attractive enough to bring blushes to both her and her friend’s faces.

The blonde one extended his hand to Dana. “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked. American then. She tried to place where. Midwestern, but not entirely.

“I’ve never… I don’t know how to dance.” Dana looked down, avoiding looking at him.

“Don’t worry, just follow my direction and you’ll be fine.” With prompting from Anna, she acquiesced.

She scowled as they left. “If he breaks her heart I’ll break his neck.”

The other guardsman manoeuvred himself into the newly vacated seat. “That sounds a little violent.” She tried placing his accent. Another American. East coast? A Yankee for definite.

“Yeah. Well.” She sipped her drink. “Maybe I’ll space him instead, then. Not as messy.”

He laughed at that. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that. If he deviates from character enough to do that, we have standing orders to put him down ourselves as an alien infiltrator. I’m Alex by the way. Lieutenant Alex, atomic rocket mechanic. ”

“Anna. Just Anna, environmental systems tech.”

“A farm girl, eh?” She gave him a look and he held up his hands. “I’m not denigrating it; you guys keep us fed.”

“Those are farm techs. We keep the air on and the lights clean. My friend Mei is the farm girl. Surely you should know the difference? You must breathe on your ships.”

He grinned. “Oh, I do; Matthew over there is one of you guys, and I don’t let the farm boy hear the end of it.” He looked over at the dance floor. “Well, he seems to be enjoying himself, and despite her concerns, so does your friend.” He stood and held out his hand. “May I claim a dance as well?”

She took it and stood, unsteadily, on her feet. Even after three months, she still hadn’t got used to the low gravity. “Certainly. I‘ve never danced in lunar gravity before.”

“It’s not like you’re used to. Don’t worry, just follow my lead.” They began the dance. “See, you don’t-”

Her foot slipped and she went flying across the room. Before she could comprehend what was happening, Alex way flying ahead of her and bracing himself against the wall to catch her.

“-want to do that.” He finished as she settled into his arms. “Are you alright?” The other dancers had stopped to stare at the commotion.

She reached up to brush the hair out of her face and smiled up at him. “I will be in a bit. Just give me a few moments right here.” She giggled. “Do you do this every year?”

He smiled back. “Would you like to?

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Use what is abundant and build to last

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,358

Re: My Microfiction Tumblr

For Terraformer re topic !!!

Thanks (very much) for providing a sample of your work!

Best wishes for success in finding readers/followers!

SearchTerm:Dance dancing on the Moon ... fiction by Terraformer with a Lunar setting

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tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,358

Re: My Microfiction Tumblr

For Terraformer .... Meghan Hyland is an author recently published in Analog (Analogsf.com).

Her story in the most recent issue is one I hope you might enjoy.  I certainly did.

Title is "The Battle of Wanakena" ... setting is New York state away from major cities....

The postscript author notes read:

Meghan Hyland, who does love potatoes, lives in Seattle with her two cats, who inexplicably do not.  In previous lives, she's been a teacher, a software developer, and an AI researcher.  Her other stories include "In All Good Conscience" in Analog's November/December issue.

Google found a citation about ** this ** Meghan Hyland.  There are several, including one who lives in Australia.

Meghan Hyland | The StoryGraph
app.thestorygraph.com › authors
Meghan Hyland. 1 book. Analog Science Fiction and Fact January/February 2022 by Trevor Quachri. Analog Science Fiction and Fact January/February 2022

I'd like to remind you that the membership of the forum includes a published science fiction author.  Quaoar has posted 644 times, and a number of those posts were about his hard science stories.  I vaguely recall his expressing interest in help translating his work from Italian into other languages.

His most recent login was in September of last year.

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 07#p200607

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