The writing and worlds of Aaron Emmel

Irini’s Coming Back

One of my favorite characters to write is Irini Raschild, a stubborn, inquisitive, exiled princess whose eyes glow in the dark and who can change her hair color at will. She first appeared in Broadswords and Blasters Issue 5, and her story continued in Daily Science Fiction and Broadswords and Blasters Issue 11.

Unfortunately, Broadswords and Blasters has folded (its editors have gone on to other impressive ventures), but I’m pleased to report that Irini is coming back in two more stories this year:

“The Clockwork World,” in which Irini finds a portal to another world where time passes more quickly, is slated to appear in MYTHIC #20. It will be my second story for MYTHIC.

“The Park of Future Heroes,” in which Irini comes face-to-face with her potential destinies, will appear in a future issue of Penumbric.

For a list of the Irini stories in order, click here.

Tales From Alternate Earths Review

Sue’s Musings has posted a review of the Tales from Alternate Earths III anthology, including this summary of my story “Second Chances”:

“Second Chances by Aaron Emmel pits Homo sapiens against Neanderthals in a technologically-empowered futuristic battle for the survival of the species – but which one will win this time? This story is fast-paced and action packed and I really enjoyed it. The main character, a sapiens, is in peril when he is caught spying on his Neanderthal boss. Will he survive and be able to save his species? This was an amazing idea which really grasped my imagination.”

Here’s what Sue has to say about the book as a whole:

“In this collection the stories were each imaginative in their suggestions for alternative versions of actual historical or cultural events, for example what if aliens invaded Earth during the time of Jane Austen’s writing, or if Jack the Ripper turned out to be someone completely different than we think, if certain historical figures had not died when they did, how would the word as we know it have been affected? These ideas were intriguing and fun to read.”

The book is available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle editions.

“This is How the Revolution Begins” in Etherea Magazine

My story “This is How the Revolution Begins” is out today in the second issue of Etherea Magazine. It features a programmer who joins a colony ship to sabotage the algorithm managing its nascent society.

The story had a lot of inspirations, including private spaceflight companies that have already started speculating about how passengers might work to pay off their flights when they arrive at the companies’ colonies (or “indentured servitude,” as we used to call it).

The story also touches on early brain development. We know that the effects of the environment on gene expression (studied through epigenetics), toxic stress (prolonged exposure to stress that can wreak havoc on hormones and bodily organs) and inadequate nutrition can all impact cognitive and emotional development—making it harder for entire communities to escape cycles of extreme poverty. This is one reason why I’ve put a lot of time into early childhood development in my day job.

On another note, I owe huge thanks to my friend Greg Kourosh, who read over the programming references to make sure things sounded like they made sense (whether they did or not). Any errors, of course, are only mine.

“Second Chances” in Tales From Alternate Earths Vol III

Neanderthals rule the world. Their civilization is peaceful and prosperous. But Sapiens are second class citizens. And one Sapiens, an assistant to the Neanderthals’ greatest scientist, thinks he’s found a way to change that—and perhaps forever alter Earth’s history in the process.

My story “Second Chances” is out today in the new anthology Tales From Alternate Earths Volume III. This is my second story in an Inklings Press anthology: “A Sword of Bone” appeared in Tales of Magic and Destiny.

About the story, from the publisher:

“And a splendid story it is! Wrapping together issues of prejudice, what it takes to make someone rebel, and why people choose the sides they do, all in a story of what might have been…”

About the book, from the publisher:

Have you ever asked the question “What if…?”

What if things had turned out differently, what if history had taken another turn, what if our world had gone another way? 

That’s the question at the heart of the genre of alternate history – and that powers the stories in the new Inklings Press anthology, Tales From Alternate Earths 3.