Galaxy's Edge Magazine #8 launches today, and with it, my short story 'Fragmented'! I'm excited: this is my first professional short story publication, and I'm pretty happy that this story found a home. Other authors this issue include Tina Gower, Robert Silverberg, Tom Gerencer, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, David Brin, Eric Leif Davin, Robin Reed, Nancy Kress and Alex Shvartsman. 'Fragmented' is military science fiction, dealing with power armor and wartime trauma.
This one came about in a curious way: I was driving somewhere in Burlington, when this came on the radio. I found myself thinking about how one would decontaminate a set of power armor, and out of that, came the question of what people carry out of combat with them.
This one's fairly personal in a couple of ways. I attended a military college (as a civilian), and a number of friends of mine found their way overseas to Afghanistan and Iraq. Some have come back with a range of post-tramatic issues, some haven't. But, warfare affects everyone it touches. It's good to see that it's an issue that's demanding attention - far more effort needs to be made for people to realize that the war doesn't end with the last shots.
'Fragmented' can be read online at Galaxy's Edge for the next couple of months. You can also purchase a very spiffy print edition ($6.99) from Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. You can also buy a digital copy in a variety of formats, either as a single issue or as a subscription. Head to the magazine' website for all of the options.
