What an odd time to be alive. Nuance is lost. Critical thinking is scorned. Writers aren’t allowed to use words… “No!” he shouted. “No,” he said angrily. “No.” Okay, so I wouldn’t have used “angrily,” but sometimes only an adverb will do. They exist for reason. If they’re redundant or unnecessary, I avoid them. Duh. Anyway, these “rules” are not rules at all and change … Continue reading Unchain the Adverbs!
Dagra hated being interrupted while he was chronicling. “One would think,” he told his mate Naltia as she staggered into the temple babbling some hysterical nonsense, “that I could be afforded a bit of privacy as I carry out one of our most sacred of tasks.” “Oh, shut up,” Naltia snapped at him. “I’m concerned about Muarr.” “What about him?” “He went out hunting this … Continue reading EXITIUM Excerpt
Kadallian seas are filled with a sweet red nectar called Tarris, which is absorbed and digested into a concentrated form by amphibious insectoid creatures called exothides. Once a year, they emerge by the millions from the syrupy depths to swarm the planet and spray-pollinate yellow flowers called Aurums that cover most of the surface of the planet. They’re what gives the world its yellow appearance … Continue reading Kadal
Did you know that you don’t have to own a Kindle to read a kindle book? The Kindle App is free to download and use on your smartphone–all you’re required to pay for is the books themselves. Don’t want to pay for an e-book, you say? In that case, it’s your lucky day because my book Effugium: The Time Remaining is absolutely free from Friday, … Continue reading EFFUGIUM
I hear it all the time: “People don’t read books anymore.” And yet, it seems like there are more self-proclaimed avid readers out there than at any time during my life that I can recall. Are they actually reading? I don’t know. I barely read, myself. When I do, I really have to focus in order to avoid getting sidetracked. It’s our attention spans. They’ve … Continue reading What do they want?
In 2017, eccentric tech mogul and cult leader Richard Kryuss revamped an early prototype vessel for a planned recreational line of space cruise ships into a generational starship that would carry a carefully-selected few of his followers to a new world. Human beings had been declared an invasive species upon the Earth by a mysterious entity that sent everyone with a smart phone a digital … Continue reading All three Effugium books free this Friday and Saturday
I’ve just moved into a new house. I spent fourteen hours yesterday hauling the rest of my stuff from the old house, and in the back of my closet I discovered a six-page brainstorming session from my, eh… younger days that eventually became the short story With New Eyes. Years later, I discovered that said short story and my epistolary “Time Remaining” blog went together … Continue reading Effugium: Beginnings
When I was in fourth grade, way back in 1987, My family and I took a trip to Florida. While there, we visited Kennedy Space Center. We always stopped and checked out sites of historical significance while traveling, and I was absolutely thrilled to finally be visiting this one, which I’d read so much about. I was really into space. Most likely this was sparked … Continue reading The future I still dream
2019 knocked me down hard. 2020 knocked me down harder, and kicked me while I was down. Yeah, I know, it knocked everyone down and I’m not special in that regard–don’t claim to be, but this is my website, so… 2021 is a big, ugly fire-breathing dragon eyeing me from beyond the chasm of winter, waiting with baited, smoky breath to greet me when I … Continue reading I’m going to kill 2021
A selection from Moon Garden Copyright © 2019 Patrick Walts All Rights Reserved “Humans.” Gax wrinkled his proboscis in disgust. “Always traipsing about the galaxy with such reckless abandon, doing as they please without repercussion.” Kanak gurgled his agreement, his antennae twitching in annoyance. “They won’t stop until they’ve polluted the entire universe,” Gax continued. “Do you know what they call it when they colonize … Continue reading Delicacies
