Significant Post Coming This Week

I will be posting a new short story on this blog in just a few days!

Although Janice and I have enjoyed the first few days of summer break together, I’m pleased to announce that this week I will be putting the finishing touches on a short story to post on this blog (at over 5,000 words, this will be the longest work I’ve posted).

Deus ex Machina” tells the story of the first manned mission to Proxima Centauri b (I wrote this at a time when Proxima Centauri b was heavily in the news), the nearest exoplanet to Earth. Although decidedly science fiction, there are some horror elements that I think will appease most readers of that genre. However, this is not another tale of extraterrestrial meddling in space. The focus is squarely on the technology that has enabled mankind to reach the stars, and our somewhat unenthusiastic appreciation for the endless possibilities that await us on the final frontier.

Although I’m sure I unknowingly (and knowingly) channeled some inspiration from the likes of Alien and Event Horizon, I do believe this is a unique perspective on some traditional science fiction plot fodder (and perhaps even a potential opening for a much longer work).

At just over 5,000 words, “Deus ex Machina” is one of the longer projects I’ve completed in the last few years. I wrote the entirety of this short story during the summer of 2017 (much to Janice’s chagrin at the time I’m sure). However, with the manuscript out of the mothballs, I’m hoping to have the finished product ready for posting in just a few days.

With my 33rd birthday very near, I thought this was a good time to get back in the swing of writing consistently. Should you find the opportunity to read “Deus ex Machina” once posted, please don’t hesitate to let me know what you think!

Author: joshuajscully

That’s my picture up there. I’m not totally sure why I look so angry. I may be thinking about how much I hated the Crypt Keeper as a child. I grew up faithfully watching reruns of The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt. Unfortunately, I missed the boat in terms of writing for either of those programs. I do consider both to have been wildly influential when I think back to my earliest thoughts about becoming an author and I’m grateful my parents let me watch those shows as a kid (although there were probably some nights early in my childhood my mother wished she hadn’t let me watch those shows). If you’re familiar with either program, then you know what genres are my focus. I thoroughly enjoy science fiction, suspense, the twist ending, and some horror or supernatural elements as well. Honestly, when I was a kid the Crypt Keeper scared the hell out of me. As an adult, I’ve really learned to embrace the puns. Historical fiction is a favorite of mine as well, and the root of that is shared with my profession. I am an educator by trade, and I teach American History. I consider some of the best writing I’ve ever done to be within the realm of historical fiction and I really enjoy saturating my mind in the research end of those projects. I would make the argument that storytelling is in my blood. Even my sister mulled, very briefly (about 45 minutes), launching a career as a screenwriter! My last name is one of those Irish (and, apparently, formally Manx) ones with a wonderfully researched history -“the story-teller’s descendant”. On of the first day of school each year, I do share that “my name is Mr. Scully, and that rhymes with Kelly”, just so I do not hear the myriad of mispronunciations on the first day. Several years ago, I started a blog similar to this one to highlight my middle years as a teacher. If that aspect of my life is of any interest to you at all, you can still find that blog online. During my summers, I really have time to pursue my writing projects and this blog will highlight some of that work. My first attempts to sit down and write extensively occurred when I was 15, but only a few years ago did I make setting time aside to write a priority. I’ve also benefited wildly over the years from many willing readers among my family and friends. The direction and feedback from those individuals has been invaluable. Outside the world of the written word, I am an educator, basketball coach, lecturer, and (very, very occasionally) a landscaper. I have only ever known Western Pennsylvania as my home. Although I love a good novel, I am absolutely unable to resist the power of the short story. The latter is really what I hope to be remembered for one day.

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