Only dried grasses stirred within the domed savannah. He'd always had to live alone. I waited by his favourite baobab. Before spotting his lumbering form, I sensed his mind. His, and another's. My stomach clenched - we were promised the holidays. He welcomed me with eager, gentle strokes of his scarred trunk - no sorrow,... Continue Reading →
November 2021
Celebrating Diverse Fiction This month, the kids and I stumbled upon a beautiful book we're currently reading and loving, The Infinite by Patience Agbabi. It features a 12 year old girl, Elle, who was born with the gift of time travel and just happens to be black and part of a Neurodiverse cast, which was... Continue Reading →
Canceled Flight
She detected heat, movement. No one's stupid enough to be that exposed in the snow. "Hide," Narra commanded Jae. She nocked an arrow, elbow up, eyes trained, just as Diannao once taught. Jae had drawn over Diannao's face one day, but Diannao taught her to focus despite distractions. The cabin door slammed. Narra watched in... Continue Reading →
Free-For-All
"Shut down that network, then you'll get your repairs." She left the meeting with a sour taste, and strolled through the grand foyer, flexing glitchy cybernetic fingers. » Download complete « pinged across her view. A car waited by the curb and flashy skyscrapers shrunk away as it drove her across the city, to a... Continue Reading →
Carry On
"Done yet?" she sighs. I drift for a moment longer before resurfacing. I take a deep breath of ocean air, damp and organic. Did it really smell that way? She bangs on the door, "hello?" I cut off the simulation, my droid lifts my blackout glasses. Dark walls rush in and I blink away memories... Continue Reading →
Another’s Eyes
I stride past the doorman. Find my seat. The AI Film Fest, biggest event of the century, filled every stadium worldwide. Murmuring, we navigate invisible NeuralNet login gateways. Then we're in. A hush falls. AI generated scenes fill every human's mind. Eyes closed, vision infinite. A collective gasp. The scope is immense, incomprehensible, story after... Continue Reading →
Outsiders Deserve Chocolate Too
Candy's small kitchen sits outside the CityDomes. Her rare chocolates conjure hidden queues of children every morning. They grin as she hands each their single piece then hurries them on. A commotion draws Candy's attention to the front. The kids quieten. She retreats. A man's tossing shelves in the dark. He looks weak, but her... Continue Reading →
Whispers Remain
People come out changed, or not at all, says the whispers. Called me in ta' fix a drone. Remembered thinkin' their workers looked mindless, till one leaned in, showed me circuitry boosts I never could'a imagined. Wondered, why me? Then they hired me full time, ta learn their subatomics, an' I keep gettin' a sense... Continue Reading →
September 2021
Diverse Author Shout Out First off, I'd like to congratulate Nakia Cook on the release of her debut novel, Inamorata, a supernatural thriller featuring a black, Muslim protagonist. It's such an achievement to get that first novel done and published, her dedication to her stories and her craft is inspiring. Her warm and authentic presence... Continue Reading →