The Martians Want Their Planet Back, and They Want It in Paperback!

"Needless to say, it wasn't long before news of the case leaked to the media. How often did the mysterious Martians file in Intersolar Court?”

Or as you might rightly ask, how often does anyone file in Intersolar Court?

More often than you might think . . .

Already ebook, now out in paperback: The Martians Want Their Planet Back!

What do solar lawsuits and librarians have in common with dragon-slayers, the Voynich Manuscript, and a robotic voyage into the unknown? Find out in the fourth installment of the Ifscapes series, featuring ten more short stories that delve into the sideways science fiction multiverse of space, time, and if.

A Many-Turning Multiverse, Paperback Edition

There was once a universe. And another. And another. Each of them with multitudes of worlds and adventures on their way to history, epic, and myth — or paperback.

Ifscapes 3, A Many-Turning Multiverse, already in ebook, now in paperback!

Following in the footsteps of Ifscapes: Empires and Androids, this free-standing multiversing volume of Ifscapes returns to the fluctuating, fervent, and fantastical realms of reimagined ancient Greek and Roman mythology and legend. Exploring the worlds of what if, what would have been, and what might be, these twelve short science fiction and fantasy stories put a spin on classic tales and characters, spanning past, present, and future in a full array of covert conspiracies, mass-scale invasions, serial satires, excursions to far-away forests and far-flung world-ships, and more.

A Braxleydale Scholar Comes to Paperback

Meanwhile, otherwhere in the elsewhen in ebook and at last here in the actual now — out in paperback!

A Braxleydale Scholar and Other Eccentricities (Ifscapes Vol. 2)

From the book synopsis:

Singularity, sentience, and scholarship? Satirically esoteric and fantastically apocalyptic worlds of the multiverse come to life in this collection of ten short science fiction stories. 

In this volume of Ifscapes: 

- experience the first sweet moments of artificial intelligence 

- visit the gate at the end of the world 

- go to college with an extraterrestrial 

- ride the roller coaster at Earthland, recently voted the galaxy's favorite theme park 

- learn how to buy and build your very own planet (systems available on optional upgrade) 

Whether you’re interested in preventing the next dystopia or probing the depths of a black hole, the range of serious and tongue-in-cheek stories in this second installment of Ifscapes are designed to fire the imagination and escape the confines of reality. A Braxleydale Scholar and Other Eccentricities features a wide breadth and depth of whimsical science fiction. What would a new self-aware lifeform look like? Where do paper boats fit into the mystery of missing planets? How does Earth turn into a galactic center of recreation? It’s your choice how you tackle the future when the sky's not the limit. Be inspired, amused, driven, or pedantic with this collection of not-so-earthbound entertainment.

Available for Pre-Order: Apollonius' Argonautica (Lombardo and Polsley)

What a pleasure to announce that our new translation of Apollonius' Argonautica is now available for pre-order through Hackett Publishing and Amazon! Always thankful for the privilege and joy of joining my dear friend Stanley Lombardo on a translation project, I’m looking forward to the arrival of the Argonautica in print on September 15.

If you've never followed along on the legendary voyage of the Argo, Apollonius' third-century-B.C. (Hellenistic) epic is an exciting read with twists and turns that set the stage for many other famous episodes in ancient mythology, including the tragedy of Jason and Medea (e.g., Medea by Euripides), the saga of Heracles (a.k.a. Hercules) after his labors for Eurystheus, and the origin stories of heroes' whose children would fight in the Trojan War (i.a., Peleus, father of Achilles).

We're grateful to the amazing Tara Welch (University of Kansas, Classics) for her wonderful introduction to Apollonius' tale of Jason and the Argonauts. Thank you also to Brian Rak and the team at Hackett for their hard work in bringing this book to publication!

Now Available: Ifscapes 11, Hercules Under Contract!

Announcing Ifscapes Vol. 11, Hercules Under Contract, now available on Amazon Kindle!

In Volume 11 of Ifscapes, the multiverse takes its cue from Herculean adventures featuring monsters, mystery, manipulation, and more. Will the shadowy Eurystheans succeed at annexing whole systems? Can the HERCULES Contractors survive their assignments against all odds? And what does the Loch Ness Monster have to do with long-forgotten empires?

In this volume of Ifscapes:

- join ambitious androids on an epic lion hunt

- watch seasoned gladiators battle in unheard-of arenas

- get special insight on the Museum’s Heran exhibits

- question intergalactic witnesses to a massive time heist

- dive into a deadly ocean’s murky depths

- compete with AI monsters and cybernetic organisms

Unrealities, parallel worlds, and alternative adventures meet the mythological exploits of Hercules (Greek Heracles, of course) and the intricacies of galactic conspiracies in this collection of classic science fiction and meta-myth short stories. In Ifscapes 11: Hercules Under Contract, adventures range from far beyond the small print, taking underdog heroes and unexpected explorers to whole new realms of time, space, and realities in the what-if multiverse.

Shown Approved Update

Thank you to the team at Wipf & Stock for the wonderful new flyer promoting Shown Approved!  The book is now available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold.

The Sky Is Our Song Update

 Coming this February and Available for Pre-Order Now:

The Sky Is Our Song: The 'Phaenomena' of Aratus' (University of Chicago, 2025)

What a privilege to be a part of this project with Stanley Lombardo and Walter Michener!