Writing SF & Fantasy Stories

Michael John Grist writes heroic science fiction and epic fantasy with a dark, surreal humor.

His stories have been published in two major pro magazines- Clarkesworld and Beneath Ceaseless Skies, as well as in numerous smaller publications. Critics have called his writing ‘powerful and moving‘, ‘a damn fine read‘ and ‘a literary tour de force‘, for which he is very grateful.

His inspirations include (only the most) bizarre modern art installations, racy dreams (nubile often best), boring old real life, and of course great authors such as:

- Orson Scott Card, Haruki Murakami, David Gemmell, H.P.Lovecraft, Alan Garner, John Christopher, Paul Biegel.

Short stories

To date Michael has published two stories in pro-level magazines:

The Bells of Subsidence (Clarkesworld #66 March 2012) tells a Forrest Gumpian love story across the massive sweep of super-string space, where vast spaceships named Bells ‘planck’ their way through the depths seeking connection, and a lost and lonely girl named Aliqa is seeking the boy she will never forget.

Bone Diamond (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #75 Aug 2011) describes an alt history ancient Egypt where a lowly bone-jeweller morphs into a mass murderer under the pharaoh’s brutal thumb, after discovering diamonds growing within the bones of an alligator.

Many of his other stories have appeared in semi-pro and paying magazines, such as:

- The Orphan Queen (Ideomancer #10.4 Dec 2011)

- Cullsman #9 : upcoming (Andromeda Spaceways May 2012)

- Sky Painter (Something Wicked #11 July 2011)

- Freemantle Mons (Something Wicked #9 Feb 2009)

- Celibate Jayne (TQR April 2008)

Here you can enjoy some magazine covers:

Hopefully all that has intrigued you. If it did, you can see Michael’s most recent published stories here, and learn more about what a generally fascinating soul he is on the About page.

Dawn Rising

Michael is also working on an epic fantasy novel titled Dawn Rising, now in its umpteenth draft. It tells the story of a young boy named Dawn as he sets out to incite revolt in the brutal city of Jabbler’s Mons, to fell the mad King, quell the slave-Spiders, defeat a dark and hungry god (named the Pain), and generally save the world.

It’s not humorous in the way that last line implies though. That was for fun. It is however dark, mysterious, filled with bizarre characters (a girl with half a head, a shrunken Spider with four of his limbs shorn, a boy covered in patterned scars), unique conflicts, and narrative pizzazz. Also humor, at times, when the situation presents itself.

You might call it a cross between The Never Ending Story (for it’s meta-narrative strokes, it’s all or ‘nothing’ stakes) and Ender’s Game (for a young boy being expected, through a program of abusive training, to save the whole world without even realizing it).

Here’s a simple concept art cover:

And here are more works of art, based on the world and characters of Dawn Rising. You can click each for more details. On the left is Dawn, covered in mysterious scars. Next is Mare with her half-head. Then a rockman, then a Blue girl in cosplay.