Torn MacAlester

Torn MacAlester

I am a science fiction writer who lives and works in the western United States. My background in science, engineering, technology, and the military have given me an interesting set of experiences to begin explorations into speculative fiction. I am making an effort to be faithful to science while building a fun and interesting story. At an early age, science fiction made a huge impression on me. My later reading of the science fiction made me realize that the authors were seeing beyond the next horizon into a fantastic future. Fast forward to the twenty-first century, I realize that the spark influencing the authors of the past is alive and well. We may not live in the future they imagined, but our future holds equal promise and equal inspiration. My science fiction adventures are set during humanity's emergence and achievements as a class 1 civilization. I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.

 

http://tornmacalester.com

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  • Monsters in the Dark, A New Short Story by Torn Macalester
    In the frigid, uncharted expanse of the Kuiper Belt, where the Sun is but a distant pinprick in an endless void, Ian Baird stands alone—a solitary caretaker of a deep-space radio telescope array, tasked with listening for whispers of alien life. But the darkness here is more than just the absence of light; it’s a […]
  • IQE a New Vignette by Torn MacAlester
    When does instant communications become a liability? Check out this new Vignette.   Torn MacAlester's Fabulae Lunae The Lunadyne Incident  and Other Stories (buy now)     The post IQE a New Vignette by Torn MacAlester appeared first on Torn Macalester.
  • Case I of First Contact, an Article by Torn MacAlester
    This article is the first follow-on to a series on first contact.     This is part of a series of articles about science fiction world building: From the moment the first experiments with radio began, the possibility of detecting alien transmissions became real. If there was an advanced civilization on Mars, it would be […]
  • Worldbuilding for Science Fiction 8 Apr 2025
    In the sub-genre of hard science fiction, an attempt is made to ensure that the science in the story is somewhat correct. One issue that I have been following is the possibility of life on exoplanets. Anton gives a wonderful update on the DMS possibility on K2-18b. --- Even though the detection has been questioned. […]
  • Rejection by Torn Macalester 3 April 2025
    A near future science fiction vignette by Torn MacAlester     Torn MacAlester's Fabulae Lunae The Lunadyne Incident  and Other Stories (buy now)     The post Rejection by Torn Macalester 3 April 2025 appeared first on Torn Macalester.
  • Story Glossary: Steamboat
    Steamboat (Lunar Lander from “Golf and Outgassing”): This is the primary spacecraft used by Annie MacInturner and Milton Johnson for their mission in the Fra Mauro region. Steamboat is a modern lunar lander designed for a two-day surface stay. It comprises a descent stage, which remains on the lunar surface (similar to Apollo landers), and […]
  • Is Colonization of Moon or Mars the Same Paradigm as Colonizing New Lands in the Past?
    So can we colonize space like homo sapiens moving out of Africa in the stone age, or like the Pilgrims colonized Massachusetts in the 1600s? How about crossing the land bridge to the Americas during the ice ages? The success of those efforts built upon two things: The stuff they brought with them, and The […]
  • A Review of Black Hole Radio: Furilani by Ann Birdgenaw
    Review: Black Hole Radio: Furilani by Ann BirdgenawBlack Hole Radio: Furilani by Ann Birdgenaw Great Science Fiction for Younger Readers Ann Birdgenaw has brought forth another in her series of Black Hole Radio stories with the Furilani adventure. The adventurous kids, Hawk, Matt, and Celeste in the story use the Black Hole Radio, a relic […]
  • Anio a new science fiction short story by Torn MacAlester
        Torn MacAlester's Fabulae Lunae The Lunadyne Incident  and Other Stories (buy now)     The post Anio a new science fiction short story by Torn MacAlester appeared first on Torn Macalester.
  • The Lunadyne Incident by Torn MacAlester 24 November 2024
        Torn MacAlester's Fabulae Lunae The Lunadyne Incident  and Other Stories     The post The Lunadyne Incident by Torn MacAlester 24 November 2024 appeared first on Torn Macalester.