steven popkes - official website
steven popkes - official website
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About me
I'm a Science Fiction Writer/Software Engineer.
I’ve published several novels and about fifty or so short stories published in various places.
My day job is to write software for spacecraft systems. I'm not a rocket scientist. I'm a rocket engineer.
Book links below.
"BVC" is Book View Café. This is the publishing cooperative where all of my works, and many other good books, can be purchased.
"UBL" is Universal Book Link, all other places where the book can be purchased. This includes such places as Amazon and Apple. (Note: as more places take a book, more UBL links get created. If you don't find it in the first UBL, try the next.)
Columbus first voyage to find the Japans only finds a new and terrible world populated by monsters.
A town situated deep in a simulated system, hiding from a destructive alien invasion.
Five people wake on an station orbiting Venus. They have a job to do but it's not at all clear what it is or who has hired them.
Three novellas investigating strange things. Where everyone is looking up or looking down. Or both.
In the ruins of Saint Louis, Lucio has been a Long Bottom Boy for as long as he can remember. He has scavenged. He has been hunted for food. He has eaten his fill of human prey. He has been both the abused and the abuser.
He's been okay with this.
One day he sees things differently. Can he stay? Can he leave? Where can he go? Who can he trust? Is there a place for him anywhere?
He does not know it but he is on his way to Smilodon Country.
A Howard Cycle Novel.
Released 6/25/2024. Suggested age range 18+.
A new story collection!
Tom nodded. Dan was sitting close to his right. Tom reached for his glass as if he’d forgotten he’d finished it, made a fist and backhanded Dan with all his strength. Dan fell back off his chair. Tom followed up the blow with a vicious kick to Dan’s groin. Dan doubled up and the breath came out of him in a faint shriek. Tom pulled open Dan’s coat and found the pistol he knew was there and a small glittering knife he didn’t.
“Kids.” Tom put the barrel of the pistol against Dan’s throat. “Where do you think Derek is?”
“Trolley,” Dan croaked. “Street entrance to the underground.”
“Thank you.”
“Tell me,” said Dan as soon as he was able to breathe. “Do you know she’s not your daughter?”
“Yes.” Tom hid the pistol in his jacket pocket and left the tavern.
—From Tom Kelley’s Ghost.
Released 12/26/2023
Jeremy DaFoe looks human enough. He farms soybeans and corn on his small farm. His wife Betty loves him. His best friend Buddy admires him. His enemy Luke plots revenge.
But Jeremy is an ancient being of incredible power trapped in Nuthatch County. His presence has shaped its body and soul for thousands of years. The people, plants, and geology revolve around him. Old resentments, historical wrongs, and past social pressures have built over the years like tectonic forces.
The time has come for change.
Some in the County want it to be violent. They may get their wish.
A Howard Cycle Novel.
Released 6/23/2-23
UBL.
Merle is homeless on Coney Island. He keeps remembering things from long ago. Harry Linden owns a failing parking garage and has to hire an alien to make ends meet.
Tomas Coban is a retired dictator that was never quite sure he had done those things for which he was blamed. He meets someone that is certain of it.
Jack Brubaker just wanted to be with and protect his wolves.
They all have one thing in common. They know winters are hard.
Print version here.
What if God is an alien who inhabits the body of a macaw? Young Ian finds out when his mother's nasty-tempered bird offers turns out to an alien that will cure her alcoholism if Ian will work for it.
What follows is a career spanning hundreds of years and identities, as Ian struggles to save at least some of humanity from environmental disasters: earthquakes, tsunamis, and lost species.
He gets used to lots of dying to find out if a terraformed Venus full of dinosaurs is worth it.
A Howard Cycle Novel.
BVC Ebook here. 12/28/2021 Order here. UBL, UBL.
Print version here. UBL.
Danse Mécanique.
Dot 1.0 was a Divaloid, famous all over the world for her singing but unable to create a song for herself.
Dot 2.0 can perform with all of Dot 1.0's powers but can create her own material.
Dot 1.0 did as she was told.
Dot 2.0 has other ideas.
A Howard Cycle Novel.
Charles de Lint: "I love the compelling story that explores music, artificial intelligence, scientific methodology, corporate greed, mythology, religion and the breakup of communication. But it also celebrates the joys of community and the interconnectedness of things."
God's Country: Cindy Fiske hates her high school life from her vice cop father, Jake, to her biochemist mother, Anya. Of course, she runs away.
After all, with sex, prostitution, crooked cops, televangelists, psychopaths, an eclipse, and illicit neurochemistry, what could go wrong?
A Howard Cycle Novel.
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