Malfunction

by Stewart Bint

A time paradox story. Following a devastating explosion in a pioneering new energy system, its creator is taken several hours back in time by a mysterious tramp, to prevent the critical malfunction. Then things take a sinister turn...
(7,855 words)

ebook

First published May 27, 2012

About the author

International novelist published by Creativia, and Dragon Moon Press. Journalist/magazine columnist. Active mental health awareness campaigner, named on the 2016 list of "Inspirational Mental Health Advocates that are changing the world."

Previous roles include radio presenter, newsreader and phone-in host.

Married to Sue, with two grown-up children, Chris and Charlotte, and a charismatic budgie called Sparky.

Lives in Leicestershire, UK. Usually goes barefoot.

Novels: When God's Wind Blows; To Rise Again; The Jigsaw And The Fan; Timeshaft; In Shadows Waiting;
Novellas: The Twitter Bully; Malfunction; Ashday's Child.
Short story collection: Thunderlands.
Non fiction: Up Close And Personal; Up Close And Personal Volume 2

Anthologies: Ghostly Writes Anthology 2016; Looking Into The Abyss; Serious Flash Fiction; Just A Minor Malfunction; Awethology Dark; December Awethology Light; Blood Moon,

Reviews

[D.M. Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malfunction is an intriguing and thrilling science fiction tale that has the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish. This short story follows Lloyd Bradman on a journey to investigate an explosion at the Macdonnell Conversion Plant - a super power station experimenting with a unique method of generating energy. On his way to investigate the catastrophe, he gets ‘stuck’ in a teleporter which results in him being transported back in time to just before the explosion.

The strange and gripping events that lead to the explosion are very well thought-out and fascinating, and lead to a fantastic finale! This story had just the right balance of sci-fi elements – it gave enough technical details to give the plot integrity, but didn’t get so bogged down describing the world that the story was slowed down.

I really enjoyed reading this story and am intrigued to see how the events are developed into Stewart Bint’s novel, ‘Timeshaft.’

[Sophia Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun time-travel story with a satisfying logic. I enjoyed the future world and was particularly tickled by the description of the future soap opera. I hope Bint will take the setting he created and develop a full-length novel there. His writing is, on the whole, well-phrased and clean of errors, etc. The dialogue is a bit clunky, but that's really my only critique. I enjoyed this story, and I think others would, too. The book can only be purchases at Smashwords, as far as I know.