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Ramming Speed
This is a 5,000 word short story that I offer for free as often as Amazon will allow (about once every 3 months). If you do not like the $0.99 price tag I encourage you to wait for one of those free times or read it as part of an Amazon Unlimited subscription. It was written for a short story contest in 2008 and won a publication spot in a magazine. For fans of my Origins series, this is the short story that eventually led to the full blown five novel series. It includes elements that grew into three chapters appearing in the first book and will look very familiar, though the last third takes a completely different direction than the novel. Now for the sales of intergalactic war come down to one climactic battle. Neither side can even remember what the conflict is about anymore. They simply battle on as they are told to do until one man dares to challenge the status quo; dares to engage his enemy in dialogue rather than combat. The end result is less destructive, but perhaps more productive...
- GenresAmazonScience Fiction
14 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2012
10 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Mark Henrikson
11 books89 followersMark Henrikson grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis Missouri and attended the University of Missouri, Columbia where he earned a bachelors degree in Finance and Economics in 1998. He later earned his Masters of Business Administration from Lindenwood University.
Mark's love of story telling began at a young age while listening to imaginative, and often times scary, bedtime stories by his father. His respect for the written word was reinforced by the attentive eye of his mother who taught English for many years at St. Charles High School.
Mark has been happily married since 2000 and is the proud father of two children. He works as a financial analyst and uses his fiction writing as a creative outlet from the rather sterile profession he none the less enjoys.
His Origins novel series began as a two page plot write-up his older brother decided was not going anywhere. With his permission, Mark used that synopsis as back story for the main character in the Origins series and allowed his creativity to take over from there.
Mark's love of story telling began at a young age while listening to imaginative, and often times scary, bedtime stories by his father. His respect for the written word was reinforced by the attentive eye of his mother who taught English for many years at St. Charles High School.
Mark has been happily married since 2000 and is the proud father of two children. He works as a financial analyst and uses his fiction writing as a creative outlet from the rather sterile profession he none the less enjoys.
His Origins novel series began as a two page plot write-up his older brother decided was not going anywhere. With his permission, Mark used that synopsis as back story for the main character in the Origins series and allowed his creativity to take over from there.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 13, 2014
I actually forgot that I had this short story out in public until I saw it pop up in my profile here on Goodreads. Its offered for free on Smashwords and Amazon.
I wrote this for a short story contest about 4 years ago. It actually won and earned a publication spot in a magazine. You know how businesses sometimes frame their first dollar earned, well the $15.00 check I earned on this story got framed as my first dollars earned as an author. Good memories.
Specific to this story, I basically took three chapters from my first novel, Origins, so if you have read it already then a big chunk of this will look very familiar. I trimmed everything down, changed the context of some situations and completely altered the last third from the direction things went with Origins.
It’s a fun little sci-fi read with a moral lesson to it in the end. Hopefully people dig it; I certainly had fun writing it.
Mark Henrikson
I wrote this for a short story contest about 4 years ago. It actually won and earned a publication spot in a magazine. You know how businesses sometimes frame their first dollar earned, well the $15.00 check I earned on this story got framed as my first dollars earned as an author. Good memories.
Specific to this story, I basically took three chapters from my first novel, Origins, so if you have read it already then a big chunk of this will look very familiar. I trimmed everything down, changed the context of some situations and completely altered the last third from the direction things went with Origins.
It’s a fun little sci-fi read with a moral lesson to it in the end. Hopefully people dig it; I certainly had fun writing it.
Mark Henrikson
May 6, 2022
An excellent story. Captain Hastelloy brings a new meaning to his battle strategy. With the battle winding down, but not yet complete, He considers engaging the enemy in dialogue. The results were not quite what I expected but also not far from it. An excellent ending completed the story.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Scary. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Scary. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
October 23, 2016
Excellent read!
I gave this four stars because this brought to mind the short stories of the great sci-fi writers. The only problem, well not a real problem, is it's too short. Leaves you wanting more, which I will solve by getting more of his books.
I gave this four stars because this brought to mind the short stories of the great sci-fi writers. The only problem, well not a real problem, is it's too short. Leaves you wanting more, which I will solve by getting more of his books.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews