Startling Sci-Fi: New Tales of the Beyond

by Casey Ellis (Editor), Scott Lambridis (Contributor), J.P. Lorence (Contributor)

For generations, the science fiction genre and literary fiction have been perceived as irreconcilable. Startling Sci-Fi: New Tales of the Beyond attempts to prove otherwise. These 13 stories are boldly literary while employing unmistakable characteristics of the sci-fi genre. Jhon Sanchez’s “The Japanese Rice Cooker” and Daniel Gooding’s “Crow Magnum Xix” toy with readers’ expectations by defying traditional storytelling techniques while Eve Fisher’s “Embraced” and David W. Landrum’s “The Priestesses of Light” are intricately constructed character studies. Rob Hartzell’s “The Dead and Eternal” raises profound concerns about modern technology though Adam Sass’s “98% Graves” takes an optimistic view of the future. Every story is accompanied by Stefanie Masciandaro’s vibrant, hypnotic illustrations which simultaneously evoke the days of sci-fi pulp paperbacks yet remain firmly grounded in 21st century digital techniques. This anthology will take you beyond what you thought possible in science fiction.

143 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 27, 2015

About the author

My late mother, Carol Ellis (1945-2022), was a successful YA and children's author. She was most famous for her many contributions to Scholastic's Point Horror line of teen thrillers, published mainly throughout the 1990s. I've written commentaries on twenty-one of her main works here on Goodreads. They're all listed under the shelf titled "My Mother's Work" on my profile.

I am the editor of two anthologies published by New Lit Salon Press, 2015's "Startling Sci-Fi: New Tales of the Beyond" and 2018's "First Came Fear: New Tales of Horror." My short story, "The Creature from the Lake," was published in the 2014 NLSP anthology, "Salon Style: Fiction, Poetry and Art," a collection I also line edited. (A quote from this story appears here on my Goodreads profile in the "Quotes by Casey Ellis" section.) Additionally, I have been privileged to assist several friends and acquaintances in various ways with their writing projects. This includes line editing two other NLSP anthologies. All of these books are listed under the "Books I Assisted With" shelf here on my Goodreads profile.

Aside from my editing and writing, I'm a community college English instructor.

Reviews

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best science fiction can take you to other worlds without leaving behind the basic human condition; the stories of Startling Sci Fi do this with an effortlessness that charms.

Prepare to encounter cyborg assisted-living centres, virtual reality drag queens, and love rebooted from stored back-ups of transferred consciousnesses. Explore our world alongside benevolent alien symbiotes - or join the humans who resist them.

No matter what dimension, time, or world you’re visiting, virtual or physical, bloody or calm, character remains king in this collection. Each tale reflects that universal human character in a different way, creating a whole that leaves the reader fully immersed and hard pressed not to read “just one more” before returning to reality.

Startling Sci Fi manages to be both grounded in the genre and refreshingly unique. Casey Ellis should be very proud - this is a great collection of voices adding worthy stories to the science fiction world. I’ll be hunting for more from these authors, and I hope Ellis gathers more great talent in collections to come.

[Jeffrey Ricker]

I was lucky enough to get to read an advance copy of this baker's dozen of strange and intriguing stories, which transport the reader to places that are at once familiar and unexpected. Whether it's a band of rebels resisting an alien invasion or a castoff mutant finding connection in the unlikeliest of places on a distant world, the characters take us on a rewarding journey into being human and all the longing that goes with it. Enjoy the trip.