Contact Unknown: A Starship Valkyrie Short Story Collection

by T.A. Leederman

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 3, 2026

About the author

T.A. Leederman is a PhD in English Literature who has authored science-fiction and sci-fi romance novels and short stories, as well as short stories for anthology collections. She is Social Media and Marketing Manager for Tender and Tempting Tales, a romance anthology publication, and Lore Manager and central fiction writer for Starship Valkyrie LLC, a science-fiction crisis-simulator game and science-fiction IP based in Los Angeles. She also facilitates writing groups and programming locally for her former NaNoWriMo chapter, as well as volunteering with a gaming convention in Southern California.

Reviews

[Xander Hark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely fabulous collection covering and exquisite range of subgenres. Some favorites include:

All Hands, which is a gripping and emotionally moving space battle on one of the worst days for it's characters and, separately, the Star Navy.

Au Paired, an absolutely charming tale of a battle robot retiring from war to serve as a nanny for a toddler in the immediate aftermath of robotic liberation.

Star Groomsman and Saturnian Masquerade, which follow a stunningly effective jokester of a former officer during his brother's highly eventful wedding, and then while he and his boyfriend interrupt relationship problems to solve a murder.

Trip Hazard, a far flung adventure about young heroes, finding themselves unlikely virtual adventures.


Throughout the collection. T.A. Leederman's prose shines, remaining eloquent and evocative while simultaneously adapting to the capabilities, the viewpoints and environments of the characters.


While not obvious on first inspection, the story All Hand is a particular feat in that it manages to really capture the both feel and mechanical accuracy of gameplay without ever getting tripped up or showing the simulation behind the curtain.

[Aspen Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to receive an ARC for this collection, which is the first ever compilation of Starship Valkyrie stories!

I haven’t read them all yet, but I was privileged to beta read quite a few, including some of my very favorites like All Hands (the story of a high stakes space battle told from different perspectives) and Saturnian Masquerade (a queer romance and mystery set on an interplanetary cruise).

I love how the stories touch lots of different aspects of the vast Starship Valkyrie universe and visit so many of Dr. Leederman’s classic characters, including the Kuromoto family, Savin Kalgari, and Jase Novak. I’m looking forward to the next one!

[Erin Mclaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author so much! Leederman has wonderful stories to tell, and these shorts are some of the best. Starship Valkyrie is an interesting universe, with a wide variety of complex characters that feel so real, you cannot help but have genuine feelings about each of them. Each story takes you to immersive places filled with rich settings, clever plots, laughs, and a lot of heart. And I love how many LGBTQ characters there are! There's also a glossary towards the beginning of the text, which I find super helpful with sci-fi.


I'm so excited for new readers that get to experience this author for the first time. I hope you fall in love with this universe just like I did. Welcome to Valkyrie!