fiction

2000 (updated : 2025.05.27)

by michael werneburg

I fell in love with writing in high school. Not because of the 'writing' we did in class, but because I had the inspiration of certain mid-'80s sci-fi authors who helped me see that it was okay to be dissatisfied with the work of so many big-name authors of that time. Authors like Mick Farren and William Gibson and Ursula K le Guin managed to combine ideas with real-life situations and characters and impulses a way I found a lot more engaging. They were breaking the genre out of the mold of super-heroics with perfect knowledge, and leaving behind bloodless stories that Explored an Idea. In particular, I felt that Farren's work seemed like the kind of thing I wanted to attempt: losers thrust into extraordinary circumstances doing what must be done, with enough world-building to tie the story together. I find that my short stories wind up being more speculative but that might be a result of the format; you only really have room for one thought.

I have to date written three novels that are in various states of disrepair. One fantasy (from high school), one science-fiction (from my late twenties to late thirties), and one that crosses the line between them (written in university). It wasn't until I'd already drafted all three that I started to write short stories. These are the ones I've found and dusted off.

Catalyst

2001.12.09

A novice enters a bike race with the intent of exploiting a flaw in the course design. Too bad his competitors are armed and dangerous.

16,000 words.

触媒 (Catalyst translated to Japanese)

2001.12.09

初心者がコース設計の欠陥を突こうと自転車レースに参加する。彼のライバルは武装した危険な連中だった。

16,000語。

Readyworld

2002.04.03

A materials specialist on a deserted world created by unknown aliens discovers that something has begun to change after tens of thousands of years. Is humanity's recent presence the trigger? What is the purpose of the artificial planet known as Readyworld.

14,800 words.

Breach

2002.07.26

A human crew is tasked with monitoring a toxic waste repository on a distant planet. But just when they discover that a burgeoning alien civilization has breached their containment, their enigmatic "guest Captain", a disgraced Prince, disrupts their mission with reckless ambition. The crew is thrust upon a treacherous landscape of corporate interests, alien politics, and moral dilemmas.

18,900 words.

違反 (Breach translated to Japanese)

2002.07.26

人間のクルーは、遠い惑星にある有毒廃棄物の貯蔵庫を監視する任務を担っています。しかし、彼らが成長する異星人文明が封鎖を破ったことを発見した矢先、謎めいた「ゲストキャプテン」である失脚した王子が自己中心的な野心で彼らの任務を混乱させます。クルーは、企業の利益、異星人の政治、そして道徳的ジレンマという危険な状況に突き落とされます。

18,900語。

Ambassador

2005.01.21

The alien ambassador has refused all attempts at communication. As the ambassador is about to be introduced to the world when a team of frustrated scientists come to a stunning realization.

3,400 words.

大使 (Ambassador translated to Japanese)