Five stories named as Honorable Mention or Semi-Finalist by judges of the Writers of the Future contest

Everyone remembers President Fletcher's assassination. Most remember his murderer, one of millions of underemployed young men in a world run by the unaging, took First Lady Miranda Fletcher's college course on violent regime change...

By the terms of the peace treaty, the citizens of the planet Arden will vote to stay in the Confederated Worlds or join the victorious Progressive Republic.

Newly-minted Lieutenant Tomas Neumann leads his overstretched and demoralized Confederated Worlds Ground Force platoon in a mission that pushes men and machines to their limits, against elusive, deceptive foes out to tilt Arden to the Progressive Republic—and turn the Confederated Worlds against itself.

A billion Third Worlders wanted to work in the United States. As a lucky holder of a daypass, Chalo had the opportunity to teleport to his job, unless he overstayed his shift. Or lost his daypass.

When Melanchthon arrived at the dim red star after a forty-year journey, Theodore awoke from suspended animation eager to implement the Lutheran Interstellar Terraforming Society’s plan to transform a barren rocky world into New Augsburg, a refuge for faith and life.

A challenging plan, made more challenging by other members of his own expedition.

After bold action brings him the favor of the Confederated Worlds' new president, Tomas finds himself in an arena more dangerous than combat: Politics.

Battling assassins, spies, and pervasive surveillance, Tomas discovers a shocking truth, and journeys from luxurious temples to secret police brain scanning chambers in a desperate mission to prevent the destruction of the Confederated Worlds.

His position as a secret agent for the Ramuhlruus, Earth's alien overlords, gave him the perfect cover to conspire against them. But could he meet his contact before the Ramuhlruus uncovered his secret agenda?

LA RUBIA

How far will Francisca go to protect her colony of Mexican refugees from pirates roving the asteroid belt?

PASE DE UN DÍA

Chalo could teleport to the U.S. every day and work for a better life for his family—if he kept his day pass.

MIKE FINK GOES TO BIG BEND

Characters from American, Mexican, and Native folklore meet in west Texas in the 21st century.

THE THIRTIETH AMENDMENT

Gonzalo had to pass the test of English fluency to prove himself a U.S. citizen. So did others willing to cheat.

AFFECTIVE DISORDER

Texas PI Albert Jimenez found more than the usual when he investigated an heiress' "suicide."

Amer earned a very lucrative living by protecting large corporations from terrorist attacks... and investing wisely, through short sales and put options, on companies that failed to heed his offered protection.

But Amer's success brought challenges.

Not from disgruntled clients.

Not from Federal regulators.

From entrepreneurs eager to disrupt his highly profitable industry.

Francisca's small settlement of Mexican refugees needed help defending itself from pirates roving the asteroid belt. But would her need outweigh her grief when the only help was offered by a European renegade whose combat robot had destroyed Mexico and killed her son?