Icarus Above Dark Earth--the science fiction of Michael Ramalia

The "Shied-Wall" in Mercury Forty-Two (Astronauts and Snakeheads) is based on Reagan era visions of the Star Wars Defense Program. And it took me four months to realize that perhaps coming out and saying that would be the quickest way to dispel any confusion about its original inspiration which predates the current government administration. Yes, it killed nine million people when it was turned on, but the surviving one million will never have to worry about nuclear missiles ever again. Of course that makes the New Egyptian Empire super evil--after all, the civilized world supported the use of nukes to keep the Middle East safe from demon possessed rulers such as the First Pharaoh and her six wicked sisters. How many people are you willing to kill to stop nuclear war once and for all?

[Here is a peek at a scene from Mercury Forty-Two, my current work-in-progress--pardon the mistakes; I am still focused on cranking out the rough draft--25K, that's half of a novel!] Our regular drop zone was the Denver-Cairo-Rowling roundabout. We would hop to Egypt, boost up to Rowling Orbital Field, and then drop to Colorado on our return trip. This being training, not alone the normal hazards of such operations, it meant that occasionally we came down in other places—sometimes even on purpose. We spent a week in Antarica for our cold winter and Europa Earthside training. An escape pod survival suit is designed to cope with the hazards of vacuum, but it can also be put to use as an insulated coverall if you find yourself facing the teeth of a will-of-god blizzard. I found myself wishing that I would had one in my childhood when my mom made me shovel the sidewalk without gloves and only a thin windbreaker to wear. A survival suit keeps you nice and cozy, cuts down on the fro...

There are two ways to look at my writing process over the last month and a half. One: Damn you write slow! Or two: Damn you racked up twenty thousand words (and a healthy outline) on the same project! I find one of these statements to be more encouraging than the other one. Encouraging or not?

The latest tinkering around with the cover of Mercury Forty-Two. I think that it needs a different font. Interior art coming soon. And I am across the fifteen thousand mark on the rough draft. Looks like this one will be published before the first of the new year (2019). Coming soon to an ebook retailer near you.