All of these stories take place within a common “future history.”  Such constructions are a long-standing tradition within SF.

The term originated with editor John W. Campbell of Astounding Science Fiction, in reference to a number of Robert Heinlein’s stories, including “The Roads Must Roll,” Blowups Happen,” and many others.  Heinlein added stories to the Future History series for decades.

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series and Poul Anderson’s stories of Nicholas van Rijn and Dominic Flandry have also been influences on my own attempts at a future history.  From the beginning, I’ve kept an extensive Concordance detailing my characters, alien species, worlds, cultures, and technology.

Here’s a list of my future history stories (note that although some of them take place in the past and the present, and aren’t even science fiction, they’re still part of the same fictional construct).  Each story is listed beneath the year they take place.

Some stories have links to online versions.  Free stories go directly to them; paid stories go to the host site.

        Four Billion, BCE (approximate)

“The Dominant Heart Begins to Race,” ANALOG, May/June 2019, reprinted in KAYONGA’S DECISION AND OTHER STORIES. The Ytani homeworld is destroyed when a rogue planet, Udeni, strikes it.  The Ytani people manage to launch a starship, the Shovach, filled with billions of fertilized eggs, in an attempt to find a new homeworld.  LINK

        1407

“Zheng He and the Dragon,” ANALOG, January/February 2009, reprinted in THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  In 1407, the great Chinese explorer Zheng He makes contact with an alien.  LINK

        1880

“The Ghost Horses,” ELBOW CREEK, July 2002.  In 1880, Dr. George Allenby of Yale University battles gunslingers trying to steal dinosaur bones. LINK

        1901

“The Better Shot,” OVER MY DEAD BODY, March 2015.  A tragedy during the hunt for a murderer leads Corey Hunt to make a momentous decision.  LINK

         1944

“Wraiths,” original to THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES. The sinking of a U.S naval destroyer during WWII could lead to a murder.

        2011

“Sure Thing,” OVER MY DEAD BODY, October 2014. Reprinted in THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  Helen Morrell suspects her husband may have returned to a life of crime.  LINK

       2013

“For Lauren,” original to THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  A professional burglar must solve a murder.

       2014

“Safe House,” OVER MY DEAD BODY, December 2014. Reprinted in THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  Detective Edward Galvan discovers a missing child only to be faced with another mystery.  LINK

              2015

“In Plain Sight,” OVER MY DEAD BODY, April 2015. Reprinted in THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  Detective Edward Galvan has to solve the mystery of how a gunman shot and killed a prosecutor within the security of a courthouse.  LINK

        2016

“Beyond Justice,” OVER MY DEAD BODY, December 2016. Reprinted in THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  After Matt Sullivan’s wife dies in a car crash, he wonders why the the husband of the woman who caused the crash is so eager to console him.  LINK

        2017

“The Secret of Plainsville,” SERIAL MAGAZINE, September 2019. Reprinted in THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  Richard Farrell  looks into why a small town has kept the decades-long secret of a murder that may involve his late father.

“The Contrary Detective,” original to THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  A suspected murderer was apparently on television when the crime was supposed to have happened.

“Starting From Scratch” (with Dana Moore), original to THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  The caretaker from an elderly woman’s cats must solve the mystery of where the woman hid a quarter of a million dollars.

        2018

“Marlowe, Hit Man,” original to THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  A hit man faces a dilemma when he’s assigned to kill an actor.

        2019

“Outrace the Snowfall,” MYSTERY WEEKLY, December 2018. Reprinted in THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES. Lucy Horvath is falsely accused when her boss, billionaire Alfred Fanning, is poisoned.  LINK

“The Extras,” original to THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  A husband and wife go on a killing spree, but only against people who “deserve it.”

“The Cleat,” original to THE SECRET OF PLAINSVILLE AND OTHER STORIES.  A chance encounter in a diner leads two men to face the truth about a life-threatening injury one of them suffered years earlier.

        2067-2072

“The Loophole,” ANALOG, March 1994, reprinted in THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  During the years 2067-2072, Alexander Barron explores the outer solar system while dreaming of a journey to the stars. LINK

        2073-2086

TRANQUILITY, independently published, 2015.  Incorporates “Remembering Rachel,” ANALOG April 2011, and “Murder at Tranquility Base,” FAR ORBIT APOGEE, October 2015. 

Detective Dacia Stark investigates several murders on the Moon even while searching for the terrorist who killed her parents.  LINK

        2090

“The Human Equations,” ANALOG, November 2002, reprinted in THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  Leo Bakri must banish Samuel Troyer from an orbital habitat. LINK

        2103

A CROWD OF STARS, independently published, 2015.  During the Great Human War, Earth Alliance starcraft Captain Jon Hendrik vows to defeat the Star Rebellion as Rachel Adero, a young woman scarred by poverty, works to destroy the Earth Alliance.

  -- Winner of the 2016 Imadjinn Award for best SF novel.

Included in the omnibus volume THE GREAT HUMAN WAR TRILOGY.  LINK

THE UNMOVING STARS, independently published, 2017.

The crew of the starcraft Shen Kuo must find their way back to Earth, with half the crew dead and the ship adrift thousands of light-years from home. Included in the omnibus volume THE GREAT HUMAN WAR TRILOGY.  LINK

“Unbound,” ANALOG, September 2004, reprinted in THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  Leo Bakri faces court-martial for saving his lover Marie Sovel’s life. LINK

        2104

THE FALLEN SUN, independently published, 2015.  Jon Hendrik works to maintain peace on the planet Demeter as it struggles to create a new democratic society. Included in the omnibus volume THE GREAT HUMAN WAR TRILOGY.  LINK

        2108

“The Day That Reveals,” original to THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  Sadiq Salim must make a painful decision -- should he change the traditions of his orbital habitat or accept that a large percentage of the population will refuse to remain there? LINK

        2138

“A Glimpse of Splendor,” ANALOG, February 2000, reprinted in A GLIMPSE OF SPLENDOR AND OTHER STORIES.  Mike Christopher tries to save two intelligent species on the doomed planet Splendor.  LINK

        2142

“Pathways,” ANALOG, May 2000, reprinted in A GLIMPSE OF SPLENDOR AND OTHER STORIES.  Mike Christopher must solve a murder mystery on a far-flung space station. LINK

        2143

Swarming Korolev,” ANALOG, November 2000,  reprinted in A GLIMPSE OF SPLENDOR AND OTHER STORIES.  Mike Christopher must prevent a collective species from overrunning an orbital habitat. LINK

        2146

“Splendor's Laws,” ANALOG, June 2000, reprinted in A GLIMPSE OF SPLENDOR AND OTHER STORIES.  Earth Unity Ambassador Chanda Kasmira investigates a deadly Sobrenian attack on a valley dweller village. LINK

“Infinity's Friend,” ANALOG, October 2005, reprinted in THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  Matt Christian rushes to save his Aquatile friend Sarbin on the planet Welkin, and comes to terms with a tragedy from his past. LINK

“Splendor's Truth,” ANALOG, May 2002, reprinted in A GLIMPSE OF SPLENDOR AND OTHER STORIES.  Chanda Kasmira tries to rescue the crew of a Sobrenian ship that has crashed into Splendor’s largest ocean. LINK

“On the Welkin Shone the Starres Bright,” original to THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.   Matt Christian tries to save a group of Sprinters while dealing with his partner Sarbin’s prejudices against them. LINK

        2147

“No Traveller Returns,” ANALOG, May 2008, reprinted in A GLIMPSE OF SPLENDOR AND OTHER STORIES.  Mike Christopher is stranded on the dangerous Station of the Lost. LINK

“Splendor’s Hope,” FICTIONWISE, April 2003, original title “Preserving Splendor,” reprinted in A GLIMPSE OF SPLENDOR AND OTHER STORIES.   Mike Christopher returns to Splendor to help Chanda Kasmira defend the planet against the latest Sobrenian threat. LINK

        2148

“Stealing Adriana,” ANALOG, October 2008, reprinted in THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  Earth Unity “fixer” Carrie Molina travels to the technologically primitive New Lancaster habitat in search of the man who abused her sister and several other women. LINK

SOME DISTANT SHORE, Second edition published 2015 by Hydra Publications.  First edition published July 2012 by Yard Dog Books.  Original novella version published in ANALOG, September 2007.   Mike Christopher deals with political machinations among Humans, Sobrenians, Cetronen, and Drodusarel on a mission to witness two star systems colliding. LINK

        2149

“Midwife Crisis,” ANALOG, October 2010, reprinted in THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  Carrie Molina helps Matt Christian try to save a gigantic sea creature’s baby -- from the inside! LINK

“Art for Splendor's Sake,” ANALOG, December 2011, reprinted in THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  Chanda Kasmira deals with deadly conflicts among highlanders on Splendor as well as an irritating artist eager to create his “masterpiece.” LINK

“The Unfinished Man,” ANALOG,  January/February 2011, reprinted in THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  Mike Christopher travels to the planet Keleni to “rescue” the elderly Leo Bakri -- who doesn’t want to be rescued! LINK

        2150

“Welkin’s Outcasts,” ALIEN DIMENSIONS #22, February 2022.  Matt Christian works to free his Aquatile friend Sarbin from Nautiloids who have captured him.

“Kutraya’s Skies,” original to THE HUMAN EQUATIONS AND OTHER STORIES.  Shadoua and Raytier, scientists on Kutraya, a moon orbiting a gas giant, must try to save their world while fighting religious and societal forces aligned against them. LINK

THE SILENT SENTINELS, independently published, 2014.  Ethan Sun works to solve the mystery of what destroyed civilization on the planet Oldavar 600 years earlier.  LINK

CHANDA’S AWAKENING, Hydra Publications, 2018.  Chanda Kasmira must travel to both the Sobrenian and Buruden homeworlds in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a war over the planet Splendor.  LINK

ALL HUMAN THINGS, Hydra Publications, October 2019.  When Mike Christopher returns to Earth for the first time in a quarter-century, he finds himself defending the Earth against the menace of the Jenregar as well as learning the secrets of his own origin.  Meanwhile, politician and scientist Kamau Kimathi’s development of a weapon against the Jenregar leads him into a moral dilemma.  Incorporates material from “The Jenregar and the Light,” ANALOG, October 2014.  LINK

CHANDA’S HOMECOMING, Hydra Publications, 2022.

Chanda Kasmira must maintain peace on the Station of the Lost before she can travel to Earth, which is under attack from the hive-mind species the Jenregar.

WATCHER OF THE SKIES, Hydra Publications, 2022.  Mike Christopher, in the aftermath of the Jenregar attack, must decide whether to remain on Earth with a new love or leave to continue his explorations.  Incorporates material from “All Human Things,” ANALOG, May 2014, and “The Shores of Being,” ANALOG, January/February 2016

        2151

“Finding Chidera,” DYSTOPIAN EXPRESS, March 2016, reprinted in KAYONGA’S DECISION AND OTHER STORIES.  Chidera Kapur heads to Earth to make a new life for himself after living a decade of abuse on an orbital habitat.  LINK

“Beyond Human Measure,” AMAZING STORIES, Fall 2018, reprinted in KAYONGA’S DECISION AND OTHER STORIES.  Carrie Molina travels to Jupiter with Malcolm Vicari and pilot Kayonga Tedesco on a mission to save the Jupiter whale Lykohnel.  LINK

“Kayonga’s Decision,” TOUCHING THE FACE OF THE COSMOS, December 2015, reprinted in KAYONGA’S DECISION AND OTHER STORIES.  Kayonga Tedesco must make a fateful decision during a rescue mission deep in Jupiter’s atmosphere.  LINK

“Sungazers,” original to KAYONGA’S DECISION AND OTHER STORIES. The Cetronen re-establish the Sungazers upon the planet Costaguana, to make up for their genocide of the species two centuries earlier. Carrie Molina tries to find a way to allow Humans who have colonized the planet to stay, but the Cetronen threaten war unless the Humans leave. LINK

“Shepherding,” PERIHELION SF, July 2015, reprinted in KAYONGA’S DECISION AND OTHER STORIES.  Eric Barre works to “modify” the planet Seura’s rings, which are disrupting its ecological balance. LINK

“Silhouettes,” ANALOG, September 2015, reprinted in KAYONGA’S DECISION AND OTHER STORIES.  Leo Bakri makes a fateful decision as he risks his life to uncover secrets of the planet Keleni’s lifeforms. LINK

“A Grand Gesture,” May/June 2017 ANALOG, reprinted in KAYONGA’S DECISION AND OTHER STORIES.  Kayonga Tedesco and Amaia Moreau’s attempt to save their own lives on the carbon planet Lucy could kill three native infants.  LINK

“Short on Thought, Quick on the Trigger,” PERIHELION SF, March 12, 2017, reprinted in KAYONGA’S DECISION AND OTHER STORIES.  Carrie Molina undertakes a dangerous mission to rescue a former lover from his Sobrenian captors. LINK

2152

“The Typhoon Rider,” AMAZING STORIES, Fall 2019

Matsuo Kaori pilots a probe into a typhoon in an attempt to rescue a ten-year-old boy taking a joy-ride inside an experimental mini-shuttle.

“Out of Control,” ALIEN DIMENSIONS #24.  Matsuo Kaori and Yelena Tumanova take part in a rescue mission aboard the Kanandran Starcraft Huradon.

LINK

“Some Hidden Soul,” amazingstories.com, July 3, 2023

Kayonga Tedesco returns to Jupiter in an effort to make contact with an unresponsive whale.

LINK

2154

CHANDA’S LEGACY, amazingstories.com, April 22-May 20

Chanda Kasmira must protect the Station of the Lost as an alien starcraft’s arrival threatens its very existence.