The Lohj
"Pregnancy is fine. But Birth is out of the question."
In a world where every question must be asked through the Temple… and every answer is law… one woman dares to ask why.
When a man returns from the sacred Asking, he brings the answer that will define their future.
The decree of the mysterious Lohj cannot be questioned.
The law cannot be challenged.
The soldiers enforce obedience.
But she remembers a different world—a time before the rules, before the priests, before life itself was regulated.
And she wants Birth.
What begins as a quiet argument beside a bowl of intoxicating mist becomes something far more dangerous:
a question about power, truth, and who has the right to decide where joy begins and ends.
The Lohj is a haunting speculative tale about belief, control, and the rare courage required to choose joy in a world that forbids it.
From the author of A Gentle Leap and The Dove, part of the expanding Genesis Rift: Tales From a Future War series.
The Dove
What if the oldest stories we were told were true—but the details were misremembered?
On an unexceptional asteroid in the Belt, Dr. Raj Patel finds something remarkable. Something that defies explanation. Something that should not exist.
It is small.
It is crude.
But it is unmistakable.
A bird—carved in stone, buried inside a boulder on a lifeless rock orbiting the Sun.
What begins as a routine geological survey quickly becomes something far more dangerous. Hidden tunnels. Ancient chambers. Symbols tied to forbidden beliefs. Evidence that humanity's story may be far older—and far less terrestrial—than anyone has been allowed to remember.
But in myth is power. And power demands control. Not everyone wants this discovery revealed.
When a classified mission turns catastrophic, survival becomes secondary to silence. Raj and his fellow scientists are thrust into a high-stakes race—not only to survive, but to protect a truth powerful enough to unsettle everything we think we know about where we came from.
The Dove is a gripping speculative novella about discovery, faith, secrecy, and the fragile boundary between science and belief.
From the author of A Gentle Leap and The Dove, part of the expanding Genesis Rift: Tales From a Future War series.
A Gentle Leap
Before there was a war, there was a choice.
In the silence left by their creator's departure, the First Ones fractured. Some sought order. Some demanded obedience. And one chose something far more dangerous—curiosity.
Crossing a boundary no other dared to cross, L'ukafah entered a world of fragile creatures bound by time, fear, and wonder. He did not rule them. He did not demand worship. He listened. He taught. And in doing so, he changed them—and himself.
What began as a quiet act of defiance would be remembered as heresy, rewritten as betrayal, and mythologized as The Fall. But the truth was simpler—and far more unsettling.
Freedom was a choice.
A Gentle Leap is the origin myth of Genesis Rift: Tales From a Future War—a story of creation without conquest, faith without obedience, and the moment humanity's long struggle between knowing and believing truly began.
A Bench for the Bench
Supreme Court appointments have become some of the most volatile moments in American politics. Vacancies now trigger strategic delays, rushed confirmations, and partisan brinkmanship that undermine public confidence in the Court’s independence. Rather than arguing ideology or individual nominees, A Bench for the Bench approaches the problem as a systems design challenge.
The essay argues that the current model ties enormous political leverage to rare and unpredictable events, creating incentives to manipulate timing rather than prioritize institutional stability. To address this, it proposes a structural alternative: a standing bench of pre-confirmed justices. Presidents and the Senate would continue to nominate and confirm candidates, but confirmation would be decoupled from immediate vacancies. Bench justices would wait in a first-in, first-out queue and automatically ascend when a seat opens.
Safeguards such as time limits, age caps, and continued judicial service help ensure durability and accountability. The goal isn’t to eliminate politics, but to reduce volatility, restore trust, and make succession predictable. The essay closes by inviting readers to challenge, refine, or replace the idea—while questioning whether the current system is still fit for purpose.
The Sound of You
In the wake of unimaginable loss, Pax Butler is learning how to breathe again. Through music, found family, and the fragile beauty of unexpected friendship, The Sound of You weaves a story about grief, hope, redemption, and the unspoken courage it takes to keep going.
This is a novel about the people who save us—sometimes without knowing it—and about how a single moment, a single note, or a single word can change a life and lead us back to ourselves.