The latest stories, poems, and games from author, poet, and game writer Stewart C Baker.
A Death in Hyperspace
When your captain dies suspiciously halfway through a hyperspace transit, you know you’re in trouble. Not because you need a captain — as an embodied AI spaceship, you can pilot yourself just fine — but because, as an aficionado of mysteries and detective stories, you know there’s only one explanation: murder most foul.
Written with Phoebe Barton, James Beamon, Kate Heartfield, Isabel J. Kim, Sara S. Messenger, Naca Rat, Natalia Theodoridou, M. Darusha Wehm, and Merc Fenn Wolfmoor for IFComp 2024.
The List Making Habits of Heartbroken Ships
Ship lost their old crew, and ever since they’ve been running. Going from port to port. Making lists to keep themself safe.
Do they dare let an unlikely pair of new passengers on board?
A science fiction story about anxiety and moving forwards, published August 2024 in The Neurodiversiverse from Thinking Ink Press.
White Lies Cast Dark Shadows
Jordan was always too scared to share the truth. So was Max.
When Jordan moves back home after a long instance, the habit casts a deadly shadow over them both.
A horror short story, published August 2024 in Carpe Noctem from Tyche Press.
Flowers for an Infinite Grave
“On the hundredth day after Tariq’s death, Zara wakes to light on her face, the mirrors turning it white-orange with reflected heat.”
A story about death, mourning, memory—and the multiverse, in the Spring 2024 edition of Kaleidotrope.
Companion Animals in Mahō Shōjo Kira Kira Sunlight
“Companion Animals in Mahō Shoujō Kira Kira Sunlight” is a short story in the style of a Wikipedia article describing Mahō Shōjo Kira Kira Sunlight, a (fictional) American web series created by an unknown animator or animators.
The story is a mashup of anime, cosmic horror, and metafiction, and is out in print and audio in the February 2024 issue of Lightspeed Magazine!
The Copenhagen Exhibitions
“This is how it started: I livestreamed my latest painting, left it on display while I went to bed alone, and woke up in another universe…”
A short story about quantum physics, loss, and hope published as part of the Quantum Shorts contest in January, 2024.
Image credit: Ghost in the Machine by leggacy studios, used under a CC-BY-NC-ND license.
The Bread Must Rise
A Nebula Award for Best Game Writing finalist!
The Great Godstone Bake-off has arrived! As a hapless baker deeply in debt, you finally have the opportunity to rise to fame and fortune! Under the tutelage of such famous chefs as Gordon Ramslayer, Tira Misu, and The Baladin, you will learn the arts of baking, breadcrafting, and dare you whisper it…necromancy?
A text-only cosmic horror / fantasy / baking / comedy extravaganza, co-written with James Beamon. (September 28, 2023)
Haunted House for Social Phobics
When you signed up for the haunted house tour, you were expecting chills and thrills and jump scares. What you got was something far, far more terrifying.
Can you survive being continually thrust into awkward social situations?
Written for Ectocomp 2023 in about six hours. (October, 2023)
One Does Not Simply Fry
A fantasy parody game built in Choicescript, chock full of Lord of the Rings jokes and absolutely zero nutrients. Four playable characters and endless zany hijinx. Can you craft the On(e)ion Ring and defeat Sour Ron?
Written with James Beamon for IFComp 2023 (October, 2023).
