Alan Smale
@alansmale.bsky.social
SF writer: CLASH OF EAGLES trilogy (Del Rey), plus HOT MOON, RADIANT SKY, and BURNING NIGHT (Arc Manor), 50+ short stories. Two-time Sidewise Award winner. Singer with The Chromatics (high-energy a cappella). Astronomer, NASA scientist (emeritus)
Launch day! Happy Book Birthday to 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, the final book in my Apollo Rising series. Hard SF alt.hist set on and around the Moon (and beyond) during the Cold War, following the adventures of astronaut Vivian Carter and her various NASA crews and Air Force colleagues… and Soviet adversaries.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Launch day! Happy Book Birthday to 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, the final book in my Apollo Rising series. Hard SF alt.hist set on and around the Moon (and beyond) during the Cold War, following the adventures of astronaut Vivian Carter and her various NASA crews and Air Force colleagues… and Soviet adversaries.
It's all go! Tomorrow night I'll be presenting, live and in person, at the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society. And since it's Friday 13th, please wish me All the Luck for the drive up ...
June 12, 2025 at 9:08 PM
It's all go! Tomorrow night I'll be presenting, live and in person, at the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society. And since it's Friday 13th, please wish me All the Luck for the drive up ...
Happy Release Day to a new Baen reprint anthology dedicated to the Rome of the past and future, including "The Wandering Warriors" by Alan Smale + Rick Wilber (which originally appeared in Asimov's)! We're in great company in this book, which contains several classics I look forward to (re)reading.
June 3, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Happy Release Day to a new Baen reprint anthology dedicated to the Rome of the past and future, including "The Wandering Warriors" by Alan Smale + Rick Wilber (which originally appeared in Asimov's)! We're in great company in this book, which contains several classics I look forward to (re)reading.
Next week is Ravencon, in Glen Allen, VA! (Richmond-adjacent.) If you're going to be there, come find me at one of my five panels, my reading, or my (debut) solo presentation "Points of Divergence: Writing (and Reading) Alternate History"!
(... Yes, all that in <48 hrs...)
(... Yes, all that in <48 hrs...)
April 20, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Next week is Ravencon, in Glen Allen, VA! (Richmond-adjacent.) If you're going to be there, come find me at one of my five panels, my reading, or my (debut) solo presentation "Points of Divergence: Writing (and Reading) Alternate History"!
(... Yes, all that in <48 hrs...)
(... Yes, all that in <48 hrs...)
Happy Book Birthday to us! "Shapers of Worlds, Volume V" drops today from Shadowpaw Press, edited by @edwardwillett.bsky.social, and featuring my original story, "Red-Eye and Thunderbird", along with new tales from a strong cast of other writers who have recently appeared on the "Shapers" podcast.
March 25, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Happy Book Birthday to us! "Shapers of Worlds, Volume V" drops today from Shadowpaw Press, edited by @edwardwillett.bsky.social, and featuring my original story, "Red-Eye and Thunderbird", along with new tales from a strong cast of other writers who have recently appeared on the "Shapers" podcast.
Ten years ago today my first novel, CLASH OF EAGLES, came out from Del Rey. Here's the picture I posted on social media that day. I seem quite cheerful about it ...
March 17, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Ten years ago today my first novel, CLASH OF EAGLES, came out from Del Rey. Here's the picture I posted on social media that day. I seem quite cheerful about it ...
The book with three birthdays! RADIANT SKY came out in paperback/ebook on Nov 18, and hardcover on Dec 3, and its audiobook release today (Dec 10) completes the trifecta! Narrated once again by terrific voice actor @vleheny.bsky.social, I can't wait to listen to it myself ...
December 10, 2024 at 7:59 PM
The book with three birthdays! RADIANT SKY came out in paperback/ebook on Nov 18, and hardcover on Dec 3, and its audiobook release today (Dec 10) completes the trifecta! Narrated once again by terrific voice actor @vleheny.bsky.social, I can't wait to listen to it myself ...
This was fun to write: an interview with my astronaut hero, Vivian Carter, for “The Protagonist Speaks.” At the start we get Snarky Viv, because she’s operating on very little sleep (surprise!), but later on we get some genuine glimpses beneath the surface...
theprotagonistspeaks.com/2024/12/06/v...
theprotagonistspeaks.com/2024/12/06/v...
December 6, 2024 at 2:12 PM
This was fun to write: an interview with my astronaut hero, Vivian Carter, for “The Protagonist Speaks.” At the start we get Snarky Viv, because she’s operating on very little sleep (surprise!), but later on we get some genuine glimpses beneath the surface...
theprotagonistspeaks.com/2024/12/06/v...
theprotagonistspeaks.com/2024/12/06/v...
A very welcome reader comment. Thanks, Dave!
"..RADIANT SKY is big fun, a nicely-crafted SF adventure with a protagonist who wishes people would quit trying to kill her so she can concentrate on exploration... A compelling lead character, a fast-moving plot, and a good dose of sense of wonder..."
"..RADIANT SKY is big fun, a nicely-crafted SF adventure with a protagonist who wishes people would quit trying to kill her so she can concentrate on exploration... A compelling lead character, a fast-moving plot, and a good dose of sense of wonder..."
December 4, 2024 at 7:44 PM
A very welcome reader comment. Thanks, Dave!
"..RADIANT SKY is big fun, a nicely-crafted SF adventure with a protagonist who wishes people would quit trying to kill her so she can concentrate on exploration... A compelling lead character, a fast-moving plot, and a good dose of sense of wonder..."
"..RADIANT SKY is big fun, a nicely-crafted SF adventure with a protagonist who wishes people would quit trying to kill her so she can concentrate on exploration... A compelling lead character, a fast-moving plot, and a good dose of sense of wonder..."
Happy book birthday to Me! Today sees the release of my latest, RADIANT SKY, published by CAEZIK SF & Fantasy. I loved going back to the Moon with clunky Apollo and Soyuz technologies while writing this one, and continuing the adventures of Vivian Carter and her astronaut (and cosmonaut) colleagues.
November 12, 2024 at 1:43 PM
Happy book birthday to Me! Today sees the release of my latest, RADIANT SKY, published by CAEZIK SF & Fantasy. I loved going back to the Moon with clunky Apollo and Soyuz technologies while writing this one, and continuing the adventures of Vivian Carter and her astronaut (and cosmonaut) colleagues.
They're here!! -- Two weeks out from the November 12th release of RADIANT SKY, and I have my publisher's copies. Excited!
October 29, 2024 at 7:05 PM
They're here!! -- Two weeks out from the November 12th release of RADIANT SKY, and I have my publisher's copies. Excited!
And Rosie seemed delighted to have it … @rcwordsmith.bsky.social 😀
October 18, 2024 at 4:38 PM
And Rosie seemed delighted to have it … @rcwordsmith.bsky.social 😀
I retired from the day job five months ago to become a fulltime writer, but it’s only been in the past couple of weeks that I’ve really felt like one.
February 1, 2024 at 12:51 AM
I retired from the day job five months ago to become a fulltime writer, but it’s only been in the past couple of weeks that I’ve really felt like one.
Since the holiday season is upon us, I suppose I would be remiss if I didn't mention that HOT MOON is now out in paperback and available to gift to any and all of your hard SF / Apollo-nerd hard-to-buy-for friends and rellies ...
December 12, 2023 at 12:38 AM
Since the holiday season is upon us, I suppose I would be remiss if I didn't mention that HOT MOON is now out in paperback and available to gift to any and all of your hard SF / Apollo-nerd hard-to-buy-for friends and rellies ...
Doing #Nanowrimo is a much calmer experience now I've quit the dayjob. Even with family difficulties and a 9-day trip in the mix, I wrote 57,621 words in November to complete my tenth Nano. "Career" Nano wordcount now stands at 572,118.
December 1, 2023 at 4:10 PM
Doing #Nanowrimo is a much calmer experience now I've quit the dayjob. Even with family difficulties and a 9-day trip in the mix, I wrote 57,621 words in November to complete my tenth Nano. "Career" Nano wordcount now stands at 572,118.
RIP Peter H. Smale (1931-2023), who passed away peacefully on November 9th. In the first picture he's in his late twenties, around the time I was born. The second was taken in his autumn years, on a hike in Shenandoah.
He was an all-around nice guy, smart and funny, and a great Dad.
He was an all-around nice guy, smart and funny, and a great Dad.
November 12, 2023 at 5:23 PM
RIP Peter H. Smale (1931-2023), who passed away peacefully on November 9th. In the first picture he's in his late twenties, around the time I was born. The second was taken in his autumn years, on a hike in Shenandoah.
He was an all-around nice guy, smart and funny, and a great Dad.
He was an all-around nice guy, smart and funny, and a great Dad.
Delighted that I'm still getting reader appreciation for my "Clash of Eagles" series from Del Rey (the third book, Eagle and Empire, came out in 2017, aka Forever in Publishing). This gave me a boost today when I needed one.
November 8, 2023 at 10:39 PM
Delighted that I'm still getting reader appreciation for my "Clash of Eagles" series from Del Rey (the third book, Eagle and Empire, came out in 2017, aka Forever in Publishing). This gave me a boost today when I needed one.
Remember, remember... What if the Gunpowder Plot had succeeded? You can find my take on this in "Gunpowder Treason", in the @theinklingspress.bsky.social antho, "Tales from Alternate Earths III." Oh, and the story won the 2021 Sidewise Award for Alternate History... :) www.amazon.com/dp/B09BCDW12Q
November 5, 2023 at 7:56 PM
Remember, remember... What if the Gunpowder Plot had succeeded? You can find my take on this in "Gunpowder Treason", in the @theinklingspress.bsky.social antho, "Tales from Alternate Earths III." Oh, and the story won the 2021 Sidewise Award for Alternate History... :) www.amazon.com/dp/B09BCDW12Q
Today I retire from NASA after 35 yrs, 20 as a civil servant. Young Alan came to the US aged 28 to work on a Space Shuttle payload, then moved onto a range of awesome X-ray astro satellites. 5 yrs at NASA HQ as a ninja-level bureaucrat, then 15 yrs back at GSFC as HEASARC Director. Quite the ride!
August 31, 2023 at 7:50 PM
Today I retire from NASA after 35 yrs, 20 as a civil servant. Young Alan came to the US aged 28 to work on a Space Shuttle payload, then moved onto a range of awesome X-ray astro satellites. 5 yrs at NASA HQ as a ninja-level bureaucrat, then 15 yrs back at GSFC as HEASARC Director. Quite the ride!
