Daniel Ausema

Many years later, in front of the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía would remember that Congress has not authorized the use of military force.

Short story sale! Thrilled to announce "Sea Harvest of Moonlight" will be in the January issue of Sally Port magazine. It's a Studio Ghibli-esque fantasy and will be in a YA-focused issue of the zine.

I poemed today. I'm quite pleased with the poem.

I've written other poems recently, so it isn't that out of the ordinary. And I often have an inflated opinion of what I write soon after (or an abysmally low opinion...). So that's not extraordinary either.

Just something small to mention.

What poster did you have hanging in your room as a kid?

(My dad didn’t like us sticking things on the walls for more than a few weeks, so this was a poster I bought in college, hanging alongside a foldable map of Middle Earth)

Not too spoilery to say that in my Spire City series this is what the bad guys wanted, to get rid of people that were a drain on their way of living. But even as morally reprehensible as those characters were, I didn't think they'd just openly say it, so I had them hide their real intent...

Two measures of music in common time on perpetual repeat. Quarter note equals 80. Three voices needed. Children's choir, which screams any sound they want on the first beat, sforzando. And then silent. Ar -15 which keeps a steady, nonstop beat. And Congress, which is always silent

A little ditty I wrote

Glad you liked my bee-person story!

Two Fic Tuesday Welcome! This week I come with a couple of flash pieces. Really, I think it's my favorite length of story, even if I know full well there are wonderful stories of every length. There's something abou...

Time again, time again! This week we have some good, good flash from @danielausema.bsky.social and @devzmiller.bsky.social

howsweetthewords.com/two-fic-tues...

Earliest that seems like SF is a lesser known work (not sure I ever see people mention it): Shadow of the Gloom-world by Roger Eldridge. It was shelved with books for much younger kids, and I remember it being at the upper edge of my reading ability, but it left an impression. Post-apocalyptic.

But I decided long ago that I had no interest in writing about kings and thrones. Even when my stories brush up against feudal or similar societies, that's not my focus.

I avoid creating stories where a character's ancestry defines them. And I'm leery of rulers having excess power #NoKings

Fantasy often swirls around royalty. I'll allow there can be something genuine and moving in those stories, even for those of us with no kings.

Cruel kings can be overthrown. The trope of a just ruler has resonance. Simba defeating Scar. Aragorn revealing his heritage. Ged lifting up Arren.

This mostly consisted of maps (so many maps, as the world kept becoming larger and more convoluted) and then stories my younger brother and I acted out in the basement. Not actually *written down*...

Half-elven orphan with a magically refilling quiver learns that the long enemies on either side of a sea are being deliberately lied to about each other to encourage their enmity...and a far greater evil is rising. 1st of a trilogy with at least 3 later trilogies, spanning 1000s of years

The River of Naming — Orion's Belt Names do not rise from nothing.

Another poem out this weekend! "The River of Naming" is in the new issue of Orion's Belt: www.orions-belt.net/archives/the...

May issue just dropped! It opens with “Lesser Zodiacs” by Daniel Ausema. This slipstream poem rocks, setting the tone for a magically strange and colorful set of stories. Read the issue now at our site!

A new poem out! "Lesser Zodiacs" is in the May issue of Merganser Magazine @mergansermagazine.bsky.social

A crocheted, bronze/rust-colored beetle

The beetle Spiral wants to invite you to my new itch.io store: danielausema.itch.io This is a great way to buy ebooks direct from me, avoiding Amazon and other stores.

And there's a bonus, free/pay-what-you-want TTRPG one-shot in the store as well, Spire Songs & Steam Gears!

Cool news over the weekend--Orion's Belt accepted one of my poems, a 40-some-line free verse poem about words and meaning. And the...water cycle. Sorta, kinda. I'll link when it's up!

Crocheted beetle standing on copies of books from the Spire City series

And here is the same beetle, trying to find its way into the city, looking for…a stable or a flying taxi, probably

A crocheted rhino beetle in black and shimmery bronze yarn

Now taking center stage, a Spire City beetle, ready to pull a carriage down the cobble streets!

(Crocheted beetle courtesy of writer-and-librarian extraordinaire @endawson.bsky.social )

Astronauts in space suits cross a Martian (or similar) landscape to investigate the fossils of some dinosaur-like creature.

New issue of Star*Line! I have a poem in this, about cats and trees (and feline dryads).

Link to the full list of poems (and purchasing options) is here: sfpoetry.com/sl/issues/st...

Anyone reading for the Elgin, don't forget my Ephemeral Village and other chapbooks by Island of Wak-Wak: islandofwakwak.com/printed-book... (if buying a print book is a hardship, reach out to me--I'm happy to set voting members up with an e-ARC!)

What's it about? The orphan Chels feeling lost, the fabled streets of Spire City crushing her hopes, and a choice between different futures, between family she doesn't know and a found family that might understand her better.

I absolutely support people looking for non-Amazon ways to buy things, as well. So, the episode goes live for all the Draft2Digital partners carrying it next week Tuesday (March 18): books2read.com/u/3nAwQP (other, non-Amazon and non D2D options hopefully coming soon)

Spire City: Episode 0: On the Streets Amazon.com: Spire City: Episode 0: On the Streets eBook : Ausema, Daniel: Kindle Store

The episode goes live next week Monday (March 17) on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Spire-City-E...

Cover art Spire City, episode 0: On the Streets; a city skyline of spires in the mist

Pre-order Spire City, Episode 0 now!

Eleven years ago, we were releasing the original Spire City episodes, a story of a found family, people infected with a terrible and targeted disease, turning them slowly into animals.

In preparation to re-release an omnibus, this is a new intro to Chels & co:

Daniel Ausema, writer Lyrical Worlds | Stories of Strange Wonder

The world feels fragile. I put a few thoughts together on the arts, reading fiction, and more during times like these here: www.danielausema.com/2025/02/fict...

Breaking: Punxsutawney Phil sees the shadow of death and fall of an empire, so there will be 6 more weeks of winter and then groundhogs inherit the earth.

If you went to college
1. What was your career goal when you started
2. Your initial major
3. If you changed majors, what did you change to
4. What do you do now professionally

1 Writer
2 English (history minor)
3 English & Spanish double major (journalism minor)
4 Writer, educator (& at-home dad)