Everybody Eats

Glad you could join us for the next extreme episode of Elliot’s Adventures. If you’re new here, you can catch up by returning to the beginning, and reading really fast…

Elliot E
Photo credit: Wes Lum

From the shadows of Elliot’s mind, came a whistling chirp. “Is this what dying sounds like?” he wondered idly as darkness stole over his eyes and his body rose above the coarse black rocks. “If it weren’t for the squeezing sensation, I would think this was an out-of-body experience.”

Time floated for a while. He couldn’t tell how long, but it ended with a jolting bump. The sun shone again. The ground beneath him was wet. Without bothering to figure out what had happened, Elliot began slurping.

“Look what I found, Mavis!” a high pitched, yet musical voice chittered.

“What is it this time, Stanley? Another pebble? Or have you finally found a berry or two?”

“I’m not sure, dear. It has a hard bit on it, but it seems to have a soft jelly center.”

“Let’s see, then.”

Elliot looked up. A huge beak was descending over his shell.

To be continued…

Previously, on Elliot’s Adventures ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Next time . . .

#AtoZChallenge A-to-Z Fictioneers: Interested in original fiction? Here’s a list of writers who are writing stories for the 2017 A to Z Challenge. The author’s link will take you to their “A” post. If you know of any others I can share, please drop the link in the comments!

Today’s twofer from April 6, 2016:

Enhanced by Robert P. Beus and S.T. Ranscht

Some might call this shameless self-promotion, but until we sign an agent, who else is there to do this dirty job? Tomorrow, it’s back to the fun stuff! I promise.

Why was I going to apologize? Robb and I wrote Enhanced so we could work together to create a story we could share with people like us — people like you. We’re proud of what we’ve written. We believe it’ll stick with readers like good books do, and we dare to hope it can be a beacon for kids — and adults — who feel like they’re outside the mainstream.

So without apology, I want to tell you about it. But not about our “writing process” — in the name of all that’s holy, not the “writing process”! (…unless you ask…)

Since the beginning of language, there have been storytellers.

“Hey, do you mind if I tell you a story? One you might not have heard.” The 11th Doctor

Have we got a story for you!

“All I read is young adult science fiction, so when I tell you I’ve never read this story before, you know it’s original!” Jessica Watterson of The Sandra Dijkstra and Associates Literary Agency talking about Enhanced
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Me and Robb (Photo credit: Brylan Ranscht)

That’s some humbling praise. Robb and I hoped our story would be original; we worked to make it original. And exciting. And smart and provocative and edgy. With three-dimensional characters on an alien but familiar world, wrapped in a multi-layered story that draws readers in, carries them along, and leaves them wanting more.

If you loved Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Hunger Games, ENHANCED should be on your list. It’s Book One of The Second Earth Trilogy, an epic tale about belonging and not belonging, and the harm that comes to any society that excludes or oppresses those outside the mainstream. Think: LOST meets Josef Mengele.

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Image credit: S.T. Ranscht

It’s 50 years after thousands of refugees from Earth settled on Second Earth, a planet already inhabited by semi-primitive Genics with Enhanced Vision or Hearing. The technologically advanced First Earthers call themselves Mainstreamers.

Isn’t that always the way?

Although brainy, science-minded Ellisyn and her closeted gay surrogate brother Tadeh take planetary Equal Rights for granted, the fearful and the bigoted are now demanding the use of Enhanced Senses be severely regulated. Intolerance is trickling into Mainstream government. When a lander explodes and then one of their native Genic friends goes missing, the two teens uncover conflicting plots that could end in a race war the Genics can’t win. They have one week to bring both conspiracies down before the upcoming election propels their world into genocide and darkness.

You can read Chapters 1-3 here. Inkshares says it’s a 20 minute read, but I think that’s true only if you’re in first grade and have to sound out the big words. So check it out and tell me what you think, okay? I’d really like to know.

Author: Sue Ranscht

I am a writer. Let me tell you a story...

31 thoughts on “Everybody Eats”

  1. Oh crap ! If I wasn’t playing catch up on blogs, with the latest Eliot segment already read, I’d be biting my nails til the next chapter.. This soon in, I already care about a personified snail 🙄

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    1. I’m still playing catch up on blogs, too — good to know I have company. I’m thrilled you feel that way about Elliot. He has proven resilient, but I hope you’ll enjoy everything that follows as much as if you didn’t already know that. Lol.

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      1. I made a promise to myself that blogging or reading must stay in my “free time” to do.. Not much free time lately.. Eliot reminds me as Jonathan Livingston Seagull and I loved that little book 💛

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        1. I remember that I read JLS shortly after it was published, but all I remember about it was that it was a kind of an adolescent’s Siddhartha. I remember I enjoyed it and my older sister thought it was the best book she’d ever read. Will Elliot achieve transcendence? Will he ever learn to fly? Only time will tell. 😉

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          1. Another of my favs from that chapter of my life was White Fang.. While everyone was gushing over Call of the Wild, I thought White Fang was the much better book..
            Not to try and cause your head to explode from swelling, I look forward to Eliot’s continuing tale as I did with JLS.. Difference being, I was able to read JLS in one sitting 😄

            Liked by 1 person

          2. I can picture both book covers, and I’m pretty sure I’ve read them, but now I need to revisit them to have an opinion. 😀

            Thank you for the very kind compliment, but there’s no risk of imminent head explosion. I’ve been through enough to know any head swelling comes right before some embarrassing ego leakage. lol. I just hope Elliot will continue to keep you engaged. Do let me know if you think I ever go completely off the rails, will you?

            Liked by 1 person

          3. Isn’t that the truth ! In the School of Hard Knocks, it took me a long time to pass Humble class.. 😄

            It may take me a long time to keep up with Eliot, as my reading time comes in spurts of opportunity, I honestly don’t know about telling you if you go off the rails in my opinion.. I’d have a hard time finding the words, if that was to come up.. But I’ll try to honor that..

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  4. In serialized stories there are tricky tradeoffs. Each installment has to be short, have enough (but not too much) happen, and end with a cliff-hanger. This series is threading the needle. I especially like this episode because it reminds me of a classic Far Side cartoon that appears multiple times if U throw “Far Side” and “chewy center” at a search engine.

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  5. In serialized stories there are tricky tradeoffs. Each installment has to be short, have enough (but not too much) happen, and end with a cliff-hanger. This series is threading the needle. I especially like this episode because it reminds me of a classic Far Side cartoon:

    https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F564x%2Fb6%2F9b%2F36%2Fb69b362315d7e6b31ac19bc2c4de421d.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F418764465324342389%2F&docid=SvbY5srxZW88jM&tbnid=N3BnMOYxvzoISM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwic5JTHkKTTAhUl34MKHU0wCDkQMwgrKAMwAw..i&w=301&h=400&bih=988&biw=1365&q=far%20side%20chewy%20center&ved=0ahUKEwic5JTHkKTTAhUl34MKHU0wCDkQMwgrKAMwAw&iact=mrc&uact=8

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  9. Just read the chapters – it’s great! The characters are appealing and engaging, immediately relatable. The blend of sci-fi and human interest should appeal to boys and girls. Great read 😺 xx

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    1. Thank you so much! I’m thrilled you feel that way and grateful you took the time to read and share your thoughts. I’m especially happy you responded to the human interest — it’s important to Robb and me that any story is about the people first, no matter what setting they’re in. Thanks for such great encouragement, Samantha. ❤

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