“I am going to see the sun rise.”

And so begins the story of Nina, a woman who has fought and sacrificed everything to work in the Outer on a world-builder crew. Now will it cost her the last thing she has to give—her life?

My story, “The Girl Who Built Words” is available in this hopeful anthology, Things With Feathers: Stories of Hope from Third Flatiron Press. Edited by Juliana Rew. (October 2021)

Available in paperback and kindle on Amazon. Get your copy HERE.

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From the publisher:

Is there hope for us all?

Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Hope,” described it as “a thing with feathers.”

Third Flatiron Anthologies’ latest collection of short science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories touches on the theme of hope, whether it’s about taking flight filled with optimism for the future, venturing outside one’s comfort zone, taking outsized risks in order to succeed, or finding it dashed on the rocks.

Twenty-four authors give their entertaining takes on the subject, including Nemma Wollenfang, Emily Dauvin, Paula Hammond, Barton Paul Levenson, Sharon Diane King, Cayce Osborne, P.A. Cornell, Arthur Carey, David Cleden, F. T. Berner, Raluca Balasa, Melissa Mead, Nicholas Stillman, Shannon Brady, Bonnie McCune, Brian Rappatta, Bruce Arthurs, Alicia Cay, Danielle Mullen, E. J. Delaney, Wulf Moon, Art Lasky, James Dorr, and Gerri Leen. Edited by Juliana Rew.

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Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf for Tangent ~ November 17, 2021

“The title character in “The Girl Who Built Worlds” by Alicia Cay is waiting for death, after an accident left her stranded in space around the planet she helped create, with only a few minutes of life-support left. She hopes to at least watch the sun rise over the world before she dies. Meanwhile, she looks back on how she became a world-builder.

As with other stories in this volume, this felt like fiction meant for younger readers. The situation is an inherently suspenseful one, but I don’t think the ending will surprise many readers.”

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Bruce Arthurs

@BruceArthursAZ: “In THINGS WITH FEATHERS: STORIES OF HOPE, the standout story for me was “The Girl Who Built Worlds” by Alicia Cay. A fairly standard trope (adrift in space with dwindling oxygen), made memorable by depth of characterization & emotion.”

~xo