Hello friends!

This is the update you have all been waiting for - even though you didn't know it! We have the magical release of the movie style video TRAILER for The Last Machine.

I originally wanted to drop this on New Year's Day. But it is simply too epic to hold back for two weeks. I just couldn't do it. Would require far too much willpower. 

I must thank Yicheng Liu for his unbelievable and shockingly fast work putting this together. Please check out his novel The Remains of Civilization and send a pre-order his way.

I also want to thank Melissa Berg and Vincent Lim once again for their wonderful reviews, which are included in the trailer.

At the bottom of this update, I've credited the free source material that was used in this video, which can be used by others as well.

Go check the video out on the homepage; you'll be glad you did. I can't stop watching. Just too much fun. 

OK, and quickly we have a couple of other quick items to hit on. First, the winner of the 40th reader raffle is Nichole Costa! Nichole, you will be receiving a signed and framed illustrated poem. Congratulations!

Lastly, I want to thank everybody again for the amazing support during this Sword & Laser campaign. The last few days have really shown widespread support for this story, from people I know personally, to my fellow authors. It's truly gratifying. We now have 48 readers and 99 followers. That means two more readers before our special 50th reader raffle. So get in the door while you can! And I'm thinking up something for the 60th reader. It'll be great, like the trailer. I promise.

Source Material

Earth zoom: http://youtu.be/HL0waHkIkps 

Urban city fast motion stock footage: http://www.videezy.com/urban/2649-night-traffic-fast-motion-free-footage 

Green circuit image: http://webneel.com/post/freedownload/vector/object/circuit-board

Dystopian world: http://rootnotion.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/dystopia-page-1641069.png 

Music by Sirius Beat - the unknown: http://youtu.be/lblqJoZ72bY

Good morning - or afternoon to some of you!

Really a splendid morning... We have reached 40 readers (41 to be exact), and that's fantastic. You know what they say... slow and steady wins the race, or maybe in this case, finishes second?? We'd take that too.

It also means we will be having another raffle. This time for an illustrated and framed copy of my poem "Bound in Earth." I will circle back with the results for that lucky person as soon as I manage to cut up 40 little pieces of paper and find a baseball hat to stick them in.

Two more quick points: 

First, as a reminder, I am encouraging those fence sitters to hop on down and join the fun. At the moment we have 92 followers who are receiving this update, and only 41 readers. I'm a writer not a mathematician, but I believe that leaves in excess of 50 followers who can still pre-order and bump us up the standings. The next ten pre-orders from existing followers will all receive a signed piece of cover art for The Last Machine! So please do come off that high fence!

Lastly, only 9 readers away from the special 50th reader raffle for Rudyard Kipling's Mine Own People. The book is super old. Like older than anybody on the planet (well, maybe). That's next...

Thanks again for all the amazing support!

Hey Everybody, 

The beginning of the Sword & Laser: The Sequel contest has been amazing. I’m thrilled to be competing with so many excellent creative thinkers. To say I’ve been impressed by the community of authors on Inkshares is a mega understatement. Everyone has been so supportive of their fellow authors and competitors, with genuine desire that their neighbors achieve success with a rising tide lifts all boats sentiment. The beauty of the Inkshares model is that there is no reason that we can’t all win in the long run. With crowdfunding, the more traffic we bring to Inkshares, the more of us get published. Such a wonderful concept. So let’s get published! 

 OK, on to the fun… 

I’ve decided to start a raffle to promote The Last Machine in the Solar System. I am cracking open the vault of epic goodness in the spirit of the holiday season, and I hope you all enjoy the first two items that will be raffled as we reach upcoming milestones! 

First, when we reach 30 unique readers, I will raffle off a beautiful signed copy of Haunted Horror #12: The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics! There are a number of colorful stories from the early 1950s in this magazine published in August 2014. The magazine is signed by Jack Katz, the comic book artist and graphic novelist who created The First Kingdom. Jack drew “Bride of Death” (1952) in this Haunted Horror. Check out the images below. 

Then, when we reach 50 unique readers, I will raffle off my copy of Rudyard Kipling’s Mine Own People. Kipling published Mine Own People in 1891, three years before he wrote The Jungle Book. It is possible that the book is First Edition, though I’ve been unable to confirm one way or the other. I have read that books without a date on the title page are sometimes first edition and this book has no date inside (see below pics). But if you win and it turns out not to be first edition - well, all I’m saying is it’s super old and an early edition! I’d say it is in fair condition. After at least 111 years that’s not half bad. The light pencil writing by a former owner says 1904 - though it could be older than that. The book might be worth somewhere in the $25 - $50 range (that’s a rough guess). I hope that whoever wins will love this old book as a treasure and give it a prominent place on their bookshelf. 

Final details: Everybody who pre-orders The Last Machine up to the 30th reader will be entered into the raffle for Haunted Horror. If you order multiple books, you will receive one entry per ebook or paperback pre-ordered. When we get to the 50th unique reader for the Sword & Laser, I will raffle off Mine Own People - everyone who has pre-ordered back to the first person will once again be entered to win and receive one ticket per book ordered. 

Hope everyone has a great holiday season and keep on reading and writing! 

Faithful Readers!

There is some very important news to report: Jonathan, the Last Machine, desires a Sword & Laser on his journey to the depths of the solar system and back! 

That's right! The opportunity that the Sword & Laser Collection Contest: The Sequel provides is simply too good to pass up. So I am diving into this contest full bore with the belief that this is the best means by which to reach the ultimate goal: publication and reaching a wider audience.

I'm so thankful for your support and the wonderful feedback I've received so far - I hope you will stick with me and the Last Machine as we strive toward not only the lifelong dream of publication, but more importantly, of bringing a higher level of science fiction and complex ideas to as many readers as possible.

OK....I don't want to take up too much of your time - time is precious as we all know - but there is sorta one more thing...

Tomorrow is my birthday... it happens to be my 30th birthday (not that anybody's counting!).

This is the birthday cake that I hope you all will bake for me and deliver tomorrow. 

Unfortunately I do realize that all of you are not bakers or, if you are, many will be too far away to deliver delicious tasting birthday wishes to my door.

What can you do for me you ask?? You'd like to pre-order The Last Machine in the Solar System to wish me the stupendous birthday we all deserve?! 

Suure, why not? I accept!

But now in all seriousness, this dream only reaches fruition if we make it so. Thanks everybody for the wonderful support.

A very Happy Thanksgiving to the Inkshares community! 

I was on the verge of an update in the early afternoon (Pacific time), asserting that my scheming in the kitchen was progressing according to plan, allowing me a few undisturbed minutes without any pots boiling over or large poultry erupting in flames. However, the minutes proved too few to complete my post even without any mishaps, so the update now follows a tasty Thanksgiving dinner. I hope everybody had an equally delicious and memorable evening with family and friends.

I am happy to announce that the conclusion to the Last Machine has been posted. I am proud that the entire story - not just a preview or glimpse - is available on Inkshares, completely free, for all to see. Ultimately I may expand this into a novel, or include the novella in a short story / poem collection (see California's Lost Gold).

I have been gratified by the interest in the story, and by the thoughtful feedback which shows that readers are enjoying digging into the ideas presented. Science fiction enables us to investigate the human condition and the psychology of man in fascinating settings and under unique circumstances. I'm personally interested in exploring characters and environments while maintaining the plausibility of realism. I think this makes for compelling reading, generating a layer of tension from the understanding that this could happen in the future or in some alternate reality or dimension.

OK, enough on writing, on to the reading! Thrilled to present the conclusion of the Last Machine. I hope you all enjoy and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Two additional quick points:

First, I want to thank those who have provided reviews for my story, namely Kandice Ohnstad, Vincent Lim and Tony Valdez. Both Vincent and Tony have books funding, so please support them (The Cora Chronicles and Dax Harrison, respectively)! Dax only has 30 days left, and I really want that book on my shelf - so let's go!!

And finally....to pump you all up for the inaugural Inkshares Review-a-Thon! 

Dear Readers,

We're almost there! I have now posted sections V and VI of The Last Machine in the Solar System. This means there is only one section remaining which amounts to 1,300 of the 9,000 total words. So you now have most of the novella.... Left unseen is Jonathan's ultimate purpose. I hope you enjoy the story and are excited for the finale!  -Matthew

My kinfolk of the written word,

I am excited to let you know, as eager followers of The Last Machine in the Solar System, that "chapters" III and IV are now posted for your consumption. This means that slightly more than half of the novella is now available on Inkshares for all to see. The full story is about a 35-45 minute read and I'll post the remainder in pretty short order.

I'm thrilled that we have this venue to share our work, exchange ideas, and receive feedback from our fellow writers who are devoted to the craft. Constructive feedback can turn an idea into a cohesive story or take a riveting story and raise it to an even higher level. 

Specifically for The Last Machine, there is a significant amount of real science underpinning the science fiction. There is also what I would call "theoretical science," which is meant to be plausible within the context of a hypothetical but potentially real future. From here on out, the scientific backbone of the story will continue to emerge. If any of you are steeped in the sciences, particularly astronomy or astrophysics, I would gladly welcome your knowledge which may further add to the realistic nature of the story.

Moreover, I recognize the deep and in some ways, bleak outlook of this story. It may not be for everyone. As a sub-genre of science fiction I would categorize it as "prophecy" in the vein of Stephen Vincent Benet, one of my favorite authors and a big influence. If you haven't read By the Waters of Babylon, I highly recommend moving it near the top of your reading list. I do hope that for many, my story will prove fascinating and thought provoking.

My goal is to grow the support base for this story while receiving your valuable thoughts and opinions. Ultimately the objective is to decide whether this story is complete in its current novella form, or whether the subject matter deserves expansion into a novel.

Thanks so much, and read on!  -Matthew