My latest short story is out now in Issue VII, the Winter Solstice issue, of All Worlds Wayfarer. It’s my most personal short story yet—even amongst the many that I’ve written but that have never been published—and I’m delighted that it’s found a home in such a high-quality collection of stories.
“Orbital Lullaby” is a science fiction tale about a set of parents and their young child, who struggle to move forward with their lives amidst a global crisis. The idea for this story first came to me a few years back when my oldest daughter was an infant, and I would spend endless hours attempting to coax her to sleep.
The original story was much larger in scope, and it included several other periphery characters and a great many scenes of worldbuilding that I had hoped would help flesh out the overall conflict. Later, though, shortly after my second daughter was born, I found renewed inspiration in the main story arc and completed an extensive round of edits that resulted in the final (and much more intimate) story that’s now available in All Worlds Wayfarer. I hope you enjoy it.
Click here to get your copy of Issue VII of All Worlds Wayfarer.
Acknowledgments.
This is a story about the relationship between two parents, as well as the challenge of bonding with one’s children. So I would like to thank my two young daughters for inspiring me to work hard each and every day to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be, and for always reminding me of the endless wonders that life has to offer. Also, I would like to thank my wife for her unending support and her willingness to seek out the value in a story—especially when I’m not able to do so myself. She’s told me that this is her favorite story of all that I’ve written, and that means more to me than any other accolade.
I would also like to thank All Worlds Wayfarer’s editors, Rowan Rook and Geri Meyers, for their words of encouragement. All Worlds Wayfarer regularly goes above and beyond in terms of the quality of its curated selections, always placing an emphasis on the personal experiences and fully realized emotions of engaging characters. I whole-heartedly recommend you check out the complete issue, as it’s filled to the brim with terrific pieces of fiction. I’m truly honored to have my story published alongside such a unique and diverse lineup of tales.
Also, All Worlds Wayfarer recently published an anthology called “Through Other Eyes,” which I recommend you check out, as well. As noted by the editors, it includes “30 unique stories featuring non-human protagonists, from aliens to dragons and monsters to mythical beings.”
Follow me on Twitter—@mdouglaswhite.
