A vignette by Torn MacAlester: Sins of the Son My stories are arranged in a timeline of events. See it here. It is the first story from the aftermath of the Yellowstone eruption. These are related events that take place in the same timeline as my novel, Thunder Moon Tussle, it is available on amazon in […]
Author: Torn
The Farthest Star

@chucksastrophotography Farthest star ever seen. #stars #learnontiktok #universe #cosmos #nasa #hubblespacetelescope ♬ original sound — Chuck Ayoub It is fantastic that the farthest star detected is so far away: 12.9 billion light years. As a result, it is not the first star born in the Universe but it does predate the Sun by 7.9 billion […]
Apollo 14

Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash Did you know that Apollo 14 landed at the planned landing site for Apollo 13? The place is called the Fra Mauro Highlands. The Apollo 14 lander, Antares, landed at Fra Mauro near the Cone crater. Part of the mission required an EVA to the rim of […]
Thunder Moon Tussle received a Five Star Review

Recently, Thunder Moon Tussle received a five star review. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my novel. I appreciate all of you. I have a special thanks to Russ J., who provided me a nice review on goodreads.com. He called it “a well-crafted science fiction tale,” and “well written, realistic, and […]

Torn MacAlester Firebird Book Award Winner 133 AUTHORS JOIN THE FIREBIRD BOOK AWARD CIRCLE OF WINNERS October 2021 – Speak Up Talk Radio announced the winners of 2021’s third quarter FIREBIRD BOOK AWARDS contest. One of the winning entries was from Montana author Torn MacAlester whose book titled Thunder Moon Tussle won in the Science Fiction category. Authors […]
Thunder Moon Tussle by Torn MacAlester

My novel Thunder Moon Tussle is available in kindle unlimited, kindle, and paperback on amazon.com. Nils Carmike, a fallen from grace astronaut turned smuggler, forges a new life on the lunar frontier. Harassed by the strikingly beautiful and demanding Deputy Miller, he is faced with fines and conflict, resulting in a tumultuous relationship and […]
Yellowstone and Timeline of Events

The key background event of the storyline that includes Thunder Moon Tussle is the eruption of the Yellowstone super-volcano. This eruption forms the basis for the calendar where the year of the eruption is designated Y+0. The Yellowstone eruption plays into some of the motivation or emotional state of the characters. It serves as a […]
Science and Technology in Morgan’s Road

Being a scientist and engineer, I enjoy adding as realistic elements as possible to my stories. For example, I wrote this article to discuss the science and technology that I referenced in writing the story Morgan’s Road. Science of Morgan’s Road. There are certainly some spoilers in that article. If you haven’t read Morgan’s Road, […]
Thunder Moon Tussle and Morgan’s Road

Among other things, Nils Carmike is a story teller. This is something his friend Milton finds ridiculous. This provides the backdrop for Thunder Moon Tussle by Torn MacAlester https://twitter.com/authors_ol/status/1433862373446725633?s=20 Take a look at one of Nils’s favorite stories: Morgan’s Road by Torn MacAlester. Then read the story that Nils didn’t tell: Thunder Moon Tussle […]
Free Short Science Fiction Story by Torn MacAlester

Free short science fiction story: Morgan’s Road by Torn MacAlester Making a living on the Moon is not for everyone, but Nelson Carmike actually preferred the airless basalt plains over Earth’s windy prairies. Unfortunately, three years of Moon prospecting left him penniless, and without funds for supplies he was doomed to face a forced flight […]