mvc.ink – Michael V. Colianna
On December 27th, 2023, Michael and his wife Lani experienced a terrible loss: Their son, Declan Wilder, passed away suddenly. This came after nearly seven years of IVF attempts and losing Declan's twin in utero. There's a memorial website where you can view more information and, if you're so inclined, leave some words of sympathy for the family.
Fractured Children of Earth
When a Deaf smuggler and her partner stumble upon a universe-wide conspiracy, getting humanity to understand the threat proves tougher than achieving their dreams of having a child.
For fans of the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers, the Expanse series by James S.A. Corey, and the Andor television show.
About
Michael (he/him) is a hard-of-hearing/deaf author (and a web developer). Michael writes a mix of fantasy and science-fiction set in the distant future. His stories in either genre are grounded, focusing on the character relationships and societal changes instead of magical creatures or space battles. A current of mystery runs under them all, as well.
The skeleton for Michael’s stories began forming as early as 14 years old. He wondered what the future held for humanity, and whether we would travel into space. Idolizing Ursula K. LeGuin, Isaac Asimov, and C.S. Friedman, he followed humanity into the future and a combination of science fiction/fantasy elements trickled into the resulting stories.
Outside of writing, Michael bicycles, runs, and lifts weights. He’s also been running a Dungeons & Dragons campaign for over 20 years with his unruly and – let’s say imaginitive – friends. He and his wife were on a curious journey sparked by infertility as they tried to expand their family. As well, Michael has a condition that makes him hard-of-hearing and sometimes deaf. Those elements have found their ways into his stories.
Stories
Michael currently has two projects. They are part of an overall future history but are also their own distinct stories.
Fractured Children of Earth
Mary and her co-captain Davi are ready to retire and start a family. While smuggling’s been a profitable business, it’s also been filled with risk and uncertainty. They’re having trouble conceiving, though, so they have to keep going a little longer: The fertility procedures they need don’t come cheap.
When a simple job inexplicably goes wrong, Mary gets shot and it throws their plans askew. But it’s not because they won’t get paid or even because the injury means more expensive treatments. It’s because Mary’s attackers are part of a fascist shadow government that’s dangerously close to bringing humanity under its thumb… and Davi recognizes them from the abusive childhood he fled.
Mary and Davi want to warn humanity about what they’ve found, but their evidence is flimsy, they’re out of money, and other smugglers are hesitant to risk arrest for such an outlandish story. If they can’t convince anybody to help expose the plot and fight back, there might not be a free universe for anyone to live in—let alone for them to start the family they desperately desire.
Your local bookseller can order Fractured Children of Earth for you, or you can purchase it at Amazon in ebook format or as a paperback. If you want to read it but don't quite have enough, please reach out to Michael. If you've read the book, there's also an online appendix.
Short Sample: Fractured Children of Earth
They went to the back of the store, where Tahlia indicated a shelf with some tools. Mary spotted a video monitor near the shelf, with a news broadcast declaring an urgent update. Some kind of military event. A person in an ornate white suit stood behind a podium in the background, waiting to speak. The camera panned left, to a row of cages containing peacocks.
A reporter appeared on the screen. Captions came up, so Mary ignored her computer and read them. “Today marks another triumph in the Lairian government’s efforts to crack down on smuggling. Here, we see some rare birds, liberated from a ship called Soltivrabbo, run by a man called Impalo Galino.”
As the camera panned to the right, Mary suppressed a gasp. Seven people, handcuffed, lined up side-by-side. All the way to the right, a person with long brown hair and a maroon robe stared at the ground, bleeding profusely from a wound in their abdomen.
What kind of grotesque, fear-mongering display was this?
Work in Progress: The Kinetic Conspiracy
She grew up stealing to survive, but now she's an artist and a loyal citizen. He's a hard-of-hearing city guard, secretly hoping to join the army. They're best friends, and when a force that draws upon planetary energy to fight threatens war, they both learn how they can help defeat it. But that knowledge entangles them in an organization they must keep secret at all costs. It alienates them from their friends, their families, their allegiances—and, worse, from each other.
Short Sample: The Kinetic Conspiracy
That left Dia Ukata. The man responsible for all the misery in her childhood. Her mind conjured up a scene with Ukata, facing her and Mekin in combat. They twisted, turned, fought, and struck the evil man down. Vengeance wouldn’t bring her parents, friends, or village back. But if she learned to fight, she could taste a little bit of it while helping Mekin out and keeping the people of her new home safe. She let reality intrude upon her thoughts, finding Belzamus had risen and opened a lattice window.
“Adviser,” she said, drawing the man’s attention. Just as he’d recognized apprehension on her face, he seemed to notice her resolve now and returned to his cushion at the table. “I was born in a village called Kenst. Marauders sacked it, and killed my family. But I lived, and raised myself. I traveled Maxar looking for a new home and I found it here, in Taerin. Those marauders were Diazurians, led by Dia Ukata, so I know what he’s capable of. I won’t let him repeat what he did to Kenst. I’d like to join the army.”
She expected him to rebuff her request, but instead his face warmed and the smile reached his eyes. “Miss Faraise, you’ve already done a great service to Taerin. I don’t wish to deter you from this path, but I hope you aren’t thinking you owe it.”
“No, I wish to serve,” Ruñe replied. “But I know very little about fighting or weapons.”