06/03/2026
This is our spotlight author this month!!
The E-Book Oasis LLC Nicholas Samuel Stember - Author
Countdown to Anexena -
When I first wrote "A Question of Evil" I always knew it belonged to the greater sci-fi universe that I had created called "The Imperial Chronicles". When my publisher (Rogue Phoenix Press) asked if it was going to be a series, I honestly answered, “I’m not sure yet.”
I had spent a long time building up my vision of the 24th century, and that novel was the culmination of many years of work, and although it was part of my bigger universe, it served as a stand alone tale.
But it wasn’t the first tale. No, I had written a number of novellas that introduced my own galaxy in the 24th century, and had tied those novellas together around a single theme, the Anexena crystal (an ultra rare form of energy). Although not named as such, that same type of crystal played a pivotal role in "A Question of Evil."
I wasn’t sure I was ever going to publish those other stories, but I still loved how they introduced the reader to the ‘world building’ (or ‘galaxy building’) I was doing for this universe. In fact, I once thought of splitting them up into their respective novellas and publishing them that way, and indeed, one of them, "To Be Hunted Soundly," was picked up by The Pink Hydra online magazine and published in 2024.
With the publication of "A Question of Evil" last October, and the positive feedback I was getting from it, I realized it had a place as “Book One of the Imperial Chronicles.” So I asked my publisher if he’d like to see the complete prequel stories I had written.
The bundled story was accepted for publication, and now, "Anexena - A Prequel Tale" will be coming out in four months to take its place as “Book Zero of the Imperial Chronicles”.
A lot of love went into those five separate and unique novellas that take place on various planets and in deep space, which are then all brought together in a sixth climactic tale.
I’m not sure how long this series will be, but I’ve already written the third one, '“Book Two of the Imperial Chronicles” and soon it will be refined enough to submit to my publisher.
I commissioned an artist, Steve Stambaugh, to do the cover, but for that full reveal you’ll have to wait. In the meantime, I’m excited to show this teaser, and I promise as we get closer to launch date, you’ll be hearing more.
"A Question of Evil" on Amazon: https://a.co/d/cGquGtW
