Nicholas Stember’s “The Race” in The Rabbit Hole VII: Not From Here

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole VII: Not From Here anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole VII: Not From Here (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

And now, Nicholas Stember’s The Race:

The shining planet Mars hung like a crimson god in space as the tiny ship darted in like a needle in the dark — at long last, the race was almost over. Colored in splendid red and blue, the one-man vessel screamed through space as its hull was pushed to the limits of endurance, placing the engines under stresses the designers wouldn’t have dreamed of in their worst nightmares.


How the story came about:
Although I write science fiction and fantasy as well as horror, a lot of my earlier works tended to end on a down note. After writing a few short stories that all ended that way, I suddenly wanted to write an upbeat and fun story. Throw in a few moments of adventure, a comically tense romance, and a surprise ending that was humorous and uplifting for a change. Thus, The Race was born.

About Nicholas Stember:
Born in New York City, Nicholas Samuel Stember spent most of his life in the suburbs of Princeton, NJ, but his love of science fiction, fantasy and horror ended up finding him a wife across the Pond and now he lives with her in the Faroe Islands. His works can be found in various magazines and anthologies. He also joined the Horror Writers Association in 2024. For more information check out his website or Facebook.

See all The Rabbit Hole VII: Not From Here stories here.

The Rabbit Hole VII: Not From Here is available on