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Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

930 followers 210 following 2.1K posts

I’m a software developer with a lifelong taste for science fiction.

My first novel, SECONDARY, is now available! Andy Weir's THE MARTIAN meets Naomi Alderman's THE POWER.

https://secondary.blog

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Ray Ingles @ringles.bsky.social · Apr 22

SECONDARY is now available almost everywhere books and e-books are sold!

THE MARTIAN meets THE POWER; I can comfortably promise you've 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 read a story quite like it.

books2read.com/b/mdx1Jl
Amazon: t.co/0xpU28EWiE
Sample chapters: t.co/pvZX0lxq2v

#ScienceFiction #TimeTravel #SciFi

A man wearing a lab coat and a lanyard stands centered in the image. The background is split irregularly down the middle by a lightning bolt; the man straddles the divide.

On the right, a nuclear plant by the ocean, with a barbed-wire-topped wall. Sun and scattered clouds all the way to the horizon.

On the left, clouds and rain. Strange buildings by the ocean, brightly colored. A man and a woman stand in front of them, wearing odd clothing, also brightly colored.

The tagline reads, "One survivor of our timeline. And it's the wrong guy."

The blurb for SECONDARY, black on an off-yellow background:

Everybody has bad days. Jim McAllister's having one that spans two timelines.

For an anthropologist, joining the Time Eye project is a career-making dream. He's hardly above pulling strings–especially for a chance to pull photons from the Bronze Age and directly view ancient cultures. Then rogue scientists hijack the Eye, sending an engineered virus back thousands of years. Jim, the last person interfaced with the system, can only watch as reality warps around him.

Now he's the sole remnant of the old history: a conspicuous, bizarrely-dressed young man who speaks no recognizable language. Thanks to the virus, anyone with two X chromosomes is a living, and potentially lethal, taser. Men have never been a significant threat to women–quite the opposite.

To have any chance of getting home–to even survive, in a world where men's concerns have been secondary for all of recorded history–Jim will need to find allies. He'll have to apply his skills to a uniquely unfamiliar culture, where much more than the gender signifiers are radically different. He must figure out who might listen to his story. A story that's clearly impossible and deeply offensive. Plus, just as a bonus, heretical.

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 26: impede

Vibes. If you give XX types an advantage in violence for, oh, let's say almost six thousand years... well, cultures shift.

#SciFi #ScienceFiction

I talked about the 'ritual impurity' that many religions had attached to periods.

After some amazed discussion of that, they explained the theological explanation for menstruation in this culture. Their Satan figure - a rebellious male spirit, naturally - or his subordinates would attack women monthly, to prevent children. Women bled from this combat, but recovered. However, with the assistance of boymilk, they could become pregnant. Which would call down the direct protection of Goddess to (usually) ward off that specific form of attack.

I was sensitive enough, and had enough of a social sample at this point, to confirm from tone of voice and expression that 'dahrooleh' was in no way an embarrassing topic here. Like breastfeeding, it was just a fact of life.

November 26, 2025 at 12:18 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 25: Shopping in your story

There *had* to be a clothes-shopping scene. Naturally it was mortifying and irritating. 😀

But it was also intended to give a feel for some of the odd features of the new timeline - both material and social.

#ScienceFiction #SciFi

#TimeTravelAuthors
November 2025

1. Introduce your story (optional: include the word "thank")
3. What would your characters do if they could travel forward in time?
5. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: meal/food)
7. Sports in your story
9. Strangest research you did for your story
11. Does time ever fly?
13. Desserts?
15. Saturday excerpt (optional phrase: what if)
17. Does anyone read in your story?
19. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: thank)
21. Something you're thankful for in your writing process
23. Do any of your characters act like turkeys?
25. Shopping in your story
27. A sentence from page 11
29. Author's choice/promo

All time-travel authors and published works, WIPs, etc. welcome!
To join, just answer the prompts on odd days, using the hashtag #TimeTravelAuthors
On even days, post what you like!

November 25, 2025 at 12:23 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 25: system

In *this* timeline, electricity was a thing in the Bronze Age. Even when Jim has learned individual words, sayings and phrases often confuse him.

#ScienceFiction #SciFi

To my surprise, Manayka interrupted. "It hurts thee, I know." His hands spread, imploring. "But thou needs must see Jeema." He shook his head. "Even in wartime, the commoner messages are sent eventually." The two held each other's eyes in silence for a couple seconds. I was feeling very uncertain and ignorant, confused by the aphorism.[1]

[1] Telegraph wires can carry only one message at a time. Long ago when telegrams were the main connection between cities and regions, there was a priority system for which messages got sent first. Price could influence priority, too.
In wartime, most of the 'bandwidth' (I think I'm using that term correctly) got reserved for Imperial use, and nobles got a chunk of the remainder. Commoners had to squeeze their messages in between other, higher-priority uses.

November 25, 2025 at 12:14 PM

Reposted by Ray Ingles

Naomi Alderman

@naomialderman.bsky.social

just incredibly thrilled to announce that after months and months of uncertainty over the future of the game, and several I have bought Zombies, Run!, the game I co-created and have been making for the past 12 years:

zombiesrungame.com

observer.co.uk/the-critics/...

I’m a novelist who’s just bought a video games company. Here’s why you should care about games writing | The Observer

observer.co.uk

November 24, 2025 at 6:08 AM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 24: debut

Jim gets to hang with geniuses on the Time Eye project. It's more stressful than you'd think.

#SciFi #ScienceFiction

An equally famous face. The world’s foremost expert on genetics. She’d developed a technique to prime a patient’s immune system, targeting cancers and tumors. That alone had saved thousands of lives–possibly millions by that point. Trials were almost complete for a potential Multiple Sclerosis cure; she’d engineered a retrovirus that inserted special genes, ensuring the insulation around nerves was tip-top. Groundbreaking stuff.

A year and half ago she’d debuted a tailored set of viruses that could create a biological battery out of muscle tissue. A series of injections under the pectorals, for a couple months… and then you’d have a constant, guaranteed-for-the-life-of-the-patient trickle of power available for all kinds of medical implants–pacemakers, insulin pumps, brain monitors. “Groundbreaking” didn’t begin to cover that. Regulatory agencies around the world were struggling to figure out what a safety protocol would even look like for such an advance.

November 24, 2025 at 12:18 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 23: Any characters act like turkeys?

Acting 'stupid or inept?' Most of the characters, at times. Even the MC does, on occasion. Otherwise I wouldn't be writing humans. :)

Though most of the characters display smart or competent behavior, too. Which, is, well, also human... 🤷

November 23, 2025 at 2:55 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

Naked cakes like these are fashionable, and you can have multiple flavors.

I like that they're safer to deliver since they're one layer. 😁

#WeddingCake #Cake

Four round cakes of varying sizes on cake stands, in a wood-paneled ballroom. The white buttercream frosting is thin, allowing glimpses of the cake underneath to show through.

November 22, 2025 at 5:04 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 21: Something you're thankful for in your writing process

I queried SECONDARY. Now, I'm kinda glad it didn't get picked up. I write exactly what I want. I don't chase publishing trends or avoid 'scary' topics.

What I write may be weird, but at least it's what I want to write.

November 21, 2025 at 12:22 PM

Reposted by Ray Ingles

Godspeed You! Bluesky Emperor

@andrewpaul.bsky.social

November 20, 2025 at 6:55 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

What movie villain is a horrible person, but an absolute joy to watch onscreen?

Rickman's first Hollywood performance! Shaped movie villains for a couple decades. 🙇

November 20, 2025 at 10:16 PM

Reposted by Ray Ingles

Racthoh

@racthoh.bsky.social

#WIPSnips Special. Little lore dump around necromancers and the co-creator of the elven world.

Text in the alt.

#WritingCommunity #WriteSky

Tyrinal was much like his master, Alfrost, strictly keeping to the school of Legacy. However, she had no interest in bringing back a loved one to have one last moment with them or to see a friend one last time. She specialized in raising her fellow disciples of Phandra, those who were adept in the other two schools. Her depth of understanding was so great that not only were her minions able to perform at their absolute peak, but she was able to absorb the information into herself. Complete and absolute mastery of all three schools of necromancy was at her disposal. A master sailor, ruthless with a sword, mace, or halberd, and a genius alchemist, Alfrost was the true jack of all trades. She even conquered death, granting immortality to her dearest disciples, the closest of all being Tyrinal himself.

November 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

Tough for my WIP. It's (kind of) academic, an exploration of a *very* different timeline. And there's a lot to cover; which is kinda the point.

It's first-person from the MC, so that helps. I only explain what he's capable of understanding - things like tech, he *admits* he doesn't grasp. 🤷

Susan Savage Lee @susansavagelee.bsky.social · 5d

How do you decide what to leave unexplained in your WIP? In my novels, I always explain how the supernatural elements came to be because there’s space for it, but not with short stories #writingq #WritingCommunity

November 20, 2025 at 7:52 PM

Reposted by Ray Ingles

Ange

@gunsmile.bsky.social

Bury me with this last sentence carved onto my tombstone.

Charlie Delta 🦊🐐 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 6d

That is fascinating! I like that, the interplay between humanity and monstrosity, reflected in their relationship!

You write some of the most complex and interesting romantic pairings I have seen!

November 20, 2025 at 1:06 AM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 18: 'thank' snippet

Technically, we weren't meeting with 'the Emperor Consort Yarona' *as such*. We were instead meeting with '[Count] Yarona,' his title from his birth clan. The distinction was important. Different - and #thankfully much simpler - rules and constraints applied.

November 19, 2025 at 12:18 PM

Reposted by Ray Ingles

Desert Bus for Hope 🚌 $1.05 Million Raised in 2025

@desertbus.org

If you’d like to enter this giveaway head to desertbus.org, create a donor account and pledge any multiple of $5.51 This prize will be drawn at 3:45pm PST and every dollar goes to Child’s Play Charity!

Desert Bus 2025

A charity fundraising marathon in support of Child's Play Charity.

desertbus.org

November 18, 2025 at 9:57 PM

Reposted by Ray Ingles

Finn McLellan

@saranadosfiction.com

Trans Awareness Week, which means alongside all the actual worthy activism and fundraising and what-have-you, also a wee space for going 'hey, am a transmasc butch author writing trans characters'.

So, if you want to read the story Sabbat's from:

saranadosfiction.com/2023/12/11/a...

November 18, 2025 at 11:30 AM

Reposted by Ray Ingles

Julie Bihn (Titanic Voyage available now)

@juliebihn.bsky.social

Liam reads very early in Titanic Voyage:

Clara, I've read your journal so many times that I practically have it memorised. I still read it when I wish you could speak to me.

(And oh hey! You could read Liam's story! books2read.com/TV )

#TimeTravelAuthors

Titanic Voyage by Julie Bihn, held up in front of a (somewhat rusting but still very cool) Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.

November 17, 2025 at 12:38 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 17: Does anyone read in your story?

Not a lot of *fiction* reading so far. But notes, reports, papers, essays, graphs, reference books, etc. etc. show up all over. Appropriate for a bunch of academics. 😀

#SciFi #ScienceFiction

November 17, 2025 at 12:27 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 15: Saturday excerpt (optional phrase: what if)

Occasionally Jim gets reminded of how cataclysmically lost he is.

#ScienceFiction #SciFi

At the ‘overlook,’ I pointed down to where the reactor had been. I could see for kilometers out onto the ocean, though not to the horizon. The air was a little hazy–smog? Scattered high scudding clouds passed below a slightly washed-out blue sky.

There wasn’t a single familiar anything; the boats looked weird, the plane up high was making the buzzing sound of propellers, and there were two dirigibles moving against the wind but making no sound at all. Way up in the sky, over the city in the distance (apparently it was named “Urachi”) was a roundish something, unmoving. It had to be pretty fucking big to be visible from the ground.

Everything I beheld drove home the fact that I was… elsewhere. Elsewhen.

Standing silently, gazing at an alien landscape with the wind in my face, I heard T’ramoi mutter something I couldn’t quite catch. The breeze slacked a moment later so I heard Manayka’s reply. “Haveth some sympathy. What if thou hadst lost thine clan? Thine whole world?”

November 15, 2025 at 2:35 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 13: Desserts?

Alternate histories do have alternate desserts. Jim doesn't get to sample many of them, of course. Homeless beggars and sanitarium inmates don't dine too fancy. 🙄

November 13, 2025 at 12:11 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

I'll play along!

Convincing you to read my novel by the first sentence. Share yours if you want.

Three people on the planet are fluent in English, and I taught the other two. Not more than forty have learned to recognize an alphabet. Nobody can read cursive–especially

November 11, 2025 at 3:13 PM

Reposted by Ray Ingles

Kayleigh Diaz

@kleighdiaz.bsky.social

Sharing this stunning piece I had commissioned from @professoremily.bsky.social for my little post-apoc kiddos! Thank you so much, Emily!! You’re the best!

Featuring: Micah, Lennie, and the one-and-only Shrimp.

#WritingCommunity #WriteSky

Digital art by @professoremily.bsky.social of a teen boy (~15), teen girl (~14), and young boy (~10): Micah, Lennie, and Shrimp, respectively, from my post-apocalyptic WIP. Upward-angle view of them, set against a backdrop of trees. They show signs of trekking through the woods—arms and knees scuffed up, clothes disheveled and muddy. Micah is closest in the foreground, with a dark crossbow partially raised, an arrow set in it with a purple fletching. He’s looking to his left, on alert. He has tan skin, medium-length brown hair, blue eyes, and wears a black, sleeveless vest, green v-neck shirt, and dark jeans. Behind him is Lennie, in a blue shirt and red shorts. She has copper hair (braided) and matching eyes with a smattering of freckles across lightly tanned cheeks. She’s looking off into the distance with an expression of concern, her face partially in shadow while she holds Shrimp’s hand. He is bald and pale-skinned, though partially illuminated by golden sunlight, smiling and seemingly carefree—a stark contrast to the expressions of the other two. He wears mismatched clothing: a loose red tie that hangs low on his chest, a wrinkled, orange-collared shirt, and a faded maroon robe. Golden hour sunlight shines through massive trees, a canopy of green obscuring the sky, foliage on the forest floor, mushroom caps on tree trunks. A single, bent 70mph speed limit sign is off to the left, covered in rust.

November 11, 2025 at 1:40 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 11: Does time ever fly?

Not generally. Jim spends pretty much the whole first book in crisis mode, intensely aware of what's going on around him. (Mostly so as to not die.)

#SciFi

November 11, 2025 at 1:56 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 11: burger

In a history that split off just a little after the city of Ur was founded, burgers don't seem to have developed. They have different ways of cooking food, even.

#ScienceFiction #SciFi

We got a snack in that plaza across from the park. A breaded seafood sandwich for me. T’ramoi paid–cloth money and metal coins, both square. She quoted some kind of aphorism: “ziDoiseemay ray doilo ray doisapi, seeda doikicho tamu.”[1] Roughly, ‘Hunger, thirst, and weariness give poor advice.’
The coating on the fish was weird; like whole-wheat, mildly-spiced panko. After a couple bites, I noticed the fish was cooked very oddly–like a microwave that left warm and cool spots. Uneven. Not raw, yet some parts were definitely more done than others.
I finally realized what was going on. It had been electrocuted. That put a damper on my appetite; especially in concert with the unfamiliar, bitter spicing.

[1] Where English has ‘and,’ they have two separate words. ‘Gawa’ means ‘and’ in general; ‘ray’ is specifically for sequences and lists. Note that the nominative prefix ‘zi-’ is used only on the first item in the list.

November 11, 2025 at 1:46 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 11: local

Finding a bathroom in a foreign country is difficult enough. Try finding one in an alternate "timeline*...

#SciFi #ScienceFiction

At the next plaza I came across, I hung around for a while, despite the risks–and my swelling bladder. Food and drink were being served here. There had to be a place for people to get rid of them, ‘post-processing.’
I strained mightily to keep the concept of pay toilets off my mind. Not like I had any local currency…
Suddenly I realized that there were similar banners on opposite sides of the space. One had a triangle pointing down; the other a kind of rounded teardrop. Each symbol had a line of smaller symbols descending below them. Same colors and ‘font’…

November 10, 2025 at 12:19 PM

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