Works by Robert E. Rogoff

Works
Complete texts of
published stories

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Bibliography

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WORKS

by Robert E. Rogoff

Complete texts of some of the author's published stories are here.

NOTE: TO READ THESE STORIES ON AN IOS DEVICE, DO NOT ENABLE SAFARI READER VIEW. SAFARI READER VIEW WORKS CORRECTLY ON MacOS BUT NOT ON IOS.

Available here:

''The Princess and the Accountant'' (published 2002). This 3,300-word story was originally published in Once Upon a Galaxy, an anthology themed around the concept ''Science Fiction Fairy Tales'' edited by Wil McCarthy, Martin H. Greenberg, and John Helfers.

''Yellow Sport Coats'' (published 1996). Deviance and conformity. This story originally appeared in Crank! Science Fiction and Fantasy, editor Bryan Cholfin's literary experiment in uncategorizable "adult science fiction and fantasy." The version appearing on this web site is the official, author-approved one.

''Burning Down the Key Lime''. (published 1995). This weird fiction was my contributiion to the well-regarded "adult horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy" semiprozine Aberrations. ''Some serious allegorical damage done in a very small space, with some inspired writing." -- Tangent.

''I'm Dying Out Here'' (published 1995). A stand-up comedian experiences a comedy epiphany. The version appearing on this web site is the official, author-approved one. WARNING: This story contains explicit language and adult themes that may be unsuitable for children or other immature people.

''Dessert'' (published 1995) is a humorous short short with a punchline ending. This story was my first professional sale to a SFWA-approved professional market, editor E. J. Gold's valiant attempt to reboot his father's legendary science fiction periodical Galaxy. The version appearing on this web site is the official, author-approved one.

''Coke Bottle Lenses'' (published 1995). Another Galaxy story, this time with a different kind of ending. Time and memory are relative for a woman returning home to Earth. The version appearing on this web site is the official, author-approved one.

''Knockout'' (published 1995) is a wry twist on some old science fiction tropes, again following the Galaxy pattern. With apologies to Fredric Brown. The version appearing on this web site is the official, author-approved one.

''Almost Fired'' (published 1994). Another story of mine that originally appeared in the second series of Galaxy. The version appearing on this web site is the official, author-approved one. Damon Knight called this kind of story a ''jape.'' You're probably wondering: ''What's a jape?'' Read the story and find out.

"Why I Don't Have a Girlfriend" (published 1994). WARNING: EXTREMELY POLITICALLY INCORRECT. This story contains explicit language and adult themes that may be unsuitable for children or other immature people.

Works that probably will never see print for one reason or another.
Having been published on the Web from a server within the United States,
the following pieces fulfill the legal definition of being published:

''I Remember Bingo'' (published 2008). A haunting tale of a friend who is no friend at all.

''Do the Hustle'' (published 2008). A dark disco-era short short.

''Blues in Realtime Flat'' (published 2008). Cyberpunk slapstick. WARNING: this story contains explicit language and adult themes that may be unsuitable for children or other immature people.

''Cut Off'' (published 2008). A man is a dystopia unto himself in this edgy satire. WARNING: this story contains explicit language that may be unsuitable for children or other immature people.

''Book Detail'' (published 1996) is an extrapolative story set in a near-future America where the Internet has been subject to government censorship. Obviously, this could never happen in the United States, because all U.S. legislators swear an Oath upon taking office to uphold the Constitution of the United States. I sent this to every market I could think of. No editor was receptive. I decided to self-publish it on the web, which unfortunately means I can never grant any professional market First Publication Rights unless I "file off the serial numbers" enough to make the story pointless. WARNING: This story contains violence and explicit language that may be unsuitable for children or other immature people.

Available elsewhere:

''How the God of Fire-and-Rain Came to Be'' (published 2002). As Tangent Online Short Fiction Review summarized this 7,000-word story: ''In a humorous vein reminiscent of Douglas Adams, the eventual meat of Robert E. Rogoff's 'How the God of Fire-and-Rain Came to Be' is between Starseeder 1108 and a sub-program, Bastard Son. While Starseeder 1108 seeks to find a suitable earthly biosphere to allow Earthly life forms to 'go forward and multiply,' Bastard Son has other ideas. But then the 'One True Universe' has other ideas.'' The complete story is available in the anthology Beyond the Last Star: Stories From the Next Beginning, edited by Sherwood Smith.