Welcome to Red Sky Story—the online story development site of Tim Malone, a lifelong writer, researcher, and observer of the sky, both literal and symbolic.
About the Author
My name is Tim Malone, and I’ve spent over four decades working in IT and network engineering, with a passion for systems—whether technical, historical, theological, or celestial. I live in Camarillo, California, with my wife Carol, a published author in her own right, and together we share a love of writing, storytelling, and thoughtful inquiry into the unseen forces that shape our world.
You can learn more about my professional background at:
Online Resume (3TCM.com)
LinkedIn
I read a lot, but don’t write much on my Social Media pages:
Facebook
Twitter / X
For nearly twenty years, I published Latter-day Commentary, a blog devoted to my observations and essays relating to theology and doctrine as well as events in the LDS online community. Before that, I was a professional blogger for Tech Republic, a C|Net property in the early days of WordPress blogging.
I published “Tech of all Trades,” a regular blog (two or three posts each week) about being an IT Manager in a small business environment having to wear a lot of hats – network admin, help desk, cybersecurity, and buyer for all things IT. It was based on my early Blogger site “Adventures of an IT Manager.”
About the Project
Red Sky is a novel-in-progress—part speculative fiction, part cosmological thriller—rooted in both ancient myth and modern science. It explores what might happen if a rogue planet entered our solar system, not as mere rock and gravity, but as an electrically charged celestial presence capable of awakening memories buried in both Earth’s geology and humanity’s subconscious.
Inspired by the controversial works of Immanuel Velikovsky, Anthony Larson, and the Electric Universe theorists, the story asks:
What if ancient cataclysms weren’t just myth, but misunderstood history?
What if modern science has gaps in its grand narrative?
And what if someone saw it coming again—but no one believed him?
That someone is Manny Volynsky, a fringe scholar with an inconvenient theory. Standing opposite him is David Mitchell, a celebrated astrophysicist and defender of scientific orthodoxy. Their conflict is as much ideological as it is planetary.
Why Share the Story Online Before It’s Finished?
This site is part of an open creative process. I believe in writing in public—not just sharing the polished product, but exposing the messy, layered, uncertain development that gives rise to it. In that spirit, I’m posting:
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Draft chapters (some polished, some raw)
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Character studies and internal lore
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Scientific and mythological glossaries used in the novel
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Dreams and symbolic motifs that influence the tone and structure
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Reflections on storytelling, belief, and the end of the world
But why share so much before the book is “ready”? Isn’t that risky?
That’s a valid question—and one I’ve wrestled with, especially after thoughtful concern from my wife Carol, who reminds me that story ideas, especially unique or timely ones, can be vulnerable to imitation. Could someone see the core concept, write a similar book or screenplay, and beat me to publication or development?
In theory, yes. In practice, I believe the risk is small.
Arguments for sharing work-in-progress online:
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Building an audience now. Publishing chapters and thoughts along the way allows readers to invest in the story and the world early on, increasing long-term interest.
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Feedback in real time. I hope that when the novel is sufficiently developed, I’ll begin to receive constructive criticism or ideas from thoughtful readers—many of whom are writers themselves.
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Proof of origin. Sharing drafts with time-stamped blog posts can serve as a public record of authorship, helping protect the originality of the work.
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Accountability. Writing in public keeps me motivated and focused. There’s something energizing about knowing others are following the journey.
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Creative momentum. This process invites reflection and discovery. Public writing creates its own rhythm and energy, and many creative breakthroughs come when I try to explain things to others.
Arguments against sharing too soon:
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Intellectual property vulnerability. Once ideas are online, they’re visible to anyone—including opportunists. While direct theft is rare, echoes of a concept can easily appear elsewhere, intentionally or not.
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Premature exposure. An early draft may not represent the full vision of the story. A weak first impression could stick in readers’ minds—or even agents or producers who stumble across the site.
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Loss of mystery. Publishing chapters before the full arc is complete may reduce the narrative suspense or novelty for future readers.
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Creative second-guessing. Public feedback—especially inconsistent or surface-level comments—can sometimes derail a writer’s original instincts or creative confidence.
So why take the chance?
Because Red Sky isn’t just a product I’m trying to protect—it’s a conversation I’m trying to start. In my blogging experience, it takes months to build readership, for search engines to find you, and readers to trust your content enough to subscribe. By that time, the first book should be completed.
This book lives at the intersection of science, myth, memory, and faith. It’s inspired by theories that have been dismissed and rediscovered, by dreams that lingered, and by people—like Anthony Larson—whose ideas deserve a second look. Sharing parts of the story as they emerge invites others into that process.
I may choose to hold back some chapters until they’re more refined, especially those that contain pivotal reveals or endings. But for now, this blog is both a workshop and a lighthouse. If you’re drawn to the ideas here, then you’re part of the reason I’m writing it in the first place.
You’re welcome to follow along, leave comments, or just observe quietly. If anything resonates with you—scientifically, spiritually, or emotionally—I’m glad you’re here.
You can read more about how the story got started in this post.
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He saw it coming. No one believed him.
This is the sky before the sky falls.
