Call for Submissions!

Starship Blunder 3: Mission Hospitality is looking for stories
set in the Starship Blunder universe!

The submission window for this anthology is now closed.

Cover subject to change.

Galactic Misadventure Vacations!

It’s no secret that the Starship Wonder and her blundering crew are losing the Conglomeracy an embarrassing amount of money. With a long track record of failed missions, crash landings, and general incompetence, the underperforming starship was destined for the junkyard. But instead of scrapping the Wonder, the Conglomeracy has a bold new plan: retrofit the unlucky military vessel into a luxury cruise starship and charge passengers for the pleasure of staying aboard.

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Trusting a starship that couldn’t even deliver an unimportant package to safely entertain paying guests—while also flying through outer space without crashing—may be more than the vessel and her crew can handle. With Commander Sarah Hawkins reluctantly promoted to cruise director, the crew does their best to put on a good show. But mishaps are inevitable, guests may get left behind, and carefully planned vacations unravel at an alarming speed.

Will the crew be content to circle the solar system on a never-ending pleasure cruise, or will their sense of adventure once again put the Starship Wonder, and everyone aboard, directly in harm’s way?

After too many failed missions, the Conglomeracy almost gave up on the worst starship in the fleet. Who knows where the idea to transform the vessel into a vacation destination came from. Although Commander Hawkins isn't thrilled about the transition, she takes her new role in stride. Similarly, Xylo is disappointed with his reduced role, having transitioned from maintaining the whole starship and the warp drive to mostly fixing broken toilets in the guest rooms.

Chef Bluebottle is excited to explore new cuisines for appreciative guests, but circumstances keep preventing him from achieving any culinary expertise. Sheriff Kojak finds his role of head of security even more important now that there are guests on the starship to protect.

Miss Luna Knight's title changes from "Daycare Teacher" to "Camp Director." Although not impressed by the entertainment-focused Kid Kozmos, she loves working with children and young aliens and knows that sometimes the best way to engage them is to teach a lesson about bats.

Important: Read the Submission Guidelines, FAQs, Character Profiles, Setting Details, and Intro Story carefully before writing and submitting your story for the Starship Blunder 3: Mission Hospitality anthology!

Submission Guidelines

Submission Guidelines

WHAT WE WANT:

Theme: This is a shared universe anthology. Stories should be set in the Starship Blunder universe. Embrace humor, delve into deeper themes, or spin a romantic tale under the stars. Include some diverse characters and a mix of genres.

Word Count: Aim for 2,000 to 6,000 words. Exceptional stories outside this range will also be considered.

Originality in the Universe: We welcome your fictional planets and alien species. Expand the Starship Blunder universe with your imagination!

Multiple Submissions: If you feel sufficiently inspired by the universe, feel free to submit multiple stories!

WHAT WE DON'T WANT:

Excessive Gore: While a bit of space skirmish and alien encounters are fine, we prefer gore that serves the plot and isn't gratuitous.

Erotica: Romance? Absolutely! But please, no explicit erotica.

Child Abuse: Stories involving any form of child abuse will not be considered.

Dismantling the Core World: Please don't destroy our beloved Starship Wonder or Neptune. Also, avoid killing off the six existing characters.

AI-Generated Stories: Feel free to brainstorm with your favorite chatbot and use AI-assisted grammar software, but all the words of your story must be your own. We want original stories by talented humans written in their own words.

Simultaneous Submissions: Due to the nature of a shared universe, this just isn’t possible. However, if your story doesn’t get picked for Starship Blunder 3, feel free to remove or change all the Blunder references and characters and submit it elsewhere.

Submission Details

Writers must be at least 18 years old to submit their story.

Payment: $35 per accepted story or 5 paperback copies of the book.

Publishing Details: The Starship Blunder 3: Mission Hospitality anthology will be published by Beth Martin Books and made available in ebook and print. Contributors will have the opportunity to purchase print copies at a 50% discount from MSRP.

Deadline: Submissions are due by August 1st, 2026.

Decisions will be made by mid-September 2026.

All submissions should be made through the Submission Form.

Thanks for your interest in Mission Hospitality!
The submission window for the third Starship Blunder anthology has closed.

FAQs

I haven’t read Starship Blunder or Starship Blunder 2. Can I still write a story?

Absolutely! First, familiarize yourself with the world and its characters, then craft a fun, humorous story set in the universe.

Why should I write a story for this anthology?

The Starship Blunder anthology debuted as the #1 New Release in Parodies on Amazon, and both anthologies have sold well. Beyond just writing stories, this anthology brings together a community of creative minds. By joining, you'll see your work published alongside other talented authors, gain exposure, and contribute to something truly exciting in the indie publishing world. Also, as a contributor, you’ll have access to discounted author copies, perfect for sharing with friends and family or selling at book signings.

How should I go about writing a Starship Blunder story?

I’m glad you asked! A successful formula many authors used in the first two anthologies was to create an original character and follow them during their time on the starship. Ultimately, only the canonical characters will remain on the crew over and over again.

However, if you come up with a story featuring all original characters set in the Blunder universe or only using existing characters, that’s okay, too. Don’t let me stifle your creativity!

Who's the pilot? And the navigator? And the medical officer? I don't see their character profiles!

Yeah, it turns out that people don't like working on the Starship Wonder, so she sees a lot of turnover among the staff. If you need to fill these roles in your story, feel free to make up new characters. They'll be onto bigger, brighter things by the next story.

I’m not great at writing humor. Can I still submit something?

Although humor is the core of the Starship Blunder universe, the stories picked for the anthology will be as diverse as the starship’s crew. Feel free to write and submit a serious story, a romance, something set on a fantastical planet, or some horror. Just keep in mind that stories with gratuitous sexual content or gore will not be considered.

I have even more questions.

Feel free to send any questions about your story or submission to Beth Martin through the contact form. (Put Starship Blunder as the answer for the anti-spam question.)

Character Profiles

Commander Sarah Hawkins

Role: Commander of the Spaceship Wonder
Age: 46
Physical Description: Sarah is a strong and confident black woman. Her hair is typically styled in a curly ponytail, and she has a warm, inviting smile. She wears her uniform with a sense of pride and duty.

Bio: Sarah is the heart and soul of the Starship Wonder. Despite being the only truly competent member of the crew, she remains optimistic. She finds solace in her role as a leader and mentor to her crew. Her piloting skills are unparalleled, and she sometimes takes over flying even though it's no longer her role.

Xylo

Role: Ship Mechanic
Age: 33 (in human years)
Physical Description: Xylo is a tall, slender alien from the planet Zentara. His skin is a shimmering gray-blue, with small, luminescent spots that glow when he's excited or agitated. He has large, expressive eyes and dexterous hands with extra joints.

Bio: Xylo enjoys making cool gadgets and tools that may or may not work as intended. He's upset that there's a limit on the Starship Wonder's speed, and has been known to make "upgrades" on the warp engine. His understanding of human social cues is a work in progress, leading to humorous misinterpretations.

Commander Rex Sterling

Role: Commander of the elite Starship Prime
Age: 41
Physical Description: Rex is tall, with a chiseled jawline and perfectly styled hair. He has a commanding presence and carries himself with an air of undeniable confidence.

Bio: Commander Sterling is the poster boy for the elite Starship Prime. He is supremely confident in his abilities and his ship's superiority. He's close friends with Sarah Hawkins and strongly believes she has what it takes to succeed—even on the Starship Wonder.

Chef Bluebottle

Role: Chef
Age: 80
Physical Description: Chef Bluebottle is a short elderly man with wrinkly skin, grayish-blue eyes, and no hair—except for bushy eyebrows. He wears a dirty chef’s hat in all circumstances, like a security blanket.

Bio: No one is sure how Chef Bluebottle is still alive. A former gourmet chef from Mars, Bluebottle has lost his sparkle and culinary expertise. He's excited to make interesting meals for cruise guests, but circumstances keep limiting his ability to craft fabulous cuisine. He loves getting into other crewmates’ business and inserting himself into situations where he’s not welcome.

Luna Knight

Role: Camp Director
Age: 23
Physical Description: Miss Luna is an average-sized young woman with pale skin, black hair, and brown eyes. She dresses in all black with an overall gothic style and never smiles. She has colorful tattoos of various space elements on her arm and legs, which she uses to entertain and educate the children.

Bio: Although adults find her scary, young guests aboard the Starship Wonder adore Miss Luna. She runs the day camp for the starship and enjoys teaching lessons about bats. She’s warm and engaging with children, but scary and unsettling to adults. However, that doesn’t mean she’s immune to the occasional romantic entanglement.

Sheriff Kojak

Role: Head of Security
Age: 65
Physical Description: Kojak is a short, rugged human standing at 5'1". He frequently wears a large cowboy hat and a silver sheriff pin with a lollipop clenched between his teeth. His personal transporter, painted in the black-and-white pattern of old Earth police cruisers, helps him quickly navigate the starship.

Bio: Born DaBears on Pluto, Kojak modeled his entire security career on vintage Earth police procedurals—mistakenly believing the dramas were official training videos. Though notoriously clumsy, he survived mission after mission through improbable luck. Now serving as the Wonder’s security chief, he approaches every situation with dramatic flair, unearned confidence, and investigative techniques inspired entirely by old TV shows.

Setting Details

Starship Blunder

When the original Starship Blunder blew up, the Conglomeracy, a small spacefederation, built the ragtag crew a new vessel called the Starship Wonder. After getting assigned the worst missions available and still failing, the Conglomeracy has spared the Starship Wonder and retrofitted her as a luxury cruise starship rather than sending her to the junkyard.

Description: Originally, the Starship Wonder was assembled using extra pieces, cast-off parts, and old components removed from other, nicer crafts. Along with the retrofit to become a luxury vacation vessel, her patchwork of components gives her a unique, somewhat comical appearance. A governor had been installed on the warp engine to limit the starship's speed, so Xylo and his team frequently make improvements that may or may not fail at inopportune times.

Capabilities: Despite her underperformance and a microchip on the warp engine called a governor that caps her speed, the Wonder is capable of interstellar travel. Many upgrades were added to entertain guests, including the addition of a theater, pool, library, spa, atrium, gift shop, kids' camp, buffet, and comfortable guest rooms.

Passengers: The ship has guest quarters for up to 100 passengers and additional quarters for the 50 crew members. Both guests and crew are a melting pot of species, predominantly human but with a significant representation of other alien species.

Common Areas: The updated spaces from the retrofit are far more luxurious than the previous accommodations. Primarily crew-facing areas, including the bridge, hologram hall, chef's galley, crew quarters, and engineering bay did not receive any updates. Most notably, the failing conservatory has been transformed into a grand atrium complete with a large sparkling chandelier, seating areas, a grand piano, a café bar, and a sweeping staircase down to level 1.

Level 1:

Bridge: Command center of the ship.

Vista Lounge & Bar: After-hours bar with excellent views of outerspace.

Grand Dining Hall: Main dining room for guests serving lunch and dinner each day.

Wellness Spa: Overpriced treatments, including massages and facials, along with basic medical facilities.

Hologram Hall: Used for training and entertaining the crew.

Theater: Daily entertainment including films and live performances.

Pool: Just big enough to splash in.

Library: Quiet area with comfy seats and books to borrow.

Airlocks: Positioned for boarding and exterior access.

Level 2:

Crew Quarters: Compact living spaces for 50 crew.

Gift Shop: Items for sale.

Security Office: Workspace for Sheriff Kojak and his team, and where guests can report incidents.

Kid Kozmos: An area for children.

Buffet: Open 24 hours.

Chef’s Galley: Kitchen area.

Restrooms: Shared for crew.

Engineering Bay: Mechanic’s workspace with tools and equipment.

Atrium: Heart of the starship with lounge space, a café, and entertainment.

Terminus, Neptune

Neptune is the home planet for the Conglomeracy and Starship Wonder. It is presented as a habitable planet in this universe, with vast oceans and floating cities. The planet is known for its breathtaking views, with swirling blue storms and high-speed winds that are a spectacle to behold from the safety of the cities.

One of the floating cities of Neptune, Terminus, serves as the home port for most of Starship Wonder's cruises. The city is in the shape of a donut and is completely enclosed to protect it from Neptune’s stormy weather.

Beloved floating city of Terminus, Neptune

Read the Intro Story

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