About Ancient Roads
Welcome to Ancient Roads. I'm Chris Struble (rhymes with ruble), a retired software test manager, with a lifelong passion for writing in service of imagining a better world. I write speculative fiction and music from the worlds I create. I live in Renton, Washington, near Seattle, in the Pacific Northwest.
Since 2025 I have been publishing my first novel, Shield of the Goddess, an adult fantasy set in an ancient world, as a web serial right here.
It all started with music
I have been reading fantasy and science fiction since high school, and noticed that whenever I read stories with songs in them, I would often imagine music for the songs. I decided to do the same for my own fiction writing.
Shield of the Goddess started with music. The prayers and spells in the novel are original songs I wrote, inspired by my studies of ancient music.
Read and listen for free
The first chapter is public for anyone to read. I also publish songs from the novel and other songs I have written or arranged as playable sheet music. The first song from the novel is public for anyone to listen to.
If you subscribe to my free monthly newsletter, you’ll get access to a year of my latest content, delivered straight to your inbox every month, no app needed. You'll also be able to keep reading my latest book chapters and hear the latest songs from the book for free.
A library of content
Check out my Books, Music, and Reviews pages to see organized lists of everything I have published here to date.
Also check out my Recommendations for selected authors, bookstores, coaches, musicians, news outlets, and service providers I recommend.
Writing by humans for humans
A few things to know: I don’t write with AI, never have, never will. I don’t host ads on my website either. And I won’t sell your information, ever.
See you on the road.
Lyre icons created by Freepik - Flaticon
Index image credit:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/road-with-columns-in-ancient-city-5477618/