BLUE MOONS OVER WIDDLYDINK

My short fantasy satire story, “Blue Moons Over Widdlydink,” was in the top ten in Preditors & Editors readers poll for this past year (2011).

URBAN CTHULHU

Okay peoples, URBAN CTHULHU from H Harksen Productions was released a short time back…wrapping its slimy smoke and alley grit stained tentacles around your neck to drag you kicking and shrieking into a dark trash and body part strewn corner of an abandoned building…just TRY to escape. You’ll fail.

CONTENTS:

“Dancer of the Dying” by Jayaprakash Satyamurthy
“The Neighbors Upstairs” by John Goodrich
“Carcosapunk” by Glynn Owen Barrass
“Architect Eyes” by Thomas Strømsholt
“Slou” by Robert Tangiers
“Ozeelah’s Lake” by Morten Carlsen
“The Statement of Frank Elwood” by Pete Rawlik
“In the Shadow of Bh’Yhlun” by Ian Davey
“The Screamer” by T. E. Grau
“Night Life” by Henrik Sandbeck Harksen
“the guilt of each … at the end…” by Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.

The back cover blurb:

What lurks in the damp recesses of urban existence?

These new tales of weird fiction are a blend of urban horror, pulp noir and dark fantasy. Lovecraftian horrors and Cthulhu Mythos monsters have never been this gritty.

From haunted Kingsport across the globe to shadowy Berlin and the otherworldly music of Bangalore. From kind, sexy neighbors to cyberpunk paranoia an The King in Yellow. A journalist's search with unexpected results. What really happened to Walter Gilman, and what is the origin of the witch Keziah Mason? And witness humanity fail against the forces from beyond.

From weird sounds to screams of madness.

Entropy. Chaos. Disorder. Death.

Beneath cities, on the outskirts of ruined, aeon-old cities and INSIDE cities. The stench, the decay, the hopelesness... it is everywhere.

Welcome to URBAN CTHULHU: NIGHTMARE CITIES.

CARNIVAL

CARNIVAL is now available from Amazon. This anthology includes my story "Midnight Carnival" written under the pen name Robert Tangiers.

Carnival TOC -

Carnival Preparation by Chris Bartholomew
Ashton Howard's Dark Process by George Wilhite
The Carnival Under the Midsummer Moon by Richard Jay
Goldstein Titus by Mike Koch
Something Wicked by David Renfrow
Mr Marvel's Magical Mystery Tour by Dorothy Davies
I Miss My Son by Mason Swithen
Spook by Cutter Slagle
Midnight Carnival by Robert Tangiers
Cutter Creek by Courtney Martin
Hands by Peter LaBerge
Syrup by Emma Kathryn
Illusionist Weaver Movie Theatre by Robert William Shmigelsky
Fortune Teller by Pat Lewis-Bussard
Carnival Mask by J L Petty
The Older Man by Kevin L Jones
Stay Awhile by Timothy Nakayama
Carnival of Ancients by Kelley Nicol
Carnival of Fear by Neil Leckman
The Boundary by Tyler Robinson
Mismatched Blood by Ron Koppelberger
The Romani Brothers' Carnival by Brianna Stoddard
The Carnival Hungry of the Good Dr Sullivan by T Fox Dunham
Blood Fair by Matthew Wilson
The Bullet Catch by Matthew Wilson
Personal Demons by Nicky Peacock
Grim Games by Matthew Wilson
Unfair Ground by Matthew Wilson

SYNAPTIC VOID

Update: SYNAPTIC VOID is now available at Amazon.

Joe Jablonski, editor of Static Movement’s upcoming SYNAPTIC VOID anthology, ran a contest for best story for said anthology. A recent email from Joe went, in part, as such -

“I…wanted to let you know that you have been chosen as winner for best story (I actually think its one if the best stories I've read anywhere).”

Many thanks, Joe! Much appreciated.

The story in question is “The Last Singularity,” my little Lovecraftian science fiction story that takes place at the end of all things… Hope some of you decide to check out the anthology and my story!





TOC is…

The Last Singularity by Ran Cartwright
Dear Mom and If Buk Wrote Sci-fi by David S. Pointer
Invaders We by Martin Zeigler
The Death and Life of 14RR-E by Jake Johnson
Alpha and Omega by Voss Foster
Binary by Patrick Christian
Ego Trip by John H. Dromey
The Bachelor by Ron Koppelberger
Memories of Jonathan Lampedius by Howard Cincotta
As Nature Intended by Ken Goldman
Edge of Twilight by Matthew Wilson
Deejnoy 351c by Dene Bebbington
Ganglion Trains by Sean Monaghan
Rat Pack by Lee Clark Zumpe
Pupils by Wol-vriey
Snowbound, With Wolves by Dave Fragments
Death of Progression by Matthew Wilson
Dead Air by Matthew Wilson
Smoke Signals by Iain Pattison
Sector Seven by Frances Pauli
Graceful Exit by Kevin P. Kilburn
Humechanized by Jorden Greer
The Being by Tammy A. Branom
Repeat Offender by Mathew Wilson
Shadows by Eric Kruger
Cruel Sparks by Dene Bebbington
Just Visiting by Tammy A. Branon

SCREENPLAYS et al...updated

Took a lead from fellow writer Willie Meikle and listed a few screenplays, short film scripts, and treatments at Scrib’d. If anyone should care to take a look, the following are now available to read.

BLACK SAM miniseries Part 1 - Historical drama about pirate Black Sam Bellamy, this is the "epic" (longer) version of the screenplay that I have split into two parts for a possible television miniseries. As such, it does not contain "Acts." It does contain the contemporary opening and closing scenes as well as the "accused witch" Maria Hallett storyline that the shorter version of the screenplay does not include.

BLACK SAM miniseries Part 2 - Part 2 of the Black Sam miniseries...see Part 1 for description.

MCKINNEY: The Last Gunfighter - Spec screenplay; true story of the last days of California gunfighter Jim McKinney until cornered in a Chinese opium den.

Falling Asleep at the Wheel - 2 act short spec script; based on a local Ohio ghost legend that appears to be a legend everywhere.

The Pirate Lady - This is a spec proposal for a two part miniseries about pirate Ann Bonny.

COLONIES (the teleplay) - This is a 7 act science fiction spec script about a group of rebels living in the Outer Colonies of the Solar System. Could be a MOW or a pilot film for a series (note other COLONIES items I’ve listed).

COLONIES (series proposal) - This is a spec proposal for my science fiction television series, COLONIES. Includes brief overview, locales list, character list, and a brief synopsis of additional episodes.

BLACK SAM: A Pirate’s Tale - This is a spec treatment for a long epic script based on the lives of pirate Black Sam Bellamy and accused witch Maria Hallett.

BLACK SAM: A Pirate’s Tale - This is a shorter version of the Black Sam script, minus the contemporary intro and close, and minus the Maria Hallett storyline.

SUMMONING TSATHOGGUA - This is a two act short film script adapted from my short story of the same title.

DYING TIME - This is a four act short film script adapted from my wife’s short story of the same title.

NIGHT VISIONS - This is a five act short film script adapted from my short story “Sex & Death.” A rewritten version of this story appears in my DARKTOWNE collection.

Jules Verne’s FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON - This is my feature adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic science fiction novel.

THE GIRL WHO WALKED IN CIRCLES - This is a feature adaptation of Mike Minnis’ short Lovecraftian story of the same title.

More to come with time…

AN ENDING...updated

At age 44 Clark Ashton Smith virtually stopped writing, went off in other directions with other endeavors. I intend to do the same at age 58. Yes, I’m 58 now.

Granted, there were extenuating circumstance in CAS’ case. Personal tragedies, etc. Not true in my case. I’m simply tired and disenchanted with the entire enterprise of writing.

However, I’m not finished just yet. I have a lot of notes, note files, outlines, ideas, etc. Enough to keep me going the rest of my life should I choose to, and without further additions to said files, etc., which, thanks to imagination, has a tendency to grow daily. But I choose not to; a line must be drawn or I’ll never stop.

So, a line has been drawn. I’ve picked ten stories that I intend to finish by the end of this year. I have one last brief story promised to an editor (whether or not it’s accepted); other promised materials have been written and submitted. That leaves the rest as material I simply need to write or finish with no deadlines, etc.

I might add here that I’m also in the process of rewriting all the GRETCHEN’S WOOD stories for a 2nd edition of the collection…these stories are not included in the ten I mentioned above.

Lastly, once finished, I’ll continue to do what I can to see they attain print in some capacity. But any further output will be non-existent.

** ** UPDATE ** **

For those who may be interested, here’s what to expect by the end of this year.

Two Gyndron novellas
One IC novella & two IC shorts
Three J Worthington shorts
One Slagheap short

Also, a rewrite of the GRETCHEN’S WOOD stories for a 2nd edition.

Currently I’m running behind my timeline, so a couple of the above listened proect may not get done.

** ** UPDATE #2 ** **

4 May 2012

I’m way behind the curve on the intended stories to write and edit by the end of this year. I’m having a hard time even concentrating on rewriting and editing a second edition of GRETCHEN’S WOOD let alone write anything new.

So, I’ve decided to start my retirement from writing early. Semi-retirement is perhaps a more accurate term. That’s right. I’m just going to take my time writing what I need to write no matter how long it takes. When I get the above listed materials finish, then I’m finished.

WHEN IS GNYDRON NOT GNYDRON?

When it’s the Dreamlands.

I’ve written nine Gnydron stories (published in 3 chapbooks from Rainfall Books). I had planned to write two more, both of them being longer stories than the originals, more akin to long novelettes or short novellas.

Then one of those meetings of the minds happened out of the blue. Perhaps some disembodied minds floating in the aether gave me a heads up, a new direction? Maybe the man himself was calling from out of the dark, saying…”Hey you! Try this instead!”

Yeah, cool, neat idea. So I’m going to do just that. My nine Gnydron stories will remain the only Gnydron stories I’ve written. These two new stories will be set in the Dreamlands instead. Therefore, I’m going to have to brush up on my Dreamlands material. Has been quite a while since I had read any of the stories by the man himself or others.

While I do the brushing up, I’ll work on other material instead…like re-writing more of the GRETCHEN’S WOOD stories for a 2nd Edition and my Innsmouth City material.

This is going to be entertaining.