I’ve had a few people ask if I have/will write something non-fantasy, mainly after they’ve read A Land of Ash. Well, I’ve dabbled in horror, but really only in short stories. I’ve been featured in several different collections, and I figured I’d make a quick post highlighting ’em in case anyone wants to hunt them down and take a look.
First up, The Lake and 17 Other Stories:
The Lake is a collection of short stories and drabbles by a fantastic friend and author, David McAfee. At the end is a story of mine titled One Last Dinner Party, which later became the impetus to write the entire Land of Ash collection. The story itself is about the end of the world, and how a small group of southerners deals with its approach the best way they know how: by throwing a dinner party. Great set of stories, great price, and worth reading just for Exhibit A alone.
Next up: McAfee’s sequel to the lake.
Devil Music is a similar set of collections, including some follow-ups to some, such as Exhibit A, from the Lake. By request, I contributed another story, this one titled Locked and Locked Again. Consider it my attempt at doing a Cthulhu-esque type story, with a tiny, tiny bit of the absurd. A college student’s been given a chest, and told never to unlock it. He does anyway, and after seeing the horror inside, he’s got to do everything he can to keep it shut…
Now for something on the sillier side:
Lessons III is Michael Crane’s third collection of drabbles, which in case you’ve been wondering what those are: they’re crazy short stories with the strict rule of being only 100 words long. Can you tell a story in that few a words? Oh yes, yes you can, and Michael’s gotten pretty good at it. On a whim, I cranked out my first ever drabble, and Mike seemed to enjoy it. It’s titled Family Favors, and in it, I basically kill someone who looks/acts remarkably by Lady Gaga. But it’s not. Really. I swear. And it isn’t me, but a brother and…well, just read the story.
Last, a collection by that Rob guy who writes those amazing fanboy reviews on Amazon:
The Gate features thirteen short stories (no drabbles here), all with a sci-fi or horror bent. My story is titled Kitty in the Cellar, and is about a girl getting revenge on two boys who always pick on her by locking them in the cellar of an abandoned home. But there might be more than just pickle jars down there. Rob’s story the Gate is also pretty damn good, especially if you like untrustworthy narrators in space.
If I remember correctly, all four are available for just $0.99, so if you want to try out a little bit of horror, and get some great stories, all three are solid collections. (Oh, and in case anyone asks: yes, I’m still writing Shadowdance #3, and yes, I’m still expecting it to release Nov 1st, or close to it).
