My stories are inspired by dreams – daydreams, nightmares and fanciful wonderings; a desire to change what has already been told; an escape into forgotten memory, from current dilemmas, or into future existences – and a grasping at incomprehensible truth. This collection contains the first story I wrote in London over three decades ago, and ends with something I finished just last week. None of these stories fit well into any genre, though there are traces of science fiction and fantasy in some. Most would be defined as “literary,” which is really just another way of saying the reader has to work a little harder than usual. Some of these stories have been published before, either on their own, in other collections, or as part of The Exodus Sequence. Some will one day become part of new collections, such as volume two of The Exodus Sequence, or the Tales of Everlast. A few of the stories are random tales that don’t fit into any proposed collections, so are appearing here for the first time. The most delicious factor about a collection of short stories is that you can always skip to the next story if you don’t like the one you’re reading.
Obviously, I hope you will enjoy them all.
Obviously, I hope you will enjoy them all.
THE NIGHTMARIST AND OTHER STORIES
“She saw in their eyes a reflection of herself: dressed head to foot in black, cloaked, hooded, a crow on her shoulder. And all the other crows that had followed her arrayed behind her: in the trees, on the ground, perched on rocks. As one, they regarded the fairies with unblinking black eyes.”
Everyone in The Nightmarist and Other Stories has lost a part of themselves – a memory, an aspect of identity, the ability to fall in love. They hunt for themselves in forests or deserts or the empty walls of a church, asking questions no one can answer. Nothing is ever as it seems and reality bends away from the truth so that when they do find it, the truth is as unexpected as finding a dragon on the moon.
A Nightmarist seeks answers beyond the safety of the Vast Wooded Realm, until Night finds her and tells her who she was born to be.
A scatter-brained killer hunts the forests for someone who may have all the answers, but all she really wants is to see a grizzly bear.
A war veteran soldier with misdiagnosed PTSD hallucinates the horror of the White Shadow war.
A small girl in a crushed hat picks up tiny red shells on a beach, houses of the dead that reveal the truth of existence.
Two lovers meet again and again in familiar fairy tales, both trapped by an unbreakable spell.
The twelve stories in this collection are inspired by dreams or a desire to change what has already been told. They are an escape into forgotten memory, from current dilemmas, or into future existences. In all the stories, there is a grasping at incomprehensible truth.
“She saw in their eyes a reflection of herself: dressed head to foot in black, cloaked, hooded, a crow on her shoulder. And all the other crows that had followed her arrayed behind her: in the trees, on the ground, perched on rocks. As one, they regarded the fairies with unblinking black eyes.”
Everyone in The Nightmarist and Other Stories has lost a part of themselves – a memory, an aspect of identity, the ability to fall in love. They hunt for themselves in forests or deserts or the empty walls of a church, asking questions no one can answer. Nothing is ever as it seems and reality bends away from the truth so that when they do find it, the truth is as unexpected as finding a dragon on the moon.
A Nightmarist seeks answers beyond the safety of the Vast Wooded Realm, until Night finds her and tells her who she was born to be.
A scatter-brained killer hunts the forests for someone who may have all the answers, but all she really wants is to see a grizzly bear.
A war veteran soldier with misdiagnosed PTSD hallucinates the horror of the White Shadow war.
A small girl in a crushed hat picks up tiny red shells on a beach, houses of the dead that reveal the truth of existence.
Two lovers meet again and again in familiar fairy tales, both trapped by an unbreakable spell.
The twelve stories in this collection are inspired by dreams or a desire to change what has already been told. They are an escape into forgotten memory, from current dilemmas, or into future existences. In all the stories, there is a grasping at incomprehensible truth.
EXTRACT
“I didn’t catch your name,” she said to Domitian.
“I didn’t throw it,” said Domitian. “My name for this encounter is Domitian.”
“Right,” said Alenke. “I presume you know who I am.”
Domitian looked up. Quarren felt his stomach flip nervously.
“You are Alenke Koie. Para-psycho-structuralist. Quarren tells me they used to call you a parasite, everyone like you that manipulates the minds of others. You manipulated him very nicely, so I must thank you. You manipulated him right in my direction and now he’s mine.”
“I didn’t catch your name,” she said to Domitian.
“I didn’t throw it,” said Domitian. “My name for this encounter is Domitian.”
“Right,” said Alenke. “I presume you know who I am.”
Domitian looked up. Quarren felt his stomach flip nervously.
“You are Alenke Koie. Para-psycho-structuralist. Quarren tells me they used to call you a parasite, everyone like you that manipulates the minds of others. You manipulated him very nicely, so I must thank you. You manipulated him right in my direction and now he’s mine.”
