Sunday Morning Comics and Free Fiction

Some free fiction and comics this morning. More to come. [Art from  "Pursuit of the Vampire!" in comics below.]










Fiction
• At Cast of Wonders: "Gift Cards of an Ex-Goddess" by Melissa Embry. YA Fantasy.
      "When the child in Mrs. Chaudray’s womb turned a somersault, Mala knew her time as an avatar running out."

Flash Fiction

• At Chilling Tales for Dark Nights: "The Bad Man" by MrCreepyPasta. Audio. Horror.
• At Every Day Fiction: "Sacrifice" by Wendy Turbin. Fantasy.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "Timecasting" by Duncan Shields. Science Fiction.

Audio Fiction

• At Cast of Wonders: "Gift Cards of an Ex-Goddess" by Melissa Embry. read by Christiana Ellis. YA Fantasy.
      "When the child in Mrs. Chaudray’s womb turned a somersault, Mala knew her time as an avatar running out."

• At Clarkesworld: "Out of Copyright" by Charles Sheffield, read by Kate Baker.
     "Troubleshooting. A splendid idea, and one that I agree with totally in principle. Bang! One bullet, and trouble bites the dust. But unfortunately, trouble doesn’t know the rules. Trouble won’t stay dead"

Comics

• At Atomic Kommie Comics: Crusader from Mars - "Night of Terror" 1952.
• At Diversions of the Groovy Kind: "Small War" Sci-Fi. 1980.
• At Four-Colr Shadows: "Last Supper" Horror.1954.
• At The Horrors of It All: "Pursuit of the Vampire!" Horror. 1979.
• At The Horrors of It All: "The City of the Dead!" Horror. 1953.
• At Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine: "Shadows of Satan" Monster. 1972.

Now Posted: Clarkesworls Issue 84, September 2013

It's Clarkesworld, huzzah!  A seriously great magazine whose stories have won countless awards.  Read it! You'll love it.














Fiction

• "Mar Pacifico" by Greg Mellor.
     "A pale dawn spread across the Pacific as my dead mother emerged from the waves."

• "The Promise of Space"  by Jim Kelly
     "I haven’t yet had the chance to review that capture. We were married in 2043. Presumably we met before that?"

• "One Flesh" by Mark Bourne and Elizabeth Bourne
      "Jupiter’s immense horizon appears flat as a flitter, stretching beyond the reach of vision. Cloud banks the size of continents drift in what might be sky. Organic molecules paint them in autumn colors: oranges and browns and peach and gold. Behind the clouds, the rising sun shines like a silver coin"

• "Out of Copyright" by Charles Sheffield. 1989. 
     "Troubleshooting. A splendid idea, and one that I agree with totally in principle. Bang! One bullet, and trouble bites the dust. But unfortunately, trouble doesn’t know the rules. Trouble won’t stay dead."

• "First Principle" by Nancy Kress. 2011.
     "He was even bigger than I expected. All three of them were. Barb and I watched on the link screen as they waited for the transport bay to pressurize, as they climbed out of the rover. Dr. Langley, in his rotation as council leader, made a welcome speech. The parents managed exhausted smiles, but the boy scowled."

Non-Fiction

• "Aliens, Robots, Spaceships and . . . Popsicles? SF on American Radio, Then and Now" by Mark Cole 
• "Organic Synthesis: A Conversation" with Ken Liu by Jeremy L. C. Jones 
• "Another Word: I am an Endangered Species" by Alethea Kontis 
• "Editor's Desk: Post-Apocalyptic Publishing" by Neil Clarke 
• ART - "Silent Oracle" by Matt Dixon

Terrific Tuesday Treats

Many good freebies today, including two 'zines, numerous short stories, flash fiction, comics, e-books, etc.  Be sure to check out SF Signal's daily freebies post, especially since, reversing the natural order of the universe, I swiped a link from Regan Wolfrom today.

[Art from "Deathchaser" by D.L. Watson, linked below]




Fiction
• At Author's Site: "Tribute" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Pirates.
     " But when the crew begin writing about a ghostly vision—a vision impossible to believe but inadvisable to ignore—he must address the danger facing the ship and her crew. And he must make a choice that will affect every last man on board."

• At The Colored Lens: "The Desert Cold Oasis and Spa" by Emily B. Cataneo.  Slipstream.
     "The woman in the diner’s backroom sat in a chair–but no, she wasn’t just sitting. She had become the chair, or the chair was eating her, consuming her like a wicker tumor. Half her teeth were gone and white willow strands had forced through the empty spots in her gums."

• At Daily Science Fiction: "It's Good to See You" by Douglas Rudoff. Science Fiction.
     "Most people were unsettled by the journey past the dead to the ship's forward viewing dome. Brad didn't mind as it allowed him solitude. He floated through the zero gravity of the dimly lit, quarter-mile-long corridor of the necropolis, pulling himself along the rungs between the rows of thousands of white sarcophagi encircling him on all sides, the blank faces of their occupants just barely visible through small windows. In four days, he'd be joining them."

• At Lightspeed: "The Traditional"  by Maria Dahvana Headley. Science Fiction.
      "By your first anniversary, the world’s stopped making paper, and so you can’t give your boyfriend the traditional gift. You never would have anyway, regardless of circumstances. You’re not that kind of girl. You pride yourself"

• At Lightspeed: "The Man Who Carved Skulls"  by Richard Parks. Fantasy.
     “I married your mother for her skull. It’s no secret.” Jarak put aside his rasps and gouges for the moment, resting his eyes and mind from the precise, exacting work his trade demanded. He didn’t mind his son’s persistent questions at such times. Akan was at an age when he should be curious and, if curiosity was a duty, Akan was a dedicated boy. It wasn’t as though Purlo the Baker, whose skull rested patiently on Jarak’s workbench, was in a hurry."

• At Strange Horizons: "Hear the Enemy, My Daughter" by Kenneth Schneyer.
       "Now Kesi is four and does not mention him at all. She remembers him; when I point to his picture, she tells me who Jabari is. But she does not begin conversation about him. She does not ask when he will return. She does not ask what it means to die."

• At Tor.com:  "We Have Always Lived On Mars" by Cecil Castellucci. Science Fiction.
       "Nina, one of the few descendants of human colony on Mars that was abandoned by Earth, is surprised to discover that she can breathe the toxic atmosphere of the Martian surface.  The crew, thinking that their attempts at terraforming and breeding for Martian adaptability have finally payed off, rejoice at the prospect of a brighter future."

• At World SF Blog: "A Puddle of Blood" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Vampires.
     "Domingo waits to see if the next news items will expand on the drug-war story. He is fond of yellow journalism. He also likes stories about vampires; they seem exotic. There are no vampires in Mexico City: their kind has been a no-no for the past thirty years, around the time the Federal District became a city-state."

Now Posted: Galaxy's Edge #2. Science Fiction. [Via SF Signal]

• "Aliens Ate My Pickup" by Mercedes Lackey
• "Effect and Cause" by Ken Liu
• "When We Went to See the End of the World" by Robert Silverberg
• "Today I Am Nobody" by Tina Gower
• "Happily Ever After" by C. L. Moore
• "The Flamingo Girl" by Brad R. Torgersen
• "Rex" by David Gerrold
• "Ghost in the Machine" by Ralph Roberts
• "Echea" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
• "Sparkler" by Gio Clairval
• "Child of the Gods" by Bruce McAllister
• "The Feynman Saltation" by Charles Sheffield
• "Dark Universe (Part 2)" by Daniel F. Galouye

Now Posted: Sorcerous Signals May - Jul '13. Fantasy.

• "Dark Keys, Light Keys" by Eleanor Wood.
• "Death and Safety" by Frank R Sjodin.
• "Deathchaser" by D.L. Watson.
• "Demons, Devils and Deadbeats" by Giovanni Valentino.
• "Legacy of the Throne" by Rachel Weatherford.
• "Over the Sea" by Sarah L Byrne.
• "The Sorceror" by Matthew Wilson. Poem.
• "Strength of Stone" by Lance Schonberg.
• "The Templar Conspiracy" by Robert Collins.
• "The Yeoman Praises Wizards" by Charles Von Nordheim. Poem

Flash Fiction

• At Beware the Hairy Mango: "Cellegraph" by Matthew Sanborn Smith. Weird. Audio.
• At Flashes in the Dark: "The White Place" by Jessie Peacock. Horror.
• At Strange Horizons: "Book of Vole (Excerpts)" by Jane Tolmie and Perry Rath. Speculative Fiction.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "The Art That Keeps" by Jae Miles. Science Fiction.

E-Books
At Free eBooks Daily:

• Frost Fire by Olivia Rivers. YA Fantasy. 
• Cave Dwellers by Jonathan Randall. Fantasy.
• Run by Blake Crouch. Horror. Thriller.
• 314 by A.R. Wise. Horror.
• Huntress by Nicole Hamlett. Fantasy. 
• Golden Blood by Melissa Pearl. YA Paranormal. Urban Fantasy.
• From the Shadows by Christina Moore. Fantasy Romance.
• The King's Vampire by Brenda Stinnett. Vampire Romance.
• Eternal by Sally Lundsten. Vampire Romance. 
• Summer of the Moon Flower by Annie Seaton. Fantasy.  
• Point Apocalypse by Alex Bobl. Science Fiction.  
• Pello Island: Cassia by A.L. Jambor. . Fantasy Romance.  

At Smashwords:

• Skrymer´s Glove by Per Holbo. Military Science Fiction.  75k words.
• Princess of Azarmon by Angelaine Espinosa. Fantasy Romance. 50k words.
• "Legends of Malvia: The Fire Boy" by Harvis Mackie. Fantasy. 3k words.
• "The Dark Satin Of My Soul" by Nav Logan. Fantasy. 3k words.
• "The Amputation" by James Rozoff. Horror. weird. 2k words.
• "The Fifth Rider: New Damascus" by A Park Price. Horror. Occult. 17k words. 
• "Supertech" by Greta van der Rol. Science Fiction. 12k words.
• "Power" by Ralph Ewig. Science Fiction. 4k words.
• "The Warning" by Zander Buckingham. Science Fiction. 10k words.

Audio Fiction
• At Lightspeed: "The Traditional"  by Maria Dahvana Headley. Science Fiction.
     Described Above.
• At Strange Horizons: "Hear the Enemy, My Daughter" by Kenneth Schneyer.
     Described Above. 

Comics

• At Atomic Kommie Comics: "Time Door of Throm" Sci-Fi. 1951.
• At The Horrors of It All: "Birth of a Corpse" Horror. 1952.

Other Genres

• Audio at Project Pulp: "The Spirit of France" by S. B. H. Hurst. Pulp f=Fiction.
• Flash at Every Day Fiction: "Margins" by D. Z. Watt.

Saturday Free Fiction

Yay, it's the weekend. As promised there are some (six) cool, free SF stories available for download or online reading. There are also a couple of free "amateur" magazines. These may present an opportunity to read future big name writers before almost anyone else. This weekend's QuasarDragon presents is in progress - It is the largest one yet so it is taking a wee bit longer.







@Tor.com: "Nine-Tenths of the Law" by Jenna Black, from Chicks Kick Butt, an anthology of short stories out June 7th from Tor Books.

"Nothing good ever comes from private citizens visiting my office. Which was why I looked up from my pile of paper-work and scowled when a middle-aged couple stepped through my office door without knocking."

Black Petals, an amateur magazine "about the dark side of Science Fiction, and the bizarre and unusual in Horror" has out its 55th Issue with fiction and poetry by M. L. Fortier, Krista Krueger, Jeff Baker, Jason Sturner, Phil Esquibel, Derrick Keeton, Mike Aronovitz, David Harry Moss, Alexis Child, and Anjelica Hatzialexandrou.


Yellow Mama, an amateur magazine "publishing cutting edge, hardboiled, horror, literary, noir, and psychological/horror" has its 25th issue up with fiction and poetry by Leland Thoburn, Cindy Rosmus, Connor de Bruler, Christopher Klim, Kenneth James Crist, Richard Hill, Matthew McBride, David Massengill, Kent Robinson, Mike Kerins, Chris Castle, Paul Newman, Emma Ramos, Chris Deal, Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal, Thomas Zimmerman, Rebecca Schumejda, Cutter Slagle, Kenneth P. Gurney, Richard Godwin, Lyn Lifshin, Tyler Bigney, Alan Britt, Ayaz Daryl Nielsen, and A. M. Stickel.

Phoenix Pick is continuing their "Free eBook-a-Month" promotion, with the novelette "Georgia On My Mind" by Charles Sheffield. Important details at SF Signal.





Classic Science Fiction
@Project Gutenberg: "The Beautiful People" by Charles Beaumont, from If Worlds of Science Fiction (Sept. 1952). Science Fiction.

"Mary was a misfit. She didn't want to be beautiful. And she wasted time doing mad things—like eating and sleeping."

@Munseys and Project Gutenberg: "Shock Treatment" by Stanley Mullen, If Worlds of Science Fiction (Sept. 1952).

"I'll give you the cure for the most horrible disease," Songeen said. "The sickness of life itself." Newlin replied, "Fine. But first, give me a couple of minutes to kill your husband. Then we'll go on from there."

@Munseys and Project Gutenberg: "Planet of the Gods" by Robert Moore Williams, from Amazing Stories (Dec. 1942). Science Fiction.

"Two planets circling Vega! But a more amazing discovery waited the explorers when they landed!"

@Munseys and Project Gutenberg: "Deadly City" by Paul W. Fairman, from IF Worlds of Science Fiction (March 1953). Science Fiction.

"You're all alone in a deserted city. You walk down an empty street, yearning for the sight of one living face—one moving figure. Then you see a man on a corner and you know your terror has only begun."

@Munseys and Project Gutenberg: "The Test Colony" by Winston Marks, from If Worlds of Science Fiction (Sept. 1954). Science Fiction.

"Benson did his best to keep his colony from going native, but what can you do when the Natives have a rare human intelligence and know all about the facts of life?"

@The Internet Archive: "The First Martian" by Eando Binder, from Amazing Stories (Oct. 1932). [via Marooned - Science Fiction & Fantasy books on Mars]

"Our continued experiments in radio and television may play a much more important part in the eventual realization of successful interplanetary travel than we can possible conceive of right now. But if we stop a moment to think about it, the possibilities of such closely allied work between radio, television and rocket travel tale on vast proportions"