Here's Free Fiction, Baby / Signed, Sealed, Delivered, It's Yours

BA "Ahead you see some great free fiction."
Bob "I waste it with my crossbow!!!"
Brian "Fireballs coming online!"

Fiction

• At Mad Scientist Journal: "Using Supernatural DNA to Enhance Sporting Performance" by Andy Brown.
"For centuries, the tales of supernatural beings and their magical powers have enriched our lives. Now that we have access to these beings after the Pan Species Accord of 1947 (PSA), DNA research has shown that some of the traits of these creatures may be transferable to humans. This project focuses on DNA applications with regard to physical enhancement in sportsmen and women."

• At The WiFiles: "The Wind" by Michael Shirzadian. Speculative Fiction.
"Not having noticed the door left ajar, it would have been impossible for Calo to have noticed the glass of ice water which had been placed meticulously and intentionally on the top of the door, leaning at a slight angle against the white panels above the frame so that at the slightest irritation the glass would fall on and soak the unsuspecting door-enterer below."

• Now Posted: "Heroic Fantasy Quarterly– Q21" Fantasy.

• "A Matter of Goats" by Ben Fenwick
"An astronomical mission take an English poet and a scientist deep into the Balkan hinterlands.  The secrets of Suleyman, old superstitions, and ancient wickedness unfold beneath the uncaring stars."
• "Tomb Robber’s Tale" by Sean Robson
"Robbing the Necropolis of Catapesh is dangerous, dirty work, but when Tariq and his nephew discover a greater secret with greater rewards they delve into an ancient sunless world and thread its lethal streets."
"Lady Cardula and the Gryphon" by Sawn Scarber
"Just because you’re a monster of terror and legend doesn’t mean you can’t be civil about things.  With bonus artwork!"
• "A Breath of Darkness" by Liz Colter
"Life as the Chosen One can be brutal, especially when there is no one upon whom to pass the torch, the gods have abandoned you and your immortal nemesis is stirring again."

Flash Fiction

• At Daily Science Fiction: "Readymade" by Shannon Fay. Science Fiction.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "Suburban Singularity" by T J Moore. Science Fiction.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "Every Angle" by Jae Miles. Science Fiction.
• At Toasted Cake: "The Tell-Tale Ear" by Alex Shvartsman. Audio Science Fiction.

Audio Fiction

• At Author's Site: "Nocturnal: Episode #41" by Scott Sigler, Horror.
"Marie’s Children attacked San Francisco General Hospital, and made off with not only Jebediah Erickson, the Savior, but also Pookie Chang. Pookie’s partner, Bryan Clauser, was badly injured in the fight. He is with Adam and Alder Jessup, and with Aggie James, the street bum who was held captive by Marie’s Children. Bryan and Co are racing to the apartment of Robin Hudson, who might be the monsters next target. Can they get to Robin in time?"

• At Drabblecast: "After the Cure" by  Carrie Ryan, read by Amy Robinson. Horror.
"I was shot with the cure in the dark. Later, someone would tell me it was a Tuesday, but before the tranq dart I didn’t know such a thing existed. It was either day or night, hungry or sated, alive or dead."

• At Dunesteef: "Last Contact" by Rish Outfield and B.D. Anklevich. Science Fiction.
"Everyone finds the Others revolting. They are aliens, unwelcome visitors now squatting on Earth. And when Hughes is forced to partner up with one of the Others for his Biology class presentation, he is mortified and disgusted. But will he still feel that way once he’s gotten to know her?"

• At Every Photo Tells: "The Haunted Peak" by Mick Bordet. Fantasy.
"There are many legends told about the Haunted Peak, but the road that winds past it holds a story of its own."

• At Fantastic Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs: "Episode 21 - Tarzan The Untamed." Adventure.
"We left Lt. Smith-Oldwick separated from Bertha Kircher in the city of the maniacs. He has been taken into a locked enclosure and left to fend for himself – surrounded by a pride of great lions!"











Other Genres

• At Crime City Central: "Just This Once" by Michael Guillebeau, read by Fred Himebaugh.
• At The Western Online: "Destiny's Cross" by Bob Cacioppo.

• At The Western Online: "Hang on for the Ride" by Milo James Fowler.

• At The Western Online: "The Orphan from Ciudad Verde Pálido" by Tom Sheehan.

Free Fiction Terrors and More

The terror continues with a new story, in both text and audio formats, at the awesome Nightmare Magazine and two new shorts at the cool Romanian 'zine Revista de Suspans, including one by Bram Stoker award winner Elizabeth Massie.  Not so terrifingly, there's an audio version of  "Cassandra" by C.J. Cherryh (one of my many favorite writers) at the always great StarShipSofa.  And there are other great stories that I know less about.








Fiction
• At Aurora Wolf: "In Absentia Rex" by Traverse Wolverston.
     "Sliding into a chair across from me, the detective leaned forward; his scent was stale cologne and stress-induced sweat. What sort of pieces of work had sat in this chair before me? What hooligans and deviants had he stared down just that morning?"

• At Nightmare Magazine: "10/31: Bloody Mary"  by Norman Partridge. Horror.
     "The boy isn’t very large. The way things are these days, he figures that’s a plus. He is less of a target at night, and for this reason he has come to trust the darkness. Strange to trust darkness in a world overrun with nightmares . . . but that’s the way it is."

At Revista de Suspans:

• "Donald Meets Arnold" by Elizabeth Massie: Horror.
     "He didn’t like to run. He didn’t like to walk. It made him wheeze, and wheezing was uncomfortable. He didn’t like to stand, because it made his hips hurt. He didn’t like the way his puffy feet felt when pressed to the ground, or the way his calves throbbed when asked to hold his body upright."

• "Through Heavy Veils of Dreaming" by Alexandru Dan. Horror.
     "I don’t know about your dreams, but I find comfort mostly in a rather gloomy world, where the evenfall and the night pass their time; and if you ask me about the colors that enliven it, as puzzled as I’d be, I’d be answering: Rather, what’s between color and non-color…"

• At Tor.com: "Wakulla Springs" by Andy Duncan and Ellen Klages.   
       "Wakulla Springs. A strange and unknown world, this secret treasure lies hidden in the jungle of northern Florida. In its unfathomable depths, a variety of curious creatures have left a record of their coming, of their struggle to survive, and of their eventual end"

Flash Fiction

• At Daily Science Fiction: "The Gifts: Part Two" by Mari Ness. Fantasy.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "Snuff Artist" by Carter Lee. Science Fiction.
• At Yesteryear Fiction: "The Kitchen Table" by Beth J. Whiting. Fantasy. 

Audio Fiction
• At Cast of Wonders: "Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching - Chapter 2" by Chris Lewis Carter. YA Fantasy.
     "Last week you met Felix, the protagonist of our story. Felix is obsessed with the human world, and he offered to tell you this story in exchange for learning more about human history. Did you take him up on it? Let’s see what Felix has to tell us this week."

• At Nightmare: "10/31: Bloody Mary"  by Norman Partridge, read by Stefan Rudnicki. Horror.
     "The boy isn’t very large. The way things are these days, he figures that’s a plus. He is less of a target at night, and for this reason he has come to trust the darkness. Strange to trust darkness in a world overrun with nightmares . . . but that’s the way it is."
• At StarShipSofa: "Cassandra" by C.J. Cherryh. Science Fiction.
      "The gift of prescience, rather than a blessing, is a curse for Cassandra that she cannot control. She sees the future all the time and cannot turn it off. She leaves her burning apartment each morning and heads for the bombed-out coffee shop, passing charred corpses on the way. She knows it's going to happen but can do nothing about it." (Wikipedia) 1979 Hugo Award Winner for Best Short Story.

Other Genres

• Fiction at HiLobrow: "The Zayat Kiss - Part 4" by Sax Rohmer. Noir.
• Fiction at the The Western Online: "Jehrico's Tub - Part 1" by Tom Sheehan. Western.
• Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "Silent Songs" by Cathie Menon.
• Poem at Leaves of Ink: "Misted Desire" by Ron Koppelberger. 

Free E-Books, Vampires, and Zombies

There are a few goodies for you this evening.  In addition to the e-books, there's a vampire story by the master story-teller Kristine Kathryn Rusch, new episodes of Pseudopod (always great) and The AntiSF Radio Show, and some good stuff in other genres for those willing to leave their spec. fiction comfort zones. [Art from "Victims" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.]









Fiction
• "Victims" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Paranormal.
     "Reese Catton manages campaigns. The dirty side of campaigns. And he has dirt suggesting that his candidate’s opponent is a vampire’s slave."


E-Books
At Free eBooks Daily:

• A Question of Will by Alex Albrinck Science Fiction.
• Taste For Blood: Stir by Jenna Bernel. YA Paranormal.
• Fang Chronicles: Amy's Story by D'Elen McClain. Paranormal Romance.
• End of Dreams by Kim Faulks. Dark Fantasy. Horror. 
• Sapphire Magic: Breaking Glass by John Booth. Fantasy.
• Cipher by Cindi Madsen. Fantasy. 
• Lost by Ren Cummins. Fantasy.
• Dark Legacy by M. A. Anderson. Vampire Crime Fiction.
• Returning Home by Molli Fields. Dark Fantasy.
• Jane, Actually by Jennifer Petkus. Science Fiction Romance.

Audio Fiction
• At Antipodean: "The AntiSF Radio Show 182" Speculative Fiction.
     "G'day fellow flash speculative fiction hominids. Oh yes, perhaps other life-forms as well. This is the AntipodeanSF Radio Show 182, featuring all of the stories from Issue number 182 of the online magazine and e-book"

• At Pseudopod: "Enough With The Crazy" by Emile Dayne, read by Joe Scalora. Horror. Zombies.
     "People – men and women and children – faces twisted into grimaces, attacking an elderly couple from all sides, bringing them down, tearing at their clothes and at their flesh. By this exact hydrant. Blood falling where the ketchup was now."

Other Genres
Audio at Selected Shorts: "High Society" and "Dorothy Parker's Wicked Pen"
Fiction at The New Yorker: "Bad Dreams" by Tessa Hadley.
Fiction at The Western Online: "Across Time" by Kathy Otten. Western.

Saturday Free Fiction Part One

Let's start the day with some good free audio fiction as Lovecraft eZine has made all podcast episode free for a limited time. So download them ASAP.  Radio Drama Revival has posted the conclusion of "Not From Space" and there's some noteworthy "Other Genres."  More later.






Audio Fiction
• At Lovecraft eZine: Podcasts number 19 through 24. Horror.
       "beginning with issue #19 The Lovecraft eZine is now available as a podcast.  In the podcast, you can listen to every story in each issue!" Now, for a limited time, all episodes are available for free download,

• At Radio Drama Revival: "Not from Space - Part One and Part Two" Science Fiction. Satire.
     "This scathing satire of the advertising industry taunts you with a live radio broadcast complete with all-too-truthful commercials from a series of wacky sponsors you’ll grow to love"

Other Genres

• Audio at Selected Shorts: "Wishing and Wanting"
• Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "Pilothouse" by Gregory Jeffers.
• Fiction at Online Pulps: "Homicide Domain" by Harris Clivesey, "Too Much Hate" by Norman A. Daniels, and "The Suicide Coterie" by Emile C. Tepperman. Noir.
• Fiction at The Western Online: "Baltimore Billy" by L. Upton Illig. Western.
• Fiction at WMG Publishing: "Patriotic Gestures" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Mystery.

Morning Missive from the Ministry of Free Fiction

No doublethink needed here comrades. We have some doubleplusgood stories for you, including a fantasy story (in both audio and text form) by genre legend Ursula K. Le Guin.  There are quite few other worthy entries today, so sit back, drink your victory coffee, and read or listen as you like comrades.  Today's two Two Minutes Hate has been canceled due to sabatage by Eurasian SF Signalian Eastasian spies. Be sure to visit are free fiction allies blogs at SF Signal, Free SF Reader, Free Speculative Fiction Online, BestScienceFictionStories.com, Variety SF, and  SFFaudio

 [Art for "The Issahar Artifacts" in audio fiction]




Fiction
• The Colored Lens: "Once More, onto the Beach" by S. R. Algernon.
     "She gravitated toward the sound, certain it led to safety. As she swam, the undulating glow revealed a shape ahead of her– a bulbous yet streamlined form with trunk-like legs swept backward and pressed against its blubbery underbelly. She recoiled, feeling a rush of water flow through her gills and letting a few bubbles escape from the blowhole at the top of her head. The sight of the beast triggered a rush of hunger and adrenaline."

• At Daily Science Fiction: "Diamond Doubles" by Eric Brown. Science Fiction.
      "The disappearance of the noted science fiction editor Dan Woolover around the 10th October, 1966 was a cause of great mystery, as were the other disappearances in the area of Tubb Street, Brooklyn, around the same time. However, letters discovered recently at Mr. Woolover's office might shed light on the affair."

• At L5R: "Gates of Chaos, Part 1" by Seth Mason. Fantasy
     "Shinjo Tselu stood in the middle of the Ivory Court, his helm tucked under his arm. The Ivory Champion realized he was probably beginning some manner of new tradition – he had not been seen in public without his armor since the riots began. It was likely that from then on, when there was serious conflict in the Colonies, the Ivory Champion – whomever it happened to be – would follow suit."

• At Lightspeed: "This Villain You Must Create" by Carlie St. George. Science Fiction.
        "Granite killed Mr. Malevolence on a Tuesday. In his defense, Mr. Malevolence was trying to destroy the entire world at the time. Defeating him was nothing new for Granite, either—they were archenemies and had been for almost twenty years now. Saving the world was a very old dance, a box step that Granite could do backwards and blindfolded."

• At Lightspeed: "The Stars Below" by Ursula K. Le Guin. Fantasy.
         "The wooden house and outbuildings caught fire fast, blazed up, burned down, but the dome, built of lathe and plaster above a drum of brick, would not burn. What they did at last was heap up the wreckage of the telescopes, the instruments, the books and charts and drawings, in the middle of the floor under the dome, pour oil on the heap, and set fire to that. The flames spread to the wooden beams of the big telescope frame and to the clockwork mechanisms."

Flash Fiction

• At AE: "Off-Campus Housing" by Holly Schofield . Science Fiction.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "When one door closes…" by Desmond Hussey. Science Fiction.

E-Books
At Free E-Books Daily:

• Raventide by T.A. Miles. Fantasy.  
• Only Love Survives by Renee Charles. Zombies Romance.
• Felix and the Frontier by Chester Burton Brown. Science Fiction.
• Transcender: First-timer by Vicky Savage. Science Fiction / Fantasy.
• Foreign Identity by Becca J. Campbell.  Science Fiction, Romance.
• The Survivors by Angela White.  Romantic Apocalyptic Horror.
• Recruits by Kevin George. Fantasy. 
• The Black Goats by Pam Uphoff. Fantasy. 
• The Catalyst by Chris Reher. Space Opera.
• The Tide of Destiny by Shanna Murchison. Fantasy Romance. 
• The Scottish Selkie by Cornelia Amiri. Fantasy Romance.

Audio Fiction
• At 19 Nocturne: "The Issahar Artifacts" by J.F. Bone. Science Fiction.
     "Lincoln said it eons ago.... It took a speck of one-celled plant life on a world parsecs away to prove it for all the galaxy."

• At Clarkesworld: "The Illustrated Biography of Lord Grimm" by Daryl Gregory.
     "The 22nd Invasion of Trovenia began with a streak of scarlet against a gray sky fast as the flick of a paintbrush. The red blur zipped across the length of the island, moving west to east, and shot out to sea. The sonic boom a moment later scattered the birds that wheeled above the fish processing plant and sent them squealing and plummeting"

• At LibriVox: Andersen's Fairy Tales (Version 2)  by Hans Christian Andersen. Children's Fantasy.
      "A small collection of some of H.C. Andersen's fairy tales -- including The Emperor's New Clothes, The Red Shoes, The Naughty Boy and fifteen others."

• At Lightspeed: "The Stars Below" by Ursula K. Le Guin. Fantasy.
         "The wooden house and outbuildings caught fire fast, blazed up, burned down, but the dome, built of lathe and plaster above a drum of brick, would not burn. What they did at last was heap up the wreckage of the telescopes, the instruments, the books and charts and drawings, in the middle of the floor under the dome, pour oil on the heap, and set fire to that. The flames spread to the wooden beams of the big telescope frame and to the clockwork mechanisms."

Other Genres

• Audio at Protecting Project Pulp: "River Round-Up" by W. Ryerson Johnson. Western.
• Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "Always Together" by Gary Sprague.

Free Fiction for My Men, Beer for My Horses!*

Another day, another good collection of free fiction. There's text fiction, audio fiction, flash fiction, other genres fiction and erm comic book fiction!  Mostly new links, but at least one proudly stolen from the always excellent Regan Wolfrom of SF Signal.  Fans of westerns, be sure to look at the other genres as The Western Online has three new short stories. Back later with something different.

* Despite this post's title, QD does not approve of intoxicating animals, including horses!


[Art from "Neighborhoods" in audio fiction below] 



Fiction
• At Black Gate: "The Death of the Necromancer, Part Four" by Martha Wells. Fantasy.
     "It’s basically about a Moriarty-like master criminal and his friends in an otherworldy version of La Belle Epoque Paris with magic, who get involved in a clandestine battle with a sorcerer who seems to be trying to raise the dead."

• At Book View Cafe: "The Tiger’s Shadow" by Leah Cutter. Fantasy.
     "No one would ever be able to accuse Betty of being wild, the worst insult she and her cousins could hurl at one another—out of control, not tame, a mere beast; no longer human or tiger, but a creature that none could reason with."

• At HiLobrow: "Theodore Savage - Part 16" by Cicely Hamilton.Science Fiction.
      "When war breaks out in Europe — war which aims successfully to displace entire populations — British civilization collapses utterly and overnight. The ironically named Theodore Savage, an educated and dissatisfied idler, must learn to survive by his wits in the new England, where 20th-century science, technology, and culture are regarded with superstitious awe and terror."

• At L5R: "The Shape of a Soul" by Seth Mason. Fantasy.
     "As the story of P’an Ku continues to unfold, the Phoenix Council of Masters grows increasingly concerned over ongoing events."

• At WMG Publishing: "Blind" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Science Fiction. Detective.
      "I think the aliens—and I do believe they were aliens—had come to the Felton Woods forty years ago, and set up a blind. Jane Goodall from Mars, I guess."

Flash Fiction

• At Daily Science Fiction: "The Silver Witch" by Tara Calaby. Fantasy.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "Tears of a Clown" by Jae Miles. Science Fiction.
• At Toasted Cake: "Shadow Play" by Liz Argall. Audio.

Audio Fiction
• At Beam Me Up: "Episode #371" Science Fiction.
     "In The Mourning - Part 1" by Edward McKeown and "In Plain Sight - Episode 21" by Jason Kahn.

• At WMG Publishing: "Neighborhoods" by Dean Wesley Smith. Near Future Science Fiction.
     " a serious look at problems facing urban communities and a quirky answer based on recent experience in crowdfunding"

Comics

• At Atomic Kommie Comics: "Spawn of Terror" Sci-Fi. 1950.
• At Digital Comics Museum: Beyond #30. Horror. 1955.
• At Four-Color Shadows: "The Uninvited" Sci-Fi. 1956.
• At The Horrors of It All: "Tank of Corpses" Horror. 1952.
• At Pappy's Pappy's Golden Age Blogzine: "The Glittering Nightmare" Horror. 1959.

Other Genres

• Audio at Crime City Central: "The Blood Dimmed Tide" by Will Beall.
• Comics at The Fabulous Fifties: "Wllie Lumpkin" Humor.
• Fiction at The Western Online: "Rio" by David Harry Moss.
• Fiction at The Western Online: "The Far Rider" by Benedict. J. Jones.
• Fiction at The Western Online:  "Just Another Shootin'" by John Laneri.
• Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "Going All the Way" by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley.

Great 'zines and Other Great Free Fictionj

Some more great free fiction from several great sites.  Be sure to check them all out.  And don't miss the SQ Mag links at SF Signal, posted by the legendary  John DeNardo.

[Art from the latest awesome issue of Clarkesworld]









Fiction
• At Anotherealm: "Bindlestiffs" by Donna M. Recktenwalt.
      "At the unexpected epithet I started and turned to stare at the man who had uttered it - not in his usual bantering way, but as an epithet of power. It wasn't like Karl to swear at all. He was, usually, one of the most serene, mellow of men."

• At GigaNotoSaurus: "Martyr’s Gem"  C.S.E. Cooney.
      “What they’ve lost in teeth, they’ve gained in wisdom,” she announced with some pomposity. “Besides, that’s what they have me for.” Her smile went wry at one corner, but was no less proud for that. “I chew their food, I change their cloths, and they tell me about the old days. Some of them had parents who were alive back then.”

• At Tor.com: "Jack of Coins" by Christopher Rowe.
     " a strange, amnesiac man who is befriended by a rebellious group of teenagers living in a repressive city."

• Now Posted: Clarkesworld #80

"Soulcatcher" by James Patrick Kelly.
      "After years of planning and scheming, of deals honest and not, of sleepless nights of rage and cool days of calculation, Klary’s moment arrives when xeni-Harvel Asher, the ambassador from the Four Worlds, enters her gallery."
"Tachy Psyche" by Andy Dudak.
     "The woman who means to kill Wang Zhe is, like the rest of the universe, apparently frozen, though actually in glacial motion."
"(R + D) /I = M"  by E. Catherine Tobler.
     "Grapes grew differently on Mars and no one minded. This trespass was for science, ask anyone."
"The Banquet of the Lords of Night" by Liz Williams.
      "He’s already late, and the Isle de Saint Luce is forbidden territory. Yet even in the midst of his terror, de Rais still thinks it’s a pity that he can’t pause and marvel, for the Isle is, by old decree of the Lords of Night, the only place in all Paris where light is permitted at this hour."
"From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled . . ."  by Michael Swanwick.
     "Imagine a cross between Byzantium and a termite mound. Imagine a jeweled mountain, slender as an icicle, rising out of the steam jungles and disappearing into the dazzling pearl-grey skies of Gehenna. Imagine that Gaudi—he of the Segrada Familia and other biomorphic architectural whimsies—had been commissioned by a nightmare race of giant black millipedes to recreate Barcelona at the height of its glory"

• Now Posted:  Interstellar Fiction #10. Science Fiction.

"The Tale of the White Tiger" by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt.
     "Blind Li Xiao surveyed the marketplace. The sensor net embedded in his storyteller’s robes fed signals directly to his brain. The citizenship transponders exactly matched the number of heat signatures. A world firmly loyal to the Empire, then. Or one too afraid to act otherwise."
"The Cadet" by S.P. Parish.
      "It smelled like body odor and paperwork in here. There was a window open, but all that did was blow in the humid ocean breeze. I avoided this place at all costs, but as a final year cadet, I had to come in. Every cadet had to meet with the General in their last year at the Combat Academy."
"Cuddly Furballs of Contentment" by Erik Peterson.
     "Merek’s family had been on the planet for six months when his daughter Kemmy heard something bleating under a cover bush as they were hiking back to camp from a surveying expedition."

Audio Fiction
• At Clarkesworld: "Soulcatcher" by James Patrick Kelly.  Science Fiction.
     Described Above

• At LibriVox: "King Arthur" by Joseph Comyns Carr. Fantasy.
     "A retelling of the classic legend of King Arthur, Guinevere & Sir Lancelot"

• At LibriVox: "Patchwork Girl of Oz version 2" by L. Frank Baum. Children's Fantasy.
     "The Patchwork Girl, a free spirit if ever there was one, is brought to life in this story and then sets out into the wonderful world of OZ to help her friend Ojo find the ingredients for a magic potion to save his Uncle."

• At LibriVox: "The Water Ghost and Others" by John Kendrick Bangs. Ghost Stories.
     "Eight ghost stories by a master story teller"

• At StarShipSofa: "Tethered" by David Mercurio Rivera.
      No Description

Other Genres

• Fiction at the Western Online: "The Valdez Event" by Johnny Gunn..
• Fiction at the Western Online: "Voices" by Ken Staley.

Free Fantasy

 There's some good free fantasy fiction today as Beneath Ceaseless Skies has two new stories available (and one audio fiction story) and a new Pathfinder serial begins at Paizo.

Today's QD radio is a significant step up from yesterday as we give you Dimension X's 1950 adaptation of Murray Leinster's "The Lost Race."  A discovery of alien ruins leads to a dangerous technology.

[Art from "In the Red Rune Cavern" linked below]






Fiction
• At Beneath Ceaseless Skies:

"Death Sent" by Christian K. Martinez. Fantasy.
      "One of the last great star lenses, a massive domelike construct of purpled glass and sheared bronze, fell from the sky as Mandate took refuge in a cemetery. Which, he supposed, was fitting."
 "The Stone Oaks" by Stephen Case. Fantasy.
      "I found Sister Mauro on the far side of the ridge beyond the barley field. She was kneeling at the base of one of the trees. When I think back on that spring, that is the image I recall: the hunched form of the sister in her black habit, dwarfed by the grey columns."

 • At Paizo: "In Red Rune Canyon - Chapter One: A Difference of Opinion" by Richard Lee Byers. Fantasy.
     "The wind blowing in Kagur's face smelled of rot. She started running, and the soft earth, boggy with the coming of summer, sucked at her feet. Her five companions ran as well."

Flash Fiction

• At Daily Science Fiction: "Final Corrections, Pittsburgh Times-Dispatch" by M. Bennardo.
• At Nature: "Pest control" by John Frizell. Science Fiction.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "This Is What It’s All About" by Clint Wilson. Science Fiction.

Audio Fiction
• At Beneath Ceaseless Skies: "The Scorn of the Peregrinator" by John E.O. Stevens. Fantasy.
      "I raised the cairnskill feather, looked at the peregrinator through it. He became that shimmer again, indistinct but present."

• At Drama Pod: "Last Days of the Kelly Gang" by Davide De Levine. Sci-Fi.
      "An old tinkerer by the name of Ike is woken up from his sleep one night by Ned Kelly and his gang. They have heard of his forging skills and want him to build them armour......"

• At Fantastic Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs:  Episode 16 - The Return of Tarzan
         "Tarzan’s search for weapons has led him to a new tribe of black warriors, who have welcomed him in gratitude for saving the life of Busuli. The tribe has had a bad history with Arab ivory and slave traders."

Other Genres

• Audio at LibriVox: "The American Rivals of Sherlock Holmes" by Various. Detective.
• Audio at Miette's: "Water Liars" by Barry Hannah.
• Fiction at The New Yorker: "The Lost Order" by Rivka Galchen. Literary.
• Fiction at The Western Online: "The Killer and the Kid" by Charles Phillips.
• Flash Fiction at Every Day Story: "The Diner" by Wayne Scheer. Romance.
• Flash Fiction at Flash Fiction Friday: "F3, Cycle 112: Extra, Extra, Read All About It…: The Stories"
• Flash Fiction at The Western Online: "Justice is Silent" by Daniel J. Kirk.

A Few Good Freebies

Two more cool e-zines, some good audio fiction, and a bit more.  All free, almost all within the speculative fiction continuum.








• Now Posted:  Allegory - Vol. 20/47 Winter 2012.

"The Boy " by Norm Hendricks.
     "The boy was born on Valentine’s Day during a deep freeze when Sinclair could hear the ice on the lake splintering along the pebbled shore, the sound fragmenting against the cries of the newborn. Sinclair took great satisfaction from both sounds. Lakes, like a man’s life, were subject to seasons."
"West Gate"  by Mitchell Edgeworth.
       ""I'm cold," Sasha complained from her booster seat in the back. She was trundled up in a thick parka and her mittens and her owl beanie, but she was right. It was freezing. John had switched the engine off to conserve petrol, and the interior heat had seeped away in minutes."
"Wishful Thinking" by Kristen Winiarski.
      "I open the drapes next to my bed to look out. The street lights allow me to see the pouring rain. Suddenly lightning streaks across the sky before it gets answered by another rumble. “I’ll hear thunder and I’ll be struck with wonder. But I won’t have to look a second time,” Frank sings. I resist the urge calling me to open the window. I long to feel the sprinkling of rain on my skin, close my eyes and listen to the thunder."
"Omen"  by KJ Medico.
      "Of course I had never liked Halloween. In fact, I found the whole concept quite hideous. It didn’t make sense to me why a whole population of creatures would choose to celebrate death and horror. The world was already terrifying enough without cackling witches, flickering jack-o-lanterns and ghouls floating about."
"The Kiss"  by Graham Connors.
      "The walls are stripped bare of photographs; all the furniture moved into another room. Candles dot the parlour throwing a sharp flickering light. Joseph watches as the gathered crowd moves around quietly, a strange flutter in his stomach as goose bumps wash across his shoulders. He shakes it off but something, inside, is whispering - telling him to be careful. Amanda turns, after spotting her parents in the corner."
"Found"  by Jean Davis.
      "The first time Adam McIntire hid, he was four years old. Sick of being dragged from one store to the next, he only wanted to hide for a few minutes, just long enough to rest his feet and escape the shrill voices of the salesladies and their cheek-pinching fingers. He squeezed his eyes shut and wished himself hidden with all his might."
"Brownie Bites"  by Melinda Moore.
      "I shake my head and turn to my counter. Sitting on top of the can of refrigerated pizza dough is the brownie in a mottled umber suit with a jingle bell at the tip of his cap. He waves to me and jumps down. “Let's go, Taryn. We have a million dollars to win.” I look at my neighbors, but neither is looking our way. “Don't worry. No one can see me but you.”"
"The Bus Will Self-Destruct" by Wayne Helge.
      "Reaching forward, he nearly flinched when his skin touched cold metal. His finger moved around the raised circles on the button's face. First inside, then further out. Then the edge of the button. He pushed gently, just to try it. Nothing happened. How hard would he have to push to blow up the bus?"

• Now Posted: Quantum Muse - January 2013

• "Samantha Berg and the Wealthy Wizard" by James Turnbull. Fantasy.
• "Ascalon" by Roi Czechvala. Science Fiction 
• "Repealing Gravity" by Mary Bachran. Science Fiction.
• "The Pretty Pink Princess Fantasy Realm Play Set" by Steven Bell. Fantasy.
• "Alien Amazon" by Gordon Rowlinson. Science Fiction.
• "FACADE" by Harris Tobias. Science Fiction.

Flash Fiction
• At Nature: "First Foot" by Deborah Walker. Science Fiction.

Audio Fiction
• At Escape Pod: "Real Artists" by Ken Liu. Science Fiction.
     "Sophia squinted in the golden California sun that fell on her through the huge windows of the conference room. She wanted to pinch herself to be sure she wasn’t dreaming. She was here, really here, on the hallowed campus of Semaphore Pictures, in an interview with the legendary Palladon."

• At 19 Nocturne Boulevard: Fatal Girl 5 - "Star Quality"
       "A TV talent show is a nexus of evil. And there are demons, too."

• At 19 Nocturne Boulevard: Afterlives 2.2 - "Scared of the Dark"
      "Afterlives is a tale of what happens after death, or maybe afterlife.... and it isn't at all what you would expect."

Other Genres
• Fiction at The Western Online: "Tank Mullins is Coming!" by Lowell "Zeke" Ziemann. Western.

Sunday Freebies

Here are a few free goodies to take your mind off the chaos that is the holiday season.  There a couple good stories and several interesting sounding audio stories.



[Art from Countdown in audio fiction below]







Fiction
• At Hub Magazine: "The Dry Heat, The Dust, the Martinis and the Insects" by RJ Barker.
      "Edwards had sworn when he’d first seen where they had arranged for him to stay. He’d sworn long and fluently in as many different languages as he was conversant in and a few in which a couple of expletives were his only recourse. That done, he’d stood at the entrance to the looming white building and, sweating in the parched desert heat, tried ringing his agent to swear long and hard at him."

• Flash Fiction at 365 Tomorrows:  "Intoki" by Helstrom. Science Fiction.

Audio Fiction
• At Beam Me Up: "Land of Fire & Ashes - The conclusion" by Colin P. Davies. Science Fiction.
     "A thoroughly entertaining and exciting tale."

• At Dunesteef: "Secret Santa" by Josh Roseman.
     "Wes is tired of being fat. He’s tried everything, diet, exercise, medication, even surgery, but he remains morbidly obese. Nothing works, and he’s about to find out why…"
 
• At Escape Pod: "Marley and Cratchit" by David Steffen.
       "In those days Jacob Marley was full of life and vigor. His smile shone so that anyone who saw him soon smiled widely in return. A moment in his presence would make one’s worst burdens seem lighter. His optimism and generosity brought out the best in others, catching easily as a torch in dry straw."

• At Every Story Tells: "Dusty" by Katharina Maimer Bordet. Fantasy.
     "In the kingdom of Elves, a new king was elected and his future queen gets ready for the wedding. But not everything goes according to plan."

• At LibriVox: "Countdown" by Kurt Becker. YA. Science Fiction.
       "The first flight to outer space became an actual fact – Mars would be the first stop. But before the spaceship took off, two insane enemies almost succeeded in preventing the departure. This science fiction story for teens was written"  in 1958.

• At Lovecraft eZine: Podcast #1. Horror.
      Seven horror stories from the Lovecraft eZine.  Later podcasts will not be free.

Other Genres

• Audio at Every Story Tells: "Together Forever" by Mick Bordet.
• Audio at PRI: Selected Shorts - "A Father's Story" 
• Audio at Tales of Old: "How Santa Claus Came to Simpson’s Bar" by Bret Harte. Historical. 1862.
• Flash Fiction at Every Picture Tells a Story: "A Holly Berry Christmas" by A.M. Buxton. Suspence.

Drabblecast, Buzzy Mag, and More

Some good freebies to start the weekend.  There are new items from Drabblecast and Buzzy Mag (Both sites highly recommended). There's a new issue of the long-running Aphelion posted and tons of e-books. There's also some good items in the "Other Genres" category that are worthy of attention. 








Fiction
At Buzzy Mag: "The Fair Beneath The Ice" by A. P. Maynar. 
     "When he called her name, the rocky slope and the pine-scented trees distorted the sound of his voice, scattering it into a thousand shards, so it sounded like it came from everywhere at once."

Now Posted Aphelion #168. Science Fiction.

• Shadow Aspect By Timothy Potter
• in the Lamp By David W. Landrum
• Drift By Roderick D. Turner
• Flowers for Ackerman By Karen B. Kaplan
• Halitosis By D. A. Cairns
• Deep Freeze By E. S. Strout
• Between By T. Richard Williams
• PatienceBy Damian Delao
• Inner Child By Colin Fenwick
• And Poetry and Filk Music

Flash Fiction at 365 Tomorrows: "Security" by Christina Richard.

Audio Fiction
At Drabblecast: "Betty Flesh and the Meat Man" by Damon Shaw. Fantasy. Romance. Strange.
      “Your suitor’s here!” Ma Flesh hurried into the back room of the butcher’s shop. “Are you presentable?”

E-Books
Via Pixel of Ink: 

• Lodestone Book One: The Sea of Storms by Mark Whiteway. Science Fiction.
• The Ups and Downs of Being Dead by M. R. Cornelius. Science Fiction.

At Free eBooks Daily:

• First Crossing by Tyla Grey. Paranormal Romance.
• Barbara Reilly by Carl Grimsman. Historical Fantasy.
• The Goddess of Dance by Anna Kashina. Fantasy.
• The Kingdom of Shadows by K.W. Jeter. Fantasy.
• Forged by Greed by Angela Orlowski-Peart. Young Adult Urban Fantasy.
• The Havenshire Resistance by Diane Rapp. Fantasy.
• Lichgates by S.M. Boyce. Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy.
• Anu-Bis by T. O. Bolseen. Science Fiction.
• Six Moon Summer by SM Reine. Young Adult Dark Fantasy.
• The Dirty Mermaid by Jen Purcell. Fantasy.
• The Ghost by Sandra Brown Rarey. Paranormal.

At Smashwords: 

• "The Last Guardian" by Bruno Stella. Fantasy. 5k.
• "Evan Burl and the Falling" by Justin Blaney. Fantasy. 58k.
• "Max and the Gatekeeper" by James Todd Cochrane. Fantasy. 77k.
• "The Sweetest Stalk" by Scott Gordon. Fantasy. 9k.
• "Scarlet Ribbons" by Anita Dawes. Paranormal. 71k.
• Sword of the Gods: The Chosen One by Anna Erishkigal. Fantasy. 173k.
• "Legends From Belico; At The Gates Of Yur" by D.E. Tomas. Horror. 4k.
• "Covet and Redemption" by Gary Chiert. Science Fiction. 23k.

Other Genres

• Audio at The Classic Tales Podcast: "Head and Shoulders" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• Audio at Miette's Bedtime Story Podcast: "Strawberries" by J. Robert Lennon.
• Audio at SFFAudio: "Duel" by Richard Matheson.
• E-Book at Free eBooks Daily: The Highlander by Zoe Saadia. Historical Fiction.  Aztec.
• E-Book at Free eBooks Daily: There is No Otherwise by Ardin Lalui. Western.
• Fiction at Online Pulps Site: "Mystery of the Mexicali Murders" by J. Lane Linklater. Noir 1941. And "Alibi-With Sound" by Robert Wallace. Noir 1948.
• Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "The Picture Book" by Ev Bishop. Surreal.
• Flash Fiction at Spinetingler: "Arranger" by Christopher E. Long. Crime.

Clarkesworld and More Freebies

More free genre entertainment, including the latest issue of Clarkesworld Magazine (which always rocks!). And a new monthly issue of Quantum Muse (check it out).  There's also great audio fiction from Escape Pod and Clarkesworld, more e-books, old time radio, a classic horror comic, and a couple of westerns for variety.

Be sure to check SF Signal for links that may have missed here and for any opinionated people, be sure to weigh in on Disney's acquisition of the Star Wars franchise at Beam Me Up.





Fiction
Now Posted: Clarkesworld Magazine: Issue 74, November 2012
"(To See the Other) Whole Against the Sky" by E. Catherine Tobler.
     "Close your eyes. As you travel farther away from me, your ship becoming little more than a pinprick of light amid infinite pinpricks of light, I want you to remember me as I was the first time you saw me, in the field. The day I glowed."
"Aquatica" by Maggie Clark.
     "When Host laughed, her esca wriggled, and the gills behind her pectoral fins vented hard enough to stir up the silt. Organ tumbled in the waste-stream’s wake, but kept one tiny black eye fixed on her bobbing, bioluminescent beacon—the first he had seen in six turns of the current along the foreign reef."
"Everything Must Go" by Brooke Wonders.
      "The house at 1414 waits for new families to move in, and sometimes they do, but more often than not the owners abandon their property. Linden Drive grows increasingly desolate, and 1414 clings to the warmth and safety of its inhabitants, sure that it is too well-loved to be left behind."

Now Posted: Quantum Muse - November 2012.
Samantha Berg and the Petrifying Pipelines by James Turnbull. Alternative.
     "Has an old friend become a new foe? Why are teenage girls going missing? And can Berg keep her electricity fairy happy? Find out all this, and more!"
 Grasshopper Dreams by Robert Hunter. Alternative.
     "Noses were crinkled, then relaxed. In death as in life Pansy Graham was preceded by a clinging aura Eurydice Wyndham Pease, known as Dicey, identified as the yellow bar soap provided by the Daughters of Milo. That their charge might be dead had yet to appear on the cork board down at the Red and White, where funeral home postings reported who was dead and who wasn’t."
 Transgression by John Henson Webb. Alternative.
     "Some things should not be forgotten. Not all nightmares vanish in the morning; not all nursery rhymes are pleasant."
 OZ by Michele Dutcher. Science Fiction.
     "A mother watches her son enlist in a service branch, but can he make it back to her in time?"

E-Books
At Free E-Books Daily:

• Lovely Frights for Lonely Nights by Blythe Ayne. Paranormal. Horror.
• Nick the Lolt by Anthony Briggs. YA Fantasy.
• Dreamweaver by Tiffinie Helmer. Paranormal Romance.

At Smashwords:

• "There Shouldn't Be Elves In Hammertown" by Stephen Dorning. Fantasy. 10k.
• "A Day in a Life in After World: Brach" by Eric Johnson. Post-Apoc. 3k.
• "Howler King" by J. Lloyd Morgan. Paranormal. 5k.
• "Hero's Break" by Paul Ross. Superhero. 7k.
• "The Lady Of The Lighthouse" by Adrien Leduc. Ghost. 5k.
• "A Doll in the Garden" by Jack Forge. Horror. 4k.
• "Clowns on Parade" by Salubrious Farlight. Horror. 5k.
• "Black Water" by Gene Denham. Ghost. 1k.
• "Soul Walker" by Per Holbo. Weird. 3k.
• "Dice, Drink, and Ghosts" by Jake Murphy. Paranormal 2k.
• "Children of the Narlow" by Joy Johnson. Science Fiction. 5k.

Audio Fiction
At  Clarkesworld: "(To See the Other) Whole Against the Sky" by E. Catherine Tobler.
At Escape Pod: "Springtime for Deathtraps" by Marjorie James. Science Fiction.
     "The building sat in a small clearing in the jungle, its stone walls radiating solidity and the midday heat. Giant statues of warrior-gods crushing skulls beneath their feet flanked the doorway. Xnab looked from the ornately carved keyhole to his customer and back again."

Old Time Radio
At Relic Radio: Dracula by CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Horror.
At Relic Radio: "The Lights" by X Minus One. Science Fiction.

Comics
At Digital Comics Museum: Weird Adventure #2. Horror.

Other Genres
E-Book at Free E-Books Daily: Old Billy by John Nance Garner. Western.
E-Book at Free E-Books Daily: Ghost Cabin by Dakota Lee. Western.

Lt. Bob's Movie and Brief Reviews.

Lt. Bob returns with a great Sunday moooooviiiieee! Godzilla King of the Monsters (1956). Seriously, this one is cool (not as good as the unedited Japanese version, but still pretty good.) Stupid space captain may or may not post a QuasarDragon presents today as he is still tired from running up Monks Mound at Cahokia yesterday. He forgot that he is no longer a seventeen year old track athlete. Ha-ha.


Godzilla



Brief Reviews
Jonah Hex (2010). 2 stars out of 5. A scarred, bounty hunter is recruited to stop an old enemy from reeking destruction on the U.S. This cheesy, film is by no means good, but it does manage to be watchable - if you are not expecting much.

It is often illogical and occasionaly poorly filmed (with a few scenes that are too dark to see the action.) It just doesn't quite work, but is a decent 'b' movie. Still you're much better grabbing an old issue of Weird Western Tales if you want to see Jonah Hex.



Scott Pilgran Vs. the World (2010). 4 of 5 stars. A comedy about boy meets girl, boy looses girl, boy must fight her seven evil exes, boy must break up with his fake highschool girlfriend - in random order.

This is a very good, intelligent comedy, but one many people will not "get." And when people don't understand stomething, they often feel it is dumb. A comic bool reality with a strong videogame leitmotif is not for everyone, but if you get it, it really is quite amusing.