Worth the Wait

A bit late due to time and technical issues, but here are some fantastic freebies. More later, time permitting.





[art from Murray Leinster's Forgotten Planet, linked below]







Fiction
• At Baen: "Away in a Manger" by Wen Spencer.       "It was so cold in the tower when Jack woke, his breath turned to smoke as he breathed out. From the windows of the overlook, dawn's pale light revealed no telling glitter of frost on the asphalt below. Nor was there any on the patches of green among the tall buildings that they'd deemed pasture and hay field. The wind carried the scent of autumn leaves but nothing of grass sheared by the cold." <.br>

• At Black Gate: "The Renunciation of the Crimes of Gharad the Undying" by Alex Kreis. Fantasy.
     "To the noble citizens of the People’s Republic of Falland, and to the General Directorate that serves them: I, Gharad Arvelaird, called the Undying, humbly apologize for my crimes against the People and against nature during my illegitimate reign as the Supreme Archon of Falland."

• At Electric Velocipede: "North" by Kristy Truax-Nichols.
     "“Do you ever think about flying?” Julie asks him. She’s got her toes tucked up under Chris’s leg, and he shifts and tries to ignore them."

• At L5R: "Scions of the Colonies, Part 2" by Shawn Carman. Fantasy.
     "Far from Rokugan, the samurai of the Great Clans conspire against one another in ever-tightening circles, and the threat of simmering hostility bursting into the flames of war grows more present with each passing day."

• At Project Gutenberg: The Forgotten Planet by Murray Leinster. Science Fiction. 1954.
     "Beneath dense gray clouds through which no sun shone lay a forgotten planet. It was a nightmare world of grotesque and terrifying animal-plant life. Gigantic beetles, spiders, bugs and ants filled the putrid, musty earth—ready to kill and devour anything in sight."

• At Tor.com: "Intestate" by Charlie Jane Anders. SF.
     "My father may no longer be human. But we're still family. Kind of."

• At The WiFiles: "Blind Curve" by R. Christophe Ryber. Speculative Fiction.
      "“No, Matthew, it’s just a snowplow.” She bit her lip and held her breath until the snowplow’s flashing amber lights vanished into the darkness. “Just a snowplow,” she whispered to herself."

Flash Fiction

• At Daily Science Fiction: "The Dead Letter Office" by Matthew Marinet.
• At Enchanted Conversations: "How Beautiful She Is" by Mary Meriam. Fairy Tale Poem.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "Grampa’s Stories" by Desmond Hussey. Science Fiction.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "Seven Days" by Gene Davis. Science Fiction.
  

Audio Fiction
• At Author's Site: "The MVP Episode #10" by Scott Sigler. Science Fiction. Football.
      "Quentin savors the first day of practice as he and the Krakens finally get down to the business of football. John Tweedy has an agenda all his own, and Quentin will have to cope."

• At Author's Site: "Daryl and the Davenport of Death!" by Matthew Sanborn Smith. Weird.
      No description.

• At Beam Me Up: "Land of Fire & Ashes" by Colin P. Davies.Science Fiction.
     No description

• At The Fantastic World of Edgar Rice Burroughs: Episode 11 - The Return of Tarzan. Adventure.
      "Tarzan and the daughter of Kador Ben Saden have been stranded in the mountains of Algeria by the machinations of Lieut. Gernois and Nicholas Rokoff. It is night and they have come face to face with Numa, El Adrea – the huge black Algerian lion – “the lord with the large head”. Numa springs!"

Other Genres

• Audio at Crime City Central: "Something Pretty, Something Beautiful" by Eric Barnes.
• Audio at Decoder Ring Theater: Black Jack Justice - "The More Things Change" Noir.
• Audio at Every Day Fiction: "From Here to the Sargasso" by Andrew S. Williams.
• Audio at Tales of Old: "Hoplite" by Leslien Lupien. Historical. Ancient Greece.
• Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "Space Cadet" by Wayne Scheer. Humor.
• Audio at PRI: Selected Shorts: "Things Are Not What They Seem"  “A Priest in the Family” by Colm Toibin, "Dusk" by James Salter, and  "The Bureau" by J. Robert Lennon.

Free Fiction, Free Comics and Science News

I must sound like a broken record "more great free fiction *skip* "more great free fiction *skip* "more great free fiction *skip* "more great free fiction *skip*" but virtualy every day some great sites release more of it. (And infite thanks to them!).  Today's fiction includes a pair from outstanding magazine Lightspeed, one from The World SF Blog, and more worthwhile stories.  For this week only(?), New Scientist is posting a flash fiction story a day. Plus there are some cool classic comics and news of note (if you check out the Science News headlines, doesn't it seem that at least three of them sound like pulp era SF?)

[art for Star Trek Into Darkness in film news]






Fiction
At Author's Site: "Fate" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Fantasy.
      "She held a deck of cards in her left hand and cut it easily, sliding the top of the deck to the bottom. Her skin was pale white, her hair even whiter, and she wore a backless white evening dress. Grif could almost imagine her in the glassed-in cage on the lower levels, astride the white tigers."

At The Colored Lens: "Diffusion – Part 2" by Andrew Tisbert. science Fiction.
     "Billy watched as his clone looked down into the car. It felt as if time had stopped, as if the hail had become suspended in the cold gray air. Then the soldier looked away and disappeared."

At Daily Science Fiction: "The Show Must" by Matt London.
      "The soles of the dance shoes on Joan Jansen's feet were scored and coated with countless layers of rosin. She bent the shoes up and down, stretching the fabric, and inside, her feet. What else could she do? That was her routine"

At Lightspeed: "An Accounting" by Brian Evenson. Fantasy.
       "I have been ordered to write an honest accounting of how I became a Midwestern Jesus and the subsequent disastrous events thereby accruing, events for which I am, I am willing to admit, at least partly to blame. I know of no simpler way than to simply begin."

At Lightspeed: "The Perfect Match" by Ken Liu. Science Fiction.
       "Sai woke to the rousing first movement of Vivaldi’s violin concerto in C minor, “Il Sospetto.” He lay still for a minute, letting the music wash over him like a gentle Pacific breeze. The room brightened as the blinds gradually opened to the sunlight. Tilly had woken him right at the end of a light sleep cycle, the optimal time. He felt great: refreshed, optimistic, ready to jump out of bed."

At The World SF Blog: "Ceremony of Innocence" by Armando Salinas.
     "The rooms below were mostly dark and smelled. Damp melanomas stained the walls. Arthritic cables, knotted and almost fossilized with dust, crawled out of holes in the ceiling with naked light bulbs hanging like fruit. Whatever poor lighting there was, though, came mostly from the phosphorescent graffiti scribbled on every inch of wall. Occasionally, cheap portraits of saints and wooden crucifixes eclipsed the glowing artwork"

At Weird Fiction Review: "The Engine of Desire" by Livia Llewellyn. Horror.
       "Megan pulls the empty wine glass from her husband’s limp hand. His fingers brush the shag of the living room floor, sway to the sleepy sigh of his breath. Clocks tick in the kitchen and hallways, and when she places the glass on the coffee table, the clink against the wood shoots like a falling star through the silent house. Outside, in the neighborhood, the engine throbs and waits."

Reviewed Free Fiction

• At BestScienceFictionStories.com: "Anansi Island" by Christian Cantrell. Science Fiction. 2010.
• At Variety SF: "Exposure" by Eric Frank Russell. Science Fiction. 1950.

Flash Fiction

• At New Scientist: "Digital Eyes" by Tamara Rogers. Science Fiction.
• At New Scientist: "S3xD0ll" by Kevlin Henney. Science Fiction.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "I, Rifle" by Jae Miles. Science Fiction.

Audio Fiction
At Lightspeed: "The Perfect Match" by Ken Liu. Science Fiction.
      described above.

At SFFAudio: "The Flying Machine" by Ray Bradbury.
     " a short “fantasy” set in a mythical China"

Comics
At Atomic Kommie Comics: ""Gambling Den of Space" Sci-Fi. 1940.
At Digital Comics Museum: Black Magic 020 Horror 1953 and Tales of Horror 002 Horror. 1952.
At The Horrors of It All: "Thing in the Graveyard / Third Grave on the Right..." Horror. 1952/1954.
At Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine: "two stories from consecutive issues of Captain Flight Comics" Sci-Fi. 1945/1946.

Other Genres
Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "Barrels" by Dirk Knight. Surreal.

Science News

• "For Lonely Astronauts, a Robotic Companion" The Atlantic.
• "Do Robots Rule the Galaxy?" Discovery News.
• "Voyager 1 Encounters New Region in Deep Space" Science Daily.
• "Curiosity rover: No big surprise in first soil test" PhysOrg.
• "Mars Rover Discovery Revealed" NYT.
• "Will a Secret Private Manned Mission to the Moon Be Announced This Week?" Wired.
• "Scary Rumors about the World Ending in 2012 Are Just Rumors" USA Gov.
• "Galaxy Grande: Milky Way May Be More Massive Than Thought" Scientific American.

Genre Film News

• "Video: see mastersmith Peter Lyon’s Hobbit weapons"
• "MrCere reviews ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
• "Main Poster of "Oz The Great and Powerful" Completes Triptych"
• "'Star Trek Into Darkness' gets an oddly familiar teaser poster"

Nina Kiriki Hoffman, QD is Safe, and More

Some fantastic free fiction to start the day.  There are a pair of stories by genre great Nina Kiriki Hoffman, a pair of stories at Lightspeed, and many more free fiction stories. There are also great audio stories, including a classic Robert Bloch story from Weird Tales.  And flas fiction for a bit of icing on the cake. Special thanks to Old Miser for a pair of links.

If you happen to use Google Chrome (why???) you might be curious as to why QD is sometimes listed as potentially dangerous.  QD is not now, nor has it ever been a dangerous site.  Because a perfectly legitimate, at the time, site that QD linked to years ago has since then apparently become "listed as suspicious - visiting this web site may harm your computer," QD still sometimes gets a red flag. And even though the QD no longer even links to that site (all old links were deleted), you may still get a warning - don't fear, QD will never host, nor knowingly link to, any dangerous, illegal, or immoral* sites.  [Thanks to John D for the heads up about this issue]

* Immoral is subjective but QD will not link to porn, politics, or real hate speech.

More later - I hope (I have at least one link to steal from Regan)
 

Fiction
At AE: "The Mugger's Hymn" by  Julian Mortimer Smith.
      "John Gunn crept down Fumblers Alley all jagged nerves and awkward stealth. He hadn’t slept a wink in a week. He had kept himself awake with hits of pirate nicotine and splintery, shivery adrenaline. He knew that if he slept he would lose the tune, that better-than-certainty, that unthinking faith in the world."

At The Colored Lens: "Diffusion – Part 1" by Andrew Tisbert. Urban Fantasy. Slipstream.
     "No, these images were from the inside, through his clones’ eyes, evoking a different kind of terror. Some hit suddenly—a bright flash of light, a burst of pain shearing mercifully off into nothing. Others took time. His heart thumping out blood like a cavitating oil pump."

At Daily Science Fiction: "The Key to Everything" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman.
     "My special talent was pissing people off. That wasn't the technical term for it, but that was what I was good at. You would think there wouldn't be much demand for this talent. That would be you, wrong again." 

At Eclipse Online: "Firebugs" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman.
      “Esta, can you explain why you set that bush on fire?” Creche Mother Makis asked us.  Two of her sibs flanked her on the judgment bench.  All three stared at us, their faces expressionless, identical.  Hawk noses, narrow mouths, deep-set eyes under heavy brows, their hair hidden under the white hoods of their judgment robes."

At Electric Velocipede: "The Night We Drank Cold Wine" by Megan Kurashig.
       "I don’t ask anymore, but Rhodes always explains. If I decide to pick up the phone, he will tell me a story of unexpected coincidences to make me laugh; and I will hardly believe it, even though I know his stories always turn out to be true."

At Lightspeed: "A Game of Rats and Dragon" by Tobias S. Buckell. Science Fiction.
      "Moonlighting as a non-player character was a hell of a way to earn a living. Never made much sense to spend all that time garbing up in a virtual uniform that matched gamespace, but Overton took pride in the details."

At Lightspeed: "Seven Smiles and Seven Frowns" by Richard Bowes.Fantasy.
      "Each time I find a new apprentice in these times of trouble, I remember being a girl of twelve, getting close to thirteen. The other lads and maidens my age were already starting to pair off."

At Mindflights: "Asperges Me, Domine" by Ashley Bobo. Fantasy.
      "She first noticed him when he tripped over a log, and she caught sight of the symbol of St. Bramwell, a silver cross with sharp points, on the hem of his robe. He was too young to be a full monk, but if he knew where the saint’s burial place was…"

At Weird Fiction Review: "The White" by Berit Ellingsen.
     "Last year one of the professor’s PhD students froze to death just fifty meters from the base. In a blizzard, he failed to find his way from the infrared observatory to the housing unit. It must have been difficult for the professor to notify the student’s parents."

Flash Fiction

• At Author's Site: "The Taste of Miracles" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Science Fiction.
• At Enchanted Conversation: "A Queen's Discontent" by Marcia Sherman. Fairy Tale Poem.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "The Lady Is Not" by Jae Miles. Science Fiction.

Audio Fiction
At Cast of Wonders:  "The Great Game, Part 6 – When Stars Fall" by James Vachowski. YA.
       "What? A meteor? Don’t be a dunce, child, there’s no such thing. That was a star falling from the heavens, as sure as I’m alive. But draw the curtains now, if you please. A single shooting star is an omen of luck, but seeing several foretells death."

At Dunesteef: "Todd Elrin And The Forever Reset" by Jonathan C. Gillespie.
     "It’s the last day of the year, and it’s time for Todd Elrin to leave his current location, and start the year over somewhere else, as he has done many times this particular calendar year. But an angry visitor from the future has other plans."

At Lightspeed: "A Game of Rats and Dragon" by Tobias S. Buckell. Science Fiction.
see above.

At Protection Project Pulp: "Fane of the Black Pharaoh" by Robert Bloch. Weird.
      "Captain Carteret bent forward and peered at the queer, metallic thing. His thin, usually pale face now glowed with unconcealed excitement. He grasped the black object with twitching fingers."

Other Genres
Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "A Blessing for Brothers" by Craig Fishbane.

Clarkesworld, PodCastle, and More

Quite a bit of good, free fiction from some of the better sites on the web, as well as good free audio fiction and flash fiction. Today's illustration is for the two highlighted stories stories in the latest issue of the awesome Clarkesworld magazine.












@Clarkesworld: "Conservation of Shadows" by Yoon Ha Lee.

"There is no such thing as conservation of shadows. When light destroys shadows, darkness does not gain in density elsewhere. When shadows steal over earth and across the sky, darkness is not diluted."

@Clarkesworld: "The Fish of Lijiang" by Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu.

"After ten years, everything here has changed. The only thing that remains the same is the color of the sky."

@Lightspeed: "Defenders" by Will McIntosh. Science Fiction.

"The silence was shocking, the sense of isolation unnerving, partly because she knew it meant the jet had penetrated the Defenders’ cloak and entered Australian airspace."

@Subterranean Press: "White Lines on a Green Field" by Catherynne M. Valente.

"Let me tell you about the year Coyote took the Devils to the State Championship. "

@Anotherealm: "The Gift of Pleasure" by Tim Myers. Speculative Fiction.
@Author's Site: "Destiny" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. (2001). Fantasy. [Up until next Monday]
@Philipine Genre Stories: "Stars" by Yvette Tan. Speculative Fiction.
@Smashwords: "The Accidental Immortal" by Trista DiGiuseppi. Fantasy.
@Free eBooks Daily [DRM]:

• "Horker's Law" by Mike Lee. Fantasy.
• "Code Name: Agent Madrid" by Lauren A. Johnson. Paranormal / Urban Fantasy.

@Pixel of Ink [Kindle]:

• "Origins" by Randolph Lalonde. Science Fiction.
• "Her Wiccan, Wiccan Ways" by Traci Hall. Fantasy. YA.

Now Posted: Quantum Muse August 2011 Edition featuring fiction

• "The Beautiful People" by Michael Peralta. Science Fiction.
• "Alien Artifacts" by Harris Tobias. Science Fiction.
• "Bijou and the Tree" by Julie Foster. Fantasy.
• "One Easy Step to Saving the World" by James Turnbull. Fantasy.

Serial Fiction
@Strange Horizons: "The Rugged Track (part 1 of 2)" by Liz Argall. Speculative Fiction.






@PodCastle: "Zauberschrift" by David D. Levine, read by Wilson Fowlie. Fantasy.

“Why have you come all this way to ask _my_ help? I am no wizard — I never even finished my apprenticeship. I am just a dyer.”

@Clarkesworld: "Conservation of Shadows" by Yoon Ha Lee, read by Kate Baker. [see above]


Serial Audio
@The Drama Pod: "The Fantastical Adventures of Percival Van Cleef Ep1" by Kate Mandalov Steampunk.

"Professor Percival Van Cleef is entering the Chelsea Royal Flower Show to uncover a Prussian plot to murder the Queen. Armed with combustibles and explosives he is ready to learn just how deadly is the art of flower arranging"

Non-Genre Audio Poetry*
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Sara Teasdale, read by Ann Simmons. Right click to save the LibriVox MP3.

*Only because it inspired, and provided the title for, one of Ray Bradbury's more poignant SF stories.

@Daily Science Fiction: "Counting Coup" by Kat Otis.
@Daily Science Fiction: "Toad Sister" by Joanna Michal Hoyt.
@Daily Science Fiction: "Only Backwards" by Kenneth S Kao.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Instinct" by Susan Franceschina. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Five Urns" by E.J. Loera. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Around the World in 33 Days" by Trey Dowell. Horror.
@Quantum Muse: "Beside Myself" by Nathan Parshall.
@Sam's Dot: SciFaikufest Vol.9 No. 1
@Strange Horizons: [Poem] "Foxes" by Jamieson Ridenhour.
@365 tomorrows: "Cold Blooded Killers" by Patricia Stewart. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "Timing" by Duncan Shields . Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "The Cutting Edge" by Waldo van der Waal . Science Fiction.
@Weirdyear: "Angel on Fire" by C. A. T. Torres V
@Yesteryear Fiction: "The Pyramid" by Dan Shelton. Fantasy.
@Linger Fiction:

• "Black Flames" by Bruce Boston. Fantasy.
• "The Widow’s Grove" by Jaelithe Ingold.
• "The Metamorphosis of Jane Doe" by Nathaniel Katz.
• "Love in Pieces" by Brenda Stokes Barron.
• "Smoke and Drum" by Shelley Ontis.

T. G. I. Free Friday Fiction

Some quite cool stuff today including some good flash fiction, podcasts and fan audio, ongoing serials, Weekly episodes of Escape Pod and Pseudopod (one of the best reasons to look forward to fridays), some very good fiction - including a pair from two of my many favorite eZines, and today's highlighted story is "The Lamp at the Turning" by E. Lily Yu. Published at the well-respected literary magazine The Kenyon Review, this is an interesting short story by a future big-name writer.

Today's illustration is from the fan audio "Mad Max: Tomorrow's Road"







@The Kenyon Review: "The Lamp at the Turning" by E. Lily Yu. Speculative Fiction.

"For ten years the streetlamp on the corner of Cooyong and Boolee kept vigil with the other lamps along the road. They were surrogate moons for an age when the moon itself was too distant and dim to guide travelers in the night, and they performed their duties faithfully and with pride in their high purpose."

@Daily Science Fiction: "Still Life" by A.C. Wise.
@Ray Gun Revival: "Elias, Smith and Jones" by Mark English. Science Fiction.
@Macmillan Books: "Heart of the Sea" by Christine Warren. Paranormal Romance. [Via Free eBooks Daily]
@Smashwords: "Dragon Town" by Tom Lichtenberg. Science Fiction. Suspence. [Via Free eBooks Daily]
@Smashwords: "M" by Kody Boye. Science Fiction.
@Smashwords: "Grave Ties" by James Bailey. Horror.

Serial Fiction
@Author's Site: "The Journals of Doctor Mormeck–Entry #15" by Jeff VanderMeer.
@Author's Site: "Paradigm Shift #2" by Misa Buckley. Science Fiction.







@Escapepod: "Flash Extravaganza"

"London Iron" by William R. Halliar (narrator Andrew Richardson)
"Wheels of Blue Stilton" by Nicholas J. Carter (narrator Christian Brady)
"Light and Lies" by Gideon Fostick (narrator- Mur Lafferty)

@Pseudopod: "The Line" by Grady J. Gratt, read by Mark E. Phair. Horror.
@LibriVox: Twilight Land by Howard Pyle, read by many readers. YA. Fantasy. Short Stories (text 1894).

Serial Audio
@Classic Tales Podcast: "The Mark of Zorro Part 3 of 9" by Johnston McCulley, read by B.J. Harrison. Adventure.

Fan Audio
@BrokenSea Audio: "Mad Max: Tomorrow's Road" by By Paul Mannering, full cast. Science Fiction.
@Pendant Productions: Issue 6 of "Green Arrow: Shooting Star."
@Pendant Productions:Issue 66 of "Wonder Woman: Champion of Themyscira"

Non-Fiction Podcasts
Cammy’s Comic-Con Corner – Geeky Talky – Episode 79 - Thursday at Comic-Con 2011
Comic Book Page "Comic-Con 2011 Podcast Panel"

@Daily Science Fiction: "Heart of Gold" by James Valvis.
@Eschatology: "News of the End of the World" by Anthony Cuthbertson. Horror.
@Flash Fiction Friday. "F3, Cycle 40" 23 flash fiction stories. Some genre, some not.
@Flash Pulp: "Coffin: The Appearance" by J.R.D. Skinner, MP3 read by Opopanax. Pulp.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Shadows" by Neil Leckman. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "The Fire Baby" by Michael Albani. Horror.
@365 tomorrows: "Oversight Governance" by Martin Sumner. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "Last Wishes of Customer 593" by K. J. Russell. Science Fiction.
@Weirdyear: "Aaron Got Drunk and Stole the Moon" by Joshua Young. Weird.

Monday Freebies

Some good freebies for this hot* Monday (*at least here in the St. Louis area). There's both quality and quantity.

Today's illustration is from the highlighted story "The Wolves of Brooklyn" just below.








@Fantasy Magazine: "The Wolves of Brooklyn" by Catherynne M. Valente.

"It was snowing when the wolves first came, loping down Flatbush Ave., lithe and fast, panting clouds, their paws landing with a soft, heavy sound like bombs falling somewhere far away."

@AE: The Canadian Science Fiction Review: "The Infinite Onion" by David Steffen.
@Philippine Genre Stories: "Malvar" by Paolo Chikiamco. Speculative Fiction.
@L5R: "Love & Madness" by Nancy Sauer. Fantasy.
@L5R: "The Hinge of Destiny" by Rusty Priske & Shawn Carman. Fantasy.
@Short Story Me: "Goldar the Unwieldy" by Samuel Mae, Fantasy.
@Pixel of Ink: Astra: Synchronicity by Sharon Rosen. Science Fiction, Technothriller. [non-kindle formats at Smashwords]

Now Posted: Absent Willow Review (July 2011).

• "A Tree Grows In Hell" by Michael Owens. Fantasy.
• "The Birdman" by Ally Malinenko. Horror.
• "The Left Eye of God" by David Misialowski. Fantasy.
• "Beautiful Things" by Gianna Cappuccia. Fantasy.
• "The Bark Is Worse Than The Bite" by Foinah Jameson. Horror.
• "Real Vampires Don’t Get Shit-faced" by Joshua Young. Horror.
• "In the Library" by Dawn Napier. Horror.
• "Tidal Shift" by Derek Ivan Webster. Horror.
• "The Killing Breath" by Chris Castle. Horror.
• "Me and My Magic 8 Ball" by Selah Aran. Sci-Fi.

Now Posted: The Edge of Propinquity (July 2011). Dark Speculative Fiction.

• "Stranger Dreams" by Kaolin Fire.
• "Deals with the Devil" by Peter M. Ball.
• "Abductions and Reflections" by Ivan Ewert.
• "Falling Leaves and Failing Hopes" by Alina Pete.
• "Jim Towne Hollow and the Skinwitch" by Jennifer Adam.

Serial
@Author's Site: "The Journals of Doctor Mormeck’s Avatar–Entry #8" by Jeff VanderMeer. Science Fiction.
@More Red Ink: "Guerrilla Mural of a Siren's Song (Part 3 of 3)" by Ernest Hogan.


Audio Fiction
@19 Nocturne Boulevard: "Ghost of a Chance" by Julie Hoverson.
@Fantasy Magazine: "The Wolves of Brooklyn" by Catherynne M. Valente, read by Gabrielle de Cuir.

Serial Audio
@Author's Site: "The Starter Episode #23" by Scott Sigler. Science Fiction.
@Author's Site: "Chapter Fourteen (The End of the Beginning)" by Shaun Duke.
@Beam Me Up: "#14 of Dark Inspectre" by Jason Kahn and "Paid pt 2" by Deanna Knippling, read by Paul Cole. Science Fiction.
@Cthulhu: "The Black Stone (part 2 of 2)" by Robert E. Howard. Horror. Weird.









@Daily Science Fiction: "Persistence" by Kurt Newton.
@Eschatology: "In a Distant Jungle" by George Wilhite. Horror.
@Flash Pulp: "Lair, Part 1 of 1" by J.R.D. Skinner (also audio version read by Opopanax)
@Flashes in the Dark: "Piecework" by JR Hume. Horror.
@Quantum Muse: "The Metamorphosed" by Roi Czechvala. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "To Andromeda and Beyond?" by Patricia Stewart. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "TX-24" by Adam Sprague. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "War of the Grand Alliance" by Michael F. da Silva. Science Fiction.







@Comic Book Catacombs: "Nyoka "The Sinister Jungle Myth" Adventure. 1955.
@Femmes Fantastique: "Barbarella 2.1" Sci-Fi.
@The Horros of It All: "Lure of the Sea Hag" Horror. 1952.
@Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine: Classic Bill Everett Comics. Horror / Sci-Fi.
@Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine: "Ibis Goes Batty" Fantasy.
@Secret Sanctum of Captain Video: Space Ghost "Zorak's Revenge" Sci-Fi.

Free SF, Fantasy, and Horror Fiction - 15 July 2011

Just some more great free fiction, audio fiction, and flash fiction.

Today's illustration is for the latest issue Theaker's Quarterly Fiction, which is linked below.











@Ray Gun Revival: "Godot Isn’t Coming" by Eric Del Carlo. Science Fiction.

"'Not a ship,' I pointed out, as we slogged on through damp, infested purple fronds. 'A bugboat. Godot is alive.'"

@Daily Science Fiction: "Filling up the Void" by Richard E. Gropp. "Caution Contains Mature and Potentially Disturbing Content."

"There were other genemods at my coming out party--a girl with blue skin and tentacles, an eight-foot-tall man with rippling muscles and violet eyes, a pristine-faced girl with angelic wings--but I got most of the attention."

Now Posted Theakers Quarterly #37. Fantasy. Horror. Featuring:

“Apoidroids” by Douglas Thompson. “Make It Sacred” by Mike Sweeney. “The Last Testament” by Rafe McGregor. “Curios” by Ben Kendall-Carpenter. “The Model of a Boy” by Alex Smith. “Harrowing of the Barrow” by Skadi meic Beorh. “Devilry at the Hanging Tree Inn” by David Tallerman. “The Watchman” by Chris Roper.

Now Posted: Black Petals #56. Horror. SF. Weird. Featuring:

"Boxes" by Paul Strickland. "Catching Up with an Old Friend" by Paul Newman. "Harlot"by Gary Every. "Hopi Deer" by Gary Every. "A Walk in the Snow" by Paul Strickland & A. M. Stickel. "No Free Lunch" by Paul Strickland. "The Claeaner and the Collector" by Mike Mulvihill. "The End-Fiction" by Sally Angel. "The Shape" by Mike Aronovitz. "Time Share" by Cindy Rosmus. "Beyond the Falls & Blackrobe" by A. M. Stickel, "City Lights (Plus)-Six Poems" by Michael Mulvihill.

Serial Fiction
@Author's Site: "The Journals of Doctor Mormeck (Mountain)(Stolen Document)" by Jeff VanderMeer. Science Fiction.

"Travelers still cross over in a one-to-one ratio with bioneered neuro-controllers that ease the transition from devouring and into contamination and reconstitution. Walking ghosts. Zombies."

@White Wolf: "Silent Knife, part 13" by David Nurenberg. Horror. Urban Fantasy,

"Ariadne shook her head, white paint chips spraying from her hair. Instinctively, she reached to the guitar case that should have been on her back, only to feel her splayed fingers grasp air. Of course, she had left her sword back at the sanctuary. It had seemed so easy at the time, like discarding clothes that no longer fit. Now, she felt as if she were missing a limb."

@Escape Pod: "Stone Wall Truth" by Caroline Yoachim, read by Heather Welliver. Science Fiction.

"Njeri sewed the woman together with hairs from a zebra tail. Her deer-bone needle dipped under the woman’s skin and bobbed back out. The contrast of the white seams against her dark skin was striking."

@Pseudopod: "The Talisman" by Heather McDougal, read by Heather Welliver. Horror.

"They were no longer yelling, or even talking, but moved down the hill with a curiously desperate stride, their arms flung up as they slipped and slid in the leaves, their anoraks glaring harshly in the monochrome of the forest. There were people behind them, large shapes in odd colors, moving more carefully but just as swiftly."

@Lovecraft eZine: "Allure" by Josh Wagner. Horror.

"When the creature washed up on our shore, I was among the first witnesses."

@Beware the Hairy Mango: "Jimmy Holds the Line" by Matthew Sanborn Smith. Weird.

Serial Audio
@Classic Tales Podcast: "The Mark of Zorro (part 2 of 9)" by Johnston McCulley, read by B.J. Harrison. Adventure.

"Don Diego Vega seeks a wife in the spirited Senorita Lolita Pulido. But the senorita is not to be won simply by the promise of wealth and position. Perhaps Senor Zorro will have better success"

@Guild of Cowry Catchers: Cowry Catchers Book 3 – Episode 10. Fantasy.







@Daily Science Fiction: "Blink" by Carol Hassler.
@Daily Science Fiction: "Off the Shelf" by Gaea Dill-D'Ascoli.
@Eschatology: "Unsinkable Love Boat of Love" by Colleen Chen. Horror.
@Every Day Fiction: "For Better or Worse" by Carla Sarett. Science Fiction.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Frat Boys and Vampires" by Henry Gribbin. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Shutter Oyster" by Catherine Batac Walder. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "It's in the Stars" by Lori Titus. Horror.
@Mindflights: [poem] "My Unicorn" by Martin Elster. Fantasy.
@365 tomorrows: "Cut Short" by Michael F. da Silva. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "Cryo Me a River" by Ossian Ritchie. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "Atmosphere" by Charlotte Lenox. Science Fiction.
@Weirdyear: "Airfare" by T F Rhoden.
@Yesteryear Fiction: "The Eight Thousand And Third Day" by Madeline Dyer. Fantasy.

Free Flash Fiction Roundup

@Every Day Fiction: "Tentacular" by Gale Haut. Fantasy.
@Every Day Fiction: "Eve of Destruction" by Annie Tupek. Science Fiction.
@Flashes in the Dark: "The Moon Goddess (Teaser)" by Lori Titus. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "I’m Home" by Brandon Lewis. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Across the Fields" by Clinton P. Kaley. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Bonds of Blood" by Lori Titus. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Polly Talks" by James Marlow. Horror.
@365 tomorrows: "Credits Please" by Vankorgan. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "Long Shot" by Steve Smith . Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "Starlight and Tuna by E.E. King. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "Miss us?" by Chris Abernethy. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "Cloven Hooves" by D’n Russler. Science Fiction.
@Weirdyear: "The First Assembly of God" by B. Morris Allen. Weird Fiction.
@Flash Pulp: "Coffin: The Book Worm" by J.R.D. Skinner.
@Yesteryear Fiction: "Evil Heart" by Gil C. Schmidt. Fantasy.
@Eschatology: "Full Count" by Aaron Polson. Horror.
@The New Flesh: "Lion in My Bed" by James Steele. Horror.
@The New Flesh: "Father McKinely" by Jack Bristow. Horror.
@The New Flesh: "Tiny Rainbows" by Dustin Reade. Horror.
@The New Flesh: "The Expansion Peach" by S. T. Cartledge. Horror.
@Quantum Muse: "The Tower" by Timothy O. Goyette
@Daily Science Fiction: "Z is for Zoom" by Tim Pratt, Jenn Reese, Heather Shaw, and Greg van Eekhout.
@Daily Science Fiction: "The God of the Poor" by James Hutchings.
@Brain Harvest: "Please Return my Son who is In Your Custody" by Helena Bell. Spec. Fiction.
@Antipodean SF: Science Fiction.

Scorched Earth Policy by Sergio Palumbo
The Succession by David Scholes
The Alien Menagerie by Darren Lipnicki
Serendipity by Richard Baldasty.
Linda's Boat by David McVeigh
Making The Best... by Shaun A. Saunders
Feathers by Paul Sheringham
Captive by Claire Lockyer
The Experience by Stuart Bennington
Time by Rachel Towns.

@Flash Fiction Friday: Various Genres - Madness Theme

Sue H gives us Reverie
Beach Bum gives us Having All The Facts
Newcomer Kevin Aldrich contributes Waiting For Goodow
Doc Shaw tells us about The Unwanted Man
Thomas Pluck gives us A Slice Of Life
Jenny just flat out gives us Madness
Vinod Narayan submits Looking Through The Window
R.L.W. shows us God-Fearing American Patriot
Flannery Alden gives us Rage Diary.

@Heroic Fantasy Quarterly: [poem] "The Chronicle: Fragment Thirty Seven"by Robert William Shmigelsky
@Heroic Fantasy Quarterly: [poem] "Confronting the Demon of Hidden Things" by David Sklar.
@Strange Horizons: [poem] "Homebound" by Shweta Naraya.
@ChiZine: [Dark Poetry]

• Closure by Barry King
• I Wish I Could Eat Coals by Stacey Madden
• Solid Air by Marina Lee Sable
• Trash Cat by Deborah Walker
• Wunderkammern by Brenda Hammack

Robert Vardeman Serial, Good Free Fiction, and a Bad Free Movie.

Some very good stuff today. Beneath Ceaseless Skies has another great issue out as does Four Star Stories, which should be a treat. Lots of good fantasy. Some very good classic and reviewed SF, including a Northwest Smith story by C.L. Moore (one of my favorite early SF writers). And a Pathfinder fantasy serial by Robert Vardeman! starting at Paizo. Great audio, including some episodes of Mindwebs (an e1970s radio equivalent of today's best fiction podcasts), BCS audio-fiction, and the latest BtHM.

And very much not in the good category, a 1960 TV movie The Cape Canaveral Monsters. With a 2.4 IMDb rating, this is only for connoisseurs of bad films, people who feel they must watch every professional Sci-Fi film ever made, and those exceptionally deranged people who fall into both categories (I'll likely be watching it this weekend)


Image from "Clever Love" in the fiction section.







Now Posted: Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #72. Fantasy.
"Sightwolf" by Erin Hoffman. Fantasy.

"In Astralar, middling flint-walled city pressed against the chill bosom of the Windsmouth Mountains, a woman will be banished for failure to pay taxes."

"The Moral Education of a Mad Bastard" by Joe L. Murr. Fantasy.

I was twelve when I, like my father before me, was sentenced to transportation to Sutterland. My crime was the theft of a leg of lamb. I stole to feed myself and, if Governor Bidwell was to be believed, because I could not do otherwise.

Now Posted: Four Star Stories Summer 2011

"Mak Siccar" by Lou Antonelli.

"It looks like it is going to be a fine morning." The Second Mate looked sideways at his companion. "I hope you enjoy this little liberty. Ten minutes, and it’s back in cuffs and down below for you."

"Clever Love" by R. L. Copple. Fantasy.

"The forest beckoned Jal'ra to return. His elvish kinsmen romped among those branches. Memories of children chasing squirrels and each other demanded he not leave. No longer sensing the familiar melody of the trees resonating in his heart didn't help either."

"Strawman at the Door" by David L. Gray.

"Mark Jacobs materialized in the dark alley, stumbled hard, then had to twist 180 degrees to break his fall with his left buttock against the side of an empty dumpster. It produced a low, metallic booming sound and a throbbing pain in his left hip."

"Fish Story" by Selina Rosen.

"'All right buddy where are you going in such a hurry,' The trooper said shining a flashlight in the guy’s window. The guy was filthy covered with mud and what might have been blood."

Reviewed Free SF
@BestScienceFictionStories.com: "The Cassandra Project" by Jack McDevitt (2010) science fiction. In text and MP3.

"It is about an ancient dome discovered on the far side of the Moon."

Classic SF/ Weird Tales
@Internet Archive: "Gunner Cade" by Cyril Judd, from the March, April, May 1952 issues of Astounding Science Fiction magazine.

"Gunner Cade, a professional soldier of the Realm of Man, is captured by rebel forces on Mars but escapes, only to find that he is being hunted by fellow gunners."

@Munseys and Gutenberg: "When the Mountain Shook" by Robert Abernathy. Science Fiction. From IF Worlds of Science Fiction March 1954.

"Dark was the Ryzga mountain and forbidding; steep were its cliffs and sheer its crevasses. But its outward perils could not compare with the Ryzgas themselves, who slept within, ready to wake and conquer...."

@Munseys and Gutenberg: "Piper in the Woods" by Philip K Dick. Science Fiction. From Imagination: Stories of Science and Fantasy February 1953. Science Fiction.

"Earth maintained an important garrison on Asteroid Y-3. Now suddenly it was imperiled with a biological impossibility—men becoming plants!"

@Munseys and Gutenberg: "A Woman's Place" by Mark Clifton. Science Fiction. From Galaxy Science Fiction May 1955.

"Home is where you hang up your spaceship—that is, if you have any Miss Kitty along!"

@Munseys and Gutenberg: "The Door into Infinity" by Edmond Hamilton. Weird. From Weird Tales August-September 1936. Weird.

"An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events."

@Munseys and Gutenberg: "The Tree of Life" by C L Moore. Science Fiction. From Weird Tales October 1936. Weird.

"A gripping tale of the planet Mars and the terrible monstrosity that called its victims to it from afar—a tale of Northwest Smith"

@Munseys and Gutenberg: "The Genius" by Con Pederson. Science Fiction. From IF Worlds of Science Fiction May 1954. Weird.

"Sethos was a great artist, a talented man, quite possibly the most famous man of his time and world. But, alas!—there were other worlds. And is not the grass always greener...?"

Serial Fiction
@Paizo.com: "Plow and Sword - Chapter One: Smoke on the Horizon" by Robert E. Vardeman.
"It took several minutes for the cougar's ululating screech to make Rorr look up from his autumn plowing. The day was unseasonably warm for Neth, and sweat trickled down his back. He knew the heat was an illusion—cutting through the dried brown chaff remaining in his field and plowing it under for spring fertilizer had to be completed soon, before snow buried the land."











@Internet Archive: Eleven episodes of the classic "semi-dramatized" radio series Mindwebs. Science Fiction.

"Many of the readings were enhanced by music, periodic sound cues, and the occasional character voice, however they are not completely dramatized. In a way Mind Webs stories are a cross between radio drama and audio books."

@Beware the Hairy Mango: Episode 81 "They Call Me Johnny Eggroll" by Matthew Sanborn Smith. Weird Fiction. [via SF Signal]


@Beneath Ceaseless Skies: "The Nine-Tailed Cat" by Michael J. DeLuca

"The cat departs from the moonbeam, flicking its tails."

@Internet Archive: The Cape Canaveral Monsters. 1960 TV Movie. Streaming and for download. Sci-Fi.

"When a couple are killed in an auto accident their bodies are immediately inhabited by extraterrestrial beings. Taking refuge in an underground cave, the aliens attempt to sabotage the U.S. space program."

Rusty Keele's "The Race" and other Cool, Free Flash Fiction.

A good selection of free flash fiction from several genres. And be sure to check out "The Race by BestScienceFictionStories.com's Rusty Keele.










@Daily Science Fiction: "Godless" by Stephen V. Ramey.
@Daily Science Fiction: "Y is for Yellow" by Tim Pratt, Jenn Reese, Heather Shaw, and Greg van Eekhout.
@Strange Horizons: [poem] "The Curator Speaks in the Department of Dead Languages" by Megan Arkenberg.
@Every Day Fiction: "Blood Oath" by John Eric Vona. Science Fiction.
@Every Day Fiction: "Two Kinds of Sleep" by Jason Fischer. Fantasy.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Motherhood" by Lori Titus. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "The Unfortunates" by Chris Castle, Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Hank Mobley: Spiritual Guide" by Chris Rhatigan. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "There’s a Bad Moon Rising" by Thomas Pluck. Horror.
@335 tomorrows: "Something Famous" by Samantha L. Barrett.Science Fiction.
@Weirdyear: "The Race" by Rusty Keele.
@335 tomorrows: "Good(k)night" by Jason Frank.Science Fiction.
@335 tomorrows: "Survival" by Brian T. Carter. Science Fiction.
@335 tomorrows: "Dreadnought" by Jae Miles.Science Fiction.
@Yesteryear Fiction: "Indian Summer" by Gil C. Schmidt. Fantasy.
@Yesteryear Fiction: "Super Bears" by Chris Sharp. Fantasy.
@Yesteryear Fiction: "Training Mission" by Jeff Kyle, Jr. Fantasy.
@Yesteryear Fiction: "The Dreaming Cat" by Melinda Giordano. Fantasy.
@Yesteryear Fiction: "The Mermaid" by Melinda Giordano. Fantasy.
@Eschatology: "The Things You Get Used To" by Brian M. Sammons. Horror.
@The New Flesh: "Tattered Title in a Different Time" by Josh Myers. Horror.
@The New Flesh: "Loosefish and Fastfish" by Josh Myers. Horror.
@The New Flesh: "Up and Down Like Stupid Toys" by Josh Myers. Horror.
@The New Flesh: "Devils" by Josh Myers. Horror.
@Quantum Muse: "Fans" by Michael Peralta.
@Brain Harvest: "Train Ride Out of Oakland" by Jennifer Hurley. Speculative Fiction.
@ChiZine [Poems - Dark]

• Big G & Little J by Tom Piccirilli
• Evil Soap Opera by Mark McLaughlin
• In Reluctance I Go Wandering by Kurt Newton
• The Memory of Burning Bones by Steve Vernon
• Mist and Shadows by Helen Marshall
• Nightfall by Susan A. Manchester
• The only human things by Peter Bloch-Hansen
• Zombie Bees of Winnipeg by Carolyn Clink

Friday Dark Fiction and More Freebies.

Another great day of free fiction, especially for those who like it dark. Another great selection from ChiZine, as well as horror podcasts by Pseudopod and Dunesteef add a creepy flavor to today's listings. But fear not fans of other genres, there are a few crunchy bits for you too.

Tomorrow should have another "QuasarDragon Presents" and gaming freebies, while Sunday should have video(s?) and maybe comics. There may also be random reviews and an announcement or two. As always links to free online stuff are appreciated.

Today's illustration is for "The Rook" in the fiction Section.






@ChiZine:The Chiaroscuro: Volume 47, Week 10 Dark Fiction.

"The Informers" by Gerard Houarner.

"A thrashing metal ballad’s muted chorus seeped through the edges of the battered wooden door, along with the din of laughter and drunken talk. He’d stayed too long nursing Dewars and beers at the bar. Nobody was playing Springsteen or watching the game, anymore."

"Motive, Means, Eventuality" by Gordon Grice.

"It’s hot enough to make him sweat. That’s odd, because in his nostalgia college always happens in snow. Nothing much is happening around campus."

"The Pillow Book of Liisa Härkönen" by Joe L. Murr.

"The midnight sun gives us a foretaste of the eternal light. Colours are muted and soft. The outlines of objects blur. It’s like seeing the world through a wedding veil. There’s nothing more beautiful in this life."

"Pisspot Bay" by Elizabeth Massie.

"Andy had been caught in the sweep. It happened so fast, he first thought it was a gag, something rigged up by that doofus Stephen whose dad owned the farm, something Stephen would have thought was really funny. But it wasn’t so funny when all was said and done."

"Signal to Noise" by Gemma Files.

"This world was full of empty spaces, especially where the maps fell away—holes that most often plugged themselves with phantoms, the minute you looked somewhere else. Nature of the game. Nothing was certain, only wars and rumours of wars, ’til the intelligence checked out."

"Unchambered Heart" by Jay Lake.

"The venue was the basement of a pawn shop that had once served as bank, centuries earlier. Barrel-vaulted ceilings made for small rooms separated by iron bars in the oddest places. Curious drains interrupted the floor periodically, as if the place also included “abattoir” in its resume."

"Wax and Wane" by Grant Palmquist

"After she had left, he opened the drapes, lit a cigarette and sipped a Budweiser. Three years the world had gone on without him. Three long-ass years. In the distance, a highway swerved upward and merged with darkness."

@Tor.com: "The Rook" by Melinda Snodgrass, from the upcoming Wildcards anthology, Fort Freak.

"I FIND THE FIRST day of anything tough—first day of school, first day of camp, first day of the year. My tendency is to view the unknown future more with trepidation than joy. And now I could add to that list the first day of work."

@Daily Science Fiction: "Apology" by Sam Ferree.

"At no point in the past or future will your life have any bearing on anything, at all," the redheaded, twenty-something time traveler with a sleeve of tattoos tells me. "That's why it's okay to kill you."

@Escape Pod: Episode #292 "For Want of a Nail" by Mary Robinette Kowal, read by Mur Lafferty. Science Fiction.

"With only a single camera attached, the interface glasses didn’t give Rava depth perception as she struggled to replug the transmitter cable. The chassis had not been designed to need repair. At all. It had been designed to last hundreds of years without an upgrade."

@Pseudopod: Episode #233 "Association" by Eddie Borey, read by Kris Johnson. Horror.

"Below the makeshift tourniquet, his arm was purple and rotten, especially around the bite. He untied the belt—-no point anymore in pretending that it could help him. He could see his purple forearm throb at the new rush of blood. The liquid pressure flowing into his arm was enough to break the scabs on the bitemark."

@Dunesteef: Episode #104 "Whelp" by Damon Shaw. Horror.

"The disturbing story of Ivan, who is forced to deal with a very strange and unsettling dog."

Serial Audio
@Author's Site: "Knights of the Rainbow Table" by Cory Doctorow. [via SF Signal]
(No story details available)
Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six.







@Daily Science Fiction: "Dealing with Death" by Brenta Blevins.
@Every Day Fiction: "Chasing Paper Dragons" by Jason S. Ridler. Fantasy.
@Flashes in the Dark: "Alpha Male" by Bob Bois. Horror.
@Flashes in the Dark: "They Don't Care Who Pays" by Eric Petersen. Horror.
@365 tomorrows: "The Last Terran" by Victoria Barbosa. Science Fiction.
@365 tomorrows: "The Torus Ring" by Patricia Stewart. Science Fiction.
@Weirdyear: "Lunch with Sirso" by Don Dolan II. Weird.
@Weirdyear: "El Gallo" by Cynthia (Cina) Pelayo . Weird.
@Yesteryear Fiction: "The Mech-Maiden of Mesopotamia" Part 1 By Nichole Beard. Fantasy.
@Yesteryear Fiction: "The Mech-Maiden of Mesopotamia" Part 2 By Nichole Beard. Fantasy.
@ChiZine: [Poetry - Dark]

• Changeling by Myna Wallin
• Nothing but sky overhead by David Clink
• The Soft Key by Sandra Kasturi