More Free Fiction

A few more great free fiction items today, including A Steven Brust story at Tor.com (illustrated to the left), the conclusion of Dave Gross' story at Paizo, new audio at PodCastle and Cast of Wonders, e-books and more.












Fiction
• At Paizo: "The Fencing Master - Chapter Four: The Second Trap" by Dave Gross. Fantasy. Pathfinder.
      "As Vencarlo Orisini led Orkatto's men on a noisy chase, I strolled out the front doors with my "bodyguard." In the darkened museum, and without his mask and cloak, which I carried folded under my arm, Master Raneiro did somewhat resemble the younger man who had accompanied me into the museum. I placed my hope in the bravo's topknot and the noisy diversion behind us."

• At Tor.com: "Fireworks in the Rain" by Steven Brust. 
      "a secret society of two hundred people with an unbroken lineage reaching back forty thousand years. They cheat death, share lives and memories, and communicate with one another across nations and time. They have an epic history, an almost magical memory, and a very modest mission: to make the world better, a little bit at a time."


Audio Fiction
• At Cast of Wonders: "Phoenix Watching - Chapter 1" by Chris Lewis Carter
     "Hello campers! Are you ready for supernatural summer camp? We’ve been so excited getting this story ready for you, we hope you enjoy it! Welcome to Phoenix Watching, the first Camp Myth novel by Chris Lewis Carter."

• At PodCastle: "Thorns" by Martha Wells, read by C.S.E. Cooney. Fantasy.
     "There were no guests expected, and just before the dinner hour is not considered an appropriate time for casual calls, yet Dearing was greeting this presumptuous fellow as a prodigal son."


E-Books
At Free eBooks Daily:

• A Rose From Old Terra by Don Sakers. Space Opera.
• Bonds of Honour by Goran Zidar. Fantasy Romance.
• Forgotten Royalty by Tiffany Wood. Paranormal Romance.
• Valantinus by Ziana de Bethune. Paranormal Romance. 

At Amazon:  [via Freebook Sifter]

• Torn by Christine Hughes. Dark Fantasy.
• Forgotten Enemy (The Powers of Influence) by C. B. Haight. Paranormal. Werewolves.
• The Guardian's Keeper (The Guardian Trilogy, Book 1) by T.R. Raven. Paranormal. Vampires.
• The Reluctant Amazon (Alliance of the Amazons) by Sandy James. Paranormal.
• The Foundlings (The Swords of Xigara) by J. Mark Miller. Fantasy.
• The Witch Hunter (The Witch Hunter Saga) by Nicole R Taylor. Paranormal.
• At the Behest of the Dead by Timothy W. Long. Paranormal.

Other Genres

• Audio Fiction at LibriVox: Salammbô by Gustave Flaubert. read by Carolin Kaiser. Historical Fiction. 
• Audio Fiction at The Hole Behind Midnight: Episode 1 and Episode 2: Interrogation:Posthumous. Noir.
• Serial Fiction at HiLobrow: "The Zayat Kiss - Party 3" by Sax Rohmer. Noir.

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.

Monday Free Fiction - Part One

 More cool free items this morning, including a complete fantasy novel at Black Gate, several classic SF stories given new audio readings, continuing serialized audio and more.


 [Art from Astounding Stories #02 in Audio Fiction]










Fiction
• At Black Gate: The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells. Fantasy.
      "Despite the frosty night air and the chill wind off the river, there were other guests milling around on the wide marble portico, admiring the famous pediment. Madeline tucked her hands more firmly into her muff and shivered, partly from the cold, partly from anticipation. Her coachman received his instructions and urged the horses away, and her escort Captain Reynard Morane strolled back to her." A complete novel.

• At Cosmos: "Tranquility" by O.J. Cade.Science Fiction.
     "The cryonics case reminded her of a coffin, and Mary had to bite back a comment about rising from it like the undead. Making light of it wouldn’t make her feel any less claustrophobic."

• At The WiFiles: "Dreamweaver" by David Bridge. Speculative Fiction.
     "I just had a horrible dream. I dreamt a hundred gibbering goblins were ripping me apart, pulling my intestines out through my bellybutton."

Flash Fiction

• At Daily Science Fiction: "The Bargain" by Henry Szabranski. 
• At Every Day Fiction: "Drawn to the Glow" by K.C. Ball. Audio. Fantasy.
• At New Myths: "Kitt the Shadow" by Rachel A. Dowling.
• At Quantum Muse: "The Future is in the Past" by Gordon Rowlinson.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "The Time Goblin" by Clint Wilson. Science Fiction.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "The Mathematics of Future Paradox" by Joe Malone. Science Fiction.

Audio Fiction
• At Author's Site: "The MVP Episode #34" by Scott Sigler. Science Fiction. Football.
     "The Galaxy Bowl is heating up! It's Quentin and the Krakens vs. Don Pine and the Jupiter Jacks. Injuries have started to take their toll on both teams, and the gridiron runs red (and purple, and black) with blood."

• At Cthulhu: "The Shadow over Innsmouth, part 2" by H. P. Lovecraft.
     "The story describes a young man's discovery of a strange hybrid race, half-human and half an unknown creature that resembles a cross between a fish and a frog, that dwell in Innsmouth – a coastal town that had seen better days" - Wikipedia.

• At Drabblecast: "The Eyes Have It"  by Philip K. Dick. Science Fiction.
      "It was quite by accident I discovered this incredible invasion of Earth by lifeforms from another planet. As yet, I haven’t done anything about it; I can’t think of anything to do. I wrote to the Government, and they sent back a pamphlet on the repair and maintenance of frame houses. Anyhow, the whole thing is known; I’m not the first to discover it. Maybe it’s even under control"

• At The Fantastic Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs: "Episode 05 - The Land That Time Forgot"
     "The U-33 has discovered a land mass. Seemingly surrounded by impenetrable cliffs, Bradley remembers the legend of Caprona, discovered but never explored by an Italian navigator centuries before. Finding an undersea river pouring into the sea from the land mass, the U-33 submerges and travels upstream."

• At LibriVox: "Astounding Stories 02, February 1930" Science Fiction.
     "This is the second issue of the classic science fiction Astounding Magazine. It contains the finale of The Beetle Horde by Victor Rousseau, as well as stories by Harl Vincent, Charles Willard Diffin, Hugh B. Cave, Sophie Wenzel Ellis, Sterner St. Paul, Anthony Pelcher and Captain S. P. Meek." Issue One Here (Contains part one of "The Beetle Horde"}

• At 19 Nocturne Boulevard:  "The Amazing Mrs. Mimms!" by David C. Knight.
     "There was a muffled rushing noise and the faintly acrid smell of ion electrodes as the Time Translator deposited Mrs. Mimms back into the year 1958. Being used to such journeys, she looked calmly about with quick gray eyes, making little flicking gestures with her hands as if brushing the stray minutes and seconds from her plain brown coat."

Other Genres

• Audio at CrimeWAV: “Luck” by Johnny Shaw.
• Audio at Selected Shorts: "About Time"
• Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "Down, on the Farm" • by Lyn Brown.
• Flash Fiction at Every Day Fiction: "The Horses" by Rebecca Schwarz