The Folly of the World—US Edition

Cover of: The Folly of the World—US Edition
  • Publisher: Orbit
  • Published: Dec. 2012

On a stormy night in 1421, the North Sea delivers a devastating blow to Holland: the Saint Elizabeth Flood, a deluge of biblical proportions that drowns hundreds of towns, thousands of people, and forever alters the geography of the Low Countries. Where the factions of the noble Hooks and the merchant Cods waged a literal class war but weeks before, there is now only a nigh-endless expanse of grey water, a desolate inland sea with moldering church spires jutting up like sunken tombstones. For a land already beleaguered by generations of civil war, a worse disaster could scarce be imagined.

Yet even disaster can be profitable, for the right sort of individual, and into this flooded realm sail three conspirators: a deranged thug at the edge of madness, a ruthless conman on the cusp of fortune, and a half-feral girl balanced between them.

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The Folly of the World—UK Edition

Cover of: The Folly of the World—UK Edition
  • Publisher: Orbit
  • Published: Dec. 2012

Synopsis

The Saint Elizabeth Flood of 1421 destroyed towns and villages overnight, the land between the warring cities of Geertruidenberg and Dordrecht becoming a desolate inland sea, mouldering church spires jutting up like tombstones raised to the lost souls below.

Yet even disaster can be profitable for the right sort of individual, and into this flooded realm sail three conspirators: a deranged thug at the edge of madness, a ruthless con man on the cusp of fortune and a half-feral girl who can swim like a fish. Working together, they could find reward beyond reckoning, but such promise is no guarantee against betrayals born of rage and greed.

In a world where peasants feast while noblemen starve, these three uneasy confederates will learn that theft, fraud and even murder are simply part of politics as usual in the now island-city of Dordrecht, and even if their scheme succeeds they may not live long enough to enjoy it . . .

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The Enterprise of Death—US Edition

Cover of: The Enterprise of Death—US Edition
  • Publisher: Orbit
  • Published: Mar. 2011

As the witch-pyres of the Spanish Inquisition blanket Renaissance Europe in a moral haze, a young African slave finds herself the unwilling apprentice of an ancient necromancer. More info can be found in the item description on the sundry sights where one might pre-order the novel, but I'm always inclined to give away as little as possible--getting me to write copy for my work is akin to pulling teeth. The ones you'd prefer to keep.

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The Enterprise of Death—UK Edition

Cover of: The Enterprise of Death—UK Edition
  • Publisher: Orbit
  • Published: Mar. 2011

As the witch-pyres of the Spanish Inquisition blanket Renaissance Europe in a moral haze, a young African slave finds herself the unwilling apprentice of an ancient necromancer. More info can be found in the item description on the sundry sights where one might pre-order the novel, but I'm always inclined to give away as little as possible--getting me to write copy for my work is akin to pulling teeth. The ones you'd prefer to keep.

Available for Pre-order at:

The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart - US Edition

Cover of: The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart - US Edition
  • Publisher: Orbit
  • Published: Nov. 2009

In the plague-wracked and devil-haunted darkness of Medieval Europe, an elite few enjoy opulent lives while the majority eke out a miserable existence in abject poverty. Hungry creatures stalk the deep woods and desolate mountains, and both sea and sky teem with unspeakable horrors. For those ill-fated masses not born into wealth, life is but a vicious trial to be endured before the end of days.

Hegel and Manfried Grossbart couldn't give a toss. Being of low birth means little, after all, when the riches of the mighty wait just inside the next crypt. The grave-robbing twins know enough about crusading to realise that if one is to make a living from the dead, what better destination than the fabled tomb-cities of Egypt? But the Brothers Grossbart are about to discover that all legends have their truths, and worse fates than death await those who would take the red road of villainy ...

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The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart - UK Edition

Cover of: The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart - UK Edition
  • Publisher: Orbit
  • Published: Nov. 2009

In the plague-wracked and devil-haunted darkness of Medieval Europe, an elite few enjoy opulent lives while the majority eke out a miserable existence in abject poverty. Hungry creatures stalk the deep woods and desolate mountains, and both sea and sky teem with unspeakable horrors. For those ill-fated masses not born into wealth, life is but a vicious trial to be endured before the end of days.

Hegel and Manfried Grossbart couldn't give a toss. Being of low birth means little, after all, when the riches of the mighty wait just inside the next crypt. The grave-robbing twins know enough about crusading to realise that if one is to make a living from the dead, what better destination than the fabled tomb-cities of Egypt? But the Brothers Grossbart are about to discover that all legends have their truths, and worse fates than death await those who would take the red road of villainy ...

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Short Works

“Tubby McMungus, Fat From Fungus” in FUNGI

Cover of: “Tubby McMungus, Fat From Fungus” in FUNGI

A collaboration between Molly Tanzer and myself, this is the sad story of Tubby McMungus, an anthropomorphic cat in Restoration-era London. Think Beatrix Potter by way of John Wilmot. This appears in Fungi, an anthology edited by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Orrin Grey. The hardcover has an accompanying illustration by Bernie Gonzalez.

  • Publisher: Innsmouth Free Press
  • Published: Dec. 2012

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“HISTORYBOT Saves the Future”

Cover of: “HISTORYBOT Saves the Future”

An anthology of Zombies vs Robots fiction, edited by Jeff Conner and based on the awesome IDW comic book created by Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood. This opening salvo contains stories by moi, Nick Kaufman, Rio Youers, Steve Rasnic Tem, and a bunch of others. My novelette's got time travel! Roller derby! Teen angst! Teen spirit! And yeah, zombies fighting a robot. Out in early April, 2012.

  • Publisher: IDW
  • Published: Apr. 2012

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“The Door from Earth”

Cover of: “The Door from Earth”

Future Lovecraft in anthology of, uh, futuristic Lovecraftian fiction and poetry. Other contributors include Molly Tanzer, Orrin Grey, Nick Mamatas, Helen Marshall, Martha Hubbard, and a host of others. One guess which Clark Ashton Smith story my piece is a quasi-sequel/homage to. Voormis! Amphibechanical technology! Musk glands and stink pistols!

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“Stars Fell on Alabama”

Dialect overdose meets cosmic horror by way of Mojo Nixon. Up for free on the ChiZine site!

“Liminal Medicine”

Cover of: “Liminal Medicine”

Candle in the Attic Window is an anthology of modern day Gothic fiction and poetry. My longish short story is set in Cambodia. Decaying family seats! Ghosts! Secrets! Also, something nasty in the witch-shed...

  • Publisher: Innsmouth Free Press
  • Published: Sep. 2011

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“The Bear and the Sea”

Cover of: “The Bear and the Sea”

A reprint of my short story in the charity anthology Tales for Canterbury to benefit victims of the Canterbury earthquake(s). Other contributors include Jeff VanderMeer, Lynne Jamneck, Jay Lake, Neil Gaiman, and many more.

  • Published: May. 2011

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“The Saga of Hilde Ansgardottir”

Cover of: “The Saga of Hilde Ansgardottir”

A short story inspired by the Icelandic Sagas and certain Mythos tales in the anthology Historical Lovecraft. Other entries include Molly Tanzer's phenomenal novelette "The Infernal History of the Ivybridge Twins" and Orrin Grey's spooky "Black Hill," among many others.

  • Published: Apr. 2011

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“Down There Where You Don’t Go”

Cover of: “Down There Where You Don’t Go”

A piece of flash fiction--like, maybe a thousand words--in a collection that describes itself thusly:

"The elements and bedrock of Jabberwocky can be largely described as the "-ical approach": lyrical, whimsical, mythical, in all its forms, particularly short fiction, poetry, and illustrative. There are no boundaries, no restrictions, no genres. If you love the art of the written word, its structure, its flow, its language, I suspect you'll love Jabberwocky. "

  • Published: Apr. 2011

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“The Adventures of Ernst, Who Began a Man, Became a Cyclops, and Finished a Hero”

Second world shenanigans! Grotesqueries! Motherfucking adventure!

“Blamed for Trying to Live”

Cover of: “Blamed for Trying to Live”

References to Dead Prez and the Calvin Lockhart/Peter Cushing "classic" The Beast Must Die--what more do you want?

  • Publisher: Prime
  • Published: Apr. 2010

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“Conventions of the Genre”

Flash fiction about the upcoming monster apocalypse.

“Charlie’s Hole”

Cover of: “Charlie’s Hole”

A reprint of my first pro sale, a zombie story set in Vietnam.

  • Publisher: Elder Signs Press
  • Published: Jan. 2010

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Coffee and Conversation with Hegel and Manfried Grossbart

An interview with the Brothers Grossbart.

A History of the Reality of the History of the Grossbarts: Part 3 (The End of History)

The final installment in my three-part essay series on the Baton Rouge Grossbart Conference.

A History of the Reality of the History of the Grossbarts: Part 2

Or How I Learned To Stop Scurrying And Love The Beard

A History of the Reality of the History of the Grossbarts: Part 1

Orbit asked how I came up with the Grossbarts, and so I related to them my experiences at university and the underground Baton Rouge Grossbart Conference.

Abash’d the Devil Stood

An essay on villainy I wrote for Powell's.

Fucked in Fucking: A Mildly Morose Tale of the Brothers Grossbart

A piece of flash fiction I did on a dare from Aidan Moher.

The Bear and the Sea

A short piece for Chiaroscuro, inspired in no small part by the coast of British Columbia. Available in pdf at the same site.

Charlie’s Hole

Cover of: Charlie’s Hole

A bit of southern fried Vietnam nasty that appeared in The Book of More Flesh, a zombie anthology edited by James Lowder. My first published piece.

This book is out of print.